| Abstract |
Since it becomes clear that we will need to be more bio-economy oriented in the future, there is a clear need to assess the potential of the wood resource as well as to prioritise some wood products. Application of timber and wood-based products in the construction sector has major merits in relation to the sustainable developments goals as defined by the United Nations and complying with the Green Deal of the EU. Both the fact that hardwoods are underutilised in the construction sector and the many innovative engineered wood products that are now part of the forestry wood industry chain, create opportunities for a promising future. The interest in new green building products has increased substantially over the last decades. There is extra emphasis on the utilization of hardwoods linked to the increased role of broadleaved tree species in forestry. This consistently increased focus on green development is mainly due to the public concern of the impact of global warming. There are quite some companies, institutes and authorities that have started making efforts on sustainable timber buildings. Glue laminated timber (GLT, glulam) and the introduction of cross laminated timber (CLT) are now established engineered wood products (EWPs) and are critical assets in green timber building constructions. These products are mainly based on softwoods, however hardwood species could be key to further green innovations. There are critical advantages in using hardwoods in the construction sector, especially when considering production output efficiency and sustainability. Firstly, there are opportunities in increasing the use of common hardwood products like plywood by means of focussing on construction end use. Secondly, other more specific structural engineered wood products like veneer and strand based LVL, LSL and I-joists should be regarded as additional tools to incorporate more hardwoods in green building alongside the massive timber options based on CLT and glulam. |