Description

Few building materials possess the environmental benefits of wood. It is not only the most widely used building material in the United States but also one with characteristics that make it suitable for a wide range of applications. Efficient, durable, and useful wood products produced from trees range from a minimally processed log at a log-home building site to a highly processed and highly engineered wood composite manufactured in a large production facility. As with any resource, it is imperative that the raw materials are produced and used to ensure sustainability. One of the greatest attributes of wood is that it is a renewable resource. If sustainable forestry management and harvesting practices are followed, the wood resource will be available forever.

Publication Notes

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• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

Citation

Falk, Robert H. 2009. Wood as a sustainable building material. Forest products journal. Vol. 59, no. 9 (Sept. 2009): p. 6-12.

Keywords

Buildings materials, testing, sustainable forestry, sustainability, renewable natural resources, utilization, buildings, environmental engineering, wooden-frame houses, dwellings, wooden buildings, architecture, climate, energy consumption, carbon sequestration, forest products industry, certification, wooden-frame buildings, green products, wood, wood technology

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