Wood, the right choice
Acoustic Properties
Apartment and office dwellers share a common interest: insistence on protection against noise from the neighbors, from traffic, from playgrounds and from scores of other sources. Proper insulation against intruding sounds is therefore imperative in any high-quality multi-unit project.
Confort acoustique du bâtiment; CNDB (French)
Le matériau bois : le surdoué de l’acoustique; CNDB (French)
Noise-Rated Systems; APA
Energy Efficiency
Wood, the only renewable building material, performs well as a structural material and as a thermal barrier resulting in strong, safe and warm buildings.
Performance thermique et économies d’énergie; CNDB (French)
Thermal Performance of Light-Frame Assemblies; CWC
Durability
Wood buildings in rainy or humid environments can have long-term, problem-free performance; it’s a matter of knowing how to manage water when designing and constructing with wood-based building products.
Discoloration on Wood Products; Forintek
Moisture and Durability; Forintek
Fire Resistance
Large wood members have long been recognized for their ability to maintain structural integrity while exposed to fire, attributed to the charring effect of wood. As wood members are exposed to fire, an insulating char layer is formed that protects the core of the section.
Fire Safety and Insurance in Commercial Buildings; CWC
Fire-Rated Systems; APA
Green Material
Wood makes a major contribution to improving the overall environmental performance of any commercial or residential building by reducing energy use, reducing resource use, minimizing pollution and reducing environmental impact.
Build Green: Build with Wood; Wood Promotion Network (website)
Green by Design; CWC
Properties
CWC Glossary for Wood; Canadian Wood Council (website)
FPL Publications; Forest Products Laboratory (website)
Sustainability
The use of wood helps mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gases through carbon sequestration. A typical 2400 square foot wood-frame house holds 28.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide, an amount equal to the emissions of a small car over seven years.
Energy and the Environment in Residential Construction; CWC
Sustainable Design and Wood; CWC
Wood: Sustainable Building Solutions; APA
Other references
Building Performance
Source: Canadian Wood Council
Moisture and Wood-Frame Building
Fire Safety in Residential Buildings
Termite Control and Wood-Frame Buildings
Wood Frame Housing – A North American Marvel
Wood-Frame Construction – Meeting the Challenges of Earthquakes
Managing Moisture and Wood
« Construction Bois » (French)
Source: Comité National pour le Développement du Bois
Construire en bois; un choix durable
Confort acoustique du bâtiment
Performance thermique et économies d’énergie
Construction bois et sécurité incendie
Design with Wood
Source: Canadian Wood Council
Building Code
Durability
Fire Safety
Structural Design
Sustainability
Sustainable Building Series – Quick Facts
Source: Canadian Wood Council
Wood, the Building Material of Choice
Wood and the Greening of Commercial Buildings
Wood and the Greening of Residential Buildings
Life Cycle of WOOD Products
Embodied Energy of WOOD Products
Wood Products and Carbon Sequestration
Wood and Building Occupants
Durability and WOOD
Value-Added WOOD Products
Certified WOOD Products
WOOD Survey on Green Building in Canada
Wood and Green Building Fact Sheets
Source: Wood Promotion Network (registration required; no charge)
LEED vs. Green Globes
Home Builder Guidelines
The Role of Life Cycle Assessment
Using Wood to Fight Climate Change
