Overview of wooden construction in Brazil: agents and new construction systems

• Grant number: 16/09744-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2016
• End date: April 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Lucia Zanin Shimbo
• Grantee: Erich Kazuo Shigue
• Host Institution: Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Carlos (IAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The effects of global warming and the necessary measures and actions to decelerate this process through sustainable development proposals are the main theme of numerous researches and debates in many different areas. Civil construction plays a significant role in this issue, since buildings generate a large amount of CO2 throughout its construction and life cycle. In a horizon of a low carbon economy, wood is being highlighted in many countries as the main construction material because of its natural and renewable characteristics. Also the material acts as a carbon sink and promotes maintenance and growth of forests. Brazil has the second largest forest area in the world, and states as one of the main wood producers. A great part of its production is consumed internally, although only a tiny part of it is converted into buildings or building components. However, in the last few years when the real state market had an expressive growth, new constructive systems have been brought to Brazil, like the wood frame. Recently, this system is even being used to build houses of the "Minha Casa Minha Vida" programme, which can be an indicator of the economic potential of using wood as a construction material. In face of that, this project aims to characterize the tendency of raising the use of wood in Brazil's civil construction through the introduction of new technologies and initiatives that promote the use of wood. It also aims to understand to what extent wood's sustainable characteristics impacts on this process. The research will be divided in two parts. First a systemic mapping will be done in order to identify the stakeholders (companies and institutions), government programs and what are the technologies and products being introduced. Secondly, among all the stakeholders the most representative ones will be selected to perform a study case. As a result of this research it is expected to characterize the tendency of the raise on the use of wooden products in the civil construction, highlighting the main initiatives with this purpose and also identify its motivations and challenges. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SHIGUE, Erich Kazuo. Diffusion of timber construction in Brazil: stakeholders, actions and products.. 2018. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD) São Carlos.