Industrialised timber construction systems: a strategy for mitigating carbon emissions in the built environment

• Grant number: 25/05317-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Akemi Ino
• Grantee: Mônica Duarte Aprilanti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Carlos (IAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/01115-0 - CCD - Carbon Neutral Cities, AP.CCD

Abstract

The pressing need to reduce carbon emissions from the construction sector on a global scale has been driving the development of construction alternatives guided by principles of sustainability and circularity. In this sense, the increased use of bio-based materials and renewable sources, such as wood, has been evolving as an efficient solution for carbon storage in industrialized buildings. This challenge is being successfully addressed in countries in the Northern Hemisphere and has gained prominence in Brazil in recent years, with the increased use of engineered wood construction systems. However, technological bottlenecks and the unavailability of technical data and regulations limit the measurement and true perception of the benefits of these systems. Issues related to the durability of buildings in environments of climatic and biological adversity, the use of diverse timber species in the manufacturing of components, and the proper disposal of waste from production processes require further investigation. On the other hand, greater accuracy in calculating the carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of buildings, considering the global warming potential and energy resource consumption of their components and products, can result in clearer parameters that guide decision-making and monitoring the efficiency of systems for emission mitigation. Based on these premises, this Activity Plan aligns with the objectives of "CCD Carbon Neutral Cities" in the Sectoral Pathway of "Buildings and Construction," within the perspective of "Decarbonization of the urban environment, technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and climate resilience," by proposing wood as the main raw material for the development of construction solutions based on Low Carbon Construction Technologies, aiming to foster the productive chain directed at the construction sector, promoting the expansion of the market for wood products, innovation in production processes, professional training, and the generation of subsidies for standardization and the articulation of public policies aimed at the sector. (AU)