4 ms·

This is really impressive, but what's the real lifetime is going to be?

Cthulhu_ 8y ago
Well, the wood isn't going to rot if treated and kept dry enough. What's more worrying is how (if) the wood will warp over time, with expansion / contraction due to temperature differences, etc. And how that compares with concrete.
- olau 8y ago
  Cross-laminated wood is apparently very stable. People also ask about fire resistance, but the outermost layer gets charred which then protects the inner for quite some time, compared to traditional steel beams where the heat makes the steel soft. So even though the steel doesn't burn, it needs special fire protection to stay stable for long enough for people to evacuate.
vidarh 8y ago
Gol Stave Church is an ~800 years old wooden structure [1]. Most of the exterior paneling have been replaced, but the interior structure is original. And there are plenty of wooden exteriors in Norwegian houses that are 100-200+ years despite the climate. I grew up in one that was about 100 years old and where the exterior was all timber covered with plank. Originally there was sawdust added as insulation, but that was replaced at some point in the 1980's due to the fire hazard. Of course this building is all specially treated wood, and the structure is under a lot more strain, so it's not guaranteed that it translates well, but wood that's treated properly can last a long time. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Stave_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Stave_Church
- JackPoach 8y ago
  Sorry, but you can't compare a multistory building where people live with an old church.
  - vidarh 8y ago
    You can to an extent, because the point is that the wood retains a sufficient carrying capacity for centuries to not fall down. I'm not saying a multistory building will survive for 800 years without maintenance, but that the carrying internal structure of a church like that can survive for 800 years is a pretty good indicator that it can survive for a long time.
  - crote 8y ago
    How about a 500-year old multistory building still used as a house? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begijnhof,_Amsterdam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begijnhof,_Amsterdam . Granted, it's only 6 stories, but I think we can forgive that, given that it's 500 years old.
    - JackPoach 8y ago
      That is really impressive. However, this is an exception, not the rule and I've seen a number of old wooden houses in really, really bad shape when I lived in Sacramento. Even after 50 or so years. Of course, they have termite problem in California, that doesn't happen in other parts of the world as much.
yesenadam 8y ago
Does anyone know about the lifetime of the usual (non-wood) tall buildings, skyscrapers? I always wondered..will they just fall down one day..or what?
- JackPoach 8y ago
  The issue isn't that they fall, but they become outdated much earlier for other reasons. For example, materials (asbestos). Or that they don't comply with newer fire safety regulations. Or that the old design no longer accomodates modern working conditions, etc.

Well, the wood isn't going to rot if treated and kept dry enough. What's more worrying is how (if) the wood will warp over time, with expansion / contraction due to temperature differences, etc. And how that compares with concrete.

olau 8y ago
Cross-laminated wood is apparently very stable. People also ask about fire resistance, but the outermost layer gets charred which then protects the inner for quite some time, compared to traditional steel beams where the heat makes the steel soft. So even though the steel doesn't burn, it needs special fire protection to stay stable for long enough for people to evacuate.

vidarh 8y ago

Gol Stave Church is an ~800 years old wooden structure [1]. Most of the exterior paneling have been replaced, but the interior structure is original. And there are plenty of wooden exteriors in Norwegian houses that are 100-200+ years despite the climate. I grew up in one that was about 100 years old and where the exterior was all timber covered with plank. Originally there was sawdust added as insulation, but that was replaced at some point in the 1980's due to the fire hazard. Of course this building is all specially treated wood, and the structure is under a lot more strain, so it's not guaranteed that it translates well, but wood that's treated properly can last a long time. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Stave_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Stave_Church

JackPoach 8y ago
Sorry, but you can't compare a multistory building where people live with an old church.
- vidarh 8y ago
  You can to an extent, because the point is that the wood retains a sufficient carrying capacity for centuries to not fall down. I'm not saying a multistory building will survive for 800 years without maintenance, but that the carrying internal structure of a church like that can survive for 800 years is a pretty good indicator that it can survive for a long time.
- crote 8y ago
  How about a 500-year old multistory building still used as a house? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begijnhof,_Amsterdam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begijnhof,_Amsterdam . Granted, it's only 6 stories, but I think we can forgive that, given that it's 500 years old.
  - JackPoach 8y ago
    That is really impressive. However, this is an exception, not the rule and I've seen a number of old wooden houses in really, really bad shape when I lived in Sacramento. Even after 50 or so years. Of course, they have termite problem in California, that doesn't happen in other parts of the world as much.

yesenadam 8y ago

Does anyone know about the lifetime of the usual (non-wood) tall buildings, skyscrapers? I always wondered..will they just fall down one day..or what?

JackPoach 8y ago
The issue isn't that they fall, but they become outdated much earlier for other reasons. For example, materials (asbestos). Or that they don't comply with newer fire safety regulations. Or that the old design no longer accomodates modern working conditions, etc.