3 ms·

I wonder about how they handle the biodegradability Morton's fork. If wood doesn't rot at all then it is no longer biodegradable. If the wood does rot then it w

I wonder about how they handle the biodegradability Morton's fork. If wood doesn't rot at all then it is no longer biodegradable. If the wood does rot then it will eventually become a safety hazard and either be torn down or a "Fallingwater situation" where burdensome maintenance leads to it being more of an architectural show piece than something actually proliferated. I am not sure of the nuances of the local climate and wood durability and how applicable it would be in other countries. Some places can have medieval wooden buildings intact like the Bourgand Stave Church. Meanwhile others have disposable barns that they expect to have to burn and rebuild occasionally. I know some is building technique, things like "a stone foundation is important so the wood doesn't touch the dirt and rot from the ground up".

Gravityloss 5y ago
Yes, exactly. In the forest, a dead pine, if standing up, (called kelo in Finnish), can last for a pretty long time. The bark will be stripped, branches will drop off and it will turn grey. But the trunk stays there standing. It's dead and dry and there's nothing for any animal to really eat. It's too dry for fungus. Termites don't exist in northern climates.
- Spionbil 5y ago
  While we don't have termites. Don't forget about carpenter ants which can and do damage wooden buildings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant
  - Gravityloss 5y ago
    True, though I haven't seen any in decades. Not much old forests left.
    - aliswe 5y ago
      My cottage in northern sweden was carpenter/horse ant infested. Just recently got rid of them.
lm28469 5y ago
> If the wood does rot then it will eventually become a safety hazard and either be torn down As we've seen recently concrete also fails, most concrete building have a lifespan of 50-75 years, appartement complexes and other tall buildings need constant maintenance regardless. After that long it's almost always cheaper to destroy and rebuild than upgrade anyways. From what I understand the main issue with wood is from soil contact (humidity, termites, &c.) and building a concrete base takes care of that issue, above ground structures are very durable: http://www.timberqueensland.com.au/Docs/Benefits%20of%20Timber/Fact%20Sheets/Factsheet_09.pdf http://www.timberqueensland.com.au/Docs/Benefits%20of%20Timb... The non biodegradability isn't a big concern when you see how much CO2 is produced and energy is used for concrete: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concrete https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concre...

Gravityloss 5y ago

Yes, exactly. In the forest, a dead pine, if standing up, (called kelo in Finnish), can last for a pretty long time. The bark will be stripped, branches will drop off and it will turn grey. But the trunk stays there standing. It's dead and dry and there's nothing for any animal to really eat. It's too dry for fungus. Termites don't exist in northern climates.

Spionbil 5y ago
While we don't have termites. Don't forget about carpenter ants which can and do damage wooden buildings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant
- Gravityloss 5y ago
  True, though I haven't seen any in decades. Not much old forests left.
  - aliswe 5y ago
    My cottage in northern sweden was carpenter/horse ant infested. Just recently got rid of them.

lm28469 5y ago

> If the wood does rot then it will eventually become a safety hazard and either be torn down As we've seen recently concrete also fails, most concrete building have a lifespan of 50-75 years, appartement complexes and other tall buildings need constant maintenance regardless. After that long it's almost always cheaper to destroy and rebuild than upgrade anyways. From what I understand the main issue with wood is from soil contact (humidity, termites, &c.) and building a concrete base takes care of that issue, above ground structures are very durable: http://www.timberqueensland.com.au/Docs/Benefits%20of%20Timber/Fact%20Sheets/Factsheet_09.pdf http://www.timberqueensland.com.au/Docs/Benefits%20of%20Timb... The non biodegradability isn't a big concern when you see how much CO2 is produced and energy is used for concrete: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concrete https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concre...