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A blocker to deployment would be getting building codes updated to permit use. From memory, wood was only approved for 3 story or less structures in most of the

by ethbr0 5y ago

A blocker to deployment would be getting building codes updated to permit use. From memory, wood was only approved for 3 story or less structures in most of the US. And building codes tend to be updated extremely slowly and conservatively.

the_other 5y ago
When Greta talks to the public sphere about government failing its climate responsibility, this is the kind of stuff she’s talking about. It’s easy to assume we “just” need subsidies and incentives (or the ending of same) for “green” solutions, but the problem is much larger than that. We need to be operating “sustainably” at every level, in between departments, across legislation. If regulation is blocking us, get it changed. If changing legislation is too slow, refactor. We must go faster.
- spfzero 5y ago
  Shouldn't we make sure it's a good idea first?
  - mywittyname 5y ago
    It's easy to be gung ho about having other people use inspiring, untested technology. But it's not so fun when you're the teaching example for why regulations are slow moving. "Sorry your house fell down, but we never thought to test this stuff at temperatures that low. I mean, we thought Texas was a hot place!"
  - the_other 5y ago
    I didn’t say skip it. I said speed up the process. Add more staff, bring deadlines closer, reduce systemic complexity.
clairity 5y ago
from what i remember, it’s up to 6 stories in some parts of the country. i think it’s other aspects of the zoning and/or building code that tends to limit it to 3 stories—often podium style, with a concrete bunker foundation for cars with 3 stick-built stories on top. for the record, i dislike this style because it reserves the most valuable square footage—the ground floor—to cars. the cars should go underground, allowing the ground floor to be used for human purposes—ideally mixed use, even just publicly accessible studio space for creatives.
- shawn-butler 5y ago
  This is (was?) the largest mass timber structure in the US. I think it is 7 stories. https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis
  - clairity 5y ago
    yah, that’s an awesome building, especially the exposed beam interior. it’s interesting that they used nail-laminated timber, which is just regular lumber close-packed and nailed together with plywood, in place of concrete floors/ceilings. according to the site, they’ve moved on to using dowels instead of nails for this.
- jessaustin 5y ago
  Lake of the Ozarks was in the news last year for our aggressive disdain for covid precautions. The shoreline is occupied by many 4-, 5-, and 6-story stick-built condominium buildings. I've never heard of one falling over, but sometimes they do burn...
jillesvangurp 5y ago
Bureaucracy like that is always a short term obstacle. US building codes are not much of a quality or technical challenge though if you consider that Tokyo has typhoons and earthquakes and is planning a 350m skyscraper with CLT. I'd say anything suitable for that, ought to be acceptable for construction in most of the US. Compared to the damage that hurricanes do in the US to flimsy plywood buildings, it will probably more than be able to compete with that. Building standards are perhaps slow to change but not necessarily very advanced in the US. But you are right that this type of change is slow to implement.

by ethbr0 5y ago

the_other 5y ago

When Greta talks to the public sphere about government failing its climate responsibility, this is the kind of stuff she’s talking about. It’s easy to assume we “just” need subsidies and incentives (or the ending of same) for “green” solutions, but the problem is much larger than that. We need to be operating “sustainably” at every level, in between departments, across legislation. If regulation is blocking us, get it changed. If changing legislation is too slow, refactor. We must go faster.

spfzero 5y ago
Shouldn't we make sure it's a good idea first?
- mywittyname 5y ago
  It's easy to be gung ho about having other people use inspiring, untested technology. But it's not so fun when you're the teaching example for why regulations are slow moving. "Sorry your house fell down, but we never thought to test this stuff at temperatures that low. I mean, we thought Texas was a hot place!"
- the_other 5y ago
  I didn’t say skip it. I said speed up the process. Add more staff, bring deadlines closer, reduce systemic complexity.

clairity 5y ago

from what i remember, it’s up to 6 stories in some parts of the country. i think it’s other aspects of the zoning and/or building code that tends to limit it to 3 stories—often podium style, with a concrete bunker foundation for cars with 3 stick-built stories on top. for the record, i dislike this style because it reserves the most valuable square footage—the ground floor—to cars. the cars should go underground, allowing the ground floor to be used for human purposes—ideally mixed use, even just publicly accessible studio space for creatives.

shawn-butler 5y ago
This is (was?) the largest mass timber structure in the US. I think it is 7 stories. https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis
- clairity 5y ago
  yah, that’s an awesome building, especially the exposed beam interior. it’s interesting that they used nail-laminated timber, which is just regular lumber close-packed and nailed together with plywood, in place of concrete floors/ceilings. according to the site, they’ve moved on to using dowels instead of nails for this.
jessaustin 5y ago
Lake of the Ozarks was in the news last year for our aggressive disdain for covid precautions. The shoreline is occupied by many 4-, 5-, and 6-story stick-built condominium buildings. I've never heard of one falling over, but sometimes they do burn...

jillesvangurp 5y ago

Bureaucracy like that is always a short term obstacle. US building codes are not much of a quality or technical challenge though if you consider that Tokyo has typhoons and earthquakes and is planning a 350m skyscraper with CLT. I'd say anything suitable for that, ought to be acceptable for construction in most of the US. Compared to the damage that hurricanes do in the US to flimsy plywood buildings, it will probably more than be able to compete with that. Building standards are perhaps slow to change but not necessarily very advanced in the US. But you are right that this type of change is slow to implement.