Natural Structural Materials: Super Tall Timber

我设想了一个可持续的未来，在这个未来，自然材料在建筑环境的建设中发挥着越来越重要的作用。我的研究的基本前提是，研究，加工，修改和设计天然材料的创新方法可以增加他们在构建我们的未来的作用。纵观历史，木材和其他植物基材料在国内建筑中发挥了重要作用，并且仍然在世界各地发挥着重要作用，但随着全球人口的城市化，人们居住在更高的建筑物中。我相信我们可以更自然地建造这样的高层建筑。这项建议旨在进一步提高必要的结构工程知识，使高层木结构建筑成为现实。通过这项大间距提案资助的研究将使更高和更大的建筑物能够使用天然材料作为钢铁和混凝土的替代品，并减少与之相关的碳排放。天然材料在国内范围以外的建筑环境中并不常见，但我的研究表明，这些材料作为钢铁和混凝土的可持续替代品具有未满足的潜力。其他人也持这种观点：近来，人们对高大的木材产生了很大的兴趣，尽管在当代的木材建筑物中“高大”高达10层;在钢或混凝土中，这个高度仅仅是中层。斯基德莫尔、奥因斯和梅里尔提出的一项1.25亿美元的木材建筑提案，以及美国农业部最近宣布的一项200万美元的木制摩天大楼设计竞赛，都增加了人们的兴趣。人们渴望建造最高的木结构建筑，并伴随着卓越的研究。

I envision a sustainable future in which natural materials play an increased and central role in the construction of the built environment. The fundamental premise of my research is that innovative approaches to research, processing, modification and design of natural materials can increase their role in constructing our future. Throughout history timber and other plant-based materials have played a major role in domestic construction, and still do around the world, but as the global population urbanizes, people live more densely in taller buildings. I believe we can make such tall buildings more naturally.This proposal seeks to further the structural engineering knowledge necessary to make tall timber buildings a reality. The research funded through this Big Pitch proposal would enable the use of natural materials in taller and larger buildings as a substitute for steel and concrete, and to reduce the carbon emissions associated with them. Natural materials are uncommon in the built environment beyond a domestic scale, but my research suggests these materials have unmet potential as more sustainable alternatives to steel and concrete. Others share this view: there has been significant recent interest in tall timber, although "tall" in contemporary timber buildings is up to 10 stories; this height is barely midrise in steel or concrete. A proposal by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for a 125m building of timber and a newly announced $2 million design competition by the US Department of Agriculture for wooden skyscrapers extend the interest. There is an aspiration to construct the tallest timber building that should be accompanied by research excellence.