Summary Reader Response Draft 1

The article, “Will Pure Wooden High-Rise Building Be a Game Changer for Decarbonisation, Obayashi Corporation’s Challenge” by Clark (2023), examines how Obayashi Corporation employs wooden construction to create competitive buildings with a smaller carbon footprint. 

The Port Plus Obayashi Yokohama Training Centre, a showcase of the Obayashi Company's wooden construction, uses cross laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) as key structural elements. What sets Port Plus apart from similar buildings is the implementation of rigid cross joints, which binds columns and beams using glued in rods (GIR) and a Japanese carpentry technique known as Nuki (Port Plus, n.d.), which involves fitting a precut section of lumber into a similarly sized hole cut on another section. Another feature of Port Plus is the use of “O Mega Wood” which offers fire resistance and earthquake protection comparable to traditional buildings that are made of concrete and steel (Obayashi, 2016). In an earthquake-prone country like Japan, wooden construction can provide as a comparable alternative.

Clark revealed that the government's budget allocation to support decarbonisation includes funding for the construction of Port Plus highlights the Japanese government's commitment to its 2050 net zero emissions target (Statement by Prime Minister's Office).

While the article presents a strong case of using wood as an alternative, the absence of a thorough exploration into whether wood is genuinely viable and environmentally friendly warrant further investigation.

The article draws a valid comparison between the production of wood to steel and concrete. It emphasises the significantly lower emissions associated with using wood as a building material. Unlike wood, the production of concrete involves a process known as limestone calcination, which generates carbon dioxide as a byproduct, contributing to high emissions (Gustavsson & Sathre, 2005). However, a critical oversight emerges from overlooking the inefficiency in wood harvesting for building materials, as only a portion of tree is suitable to replace building materials such as steel and concrete. When replacing conventional materials, only a quarter of a harvested tree is deemed suitable, with the remaining three quarter either buried, burnt or left on its own (Peng et al.,2023). This revelation from a study by Peng and his team prompts the need for a thorough examination of wood sustainability where a significant portion of wood harvested remains non-reusable. This could lead to even more trees being harvested, heightening concerns of losing forests which serves as natural carbon sinks for the world.

While the current scale of using wood as a building material is relatively small, the consequences could be detrimental if wood were to replace conventional building materials as the norm (Eric Roston, 2023). It is imperative that more comparison studies have to be conducted in order to determine whether the use of wood in this manner could still result in lower carbon emissions comparing to using wood and steel.

Another facet to weigh is the environmental impact of wood harvesting. Global wood harvests are projected to contribute 3.5 to 4.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere annually in the foreseeable future, amounting to approximately 10% of recent annual carbon dioxide emissions (Searchinger et al.,2023).  This highlights the crucial function of trees within the forestry ecosystem, where they play a pivotal role by absorbing carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis. When trees are removed, the disruption extends beyond just carbon dioxide removal. Nutrients flow become disrupted, affecting not only individual trees but also those nearby, as well as the soil and forest bed. This disruptive behaviour can lead to devastating consequences of forestry site being inhabitable even for trees themselves (W.J. Dyck, C.A. Mees, 1990).

In a study (Ramage er al.,2017), he shared key areas for future research on wood. They emphasise the significance of understanding the logistics processes involved in timber trade and formulation of the appropriate policies, both of which are crucial in assessing the impact of wood harvesting (Ramage et al.,2017). Analysing the carbon footprint across the entire supply chain of timber trade from logging, processing to transportation and distribution will provide researchers with comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact of using wood as a building material. This new knowledge can then guide policymakers in setting regional and international forest strategies to address the challenges posed by forest harvesting. According to Ramage (2017), some effective policy measures that have demonstrated environmental friendliness include introducing forest management programs to enhance forest sustainability. Additionally, having implementing stringent regulations can control wood usage in production end which help strike a balance between wood demand and the time needed for trees to grow. Therefore, conducting these studies will facilitate the search for answers to understand and mitigate the environmental impact of wooden construction.

In conclusion, while the article highlights the environmental benefits of wooden construction building technique, critical considerations arise regarding wood's efficiency, sustainability, and the broader impact of global wood harvesting. Balancing environmental advantages with potential drawbacks necessitates further comprehensive studies to guide sustainable construction practices and achieve meaningful carbon reductions.

 

 

Citation:

Clarke, A. (2023). Will Pure Wooden High-Rise Buildings Be a Game Changer for Decarbonization, Obayashi Corporation's Challenge. Will pure wooden skyscrapers be a game changer for decarbonization, Obayashi's challenge - Bloomberg

OY Project. (n.d.). Port Plus (oyproject.com)

Obayashi Corporation. (2016). Low-Cost, Long-Span Fire-Resistant Wood Construction Technology: O･Mega Wood (FR). Low-Cost, Long-Span Fire-Resistant Wood Construction Technology: O･Mega Wood (FR) | Appendix | OBAYASHI CHRONICLE 130 English

Kishida, F. (2023). Statement by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at COP28 World Climate Action Summit. Statement by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio at COP28 World Climate Action Summit (Speeches and Statements <br>by the Prime Minister) | Prime Minister's Office of Japan (kantei.go.jp)

(Gustavsson & Sathre, 2005) Variability in energy and carbon dioxide balances of wood and concrete building materials - ScienceDirect

(Peng et al.,2023) The carbon costs of global wood harvests | Nature

(Eric Roston, 2023) Just how climate-friendly are timber buildings? It’s complicated. (pressherald.com)

(Searchinger et al.,2023). Harvesting Wood Has Overlooked Carbon Costs | World Resources Institute (wri.org)

(W.J. Dyck, C.A. Mees, 1990) Nutritional consequences of intensive forest harvesting on site productivity - ScienceDirect

 

(Ramage et al.,2017). The wood from the trees: The use of timber in construction The wood from the trees: The use of timber in construction - ScienceDirect






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Third draft:

Work on summary after peer review
Revise reader response background and thesis after consultation 
First draft for analysis segment