http://www.cbs-nw.com/Erect_4.jpgEcological Performance
| Materials Flow Analysis for Extraction and Manufacturing |
The above diagrams describe the raw materials necessary to make engineered wood. The left hand diagram shows the components of the adhesives needed to combine the wood strands. The components show how to make two different types of adhesive which can be used for different methods or by different companies. The two diagrams on the right describe the components used to make different preservatives. The preservatives are designed to protect from weather, chemicals and even insects and are forced into the strands of the wood to effectively cover the entire structure.
I-Beam OSB Plywood http://www.zzhw-wood.com/www/en/pro-op.asp
http://www.housatonicrr.com/ibeam2003.html
http://home.howstuffworks.com/plywood.htm
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| Supply Chain Risk Analysis |
The Supply Chain Risk Analysis shows the levels of risk of the raw materials required to produce engineered wood. Green shows a low level of risk, yellow a medium level, and red is high level of risk. There are 3 charts spanning 5, 10, and 25 year time frames. The resources are examined in categories of Resource Scarcity, Human Health Risks, Environmental Impacts, and Sociopolitical Considerations.
5 Years
| Primary Raw Materials |
Material Source |
Resource Scarcity |
Human Health Risks |
Environmental Impacts |
Sociopolitical Considerations |
| Natural Gas |
Drilling/Wells |
Large reserve in U.S. |
Fumes and vapors during combustions have negative respiratory consequences |
Hazardous air emissions along with landscape disturbance and possible explosions |
Large quantity reduces its chances of being a sociopolitical risk |
| Petroleum (Crude oil) |
Drilling/Wells |
Reserves are being depleted. U.S. is considering moving away from fossil fuels in products |
Harmful byproducts and fumes/vapors during production and combustion |
Extremely harmful byproducts during mining/production and landscape disturbance is significant |
Largest reserves are held in unstable, potentially hostile countries which could make prices uncontrollable |
| Wood |
Planting/Cutting |
Renewable source, replanting occurs once materieal is cut |
Wood dust particles upon cutting can irritate eyes and lungs. Combustion can cause smoke that is harmful upon inhalation. Dangerous cutting process. |
Landscape disturbance is significant and the removal of local wildlife during the cutting stages; Eliminates the environment's natural CO2 remover and can cause erosion on steep slopes |
There is an abundance of opportunities to grow within the U.S. which nullifies sociopolitical risk(s) |
10 Years
| Primary Raw Materials |
Material Source |
Resource Scarcity |
Human Health Risks |
Environmental Impacts |
Sociopolitical Considerations |
| Natural Gas |
Drilling/Wells |
Large reserve in U.S. |
Fumes and vapors during combustions have negative respiratory consequences |
Hazardous air emissions along with landscape disturbance and possible explosions |
Large quantity reduces its chances of being a sociopolitical risk |
| Petroleum (Crude oil) |
Drilling/Wells |
Reserves are being depleted. U.S. is considering moving away from fossil fuels in products |
Harmful byproducts and fumes/vapors during production and combustion |
Extremely harmful byproducts during mining/production and landscape disturbance is significant |
Largest reserves are held in unstable, potentially hostile countries which could make prices uncontrollable |
| Wood |
Planting/Cutting |
Renewable source, replanting occurs once materieal is cut |
Wood dust particles upon cutting can irritate eyes and lungs. Combustion can cause smoke that is harmful upon inhalation. Dangerous cutting process. |
Landscape disturbance is significant and the removal of local wildlife during the cutting stages; Eliminates the environment's natural CO2 remover and can cause erosion on steep slopes |
There is an abundance of opportunities to grow within the U.S. which nullifies sociopolitical risk(s) |
25 Years
| Primary Raw Materials |
Material Source |
Resource Scarcity |
Human Health Risks |
Environmental Impacts |
Sociopolitical Considerations |
| Natural Gas |
Drilling/Wells |
Large reserve in U.S. |
Fumes and vapors during combustions have negative respiratory consequences |
Hazardous air emissions along with landscape disturbance and possible explosions |
Large quantity reduces its chances of being a sociopolitical risk |
| Petroleum (Crude oil) |
Drilling/Wells |
Reserves are being depleted. U.S. is considering moving away from fossil fuels in products |
Harmful byproducts and fumes/vapors during production and combustion |
Extremely harmful byproducts during mining/production and landscape disturbance is significant |
Largest reserves are held in unstable, potentially hostile countries which could make prices uncontrollable |
| Wood |
Planting/Cutting |
Renewable source, replanting occurs once materieal is cut |
Wood dust particles upon cutting can irritate eyes and lungs. Combustion can cause smoke that is harmful upon inhalation. Dangerous cutting process. |
Landscape disturbance is significant and the removal of local wildlife during the cutting stages; Eliminates the environment's natural CO2 remover and can cause erosion on steep slopes |
There is an abundance of opportunities to grow within the U.S. which nullifies sociopolitical risk(s) |
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| Materials, Energy, and Waste Inventory for Installation Stage and Use Stage |
The contractor will need a set of plans to be able to determine the quantity of engineered wood to order. Common engineered wood used in wall systems are OSB and CDX. CDX is a type of plywood with multiple layers glued together. After the boards have been ordered the plans will be used again to determine placement of the boards on the wall. Nails or any similar type of fastener (i.e. screws or glue) are needed to attach the OSB to the stud walls. To install the product you will need laborers and a saw to cut to exact size along with the fasteners. The waste that is produced during the installation phase would be parts of the board discarded due to over sizing and left over nails. The nails however, could be saved for a later project or used for a different function. Often times the cut pieces of OSB are used for keeping the construction site safe by blocking off hazardous areas. If not the left over pieces can be turned into mulch, described in end-of-life cycle section. There are not many materials flowing during the installation phase of this product because it is delivered exactly how it should be placed except for when it comes to minor changes in dimensions.
The process is simple because when the engineered wood reaches the sight, it is already set to the proper length and height necessary to complete the job. The only real waste in this case would be for some of the boards, they may need to be cut down due to the installation of other building systems around them, or in the corners.
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| Collateral Damage Analysis for Installation and Use Phases |
Negative Effects of Engineered Wood Framing Systems -during installation and use stages on the following items;
ENgineered wood is one of the most environment friendly materials that you can use but there are a few things that are inevitable that cant be escaped. Companies that make engineered wood try their best to grow their own trees for the wood itself and then replant and continue the cycle, but it is expected that not all tress used for wood construction are purposely grown for that exact reason. So one negative would have to be the removal of oxygen providing trees which help our environment. There is also a huge amount of waste that comes from the scraps they use to make the wood. They may be able to re-grow the trees they cut down, but what do they do with all the scrap wood after it has already been processed into the engineered wood? When installing the system there will be a huge amount of waste from all the cuts that just goes to waste. The third and final negative effect engineered wood has on the environment is that when it is made from scrap wood into boards they have to use chemicals that then get released into the atmosphere.
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| Collateral Synergy Analysis for Installation and Use Phases |
Positive Effects of Engineered Wood Framing Systems -during installation and use stages on the following items;
Engineered wood framing systems actually do more good for the environment than bad. Wood is on the most abundant materials on earth to build with. Not only do we have a huge harvest of forests, but when land owners plant trees they are supplying more oxygen to the atmosphere. But as the trees get bigger they also supply less and less oxygen making them a less useful resource. Tree farmers specifically grow young, small diameter trees of aspen, pine, and fir and use them to make engineered wood out of scraps. This benefits the environment because the trees are growing at their prime oxygen release stage and then not overcrowding the forests and are used. Then the cycle starts over again and they have room to plant more. Plus, wood is the only natural renewable building material!
http://www.apawood.org/
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| End-of-life-cycle Analysis |
What might happen at the end of the useful life cycle of your building system?
The engineered wood could be recylced after the useful life of the whole building system or turned into mulch. Other opportunities for wood waste are compositing operations, animal bedding, and landfill cover. For some of these there maybe worry about the adhesive properties. It is best to contact your waste processer and see what the best outcome for the engineered wood is. Only if the wood has been protected from water damage or any other harmful degrading substance can it be reused in anyway. If it has not been protected than the end of life cycle would be in a landfill.
Three different disposal scenarios: health risks, environmental risks, and potential liabilities
1.) Dump out back- The dump out back scenario would be to either haul the remaining wood to a landfill or to bury it at the job site. The health risks associated with this would involve being around mold that might have developed on the wood. The environmental risks are subjecting the soil and water with the toxic adhesives used in the engineered wood. Finally, potential liabilities would be harming a water source or a species of animal due to the toxins released in the water. Another potential liability would be harmed plant growth due to substances in the soil. However, studies have shown that engineered wood is not likely to cause these problems.
2.) Customary- It is customary to turn unused or end-of-life cycle engineered wood into mulch. The mulch can be used on construction sites for ground cover to maintain soil moisture, control erosion, and to reduce mud in highly traveled areas. Grinding on location is more environmentally friendly because nothing has to be transported onsite to serve the same purpose and the wood does not have to be removed from the site to be turned into mulch. Health risks include breathing in dust particles while grinding the wood or the slight chance of inhaling fumes that the adhesive puts off. Environmental risks have proven to be minimal, however, it would be better for the environment if non-engineered wood entered into the mulch mixture. The risks include water and soil damage, but it done properly can be kept to a negligible size. Potential liabilites occur from environmental risks not properly taken care of. So these liabilities would be the same as the dump out back method.
3.) Proactive environmental- It is best to start planning for material reuse in the design of the project. Select materials that have been recyled or reused during design with the full life cycle in mind. Protect these materials from damage in the current construction so that the engineered wood may be reused once again after the buildings life cycle has ended. Engineered wood is hard to salvage because it is fragile so to be environmental, planning needs to take place way in advance.
The health risks of reusing the wood are no more than they were originally. This risks are contained to those toxins that the adhesive glue has during the manufacturing stages. However, if the wood is recycled toxins could possibly be released from the adhesive during the process. Again, there are no environmental risks in reusing the product but the adhesives could cause damage to water if not controlled. The liabilities associated with reusing the product are contained in the removal and placement stages. Liabilites that could come from the glues are controlled in the maintenance of the product.
If I were a contractor who needed to remove this system what method would I use and what would help me make that decision?
I would use the customary method because it would help me save on cost. I would only have to hire a grinding machine and labor to operate and remove the product. This job does not require skilled labor. I would save on transportation costs because I would not need to send the materials off site or have more materials brought on site to use as ground cover. I would choose this over the environmental method because the environmental method would really slow down the process and not harming the engineered wood during removal and transportation would be difficult to achieve.
Facts: The engineered wood waste estimated for a typical 2,00 square foot home is 1,400 pounds or five cubic yards.
Source: www.apawood.org
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| Manufacturer's Claims Analysis |
This section of the Ecological Performance for Engineered Wood Framing Systems tells about the environmental benefits the system provides, according to the manufacturers of the product. It will also cover comparisons between manufacturers themselves and the credibility of what they say the product does for the environment.
An overview of what Engineered Wood systems are made of and why Engineered Wood is such a "deal" in today's society can be found at the link below. It is provided by Toolbase Services which is a website that is there to help educate people about this system as well as many others that go into the construction of a house. Below is a picture from the Toolbase Services' website.
The Toolbase Services
It says that it is because of the lack of larger trees that Engineered wood is a popular alternative mainly because it makes use of small diameter trees and scrape wood/limbs. The site also goes on to talk about what goes into Engineered wood and a little bit about the process that takes place.
This group also makes the claim that Engineered Wood Systems are "superior in strength, stability, and uniformity to standard lumber species of the U. S." and that because of this they can span greater distances and hold more weight of the building. Because of this "greater design flexibility, reduced waste, and the material's dimensional stability" this product is said to be a greater value than many other systems. (Or so this group claims.)
This picture is one that is comparing lumber to Engineered Wood. It is from Oregon Forests.
Manufacturers of Engineered Wood Framing are very resolute when it comes to standing up for the green value of their product and backing up everything that was said by Toolbase Services. One particular manufacturer that we contacted, Boise Cascade Company, supplied many resources about how Engineered Wood Systems were a great way to help the environment. Those links are below with a description about what is discussed in that link.
This is a picture from Wallbrook Lumber of Boise I-joists.
Boise Cascade Sustainability Principles
The link above discusses the goals of Boise Cascade Co. in regards to sustainability. It shows the goals for the company to make the environment safer and all of these claims from this company are aimed at what Engineered wood does for construction.
This picture is from the Dreamstime website and represents green points.
Boise Wood Products and Processes
This link above is an article from Boise about how their Engineered Wood products earn people green "points" in building construction. It covers most areas like design and the physical properties of the Engineered Wood. It shows basically why this system is one of the best environmentally friendly systems in the business.
VS 
Century A&E Extreme How-To
Boise Wood Product Information Sheet
This link above compares Engineered Wood with lumber, steel, and concrete systems. It claims that this system is better than all the others mentioned above because of many reasons, some of which include dimensions of lumber itself, greenhouse gases, air pollution, and even solid waste.
This picture is from the 1996 Forest Health Pilot Project
Boise Building Green Points
This link above goes into the process of how Engineered Wood can be made from trees and wood scrapes that would have otherwise been discarded and wasted. It also goes into the details of how Engineered Wood Systems help to make the planet safer, and more friendly toward the environment itself.
All of the above sources show that Engineered wood is environmentally friendly, produces less harmful pollution to the planet than do concrete and steel, and it uses "would be" waste for typical lumber construction. It is stronger than stick built systems and can span for longer distances. Over all, these sources from Boise Cascade all praise this system as one of the best environmentally friendly systems a person can build with.
Below are other sources that describe Engineered Wood Systems and claims as to how good they are for the environment, basically saying the same types of things as Boise Cascade Co. did in the above links.
Sustainable Design from Woodworks
The above link discusses sustainability of wood in general, but can be tied to Engineered Wood systems as well. It goes into the life-cycle of wood, all the stages of it's life, and how it is better than steel and concrete. It is provided by Woodworks, which is "an initiative of the Wood Products Council, which is a cooperative venture of all the major wood associations in North America."
Environmental Facts and Green Building
This link above is provided to us by APA-The Engineered Wood Association. They have tried to provide society with "structural wood products of exceptional strength, versatility and reliability." This link tells about how Engineered Wood is a great sustainable product, and how it is good for the environment throughout its life-cycle. It also goes into the facts of how it takes less energy to produce Engineered Wood than it does for concrete or steel systems. The picture above comes from this website as well.
In comparison, between Boise Cascade Co., the APA, and Woodworks, there really are no disagreements. This building system is basically wood with a little bit of glue to keep the chips together. It is an extremely environmentally friendly system according to all three groups sited above, and it is friendly in not just one phase of it's life but all of them. From the growing of the tree, to the cutting down and manufacturing of the wood chips, to the building and implementation of the wood systems themselves, it continues to help the environment by not polluting the air, sending out unacceptable levels of Greenhouse gases, and even dump yards or scrap heaps. Since the system is pre-made to what is needed, the waste is cut dramatically, almost to nothing.
Human health is a major concern for all people dealing with building systems. For Engineered Wood, there are no concerns that it may harm a person because of extreme levels of decay, corroding, or other problems that concrete/steel systems pose. One threat to a person, namely Formaldehyde in homes, is really not a threat because according to the APA, Engineered Wood Systems have such low emission levels that they are exempt from the leading formaldehyde emission standards and regulations. This system is perfectly safe. The only human threat is that of the products falling on someone during the installation, considering they are all extremely heavy. Then again, that is present in all systems.
Resource consumption is also not a big concern for those who make Engineered Wood Systems. The main resources are small trees that grow quickly, so they can be replanted, and scraps that are left over from trees used for other purposes. Because of this all the resources that are needed for Engineered Wood is already there for the taking without a huge risk to the environment. As stated above, these resources that are used can be replanted so that they grow quickly and abundantly. Having a lack of resources is not a problem for this system because of that fact and it takes very little away from the planet that can't be replaced.
Because all these manufacturers and promoters think the same about this system, there are no disagreements and the conclusion is quite clear... Engineered Wood Systems are one of the BEST systems for the environment.
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