Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heights • Hacker News Board

Re: Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heights

#21

Post by AngryData » Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 1:15 PM UTC

SiempreViernes wrote: post #8

MindTooth wrote: post #6

For someone who are knowledgeable about using wood for large buildings: how does it stack against the weather? I live a few miles from the largest in Norway[1], and if I recall, it's all exposed. Perhaps some protection is added as of late. However, I also know that using oil-based paint on the cladding increases the risk for rot if water gets trapped inside. How do you need protect exposed wood for centuries to come…

As I recall, you got some old wood buildings in Norway already, how are they maintained?

A lot of traditional buildings around that area were/are treated with wood/pine tar and charcoal, or by slightly burning the outside for a cheaper and easier but less effective treatment.

Re: Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heights

#22

Post by brudgers » Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 1:28 PM UTC

voisin wrote: post #18

masklinn wrote: post #2

Note that the Brock Commons mentioned in the article is a bit of a hybrid as the structural core is a pair of concrete stairwells. Norway's Mjøstårnet however (which took the palm from Brock) is structurally fully wooden, concrete is only used as stabiliser for the upper stories (inbetween the upper 7 stories to limit swaying), it's not load-bearing.

Are you sure this is the structural core and not simply how they built the fire exit and satisfied the municipality that the material for this fire exit is non combustible? I doubt this is structural.

The reinforced concrete cores at Brock Commons are engineered to resist sheer during earthquake and wind events. [1] BC is seismically active and every tall buildings experiences non-trivial wind loads.

[1]: https://www.structuremag.org/?p=11624

Re: Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heights

#23

Post by brudgers » Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 1:43 PM UTC

yvdriess wrote: post #3

In Europe you will still find plenty of wood construction roadblocks. Personal experience : in Belgium a wall that is placed on your terrain edge is considered a common wall and cannot be made using wood.

That's generally true in the US as well. The placement of combustible walls relative to property boundaries is constrained by building codes to mitigate the spread of fire via radiant heat from fire on the adjacent property/building.

Area separation wall systems [1] are about as close to "wood on the property line" as is allowed. But technically the gypsum board is the wall between structures (and for practical purposes both structures need to be built at the same time).

[1]: http://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG_Marketing_Communications/...

Re: Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heights

#24

Post by garyrichardson » Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

hak8or wrote: post #20

How does this handle pests, like termites?

As a Vancouver local, I can't recall ever hearing about termite damage. I don't know if we have them here. I've heard a few cases of carpenter ants eating walls.

Woodpeckers can be a problem -- they will occasionally try to nest in the side of a house. They also like to peck on metal siding. I think they do it to attract mates?