Potentials of Building with Wood (German only)
In the study “Potentials of building with wood”, commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), we focus on expanding the data basis regarding the availability of wood as a building material for timber construction, as well as conducting comparative life cycle assessment of houses built with solid and timber construction methods.
Among other aspects, we explore the potential of wood available in Germany, including when, to what extent, and in what quality wood would need to be imported. We also examine the competition with other uses of wood outside the construction industry and assess whether cascading use can mitigate this competition. Additionally, the study investigates whether a potential increase in the timber construction quota can be supported by expanding forestry land in Germany.
In a review of comparative life cycle assessments of solid and timber houses, the primary energy consumption and global warming potential of buildings are evaluated. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify the key factors that influence the outcomes in a direct comparison of the two construction methods.
Regarding the availability of construction timber as a building material, the study derives conclusions for three forest management scenarios, indicating the extent to which the national raw timber potential could meet future national demand.
The comparative life cycle assessments also highlighted the need for further research, particularly in the investigation of other building types in the non-residential sector. Moreover, there is a need to establish a robust database and a consistent approach to evaluating the substitution potential of fossil fuels and the cascading use of wood.