It is comical how so many seem to think wood and drywall is always inferior to concrete.
I would even say it is the opposite, you are lucky to have access to cheap enough wood.
I would even say it is the opposite, you are lucky to have access to cheap enough wood.
The chemical reaction for the cement in concrete generates C02 in a 1:1 ratio with the amount of cement produced. Unless you're capturing it you release 1 ton of C02 for your 1 ton of cement. Steel for rebar is even worse, the ratio of C02 generated is greater than 1:1. None of this includes any of the energy you used to heat any of the ingredients either.
Even plastic is better, some of the Carbon & oxygen get sequestered in the plastic.
A process to completely sequester or not generate any C02 in the production of cement & concrete that was cheap & easy would be a Nobel prize winning innovation. If the whole world switched to that it would be more significant than switching all vehicles in the world to electric.
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0430/Why-ar...
"A six-story building collapsed Friday night in Nairobi, killing at least a dozen people. Several buildings in Kenya have collapsed in the past year. Why?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okPYJ4l-lBI
Only the big ones end up in the media..
But you are right it seems like an overestimate. I found this showing 17 buildings collapsed in eight years, citing a CMU study:
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2016/05/02/kenya-s-l...
No seriously, i do not see a single advantage of a wooden house. But I am eager to hear.
Cheaper (where I am). Let’s WiFi signals through easier, so I need fewer access points.
I’ve worked with both, and the main advantage of concrete would be the sound insulation. But I feel like a quality wood + drywall + insulation installation can come close enough for residential purposes.
For larger construction, pumped concrete is cheaper to build. It’s generally (but not always) more fireproof without special measures being taken.
You think that concrete is stronger because it looks solid and heavy. In many cases, concrete or other masonry buildings are actually clad buildings with wood or other framing. Also, generally speaking a small scale, poorly built concrete structure will be more solid than a poorly built wooden structure.
I live in an urban house in upstate NY, it’s a wood frame house built in 1925. It’s not a luxury or high-end construction, but there’s no structural reason that it won’t be standing in 2125. Keep a roof on it and control storm water and you’re good to go.
That’s an American thing.
The walls in my brick house in the UK literally are a foot thick of brick. Even internal walls.
Plus the carbon sequestration
And in the case of craftsman style homes the use of wood is very beautiful but of course you could throw a few planks of wood onto a concrete shell.
It’s softer too, I lived in a condo that was all concrete and granite, anytime you bumped into a corner or fell down it just hurt more than wood.
They sequester carbon rather than produce it.
They're easy to modify and expand.
They're durable and last forever if you take care of them.