C6 Towers in Perth Australia is One of Two New Wooden Skyscrapers Pioneering This Emerging Technology
Could Skyscrapers be built of wood? That question will be answered when two new wooden skyscrapers are constructed. The first in Switzerland will be a 328 feet tall tower made entirely of timber and the second will be the C6 towers in Perth Australia at 600 feet which will be a hybrid structure consisting of a concrete core with wood construction.
Image Courtesy: C6perth.com
With new building methods and materials being explored by builders to cut global emissions resulting from the production of steel, engineers are once again turning the oldest building material on earth; wood. This innovative trend of high-rises made of wood is taking off across the world with the aim of making construction more eco-friendly while cutting costs at the same time.
Image Courtesy: C6perth.com
The term “Wooden Skyscraper” may not exactly be applicable because its currently impossible to build a skyscraper the height of the Burj Khalifa entirely out of wood. A more appropriate term would be “wooden high-rises” buildings of about 300 to 400 feet made entirely out of wood. Heights beyond that would have to be designated as “hybrid timber” structures that are part wood and concrete or wood and steel or all three materials
Image Courtesy: C6perth.com
The idea of wooden skyscrapers conjures up the thought of building a toothpick tower and we are all aware what happens to toothpick towers at the slightest disturbance. However, when talking about wooden skyscrapers we are not talking about ordinary pieces of timber nailed together but rather complex highly-engineered wood products like glued laminated wooden beams (glulam) and materials made of wood that can withstand enormous pressures. That said, when dealing with wood, there are major issues with durability and flammability when compared to using legacy materials like concrete and steel.
Image Courtesy: C6perth.com
The 600-foot hybrid wood skyscraper in Perth, dubbed C6 (after the periodic table symbol for carbon), will be Australia’s first carbon-negative structure, according to reports. The project’s developer presented their proposals to the local council this week; if granted, the building will employ 7,400 cubic meters of engineered wood, all of which can be regrown from just 580 seeds, according to the developers. There will be 245 apartments in the structure, as well as gardens and facilities for inhabitants.
