Atsushi Takano

The potential for cascading wood from demolished buildings: the condition of recovered wood through a case study in Finland

The aim of this study was to understand the current situation of wooden C&DW in Finland through a survey conducted on the demolition of a case study building. The results revealed that the extent of damage to the recovered wood is more dependent on the location than on the dimension. The condition of recovered wood from an integrated unit part (e.g. exterior wall panel) tended to be worse due to the attachment of other materials (e.g. insulation, plastic sheet), while recovered wood in better condition could be obtained from independent parts (e.g. roof truss, exterior cladding). These results would indicate that the cascading potential for recovered wood should be discussed in terms of both cross-section and location. In particular, the wood used as exterior cladding seems to have good potential for cascading and this could help extend the target for cascading wood from purely wooden building to other buildings.

The potential for cascading wood from demolished buildings: potential flows and possible applications through a case study in Finland

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore potential cascading flows and the measures that could be taken to enhance cascading potential. The results reveal that the potential cascading flow needs to be considered in light of the length and condition of the wood recovered from buildings, rather than the cross-section. For instance, wood in the roof structure such as ‘1 × 4’ or ‘1 × 6’ was recovered with most of the original length intact and with minimal damage, which is suitable for direct reuse. In contrast, wood in walls, floors and ceilings such as ‘2 × 2’, ‘2 × 3’ or ‘2 × 8’ was recovered in poor condition in terms of both length and the occurrence of damage. To enhance cascading potential, the development of the jointing systems and considering the reuse of whole elements of the unit parts should be further investigated.

The energy efficiency and carbon footprint of temporary homes: a case study from Japan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy efficiency and life cycle carbon footprint of temporary homes in Japan after the Great Eastern Tohoku Earthquake in 2011. Design/methodology/approach An energy simulation and life cycle assessment have been done for three alternative shelter models: prefabricated shelters, wooden log shelters and sea container shelters. Findings Shelter materials have a very high share of life cycle emissions because the use period of temporary homes is short. Wooden shelters perform best in the comparison. The clustering of shelters into longer buildings or on top of each other increases their energy efficiency considerably. Sea containers piled on top of each other have superb energy performance compared to other models, and they consume even less energy per household than the national average. However, there are several gaps of knowledge in the environmental assessment of temporary homes and field data from refugee camps should be collected as part of camp management. Originality/value The findings exemplify the impacts of the proper design of temporary homes for mitigating their energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.