The Future of Wood Construction: Opportunities and Barriers Based on Surveys in Europe and Chile

Ewa Leszczyszyn*, Henrik Heräjärvi, Erkki Verkasalo, Javier Garcia-Jaca, Gerardo Araya-Letelier, Jean Denis Lanvin, Gabriela Bidzińska, Dobrochna Augustyniak-Wysocka, Uwe Kies, Alex Calvillo, Margareta Wahlström, Jean Luc Kouyoumji

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The demand for wood has increased in recent years due to new technical possibilities and environmental concerns. This paper provides an analysis of the factors that affect the use of wood in the construction sector, and an assessment of their importance in individual countries and for groups of stakeholders. The study covers the technical, societal, political, economic, and gender aspects of wood construction, with the aim of increasing global understanding regarding national differences, the current situation, and the potential for further development. The subject was investigated using a survey, and the most important opportunities for and barriers to growth in the use of wood in the construction sector were selected, following a statistical analysis. The results indicate strong regional and cultural differences regarding the acceptance of some of the opportunities and barriers related to the development of wood construction. The findings indicate that there is a need to promote wood construction based on its technical and economic benefits rather than its societal ones. On the other hand, the current societal barriers should be addressed as a priority, together with the establishment of common and harmonized policies. The results of this study, therefore, will contribute to the generation of regional-sensitive information that can be useful for policymakers when updating the building codes in their individual countries.

Original languageEnglish
Article number4358
Number of pages29
JournalSustainability
Volume14
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2022
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This research was funded by the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 research and innovation program, under grant agreement No 862942. The results and the study described here are part of the results obtained in the BASAJAUN project: “Building a Sustainable Joint Between Rural and Urban Areas Through Circular and Innovative Wood Construction Value Chains” (2019–2023).

Keywords

  • barriers
  • construction
  • international survey
  • opportunities
  • politics
  • wood sector

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