Towards sustainable construction: Methodology for wood content assessment in buildings

Globally, the construction sector is responsible for 34% of global energy demand and 37% of CO 2 emissions from the construction and operation of buildings. In the EU, buildings account for approximately 40% of energy consumption and one third of greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for determining the use of wood and/or other organic materials made from renewable natural resources in construction products in buildings by proposing assessment criteria, thereby contributing to the promotion of sustainable building construction and the establishment of a circular economy in the construction sector (or supporting the implementation of circular economy principles in the construction sector). The study contains a structural analysis of the tensile, compressed and bending elements taking into account different strength classes and various cross-sections. It was found that relative values of volumes and masses of wooden, reinforced concrete and steel structures differ significantly and cannot be applied to assess of wood in buildings. Therefore, in the proposed methodology the wood amount is assessed not according to the ratio of the physical properties of structures, but according to stored and released CO 2 of these structures. Moreover, the methodology takes into account not only the durability of different structures, but also the rational use of it.