Emerging Engineered Wood for Building Applications

Abstract

The building sector, including building operations and materials, was responsible for the emission of ∼11.9 gigatons of global energy-related CO2 in 2020, accounting for 37% of the total CO2 emissions, the largest share among different sectors. Lowering the carbon footprint of buildings requires the development of carbon-storage materials as well as novel designs that could enable multifunctional components to achieve widespread applications. Wood is one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth and has been used for construction historically. Recent research breakthroughs on advanced engineered wood products epitomize this material’s tremendous yet largely untapped potential for addressing global sustainability challenges. In this review, we explore recent developments in chemically modified wood that will produce a new generation of engineered wood products for building applications. Traditionally, engineered wood products have primarily had a structural purpose, but this review broadens the classification to encompass more aspects of building performance. We begin by providing multiscale design principles of wood products from a computational point of view, followed by discussion of the chemical modifications and structural engineering methods used to modify wood in terms of its mechanical, thermal, optical, and energy-related performance. Additionally, we explore life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis tools for guiding future research toward environmentally friendly and economically feasible directions for engineered wood products. Finally, this review highlights the current challenges and perspectives on future directions in this research field. By leveraging these new wood-based technologies and analysis tools for the fabrication of carbon-storage materials, it is possible to design sustainable and carbon-negative buildings, which could have a significant impact on mitigating climate change.

Self-assembly fundamentals in the reconstruction of lignocellulosic materials: A review

“…Therefore, a key question facing modern scientists and engineers is whether it is foolish to attempt to achieve comparable or better results by reassembling some of the components using mass production. Fortunately, some positive answers to such questions already exist in the form of widely available engineered wood products (Ding et al 2022). Thus, materials such as oriented strand board are increasingly being used in construction, often substituting for and exceeding the mechanical properties of the solid wood.…”

Cu2+-Induced “Off–On–Off” Switching Luminescence of Cellulose-Based Luminescent Hydrogels

“…With the introduction of the concept of green economy and the strategic needs based on environmental friendliness and sustainable development, the development and utilization of natural renewable resources will become an inevitable trend. , Cellulose is a fascinating biomass polymer derived from plants which has aroused extensive research interest due to its inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainable origins . Recently, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) has gained interest as an effective “green” ionic liquid to dissolve cellulose without any derivatization and a uniform medium for chemical reactions of cellulose. , In this cellulose/AmimCl solution, the imidazolium cations and chloride anions surrounding the cellulose can easily disturb the inter- and intramolecular H-bonding interactions in cellulose and lead to the increase of cellulose solubility. , Also, crucially, the cellulose/AmimCl system was gelated by using an aqueous solution of AmimCl as the coagulation bath to prepare regenerated cellulose gels.…”

Green Strategy for Improving the Formation of Reconstituted Wood-Based Composites

“…As a natural material with excellent mechanical performances, wood has been widely used in various aspects of human life. , Currently, novel wood-based products continue to be developed and introduced in the construction marketplace, spurred by the globally increasing demand for sustainable and economical housing . However, the orthotropic property and the deformation caused by moisture change bring some obstacles to the utilization of this material. − In order to overcome the negative influence of orthotropy of wood, a method involving reconstituting wood with an adhesive after its fragmentation was invented.…”