Understanding the Use of Timber in Semi-Arid Regions: Kurdistan Region of Iraq, a Case Study

Abstract

The use of timber in the building industry has expanded in many countries over the last 20 years due mainly to its light weight, low adverse impact to the environment, and fair mechanical properties. Despite the development of the construction industry in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI) in recent years, timber product utilization is still very limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of further utilizing timber-based products in the building industry in semi-arid regions using the KRI as a case study. A review of timber product utilization in the region was conducted first and the general properties of timber products were followed. Based on this, a survey focusing on the current situation and suitability of localized grown timber products was carried out to study the feasibility. This article concludes that the use of timber-based products in the KRI presents different barriers, with the availability in the market and technicality of construction with the material being the strongest ones. The article recommends that it is imperative to further research how to promote timber’s utilization in the KRI to be in line with sustainable development.

Sustainable Wooden Skyscrapers for the Future Cities

“…The "W350 Plan" is an R&D concept that aims to further advance this technology and realize an "environmental wooded city with the goal of reducing the total greenhouse gas emissions of "embodied carbon" during the construction phase of the life cycle, to curb climate change [46]. Many companies work to develop refractory materials and genome selection breeding to realize a highly durable and comfortable building space using wood.…”