Module 1: Why wood?

The introduction to the topic presents wood and the wood industry from various perspectives. The first paragraph explores careers and career opportunities in the wood sector.

The second paragraph addresses the question, “Why wood?” There are many reasons to choose wood as a building material. The text discusses forests and their benefits, focusing particularly on the perspective that building with wood is more sustainable and environmentally friendly compared to materials like concrete. Wood is the only renewable building material, and wood products sequester large amounts of carbon throughout their lifecycle.

The third paragraph reviews the properties of wood as a building material. Wood is flexible and easily modifiable, yet strong and durable, making it an excellent building material.

Engineered wood products include Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), and Glued Laminated Timber (GL). LVL is made by laminating thin wood veneers together, CLT consists of cross-laminated wood panels, and GL is made by gluing several wood planks together to form one large wood product.

The paragraphs also discuss various wood-based panels and logs as building materials. Logs are popular due to their clean appearance and durability.