Sustainability of timber, wood and bamboo in construction

Owing to its unique characteristics, wood has historically been a valuable and useful natural resource. It is also one of the most important construction materials mankind has ever come across. Wood is at the heart of modern construction owing to its versatility, abundance in nature and environmental friendliness. It comes in thousands of types and has a remarkably diverse range of applications. This chapter discusses the basic features of wood, i.e. chemical composition, growth and structure. Various aspects of wood, crucial to its role as a construction material - i.e. seasoning, preservation and repair - have also been highlighted. The status of wood as a sustainable construction material has been reflected upon with regard to different features such as environmental friendliness, durability, waste disposal and recycling. Towards the end of the chapter, bamboo, a family member of wood, has been discussed in detail in terms of its structure and properties, applications and sustainability.