Timber construction provide a real suistanable alternative when compared with some other building material like concrete or steel

Forest is the authentical factory of wood, and contribute a wide range of beneficts to society including:

• Using solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and other materials into wood.
• Capturing and storing carbon in wood – acting as a carbon sink.
• Protecting soil, water and wildlife.
• Providing a recreational resource for people.

Wood is a material manufactured by nature with a high degree of specialization and complexity. It can be considered as a bundle of tubes oriented in the longitudinal direction whose components are:

• Lignin. constitutes the mass of the tubular wall, with a compressive strength of 2400 Kg/cm2 (higher than the compressive strength of concrete)
• The cellulose, helically rolled to the tubular wall,
  with a tensile strength of 10,000 Kg/cm2 (higher
  than that of steel)

The combination of these two materials gives it a surprising economy of weight when compared to its resistance. The new composite-type materials copy this strategy by combining materials with different properties that complement each other.