Wood structures
Wood is an organic material with a clear constructive application, which differs from others with the same application due to the energy sustainability of its origin, renewability, anisotropy, heterogeneity and hygroscopicity.
Its high flexural strength compared to its relatively low density [the strength-to-weight ratio is 1.3 times that of steel and 10 times that of concrete], make wood a safe choice for use as a structural material. .
Among its qualities, the load-bearing solvency against fire stands out, which is given by its condition as a thermal insulator and by the invariance of the physical-mechanical properties of the effective section in the event of fire. The result is that the impact of fire is reduced exclusively to a geometric issue, and not to the alteration of its resistance capacity. This prioritizes the suitability of wood as a material in spatial structures that must provide high resistance to fire; so that the wooden structural elements, appropriately sized, guarantee the support of the stresses acting under a fire situation and also avoid marked expansion due to their low thermal expansion.
Its behavior against earthquakes and chemical agents also justifies a successful alternative to other structural materials as greater limitations in this regard.
