Type and Duration
PhD-Thesis, since November 2023Coordinator
Institute of Architecture and PlanningMain Research
Sustainable Planning and ConstructionDescription
About 41% of the principality of Liechtenstein is covered by forest. (Amt für Statistik, 2021)Three quarters of this forest are defined as protective due to an average gradient of 40% or more. (Amt für Wald, Natur und Landschaft, 2012) Nevertheless, it is one of the most important sources for raw material. However out of the wood harvested annually in Liechtenstein, about 70% are used directly as an energy source, drastically shortening up the carbon storage cycle of wood. (Amt für Statistik, 2021) Furthermore due to climate change, forest structures are changing. Predictions for the forest in Liechtenstein have stated, that in 2070 the spruce will mostly vanish in low altitudes, only being able to survive in the higher regions. (Frehner, Zischg, & Gubelmann, Chur, Sargans und Bern 2021) In contrast, hardwood species will experience a rise, resulting in a more mixed forest.Thus, the main research focus will be put upon the potential of bad quality wood as well as hard-wood. The aim is the prolonging the lifespan of a timber log before ending up as an energy source. An analyzation of the local occurrence of hardwood species and their quality will serve as a tool to implement this knowledge upon constructional solutions. As a system that works with short spam timber and thus qualifies to the regional conditions of hardwood, reciprocal frame systems will be further investigated. These can be defined as load bearing structures with only two beams connecting at a time avoiding complex joining situations. Furthermore, every beam is mutually supporting. This allows the usage of short pieces of preferably massive wood. As a result, the system allows for an easy assembly but also disassembly. (Popovic Larsen, 2019) To promote a more circular application of wood, possible cascading scenarios of the structural solutions will be added.
