Adopting wood as sustainable material for construction industry

The use of energy and the emission of carbon dioxide from the built environment have recently received a great deal of attention around the world. Concrete is currently used in the construction of buildings all over the world, but the production of cement, which is a major element in concrete, is a source of contamination, emitting one metric tons of CO2 for every metric ton of cement produced. To lessen the environmental impact of construction, one approach is to increase the use of materials that have smaller environmental footprints, including timber. Although timber can be used as a building material, there are some difficulties associated with its use. Because timber is a naturally occurring material, its properties are not uniform, and it must be kept safe from biological attack in order to maintain its integrity. Consequently, the objectives of this study are to investigate the long-term viability of timber as a building material and to identify the difficulties associated with utilising wood as a sustainable building material for the construction industry in Selangor. To obtain data for the research, a quantitative manner with various stages is defined and implemented to ensure the research’s success. Overall total of 60 questionnaires were distributed to respondents with a variety of backgrounds in the construction industry, including construction students. Findings in this research has proven that people love the idea of adopting wood as building material due to its benefits to offer a warm and comforting aesthetic since wood has the advantage of allowing a structure to blend in with its surroundings, which is particularly beneficial in rural areas. However, the findings reveal that the primary obstacles that prevent construction practitioners from implementing sustainable materials are the high initial costs associated with them, as well as the question of their affordability. In order to maintain such a balance between environmental, social, and economic aspects in the construction industry, it is necessary for construction stakeholders to work together as well as for government sectors to intervene in the adoption of environmentally friendly materials.