Cities Build Wooden Skyscrapers

In major cities around the world, there are many skyscrapers.

Massive amounts of concrete and steel are used to build these impressive structures.

However, some architects are beginning to use a different kind of building material for their creations.

Due to advances in technology, it is now possible to build skyscrapers with wood.

The decision to build with wood stems from environmental concerns.

According to scientists, it takes a huge amount of fossil fuel to manufacture steel, concrete, and bricks.

Also, too many concrete buildings raise the temperatures in cities during the summer.

But experts say that in many ways, wood is the ideal building material.

Despite widespread assumptions, large wooden beams are as resistant to fire as steel, once they are covered with fireproof coatings.

Furthermore, wood is lighter and more flexible than steel or concrete.

Because of this, architects can be very creative when designing their wooden towers.

One downside to wood is that it can be overly flexible.

This can cause buildings to sway too much on windy days.

However, architects have solved this problem by utilizing triangular shapes in a honeycomb pattern.

This makes the buildings much more resistant to the wind.

Gradually, more and more wooden structures are sprouting across Europe, North America, and Asia.

For instance, Amsterdam in the Netherlands has the world's tallest residential building made of wood.

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Canada, a 40-story building is being planned.

When completed, it will be the world's tallest wooden tower.

 

• skyscraper  ˈskaɪskreɪpə(r)   고층 건물

• massive  ˈmæsɪv  (육중하면서) 거대한  n.mass  덩어리[덩이]

• creation  kriˈeɪʃn   창조, 창작, 창출 (→job creation)

• stem from  …에 기인하다, …에 유래하다. (=originate in, emanate from.)

• ideal  aɪˈdiːəl   이상적인, 가장 알맞은, 완벽한

• widespread  ˈwaɪdspred   광범위한, 널리 퍼진

• assumption  əˈsʌmpʃn  추정, 상정 

• beam  biːm   빛줄기 ,  기둥

• resistant  rɪˈzɪstənt   저항력 있는, …에 잘 견디는[강한]   …에 강한[잘 견디는] (→heat-resistant, water-resistant)

• fireproof  |faɪərpruːf   내화성[불연성]의

• coating  |koʊtɪŋ  (막 같이 두른) 칠[도금]

• downside  ˈdaʊnsaɪd   불리한[덜 긍정적인] 면 (↔upside)

• overly  ˈoʊvərli   너무, 몹시 (=excessively)

• sway  sweɪ  (전후좌우로 천천히) 흔들리다[흔들다] / (마음을) 흔들다[동요시키다] (=influence)

• triangular  traɪˈæŋɡjələ(r)   삼각형의  /   3자간의

• honeycomb  |hʌnikoʊm   벌집

• Gradually  ˈɡrædʒuəli   서서히  a. gradual  ˈɡrædʒuəl  점진적인, 서서히 일어나는 (↔sudden)

• Meanwhile   ˈmiːnwaɪl    (다른 일이 일어나고 있는) 그 동안에  /   한편  /    (두 가지 시점사건들) 그 동안[사이]에

• 40-story building  40층 건물