Timber-frame house - Materials for wood construction

Wood is the most natural and timeless of building materials. From Neolithic times to the present day, wood has been used systematically and rationally, as a durable, lightweight material that emits no radioactivity, gas, dust or static electricity, and that has reinvented itself over time with techniques that have never ceased to evolve. Endowed with multiple qualities, this material has long remained available and within reach. Abandoned at the beginning of the industrial era, in favor of materials such as cast iron, iron and then concrete, it has made a strong comeback in recent decades, responding favorably to some of our environmental concerns and to sustainable development.

This article continues a documentary series on wood construction as a whole. Article [TBA 1 720] reviews the history of the timber industry, its current status and strengths, and presents the constructive principles of dry construction. The design and implementation of timber-frame house structures are described in detail in article [TBA 1 721] , with particular emphasis on the principle of bracing, anchoring and the transmission of forces between the various elements of the structure. The timber frame alone is the subject of article [TBA 1 722] : its characteristics, its construction, the different ways in which the elements are assembled and the materials of which it is made. Article [TBA 1 723] focuses on the finishing work and exterior envelope of a timber-frame house, which helps protect the structure of the building.

This article is devoted to the vast family of wood-based materials, classically divided into solid wood, glued laminated timber,...