Timbercrete: Components, Advantages, and Applications

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Timbercrete is an environmentally friendly construction material, produced from a mixture of sawdust and concrete. It reuses waste products and replaces some energy-intensive components of conventional concrete. 

So far, timbercrete has been used to produce bricks, blocks, panels, and pavers, and can be pressed to create a great array of sizes, colors, shapes, and textures.

The material sequesters carbon, stores it in the building, and compensates for the emissions released by the polluting vehicles. 

It is lighter than concrete and possesses great thermal insulation, making it a perfect material for sustainable building projects. Timbercrete has also been used in the construction of homes and residential buildings. 

Components of Timbercrete

1. Timber waste
2. Cement
3. Sand
4. Binders
5. Non-toxic deflocculating additive

Characteristics of Timbercrete 

• The density of timbercrete ranges from 900 Kg/m3to 1500 Kg/m3.
• Its load-bearing capacity ranges from 5 MPa to 15 MPa.
• Timbercrete is bulletproof; no bullet has been able to penetrate through a 200 mm brick.
• The insulation value of timbercrete is R-2.5 per 25 mm of thickness.
• Timbercrete is 2.5 times lighter than concrete and clay.
• It has a high fire resistance; a 19-cm thick timbercrete block can outperform typical concrete block, clay, timber, and steel construction.
• Timbercrete is less porous than concrete blocks and does not erode.
• Timbercrete block resistant to the transmission of airborne sound is better than aerated concrete.

Advantages

1. Traps carbon dioxide, which would otherwise become greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
2. Timbercrete blocks and bricks have lower embodied energy than that of clay bricks.
3. The insulation value (R) of timbercrete is higher than conventional solid masonry bricks, blocks, and panels. This means timbercrete homes are energy efficient throughout most of the year.
4. It is a great thermal mass material that absorbs and stores thermal energy and releases it slowly.
5. Timbercrete blocks and panels can be screwed and nailed easily without losing all advantages of conventional masonry.
6. Units of timbercrete are lighter and larger, making it easy to handle, and making the construction process easier and quicker.
7. Constituent materials are available locally, cutting transportation costs and reducing the total cost.

Challenges

1. The mixing process of timbercrete is not thoroughly defined as concrete, leading to poor quality control.
2. Waste wood may affect health if mixed with other chemicals not meant to be together, like formaldehyde.

Applications

1. Residential, industrial, and commercial buildings
2. Landscaping design
3. Acoustic barriers for highways
4. Acoustic and fireproof walls for multi-story apartments
5. Cladding panels

FAQs

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