Plantation Thinnings Used to Construct Giant Dome

Professor Katsuhiko Imai of the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University in Japan, has developed a method for constructing large buildings using trees thinned out of domestic plantations. Wood of this type is rarely used for building.

The method is designed for building either a dome-shaped or rectangular structure by assembling triangles made by joining thinned logs 5 to 21 centimeters in diameter with spherical metal connectors. It costs about the same as using steel pipes and offers advantages in that the wood structure is lighter, and it is easier to replace damaged parts. Even amateur carpenters can build cubic structures by assembling these triangles.

In May 2003, a large dome, the Gakuyukan Ivy Dome, was completed using this method in Yamazaki Town, Hyogo Prefecture. The dome is being used as a lifelong learning center, and is 40 meters wide by 30 meters deep and has no vertical support posts. It consists of 2,000 pieces of timber thinned from nearby plantations.

To promote forest conservation and revitalization of depopulated areas, Professor Imai established Forest Engineering & Economics Lab., a start-up company based on this original technique. The company has successfully commercialized this construction method under the name of KiTruss, which employs under-utilized thinned logs from Japanese cypress and cedar plantations. In fiscal 2004, the company received orders for constructing parts of five public facilities in the Kansai region. An increasing number of requests are also coming in from local governments that want to use KiTruss structures for staging events.



Posted: 2004/10/13 02:41:38 PM
Japanese version