Carbon Neutral Structural Systems and Connections; Designing and Building
with Heavy Timber
Chris Carbone, Professional Engineer, Bensonwood
ABSTRACT
There is consensus that atmospheric carbon pollution has been induced by human activity, and is
causing climate change. If we hope to achieve a sustainable future for our species, we must, at a
minimum, stabilize the warming trend of the atmosphere, or if possible, reverse it. This is a big challenge
with no single solution. Rather, a palate of solutions needs to be integrated by our global society across
many sectors of the economy. While the building industry has contributed greatly to the problem of global
warming, and is affected in many ways by these solutions, much of the focus within our industry has been
on energy use and conservation of energy in the built environment. This presentation will instead focus
on the topic of materials, and specifically the use of heavy timber to sequester carbon from the
atmosphere into the built environment in the form of cellulose fibers. Many innovative engineered wood
products and specialty connectors have been brought to market in the past decade allowing for new
opportunities for wood to be chosen as the structural system over concrete or steel. As well, cellulose
insulation systems have been improved with new production techniques allowing it to confidently be
chosen as the thermal protection material over products with higher global warming potential. This
presentation will go into depth about these new engineered wood products and cover some of the unique
considerations that need to be understood and answered by the design professionals. A multitude of
real world examples will be shown and discussed to help the audience understand the potential of the
cellulose fiber, be it structural or thermal. Side by side comparison of the cellulose based products will be
given to allow the audience to see how there is a dramatic difference in the global warming impact
between the material choices we have.
BIOGRAPHY
Chris Carbone is passionate about bio-based building materials, especially wood. As an undergraduate
at Dartmouth College his interest in sustainability and the built environment strengthened as he studied
environmental science, art, architecture, and engineering science. His love of the New Hampshire forests
led him to Bensonwood after graduate school and he has been there ever since helping the team develop
carbon negative solutions for structures and enclosures. He obtained his Engineering license in 2008,
and joined the company stewards in 2009. He loves collaborating with Architects, builders, and others to
create durable wood based buildings.