« Building with wood in Africa, a choice or an obligation? »
This is the theme of the conference organized on Wednesday September 28, 2022 at the NASPW's amphitheater 100 led by the engineer Jacob NYANJA YABA VOMI.
Coming in large numbers, the students and teachers of the National Advanced School of Public Works were equipped with the light and efficient material that is wood. During his presentation, the engineer raised several points:
The advantages of wood:
- Breast material;
- Good thermal comfort;
- Good seismic material;
- Best building material;
- Best aesthetic building material;
- Lower cost construction compared to those made with concrete and steel;
- Rapid construction (02 weeks maximum)
The recommendations
- An engineer must master construction in wood, concrete and steel;
- The wood used for construction must be well protected against insects (termites) by the use of anti-thermal barriers, plasterboard, etc.
- Protect the wood against rainwater and humidity by constructing buildings at a certain height from the base with concrete, the case of some countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Congo etc.
- Engineers must properly orient the ideas of leaders;
- Architects must be given time to mount the projects well by cultivating patience, because the wooden structure is realized after the assembly of the project;
- We must embrace the culture of the project;
- Self-construction reduces the cost;
- Wooden constructions have a lifespan of 70 to 100 years when it comes to good quality and well-built wood;
- A wooden house must be technically maintained;
- During construction, attention must be paid to technical details such as cracks using fixers and shears;
- Not everyone can build with wood, as this would risk leading to deforestation;
- After cutting down a tree, you must immediately replant another one. Case of Canada, the country that sold the most trees in the world during Covid-19;
- One cannot build only with wood. It must also be done with concrete and steel, because life on earth could disappear because of the non-production of CO2 by wood, unlike concrete and steel. So, it is important to balance.
The speaker will also affirm that wood, like concrete and steel, makes it possible to build:
- Roofs;
- Buildings of 6, 12, 24, 36 floors (such is the case in countries such as Sweden, Ethiopia, Uganda etc.)
The panelists:
– Pr NKENG George ELAMBO (Directeur ENSTP)
- Dr. ABA NKASSE Alain (Head of Town Planning and Architecture Department)
– Dr POH ‘SIE Guillaume (Enseignant ENSTP)- Dr Jacques MARTEL (Enseignant ENSTP)
