Sumitomo Forestry has highlighted the seismic and fire-resistance performance of technologies for promoting the use of timber in high-rise buildings. Its efforts to pursue sustainability include developing pollen-free cedar seedlings and exploring the use of wood waste as fuel.
The program examined the factors behind Sumitomo Forestry’s efforts to advance the use of timber in high-rise buildings, including a project underway in Tsunashima, Yokohama, and the expansion of timber utilization through the restoration of traditional Japanese houses. The company’s history of forest development was also introduced, including the planting of approximately 2 million trees a year and the management of its extensive company-owned forests. The program explained the cycle of planting, growing and using trees before planting them again.
In terms of technology, it provided details on the development of post-tensioned seismic technology said to withstand earthquakes measuring up to seismic intensity 7, as well as the establishment of fire resistance in timber structures through testing of their ability to withstand temperatures exceeding 1,000°C. These efforts were presented as improving the safety of timber buildings.
Future research initiatives introduced on the program included efforts to produce biofuel from wood chips and offcuts generated during construction for use as aviation fuel, the development of pollen-free cedar seedlings, and the preservation of historically significant cherry trees.