Sustainable Structures: Engineering with Wood

Wood has been one of humanity's most versatile materials for millennia, used for homes, tools, furniture, and countless other purposes. Today, as the construction industry faces increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, wood has reemerged as a material of growing interest for its ability to store carbon, renewability, and biodegradability. Advances in engineering continue to reveal new ways to design structures with wood, making it an essential topic for those interested in the future of sustainable construction. This course introduces students to wood as an engineering material in modern civil and architectural applications, emphasizing how its unique composition and structure influence mechanical and physical behavior, and how these characteristics are applied in structural design and construction. Topics include the anatomy of wood, moisture effects, mechanical properties, stress grading and design values, fastenings, and modern engineered wood products such as glued-laminated and cross-laminated timber. The class also examines durability, fire safety, and sustainability considerations in wood construction. As a capstone project, students will work in teams to design and build a small-scale bridge using balsa wood, which will be tested under increasing load until failure; a hands-on opportunity to apply the concepts learned in the course. No prior engineering experience is required. The course is ideal for students interested in materials science, sustainable design, or civil and architectural engineering.