Pinewood Pyramids..?

Since Pyramids are the most stable and the most enduring of all structures – thus enabling lighter frames and shallower foundations – Oasis Cities made of engineered timber could be the perfect match..!

CLT (cross-laminated timber) building in Brisbane, Australia

Lightweight, yet strong and durable –
- MET (Mass Engineered Timber) can be 30% lighter than concrete, yet it has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than both concrete and steel. This permits long spans offering greater flexibility in floor layouts.

Time and manpower savings through prefabrication
- Components are assembled and cut to order at the factory, so less time and manpower is needed for actual construction at the work site. Utilising MET in construction projects could yield up to 25% time and manpower savings at the project level, resulting in significant productivity improvement.
Environmentally friendly
- Engineered wood can be produced from relatively small trees, rather than large pieces of solid dimensional lumber, which requires cutting a large tree. This means that timber can be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Utilising timber as a building material is also beneficial for the environment, as it traps carbon for life, mitigating climate change. Approximately 50% of timber’s dry weight consists of carbon, which could otherwise be released into the atmosphere if the timber is allowed to decay. With proper care, structures built with MET can be maintained indefinitely, and the carbon will not be released back into the environment.

Built to resist the elements
- MET structures do not require regular maintenance or treatment. The timber is also fire-resistant, and does not burn but chars. The charred layer also serves as an insulating layer, which protects the inner core from heating up.

A proposed engineered timber office building in Sydney, Australia