RESEARCH
Due to year-round sunlight, some plantation species in the tropics may grow a few times faster than those in temperate climate, which may eventually have relatively weak mechanical properties on their own, which most of the current use is limited to furniture, plywood, pulps and chips. However, those fast-growing plantation timber may become suitable for construction use if developed into tropical MET, which may enable massive buildings as effective carbon sink for long-term: a true game changer in the global warming era.
Our key research area is as follows:
1. Environment: Assessment of environmental and carbon emission impact of Tropical MET,
2. Material: Eurocode certified (or equivalent) MET from fast-growing tropical plantation,
3. Tropical architectonics: Architectural designs and building systems for long-term MET durability,
4. Tropical building performance: advanced moisture content control and thermal comfort in the tropics.
ENVIRONMENT
Tropical MET can retain substantial quantities of atmospheric carbon in solid status for long-terms, becoming an effective carbon sink and a true game-changer in the global warming era. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment is to evaluate its impact across forestry, manufacturing, construction and operation in the tropics from environmental, economic and social perspectives holistically.
Image: Tropical Rain Forest Tree Cover Gains-Losses 2001-2019 (Source: Global Forest Watch)
MATERIAL (TROPICAL MET PROTOTYPE)
Due to year-round sunlight, some plantation species in the tropics may grow a few times faster than those in a temperate climate, which may eventually have relatively weak mechanical properties on their own but which may become suitable for construction use if developed into MET components. We conduct one of the first tropical MET feasibility studies from fast-growing tropical plantation.
Image: Bending Test for Tropical MET prototypes at Engineering Workshop 1, NUS
ARCHITECTONICS
Tropical architectonics and building systems are investigated to develop unique yet functional architectural designs and construction systems. NUS-CDL Tropical Technology Laboratory (T2 lab) monitors environmental factors, such as relative humidity, surface temperature, wind speed etc. in NSEW orientations throughout the year, to test various architectonics configurations to control moisture content, termite attacks and weathering under the hot and humid tropical climate.
Image: NUS-CDL Tropical Technology lab, 2018
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
Durability of MET building is tightly associated with low moisture content, which is to be monitored and evaluated by real-time sensors in association with hybrid ventilation systems for thermal comfort.
Image: Tropical CLT Equilibrium Moisture Content, NUS-CDL Tropical Technology Lab
