Quality and Sustainability Indicators of the Prefabricated Wood Housing Industry—A Chilean Case Study

Rosemarie Garay, Francis Pfenniger, Miguel Castillo and Consuelo Fritz
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Rosemarie Garay: Forest Products Development Department, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation, University of Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile
Francis Pfenniger: Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Chile, Santiago 8331032, Chile
Miguel Castillo: Forest Management Department, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation, University of Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile
Consuelo Fritz: Research Center CIAS, Center of Innovation and Applied Science, Santiago 7500571, Chile

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-21

Abstract: Wood industrialization provides a contribution to timber-based building. The Chilean market is based on attributes such as the experience and trust of companies. The sales price, meeting deadlines and quality are attributes that have motivated buyers. There are more attributes to assess that are important for the client and market country: building materials and safety, sustainability, and environmental assessment. Some of these valuations are provided by certifications such as life cycle analysis, reduction of energy, water, gas consumption, thermal, acoustic insulation, fire resistance, etc. The objective is to propose an evaluation tool using sustainability indicators for prefabricated lumber-based buildings, using technical benefits of wood as an option for manufacturing prefabricated structures. They constitute references that can be integrated with international construction standards and with it, a process of improvement of the current standards for the housing solution and protection of the environment. The methodology is based on standards compliance levels, according to current, voluntary, or referential regulations, seeking to differentiate the market offer of prefabricated homes through quality indicators, benchmarking and sustainability. The results are an evaluation model synthesized into three tables according to the category evaluated: materials, products, or structures. It concludes that, to meet demand, the market must adapt its offer to new requirements where it does matter how the housing is produced, not only in the economic aspect, but also its impact on the social aspect and the environment and what it offers in terms of quality of life. The lumber-based building sector needs sustainability attributes indicators to potentiate the companies and start a differentiation business.

Keywords: safety and sustainability indicators; wood construction; prefabricated houses; regulatory compliance; wildland–urban interface (WUI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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