Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on April 03, 2025, 2:25 PM JST
Editorial Board, Forest Circular Economy
Forestcircularity-editor
We aim to realize "Vision 2050: Japan Shines, Forest Circular Economy" promoted by the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. We will disseminate ideas and initiatives to promote biomass chemistry, realize wooden cities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
Seven Industries Co., Ltd. constructed a large-scale wooden warehouse on its own premises in Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture, and completed it in February to promote the practical application of wooden construction in the non-residential sector. Combining the CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) construction method, which has excellent earthquake and fire resistance, and the ATA hybrid truss construction method, which allows for large 20-meter spaces, the warehouse is an advanced model that demonstrates the potential of medium- to large-scale construction with wood.
The warehouse is a one-story, large-scale wooden structure with a floor area of approximately 900 square meters, and approximately 200 cubic meters of lumber was used. All of the lumber was produced in Gifu Prefecture, with laminated cypress used for columns and beams, and cedar orthogonal laminated timber (CLT) for the walls, which were processed at the company's own factory.
Normally, when a large-scale space such as a warehouse is to be secured, steel construction is the norm due to structural limitations, and the use of wood construction has been limited. In this warehouse, CLT is used for the main part of the structure to ensure high rigidity, earthquake resistance, and excellent fire resistance. Another feature is the use of the ATA hybrid truss construction method. By using structural beams (trusses) made of a combination of timber and steel, a large space with a span of 20 meters was realized without any pillars inside the warehouse.
It has the safety and reliability required for wooden buildings in the non-residential sector, and demonstrates its practicality for future expansion of wooden construction into public buildings and commercial facilities. In addition to dramatically increasing the degree of freedom in designing wooden buildings, the advantages of wood construction, such as thermal insulation, humidity control, and reduced environmental impact during construction, are also of significance for large-scale non-residential buildings.
Through the construction of this warehouse, Seven Industries actively promoted the use of local timber. In addition to pursuing perfection as a building, the company is also working to establish a supply system in cooperation with the upstream forestry and lumber industries.
This will create a virtuous cycle of continuous demand creation for timber and increased profitability for the forestry industry, rather than a one-time construction project. This is a significant initiative from the perspective of regional development, as it addresses the issues faced by mountainous regions, such as "securing employment" and "reducing the number of people leaving the forestry industry.
Increased use of wood construction in non-residential buildings could expand the lumber market and promote the recycling of forests. Model cases such as this warehouse will provide useful suggestions for the future promotion of community-driven wooden construction.
