World Conference on Timber Engineering
WCTE 2020 Santiago - Chile
Why Chile? A natural laboratory for the development of timber engineering.
Heritage
Forestry country Chile is an important actor in the forest industry on a global scale having 13.359.519 hectares of native forest, 2.447.591 hectares of plantations and a volume of production of sawn timber that reached 7.998.781 m3 in 2014 (mainly produced from radiata pine) Chile has reached a competitive presence in markets in five continents which ranks the country in number 12 in world production.
Seismic Undoubtedly, Chile is a seismic country. As matter of fact, it presents one of the highest rates of seismic activity. Also, it is the place where the biggest earthquakes have occurred. The main three reasons for such a phenomenon have to do with the location where Chile is settled: Chile is located very close to the intersection between the Nazca Plate and the South American plate. A section of Chile’s surface extends over an area influenced by the acitivity of the Antartic Plate and the South American Plate right in the area of Peninsula of Taitao. The country is located in the so called Pacific fire betl (or Pacific Ring of Fire) a line in which frequently earthquakes and volcanic eruptions hit. This phenomenon occurs practically all over the Pacific Rim countries.
Chile has had a wide variety of construction tradition made of wood all across its territory: Humberstone, Valparaíso, Sewell, Araucanía Region and Chiloé among others are witnesses of development linked to wood. Many of the constructions found in those areas were made by European colonists coming from Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Spain. All these works, survivors of the time, inspire new generations to develop new constructions using wood.
Wooden construction: a developing market In contrast, the use of wood in the Chilean construction industry is still very limited having only 16% of our houses made of wood. The use of wood in buildings of three or more story has not been explored yet. This low demand of buildings made of wood can be explained by considering the negative perception of users as wooden construction development is not as advanced as the development of other materials. Last years, this necessity has become a source of opportunities that have been confirmed by new technological developments in which wood has been accepted by local people.
Commitee Chairman Juan José Ugarte Gurruchaga Head of the UC Timber Innovation Center Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Chairman Carlito Calil Jr. Head of the Lab of Timber and Timber Structures University of São Paulo Advising Chairperson Pierre Blanchet Directeur des programmes de 2e et 3e cycles en sciences du bois Université Laval
Advising Chairperson Daniel Dolan Professor Washington State University Advising Chairperson Mario Ramos Maldonado Head of Research, Development and Innovation Universidad del Bío-Bío Advising Chairperson Frane Zilic Head of PoloMadera University of Concepción Advising Chairperson Aldo Rolleri Professor - Forest Institute (IBOS) Universidad Austral de Chile
Dear Colleagues: “Chile País Forestal” (Chile Forestry Country) will provide the proper frame for the celebration, for the first time in its whole existence, of the World Conference on Timber Engineering in South America. Chile has about 16 million of hectares of forests (85% native and 15% plantations) and also a vibrant industry which has a big potential for the development of timber engineering. Due to its great geographical variety which includes the driest desert in the world located in the north and the southern Patagonian ice field, Chile is an excellent “natural laboratory” for the exploration on diverse technologies on timber engineering. This country has been able to face the challenge of making more than 100 timber houses every year. Using the new technological innovations in the field of timber engineering, wood been used again in the making of buildings. People in our country have happily accepted the use of this material. This initiative has received wide support from the private sector, the government of Chile, a vibrant academic group, international recognized professionals. All of these, added to the warmth of its people and the sparkling attractive of its cities will make Chile a memorable experience for all those coming to the WCTE 2020.
Juan José Ugarte Chairman
Chile Tourism
A country of experience
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ity downtown is the historic zone of the capital. There is where you can find the oldest plazas, public buildings, historic museums and old constructions that made up the biggest center of services in Santiago. The best way to start a visit is by visiting the government house (La Moneda Palace) whose front yard is part of Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda and its backyard is part of Plaza de la Ciudadanía.
antiago, the capital of Chile, was chosen by the New York Times as one of the best destinations to visit in the world. Santiago is a dynamic and modern metropolis located right in the heart of the fertile Central Valley. The Chilean capital is a city with character, an intense night life and an attractive artistic-cultural scene. The best way to get to know the city is by walking its streets. Santiago has many neighborhoods that were shaped by the different social interactions and the public spaces. This city is more than a simple set of houses, streets and trees. Some of these neighborhoods offer high quality architecture of priceless value. These buildings have become city icons such as Barrio Italia, Lastarria y Bellavista. In Las Condes, Vitacura and Providencia you can find most of shopping centers, stores and some luxury shops.
Santiago has become one of the top cities regarding business opportunities on a world scale and has created a self-image of tranquility, safety, cleanliness and life quality well qualified by visitors. Few countries in the world can offer diverse destinations where the visitors have the chance to live great travelling experiences from vast parks that motivate real connection to nature to the urban streets of Santiago. The city has gained a superb power as a trademark being highlighted as a clean, organized, safe and modern city.
Few kilometers away from the city there are several world class ski centers, wine routes, trekking trails and biking areas. All these types of activities make Santiago a destination that offers multiple choices related to tourism. According to The New York Times, the main city of Chile is a vibrating mixture of Latinamerican culture and European sensitivity. One of the biggest contributions to the cultural offer was the inauguration of the Center Gabriela Mistral. The space made up of 22.000 squared meters of surface was reinvented being specialized to host performing arts and musicals. The building has a marked architectonic stamp as well as cafeteria, restaurant and interesting schedule of theater, dance and photography expositions.
Chile: 5 geographical zones The north is influenced by the Atacama Desert; Santiago, Valparaíso and the Central Valleys defined by their Mediterranean climate; going down south, the Lake and Volcanoes Zone; the extreme south, Patagonia and Antarctica; and finally the islands mentioning Eastern Island and Robinson Crusoe.
“Pure, Chile, is your blue sky; Pure breezes flow across you as well. And your flower-embroidered field Is a happy copy of Eden. “ Chile National Anthem (extract)
Chile, A Connected Country More than 15 airlines flying to Chile Chile is located in the southwestern region of South America. All flights originating from outside the country arrive first at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport of Santiago, and from there flights can take you to various points across the country.
Hotels in Santiago Santiago offers an impressive variety of hotels which also includes the representation of most of International chainedbrand hotels. Some of the ones present in Santiago are the Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Radisson, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Marriott, W Hotel, Hilton, Accord and NH among many others. There are more than 9.500 rooms in 4 and 5 stars hotels and a total of 14.500 in the city. Most of hotels have internet access in the rooms and business center for general use. Direct dialing service is also available all over the country.
Average Room Prices
Santiago’s international airport Arturo Merino Benitez – airport code SCL - is the main connection hub of the country, with all international flights arriving here first. There are currently 17 airlines operating in the terminal with daily flights to major destinations, covering the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Australia. The driving time between the airport and downtown is about 40 minutes thanks to the construction of a modern highway called Costanera Norte that connects the airport, downtown and the eastern part of the city. There are several alternatives to get from the airport to the city. Public transportation operates in the airport-downtown route with an approximate cost of US$3. For the same ride, shared car transportation can cost about US$12 while private car rides can be about US$25.
from US $200 to $360 per night from US $140 to $260 per night from US $70 to $200 per night from US $30 to $80 per night
★★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★
CentroParque: Convention Center for WCTE 2020 Centro Parque Convention Center in Chile is located in the heart of one of the most exclusive, beautiful and cosmopolitan neighborhoods of Santiago, Nueva Las Condes area. This district is widely known for its modern buildings and skyscrapers depicting the rapid Chilean economic development.
Top level Center of Events, modern and new, is located in the heart of Parque Araucano with 8.600 m2 of surface especially designed for international congress.
Its central emplacement and proximity to the subway system allows enjoying an easy and fast circulation to and from downtown Santiago, the airport and other areas of the city, making it an excellent starting point for visitors moving around the city. Close to Centro Parque, there are numerous hotels, national and international chains, offering more than 1.000 bedrooms for a range of budgets; department stores and international brands retailers; restaurants, bars, and entertainment centers. Hotels near Centro Parque Convention Center
Technology
Chañaral Project The UC Timber Innovation Center, has developed technological responses on timber that allows us to have various building systems. They have been adapted to different weathers, both cold and hot, maintaining an adequate indoor comfort condition.
Timber seismic advances
Buildings have had a very good performance in the latest earthquakes in Chile. This is due to a long history, since the early 20th century, of lessons learned after each earthquake and applied to the development of new design requirements. Most of houses and buildings in Chile are masonry and concrete structures. But timber construction represents about 17% of the existing stock of structures. Most of them are one to two-storey houses, and few have three or more floors. These are mostly old buildings from mining towns.
Social ecofriendly project
housing
Project developed by the UC Timber Innovation Center in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, Seremi and Serviu from Biobío Region. The development is made up of 14 social housing buildings of 4 story made of timber. A total of 140 departments. These constructions are designed to fulfill all the standards concerning fire resistance, acoustic conditions and perimeter walls made of a “double wall ventilated”. Moreover, a cooperation agreement was signed with the DITEC which is under the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning. The advance encompasses the creation of pilot programs for “ecofriendly neighborhoods of social housing” in every region from O’higgins all the way down to Magallanes.
Currently, research is being developed in local Universities to adjust timber construction of mid-rise buildings to the most up to date Chilean Earthquake Design Codes, so as to increase the participation of timber in Chilean construction. Therefore frame platform and CLT, made of local species, will be present in near future local structure Design Codes, and we expect to have 6-storey buildings by 2020.
Regarding its conceptual framework, the three vertices of the model “Eco-Sustainable Neighborhood” are perfectly applicable to other realities. Today, this model is being very successfully replicated in response to the housing committees of families with public subsidies by SERVIU of the regions of O’Higgins, Maule, Los Lagos, Los Ríos, and Aysen. There are realistic hopes for this project to be also applied in the region of Antofagasta. All these regions have different climates.
Opportunities and gaps for timber construction in Chile Chile is a world leader is the forest industry having 13.359.519 hectares of native forest. 2.447.591 hectares of plantations and a volume of sawn timber that reached 7.998.781 m3 in 2014 (mainly from radiate pine) The country has made available its products in many countries in 5 continents which has ranked Chile as number 12 producer in the world. In contrast, the use of wood in the Chilean construction industry is still very limited having only 17% of our houses made of wood. The use of wood in buildings of three or more story has not been explored yet. This low demand of buildings made of wood can be explained by considering the negative perception of users as wooden construction development is not as advanced as the development of other materials. This problem/opportunity is confirmed by new technological developments in which wood has been accepted by local people.
Starting on the project of Chañaral, the development plan consists of two areas: 1) The development and implementation of at least eight new neighborhoods in different regions and cities of Chile using these projects. It also includes making technical and professional skills available in each of those places that this model can be replicated with local capabilities. 2) Develop a new type of mid-rise housing buildings that allows the social housing access to central areas, where land values requires a development of higher density.
Forests and processes Out of all the planted surface of forests, the most cultivated specie is the Radiata Pine (60%) followed by the Globulus Eucalyptus (23%) and Eucaliptonitens (10,1%)
Chile is a country extended from the parallel 17°29’57” S and 56°32’ S south latitude. It has an extension of 4.270 kilometers. In this large gradient, several ecosystem forests develop from which 14.18 million of hectares (18.7% of the national territory) are native forests and 2.96 million of hectares correspond to forest plantations. Among the native forests you can find Mediterranean woodland amazingly rich in its biodiversity, forests of Nothofagus caducifolios that appear in autumn with orange and red tones, the so called Valdiviana jungle which has a mild and rainy weather and always green. Outstanding size trees can be found in that zone of the country as well as lianas, epiphytes and mosses among others. Unique beauty forests as the Araucaria Araucana that is a remarkable conifer recognized all over the world for its strange beauty. Also, the Patagonian forests of lengas and ñirres (Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus antartica) that adorn the landscapes of the Straits of Magellan. These many different types of forests have shaped the tradition of communities who are looking for the advance of forests following sustainable management and keeping their ecosystem services. In addition to it, the extraordinary forest industry established around radiata pine and eucalyptus plantations have given to Chile the name of “Chile: Forestry Country”. Environmental Sustainability Chilean forest companies have decided to certify their sustainable forest management either using CERTFOR-chilean certification certified with the European PEFC- or the international certification Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Heritage From the end of XIX century, a process of colonization was experienced in the Araucanía. Foreigners from Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Spain settled in the south. This wave generated the development or adaptation architecture using timber in different locations in the south of Chile: Victoria, Carahue, Pitrufquén, Capitán Pastene. This architecture created by the colonists has been able to integrate with both the weather and the geography successfully. Today, it is part of the landscape in Araucanía as it has survived time and generations. Puerto Octay’s building were made using native wood that have symbolic and historic value. It has been declared a typical zone by the Chile Council of National Monuments. Mining camp Sewell (1904) located in a height of 2000 meters, it is a set of constructions elaborated with native woods using the Ballon Frame construction system. These constructions are all located by the hillside of Cerro Negro in the Andes Mountains. There are different types of buildings such as workers’ houses, hospital, fire station and social center. All of them connected to a big ladder and communicated by pedestrian bridges. The Sewell camp is worldly recognized as a mountain city of exceptional value. That is the reason why Unesco has declared it Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Also, it was declared a typical zone by the Chile Council of National Monuments.
International Awards Pritzker Award
Wood Design & Building Award
The architect and professor of our Faculty, Alejandro Aravena, received the Pritzker Award of Architecture 2016 that is the world’s maximum prize architects around the globe might obtain. The jury highlighted his work saying that “ it personifies the rebirth of an architect committed to society (…) He has a deep knowledge of architecture and civil society, as his writings reveal, equally in his activism and designs. The role of the architect is being challenged to serve mainly to social and humanitarian needs. Alejandro Aravena has taken the challenge in a clear, complete and generous way”.
The Public Library of Constitución, Chile designed by the Chilean architect Sebastián Irarrázaval received the Wood & Design Building Award. This prize recognizes the excellence in timber architecture. The contest is organized by the Canadian magazine “Wood Design and Buildings” and sponsored by the Canadian Wood Council. About 140 applications from around the world were received, but the Chilean creation was the one awarded.
“Villa Verde” is one of the latest designs aimed at low income families located in the heart of the timber region of Chile. It includes the extensive use of timber structures in a dense couplet scheme of units that can keep growing continuously. All of this was made under the innovative concept of giving the dwellers a “good half house” so in time they can expand them to reach a never imagined standard for that type of constructions.
The organizers of the competition emphasized that “the projects presented this year pushed the limits of conventional use of timber-reassuring the versatility of this material-not only here but around the world the participants in the contest presented an articulated understanding of both traditional techniques and new ways of using timber”. This work is the result of a public-private effort to rebuild the city after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Constitución in 2010. It is also part of the Sustainable Reconstruction Plan driven by the Municipality of the city, La Fuente Foundation, Itaú Bank and Arauco Foundation.
Chile: Potential development in timber Economic potential Chile has been one of the fastest growing economy in Latin America in the last decade. Chile has achieved important reductions in the poverty level and the increase of shared wealth. The proportion of population considered as poor (US $2.5 per day) was reduced from 7,7% in 2003 to 2,0% in 2014. Moderate poverty (US $4 per day) was reduced from 20,6% to 6,8% in the same period of time. Moreover, between 2003 and 2014 the average income of the 40% of poorest citizens increased in 4,9% which is considerably higher than the average growth of total population (3,3%). Real estate potential The residential real estate market has presented an important evolution in Chile during the last decades especially in real estate marketing. It is possible to observe the presence of a highly competitive market, big marketing campaigns and complex real estate products (they allow the compensation of attributes). At the same time, it is possible to see at an international level how better standards associated to energy use an environmental impact of constructions gain more and more space. The real estate market has started to show products that clearly embrace the criteria of sustainability. This situation clearly represents a chance for timber construction because it has its own environmental arguments (carbon footprint, incorporated energy, etc) to situate in a leadership position in terms of industry. Industry technologies development potential Policies of the country have been strengthened over the years as they can contribute the development of the scientific and technological activities. In fact, the budget for CONICYT, the main government agency for the promotion of science and technology, has been multiplied by 3,3% in real terms in the period 2005-2010 which is an incredible increase.
Visit Chile for the WCTE 2020 and discover a unique experience