“3D Wood Truss Gymnasium" as an “Analogy of the Community" |
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German steel globe joints were applied to connect 7000 young from 20 to 30 years old cedar wood trunks, which were cut seasonally for forestry purpose. Those timbers are not homogeneous but persified according to their ages and top or bottom of tree trunks. Cedars were planted densely after the World War2 all over in Japan. Those young trees were intended to be cut for thinning and to be utilized in many ways like scaffolding at the construction site. But no more demands. Those timbers have been usually abandoned and left in the mountains. My 3D Wood Truss Gymnasium overwhelming the limit of 3000 square meter was for the first time approved by the ministry of construction of Japan in 1987, thanks to the computer analysis, which was not possible without our innovative epoxy adhesive interface between soft wood hole and hard steel bolt. Examinations of thousand samples proved that tensile and compressive force transmittance is assured for calculation to prove enough safety. As a result, the safety is obtained by choosing member to satisfy the required strength inpidually almost like a community member, tall or short, fat or skinny. We utilize all member of their precious grown wood no matter how they work.
Through computer simulation, we found, even if the most important member were missed or broken for some reason such as typhoon or thunder strike, the related neighboring members immediately start bearing the load which missing member was bearing before. Amazing recovering structure is a system, which reminds us the human bondage of family and the community. One for all, all for one. By the way, each 7000 members of wood covering 3000 square meter Gym has been signed the names of the school students by themselves, 20 years ago. They are now around 30 years old. Some of them might have come back to the Oguni Dome with their children to look for their names on the wood forming roof. I believe sustainability is to help each other, to share together and to keep continuity of the neighborhood through generations. Time proves it. Physical constructive devices for sustainability is urgent and important as long as the construction material is local product and the construction people are local carpenters.
Text & Image Credits: Courtesy of Shoei Yoh, Hamura |
