The Canadian Council of Forest Industries yesterday introduced a environmentally friendly wood-frame-construction method and said it will develop professional training programs to teach Tai-wanese the technique.
"We will help develop hands-on woodframe construction programs for students attending National Taipei University of Technology," said Paul Newman, the council's executive director.
The council, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Canadian government, began its orientation program yesterday by signing an agreement with the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior.
During the ceremony, agency Director-General Kuo Hsiang-Tang (
"The post-and-beam style of construction was an important method for traditional residences in Taiwan. Due to advances in urban development and the ban on illegal logging, however, this method has become outdated," Kuo said.
"As British Columbia has abundant forest resources, its expertise in woodframe construction method is something we want to promote in Taiwan."
In May the agency included the two-by-four woodframe method in the types of construction specified in the Woodframe Code(木構架建築物設計及施工技術規範). "Two-by-four" refers to blocks of 2 inch by 4 inch beams used in construction, which enables construction workers to calculate building pressure more efficiently and more scientifically.
"Taiwan is aggressively pushing for a construction method that is good for ecological conservation," said Vice Minister of the Interior Hsu Ing-shen (許應深).
Hsu said that wood frames can be renewed, which can lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and reduce the greenhouse effect.
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