Stronger Than Steel: The Future of Wood Innovation

American media reports that a U.S.-based company has developed this innovative wood for industrial use. The key contributor behind this invention is Professor Liangbing Hu from Yale University, who has been researching construction materials for nearly a decade.
 

Superwood is made using real wood, which is chemically processed and then compressed under high pressure.

Professor Hu explained that his goal was to make wood stronger by utilizing cellulose. In 2017, he successfully transformed ordinary wood into a durable construction material through chemical processing for the first time.
 

Describing the process, he said that the wood is first soaked in water, then boiled in a chemical solution, and finally compressed under high pressure. After about a week of this process, a material is produced that surpasses steel in both weight and strength.

Although it looks like ordinary wood, ‘Superwood’ is much more durable and stronger than conventional wood in terms of performance. Therefore, it has the potential to be used as a metal alternative in the construction industry in the future.
 

Philip Oldfield, a professor of architecture and head of the School of Built Environment at the University of New South Wales, Australia—who is not involved with the InventWood project—said that wood has much greater environmental benefits as a construction material compared to steel or concrete. This is because wood production requires comparatively less fuel and stores carbon dioxide in its structure through photosynthesis.

He added, "Wood products can be seen as a way of long-term carbon storage. Building with wood means cities can effectively ‘lock in’ carbon emissions within the buildings for extended periods."
 

However, according to Oldfield, current engineered timber products already compete with steel and concrete. He explained, "The main barrier to increasing the use of wood is not its strength but rather the construction industry’s risk aversion and slow attitude toward change."
 

He further stated that increasing the use of wood in construction requires proper training, pilot projects, and improved policy frameworks.
 

In his words, "Stronger wood products like Superwood can help architects create larger wooden structures with sustainable finishes, which will undoubtedly play a positive role in expanding wood use."