Wood is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under ceramics: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Wood with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Wood
Wood (cellulose–hemicellulose–lignin) is a family of grades whose density 0.3–0.8 g/cm³ typical, heat band chars ~200–300 °C; does not melt, and fire letter D–B depending on product / treatment.
What “the material” actually is
Wood is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry cellulose–hemicellulose–lignin, density 0.3–0.8 g/cm³ typical, heat band chars ~200–300 °C; does not melt.
This atlas treats Wood as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: ~0.1–0.2 W/m·K along vs across grain. Insulation score 56/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: D–B depending on product / treatment. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: Palaeolithic tools; CLT 1990s Austria, Global forests / Graz. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: steel.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 76/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Wood
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Wood honest.
Circularity mark 76/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
chars ~200–300 °C; does not melt
What should it be paired with?
steel: The incombustible frame alternative.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Hōryū-ji
Japan · 7th c.
Hōryū-ji is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Stave church
Norway · 12th c.
Stave church is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Balloon frame
United States · 1830s
Balloon frame is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
CLT panel
Austria · 1990s
CLT panel is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Mosquito bomber
United Kingdom · WWII
Mosquito bomber is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Glulam arch
Europe · 20th c.
Glulam arch is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Ise shrine rebuild
Japan · ritual
Ise shrine rebuild is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
Oak ship
Europe · age of sail
Oak ship is a reference point in the public image of Wood.
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