ABSTRACT Korean wood is increasingly recognized as a promising sustainable material for building applications because of its long service life, low maintenance demand, and inherent durability. Its relatively low thermal conductivity and high specific heat capacity also offer advantages for improving building energy performance and reducing carbon emissions. However, despite these merits, the self-sufficiency rate of Korean wood remained at only 17.4% in 2023, and the domestic market continues to rely heavily on imported timber. One of the main barriers to its broader use in construction is the lack of robust, standardized performance data for locally available species, particularly regarding their thermophysical, hygrothermal, and fire-related properties. To address this gap, six widely used Korean wood species were systematically investigated through an integrated experimental program covering density, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, thermal degradation behavior, moisture-related thermal transitions, water vapor resistance factor (μ), surface wettability based on water contact-angle measurements, and fire performance evaluated by cone calorimetry. Under 50 kW/m² radiant heat, tests showed significant inter-species variation: TTI ranged from 8 s ( Pinus koraiensis ) to 36 s ( Quercus spp.), while PHRR varied between 103 kW/m² ( Larix kaempferi ) and 180 kW/m² ( Pinus koraiensis ). The investigated wood species exhibited favorable thermal insulation and moisture-regulating characteristics, while also showing distinct fire behaviors associated with ignition resistance, burning intensity, and char formation. Taken together, these findings indicate that Korean wood offers a balanced combination of thermophysical, hygrothermal, and fire-performance attributes, highlighting its potential as a sustainable building material for low-carbon construction.
Eom et al. (Mon,) studied this question.