Abstract

The wood-based housing market in Chile requires a complementary review that considers the competitive advantages of this material regarding its technical features and structural properties, to strengthen compliance with the Chilean General Urban Planning and Construction Ordinance (OGUC, in Spanish) and the Sustainable Building Codes. The purpose of this research was to develop an Integrated Sustainability and Safety Indicator (IISS, in Spanish), which integrates regulatory, social, territorial, and environmental aspects, considering (1) presentation, (2) sustainability, and (3) safety variables for wooden houses. For this, information was collected from 230 wood construction companies located between the regions of Valparaíso and Los Ríos, in Central Chile, where product presentation and safety were highlighted as inputs to calculate the IISS. This integration resulted in a classification of useful technical indicators to promote wood use as a construction option that prevails over or complements other building options.