Wood is a traditional building material that provides its residents with complete environmental safety. Wood is a renewable resource, which can also be disposed of without harming the environment. Today's fast pace of construction threatens the planet's wood supply, so sometimes it makes sense to build a house from reclaimed wood.

When harvesting wood, there are no processing processes that are harmful to the environment, as there are in the production of cement and metal. In addition to the environmental friendliness of wooden houses, we can also talk about their low cost. For example, today frame technologies are often used, in which only load-bearing structures are made from expensive wood, while all other parts are made from laminated veneer lumber. Wood chipboards are made from cheap material.

What other advantages does it have? frame construction? In addition to the low cost, you also get the opportunity to build your home in record time. It will not matter whether you build a house in summer or winter. In any case, there will be no problems with construction. You also save on the foundation because wooden houses do not require large massive foundations. If necessary, you can easily add or rebuild wooden house.

A wooden house can be equipped with all the necessary communication networks: lighting, modern heating, fire system, automated with the help of special intelligent equipment and waste recycling centers can be created.

Even the smallest wooden house will fully meet all the necessary needs modern man. A wooden house saves you money on its arrangement and decoration. If a brick house needs to be insulated, then you get a wooden house almost ready-made.

Are frame houses really that environmentally friendly?

Vapor barrier is not quite an ordinary plastic film. Vapor barrier is Tarpaulin, which is a fabric that is woven from strips of polyethylene and then rolled on both sides with film. Thanks to lamination, the vapor barrier is characterized by absolute waterproofness and very high resistance ultraviolet rays and strength.

The walls of the house really don’t “breathe”. This means that the envelope of the frame house is absolutely sealed - outside air, which brings cold into the premises of the house, does not penetrate, and the air from inside does not escape to the street either. This is the essence of the unique energy efficiency of frame technology - the “thermos effect”. A frame house does not “drown the street”, wasting money and Natural resources in vain.

It is for this reason that a ventilation system is installed in frame houses without fail. IN North America the most commonly used complex system air heating, air conditioning and ventilation system at home. In this case, control over the microclimate and air quality in the house will be ideal.

Modern insulation is not the glass wool of Soviet times, which we all remember from our childhood memories. Over the past decades, technology has made great strides forward. But, in truth, most modern mineral and fiberglass insulation materials contain formaldehyde-containing resins as a binder. Formaldehyde causes allergies and asthma. It has been officially recognized as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

As for the environmental friendliness of clay bricks, clay very well absorbs man-made and natural radioactive particles - radionucleides. The brick that counts natural material, despite the impurities, is produced on the basis of clay. In the practice of environmental assessments, there are often cases where widespread red brick also has a slightly increased background radiation.

Manufacturers of the insulation materials we use in our homes take environmental protection and human health very seriously. All material strictly complies with international and Russian environmental standards. All products undergo mandatory environmental assessment. Manufacturers such as Rockwool, Techno, Knauf and other well-known companies spend huge amounts of money on environmental research.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a product of complex chemical synthesis, the basis of which is natural raw materials. This raw material is sodium chloride ( salt), gas and oil. The resulting material is durable and chemically inert, but it does not emit harmful substances. Think about it, many food products (yogurt, kefir, all kinds of drinks in plastic containers) are packaged in PVC. Vessels are even made from polyvinyl chloride, in which donor blood and blood plasma are then stored. Moreover, plastic windows installed everywhere in kindergartens, schools, hospitals, where environmental requirements are very high. This once again proves safety PVC applications windows

Idea of ​​use PVC profile in the production of plastic windows, was developed in the distant thirties of the 20th century. Then, in the pre-war years, polyvinyl chloride did not yet meet the requirements for durability, but many years of research work led to a solution to this problem. And already in the early fifties, PVC windows were widely used. This became possible thanks to the improvement of machines (extruders) and raw materials.

The technology of adding titanium oxides to the mixture as stabilizers helped improve the quality of production, as well as solve the issue of mechanical strength of PVC windows. At the same time, active work was carried out on sound, thermal insulation and weather resistance. There is only one problem - over time, under the influence of the sun's rays, the plastic windows turned yellow. This problem was solved by adding a stabilizer - lead was added to the mixture for the production of window profiles. The misconception that PVC windows turn yellow over time has persisted among some to this day. Supplied to Russia in the nineties of the last century, window profiles were often of poor quality and, indeed, they turned yellow.

Modern technologies have already accurately and completely eliminated the change in profile color after a long service life of the window. This is achieved by adding lead or using the chemical compound calcium-zinc (CaZn) as a stabilizer, which is guaranteed to provide White color(if one is chosen) during the entire service life of the windows, and this also makes it possible to achieve that PVC windows are safer for human health than, for example, plastic bottles from a soda bottle.

This article provides professional advice on what you should pay attention to when choosing a frame-panel house.

Environmental aspects of frame houses.

In recent years, they have become increasingly popular in Russia. frame-panel houses factory production. More and more new manufacturers are appearing who praise their products, calling the houses environmentally friendly and safe, with unique heat-saving characteristics. At the same time, there are no uniform standards in the private housing market, and often it is very difficult for a person who decides to build an individual frame-panel house to understand everything and choose one of the technologies proposed by manufacturers.

The most important issue when making a decision is the ecology of such houses. This is understandable - the ecology of housing is a matter of health not only for the adults making the decisions, but also for the health of children growing up in these houses, for whom parents bear full responsibility.

The structure of a frame house is essentially a layer cake made of different materials, the quality and correct application of which determine the ecology and other characteristics of housing.

In Scandinavia, Finland, and North America, frame house construction has a long history, and there are also many options for constructing similar houses. Starting from the simplest and most inexpensive, where not dried or planed wood is used, but sawdust or a mixture of straw and clay as insulation. To the most “advanced” - “Green houses”, which, due to the use of modern technologies are completely energy independent and provide themselves with heat and electricity due to solar energy and geothermal sources.

The basic principles of wall structure are more or less the same for everyone - the design involves several layers: Vapor Barrier, Heat Insulation and Windproof.

On the inside, plasterboard or gypsum fiber boards are mainly used (sometimes in two layers);

A layer of dense vapor barrier (usually polyethylene based);

Wooden frame made of dry, planed softwood lumber;

Insulation 150 or 200 mm thick (in Finland 250 mm). The most common are basalt or fiberglass insulation, such as Paroc, Rockwool, Isover, KNAUF Insulation;

WITH outside Traditionally, materials such as plywood, OSB or soft fiberboard (Izoplaat) are used;

Wind-moisture-proof vapor-permeable membranes;

Ventilated facades, plaster, brickwork.

In Northern Europe and Germany, the technology for the production of almost complete house kits, including basalt or fiberglass insulation, internal and external finishing, pre-installed windows, laid inside the panel network engineering, electrical wiring. The panels are quite heavy and voluminous and require specially equipped transport for delivery. Such houses are assembled on site very quickly using special equipment. technology. Due to the short construction period, significant savings occur.

The choice of this technology is determined, first of all, by the relatively short delivery distances and the well-developed road infrastructure of Central and Northern Europe.

In North America and the UK there are mainly two technologies: assembling the house frame directly on construction site, using dry, planed coniferous wood or technology for assembling frame houses wall panels(without insulation) and roof trusses, pre-fabricated at the factory.

The technology of assembling houses from pre-prepared wall panels (without insulation) and roof trusses can significantly speed up construction time and does not require the involvement of highly qualified carpenters. At the same time, the structures are relatively light in weight, compact for storage, and easy to install. The technology allows you to significantly save on transport due to compact placement and allows you to deliver house kits to regions with poorly developed infrastructure using standard vehicles, as well as twenty and forty foot containers.

The listed advantages make this technology in demand in Russia. It is no secret that we do not have the opportunity to deliver special equipment to every site. equipment and long vehicles. And finding highly qualified carpenters is also not easy.

Regarding the quality of structures and environmental safety, it is worth paying attention to some important details:

1. Pay attention to the quality of the internal vapor barrier layer. How well the entire wall structure will work and how well the insulation will be protected from the danger of water condensation inside the panel depends on how well the vapor barrier is performed.

2. For production frame panels it is important to use selected, planed lumber that has undergone chamber drying to a humidity of 18-20%. Such materials make it possible to produce panels with high precision. When planing, the pores in the wood close, which makes the lumber less susceptible to the influence of the external environment and significantly increases the service life of the building.

Material that has contact with the external environment must be protected from rot and insects - impregnated in special chambers under high pressure.

3. Pay attention to the quality and ecology of the building envelope material used. Most often in frame-panel houses, OSB is used as such a material.

OSB – Oriented Strand Board.

This modern building material, which replaced plywood, has a number of significant advantages: it is easy to process, durable, homogeneous, holds fasteners well, is moisture resistant, and has minimal linear expansion. And what’s important is that it’s cheaper.

However, there are several types of OSB, which differ significantly in quality and content of substances unsafe for the body.

The amount of substances hazardous to the body primarily depends on the binders used.

Most factories use phenol-formaldehyde (PF) adhesive, but some use melamine urea-formaldehyde (MUF) adhesive or isocyanate adhesive (PMDI). All these adhesives are comparable in their resistance to moisture.

European-made OSB used for construction must comply with the EN 300 standard. EN 300 defines 4 types of OSB depending on their mechanical characteristics and relative resistance to moisture:

OSB/1 - General purpose panels used in the manufacture of built-in furniture when used in dry conditions.

OSB/2 – Load-bearing panels for use in dry conditions.

OSB/3 – Load-bearing panels for use in damp conditions.

OSB/4 – Heavy-duty load-bearing panels for use in wet conditions.

For the production of load-bearing frame panels, OSB/3 is optimally suited, produced using melamine urea-formaldehyde (MUF) adhesive (phenol-free, low formaldehyde content), which ensures low emissions of class E1 - less than 8 mg of formaldehyde per 100 g of dry panel.

“In accordance with the Regulation on the prohibition of the use of chemicals ChemVerbotsV, section 3 of October 14, 1993, in conjunction with the publication of the Federal Office of Health in the Federal Gazette of Health 10/91 (pp. 487-489) on “Test methods wood materials» - for unpolished slabs, the perforator limit (photometric) should not exceed 8 mg of formaldehyde HCHO/100 g of absolutely dry slab at a material moisture content of 6.5%. The variable semi-annual average is max. 6.5 mg formaldehyde HCHO/100 g absolutely dry plate.”

Such slabs are produced at the DOK KALEVALA plant in Karelia - one of the most modern plants in Europe.

For interior decoration indoors, it is recommended to use OSB/3 produced using isocyanate adhesive (PMDI), such boards have an emission class of E0 - formaldehyde-free (< 0.003мг на 100г), что соответствует характеристикам обычной натуральной древесины.

4. Pay attention to the insulation used.

Choice of quality thermal insulation material plays a key role in the construction of a frame house. Quality, durability and environmental friendliness of the insulating material are the three main points that practical and forward-thinking consumers pay attention to, especially northerners living in harsh climates.

When choosing insulation, as one of the most important elements for a frame house it is necessary to take into account whole line factors, namely:

Wind loads
resistance of the insulation to vertical loads (i.e. it should not “shrink” or crumble over time);
moisture resistance and self-ventilation ability of the insulation;
minimal release of volatile substances from the insulation into the air
isolated premises;
high thermal characteristics;
high fire-prevention and fire-resistant characteristics of insulation;
high soundproofing characteristics of insulation.

One of the most effective and technologically advanced methods of heat conservation is the use of thermal insulation based on basalt wool, such as Paroc, Rockwool.

This type of insulation is suitable as multi-storey buildings and structures, as well as for individual frame-panel housing construction.

Questions often arise regarding the environmental friendliness of basalt wool.

Oddly enough, even if we take into account all possible risk factors, basalt wool still needs to be recognized as a completely environmentally friendly material. Especially in comparison with insulation materials of the previous generation, such as glass wool.

Glass wool, widely used in the last century, was characterized by low thermal conductivity and non-flammability, but the harm to health, especially for construction workers who had to constantly come into contact with it, was very great. The fact is that glass wool, unlike basalt wool, was characterized by low strength; its fibers easily separated and got under work clothing and into the respiratory tract. Today, the harm from basalt wool is minimized, since this type of insulation is much stronger, so getting its particles under the skin or into the lungs is practically impossible.

The second factor most often mentioned in the discussion of whether basalt wool is harmful concerns the technology of bonding its fibers together. The fact is that for this purpose, resins containing such dangerous chemical compounds as phenol and formaldehyde are usually used. However, in the case when the production technology is followed and high-quality raw materials are used, phenol and formaldehyde are in a bound state in the final product and are absolutely neutral with respect to the environment.

The emissions of formaldehyde used in the manufacture of the material are small and below the barrier of 0.05 mg/sq.m. hour (VTT research), which allows us to classify the material as the most safe materials for particle emission - M1.

Homemade basalt wool is dangerous, since low-quality cheap materials are used in its production, and as a result, the final product may not meet sanitary standards, contain harmful impurities and actually be hazardous to health.

For those consumers who are still confused by the presence of a small amount of phenolic-formaldehyde compounds in basalt insulation, it is recommended to turn their attention to modern glass wool produced by KNAUF Insulation.

Using innovative ECOSE® technology, KNAUF Insulation produces a unique safe and natural mineral wool insulation that does not contain phenol-formaldehyde and acrylic resins.

For frame-panel houses“TeploKNAUF Cottage” is ideal.

This non-flammable elastic insulation, created using 3-in-1 technology, is excellent for fully protecting your home from cold and noise. Moreover, it has excellent water-repellent properties. "TeploKNAUF Cottage" is recommended for insulation pitched roof, walls, ideal for soundproofing rooms. Depending on your preferences, you can choose insulation in the form of slabs or rolls.

Today it is one of the cheapest and at the same time best options own modern energy-saving and environmentally friendly home.

If we compare basalt insulation from well-known manufacturers and insulation from KNAUF Insulation, the former win in terms of fire safety, while the latter have advantages in ecology and noise absorption.

5. Wind and moisture protection.

For wind protection purposes, special ones are most often used. windproof membranes, or special heat-insulating boards made of soft fiberboard. The most represented on the Russian market are ISOPLAAT slabs. These slabs allow you to create the effect of overlapping thermal insulation layers and thereby avoid “cold bridges”.

ISOPLAAT board is a 100% natural and environmentally friendly thermal insulation and sound insulation material. Only high-quality wood chips from coniferous trees are used for production. The fibrous mass obtained by grinding wood chips is diluted with water and pressed under high temperature and dried. Thus, distinctive feature ISOPLAAT boards, among others, is the fact that no glue or other chemical binders are used in their production. The boards also do not contain formaldehyde, a recognized carcinogen, and other synthetic additives harmful to humans and the environment, therefore they are absolutely safe to use for people with allergies. ISOPLAAT fiberboard is the same biologically friendly product as natural wood.

The binder in the board is the sap contained in coniferous wood - lignin. By hot pressing, ISOPLAAT boards are strong enough to be used as building sheets. Although the category to which they belong is called “soft fiberboard,” this should not be taken literally. Fiberboard under the ISOPLAAT trademark is supplied in the form of sheets with a format of 2700x1200 mm and provides additional rigidity to the structure.

This material has high vapor permeability and is a good guarantee of protection against the formation of water condensation, which can appear in the wall of a frame house if the vapor barrier of the interior is not done properly.

Multilayer membranes such as FIBROTEK Soft and YUTAVEK, Tyvek Housewrap are recommended as heat-protective membranes, providing free evaporation of moisture to the outside while simultaneously isolating the convective penetration of cold air into the insulation.

In recent years, more and more companies and factories have appeared on the Russian market that are not ready to sacrifice the quality and ecology of the houses they produce for the sake of low cost and additional profit.

Examples of such companies are the companies “TKDom Gatchina”, “Izburg” (St. Petersburg), “Karelsky Profile” (Petrozavodsk), “Finndomo” (St. Petersburg).

These companies pay great attention to the correct selection of materials and avoid the use of fire hazardous materials such as polystyrene foam and cheap OSB boards of unknown origin.

Frame house built with respect simple rules, will save heat in cold seasons and keep cool on hot summer days, delighting your household for many years with a healthy environment and excellent performance characteristics.

They allow you to solve several problems in the construction and operation of housing at once. Such objects are constructed in a few days, are distinguished by their high energy-saving function and affordability. It should also be remembered that the technology of prefabricated houses itself came to Russia from Canada, where the requirements for the naturalness of building materials are quite high. Therefore, an eco-friendly frame house is absolutely harmless to humans. Today, there is debate about each of these advantages, especially when compared with competing construction technologies. However, the desire of companies to move further and develop the ideas of prefabricated eco-houses in these directions is not only declared, but also confirmed by a huge number of implemented and conceptual projects.

Construction technology of a frame eco-house

Despite the wide list of fundamental positive characteristics of a frame house, the technology for its construction is not so complicated. Anyone wishing to become the owner of such housing must go through several stages. First of all, this is the choice of project: you can buy one existing typical options or order development from scratch. Further, in accordance with design solution, the manufacturing plant will produce semi-finished material, from which workers will assemble a finished eco-friendly frame house at the construction site. Eco-construction involves the use of natural raw materials, so prefabricated kits mainly consist of wood materials. Depending on the project, these can be either solid elements or wood chip products. At the final stage, when the base of the building in the form of a frame is assembled, they begin Finishing work. Facing material is also selected with environmental friendliness in mind. As a rule, these are wood panels, lining and natural thermal insulation.

Principles of construction of frame houses

At first glance, the technological principles are practically no different from the construction of conventional log houses. But such a conclusion can only be made based on the criterion of environmental friendliness. Otherwise, serious differences are expected, which is what makes the technology unique. So, the principles by which an eco-friendly frame house is built can be presented as follows:

• Maximum use of natural building materials.
• Minimum negative impact on environment during the operation of the house.
• Minimum requirements for energy consumption.
• Healthy microclimate inside.
• Affordability for a wide range of clients.

Of course, not all companies manage to fully follow these principles. However, the emergence of new technologies makes it easier to implement the stated goals in different directions.

Heating and thermal insulation

The main source of energy to supply frame houses are power plants. Systems are also common autonomous heating in the form of boilers and fireplaces. Although construction companies strive to minimize heat loss by improving the characteristics of basic materials, these measures are not enough. Accordingly, the question arises about what should also be chosen from environmentally friendly materials, but at the same time having sufficient thermal conductivity qualities. Actually, this choice is small and involves only two options: stone mats and ecowool. Both insulators provide a favorable microclimate in the house and fully comply with environmental requirements. But there is one caveat. Unlike ecowool, stone slabs require additional waterproofing.

As an alternative, you can offer thermal insulation literally from household products. This can be environmentally friendly insulation for a frame house in the form of a mixture of clay, straw, sawdust and shavings. Adherents of such solutions are captivated by the undeniable naturalness and freeness of the material. However, the effectiveness of the clay-straw mixture in terms of thermal insulation function is low and is unlikely to satisfy the requirements for houses in cold regions.

Energy Saving Concepts

Perhaps this is the most pressing task in construction, which faces not only frame house technologists. One of the key areas is the creation and operation of infrastructure that will allow the use of wind and solar energy. This approach is fully consistent with the principles of green construction. The fact is that the problem of environmental friendliness of frame houses still persists due to the consumption of gas, coal and oil to maintain them. On the other hand, electricity from traditional stations is not cheap, and this in itself contradicts the principle of low cost of the house. Therefore, leading market participants in this construction segment are intensively working on creating new networks that take energy from alternative sources. There are also smaller-scale projects within which energy-saving technologies are being developed.

Advantages of frame ecological houses

The advantages of such houses are much greater than the number of positive qualities mentioned. In general, the following advantages are noted:

• A favorable atmosphere inside, which can only be provided by a breathable, eco-friendly frame house, assembled from natural building materials.
• Minimum load on the foundation, which expands the range of choice of technologies for forming the foundation.
• Construction speed. A week is the average time it takes companies to complete a home. The rest depends on the owner himself, who is engaged in external and external decoration.
• Low cost. This advantage in the construction market is viewed with suspicion by many. Even if the costs of implementing the project are truly minimal, will the result be truly high-quality? It is at this point that it is worth turning to the disadvantages of such houses.

Disadvantages of frame ecological houses

Positive characteristics at a low cost quite naturally led to the disadvantages of a frame house. Environmental friendliness, for example, does not allow the use of high-strength synthetic building materials, and the concept of reducing energy costs limits the possibilities of using easy-to-use heating equipment. In addition, there are other disadvantages:

• Susceptibility to destructive biological processes. Again, the naturalness of the materials makes itself felt - the wood is subject to rotting and damage by rodents and insects. However, the use of protective equipment allows us to minimize this disadvantage.
• Exposure to combustion. Frame houses may involve the use of wood impregnated with resins that increase the intensity of combustion. Therefore, separate fire safety measures must be provided at the design and construction stages.
• The layout of the walls determines other disadvantages of frame houses. Frame technologies involve dense paneling with good sealing. As a result, almost every house requires the installation of special ventilation.

How is the environmental friendliness of houses assessed?

In Russia, the concept usually implies that only natural materials were used in the construction process. However, in world practice, an eco-house is primarily energy-saving. That is, it has minimal impact on the environment and at the same time requires the use of large quantity energy resources. Expert checks show how environmentally friendly a frame house meets these requirements. In particular, building materials, finishing elements, the project itself, as well as construction methods and energy consumption indicators are subject to special inspection.

How economical is an eco-frame house?

On average, frame eco-friendly houses are 25% more economical to maintain than other buildings of similar purpose. Today, it is not only the materials and design features of such houses that contribute to minimizing energy costs. Companies propose to take a comprehensive approach to this problem. In particular, an environmentally friendly frame house can be supplied solar collectors and heat recuperators, which reduces energy consumption. At the same time, elements of “smart” homes are being introduced. These are systems that allow you to minimize costs by optimizing the operating modes of electrical appliances.

How much does a frame ecological house cost?

The technology for constructing frame houses has been practiced in Russia for several years, but there is still no clear understanding of the approaches and calculations in the implementation of such projects. Therefore, the prices are “floating” and a lot depends on the supplier of the material and the team that will assemble the eco-friendly frame house. Price for construction works is about 300-400 thousand rubles. The material itself costs approximately the same amount. For 1 m2, workers usually ask for 1-1.5 thousand rubles. But it is important to understand that there are few specialists specifically in frame houses, especially in the provinces, and professional services can cost much more.

Wood has always been considered the most environmentally friendly material for construction. It is safe for humans, and wooden houses have a unique microclimate that is favorable for life in any season. With the advent of modern technology performance characteristics wood was significantly improved, giving it additional properties. How did this affect its environmental friendliness? Can wood still be considered the safest and most favorable material for the construction of residential buildings?

Briefly about frame construction technology

The technology has been proven in different countries world with some variations. The basis of any frame house is a rigid frame that is resistant to lateral wind loads. All elements of this frame are manufactured at the enterprise and assembled on site like a constructor on a foundation.

Next, the walls and roof are mounted on the frame. High thermal insulation properties buildings are achieved thanks to the special multi-layer walls. The wall thickness is 250-350 mm. This is a whole pie of insulation, hydro- and vapor barrier, which effectively removes moisture, but does not allow heat to escape from the house. The roof is created using the same principle. The result is a “breathing” house in which nothing interferes with effective air exchange with minimal heat loss.

Environmental friendliness of materials in the construction of a frame house

The frame of the house is made from solid wood- logs or beams. In order to improve their performance properties, timber or logs are treated with special compounds that prevent rotting, insect damage, and the spread of fire. There are synthetic and natural compounds. The former have more wide range actions, the latter help preserve the naturalness of the material. If the environmental friendliness of the structure is a priority, it is recommended to choose natural impregnations, for example, drying oil, which protects the wood from moisture, woodworm damage and rotting.

Chipboards and fibreboards are used to cover the walls of a frame house. If the slabs are manufactured using technology and in accordance with standards, they are safe for health. Otherwise, there is a high probability of evaporation of formaldehyde and toxic resins used for gluing the chips. An alternative to such slabs are boards or slats, which are treated with the same impregnations as the frame.

Insulation creeps under the wall sheathing. It may be synthetic or natural material. The following are used as synthetic insulation:

• glass wool;
• stone wool;
• basalt wool.

Mineral wool is considered natural.

Synthetic materials have better performance properties, are more durable and provide a high degree of thermal insulation. Natural ones are environmentally friendly, but they deform over time and are not always suitable for northern regions countries.

Safety of a frame house for the environment

Modern Construction Materials and technologies are aimed at obtaining a comfortable building with good economic and energy efficiency indicators. Unlike the construction of stone or brick houses, frame houses do not require:

• purchases of large quantities of brick, stone, gas silicate blocks;
• lighter, which means they do not require a massive heavy foundation;
• attracting professional builders and foremen;
• months-long shrinkage technology.

Frame technology construction as optimized and energy efficient is widely used in Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway and other developed countries.