“Wood is a phenomenal material”
Finnish construction company Lehto Oy is Metsä Fibre’s partner in the port warehouse and operating office projects in Kemi. Lehto's Regional Director in Kemi Perttu Haapalahti believes in industrial wood construction. “The role of wood in these buildings is significant. The load- bearing structures and roof elements in the roof structure of the port warehouse are either glulam or Kerto® LVL. The columns and plinths are concrete, and there is a carefully considered balance between renewable and traditional materials.” As Metsä Fibre’s general contractor for both projects, Lehto has been involved with them from the first planning meetings. The operating office’s facade elements were supplied by Lehto’s factories. “Wood is definitely the construction material of the future, and its total market share will probably increase by 10 to 15 per cent in the next few years.” Haapalahti notes that wood as a material is easy to process, and its trump card is its light weight, especially in projects like the operating office. Located in the middle of the entire mill complex, the lightweight elements of the operating office were installed by just a few people without heavy logistics.
“Industrial wood construction is a challenge and an opportunity”
What is the current state of industrial wood construction in Finland, Professor Sami Pajunen? There is a massive potential with wood that has not been fully exploited yet. It has the competitive advantages of positive envi- ronmental values and material lightness, which make it possible to manufacture large elements in factories. The role of design is important – for example, you need to pay attention to designing for acoustics, vibrations, fire technology, moisture, strong joints, and long-term durability.
Is wood suitable for the renovation of apartment buildings, for instance?
In urban areas, it is easy to use wood to add an additional storey to apartment buildings. This allows the use of the building’s attic space for constructing more units. Building up on a larger scale is difficult because every building has a foundation that has been engineered to have sufficient strength and load-bearing capacity for its original plans.
What factors are delaying the spread of industrial wood construction?
Unfortunately, the industry’s contract and business operation models favour traditional steel and concrete construction. Although wood construction design is excellent in Finland, the rate of construction is slow because there are only a few manufacturers of prefabricated box unit modules. The industry desperately needs idea leadership, more robust use of research, and bold companies to show the way.
Sami Pajunen is a professor of construction engineering in the Faculty of Built Environment at Tampere University.
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