This roadmap is a first step for Nordic municipalities who want to explore the possibilities that wood offers in building greener, healthier and more liveable towns and cities. It guides you through the process from conception through construction, to operation and maintenance, and finally end-of-life. The different sections contain relevant links and resources at a national level, where you can learn more about the situation where you are.
Wood is a light material which leads to several advantages during construction. When building with wood, logistics on the building site is improved, with smaller cranes needed and fewer transports of building materials. Smaller work crews are needed for construction and building speed is faster. This results in less disturbance of neighbors during construction and better working environment for the crew on site.
Wood is a dry material which means that the drying time needed for conventional construction is avoided. Therefore, installment of technical installations can begin early in the building process and total construction time is decreased. This is particularly beneficial where construction times are pressured through site access issues or seasonality.
‘During two similar projects in Trondheim (Maskinparken 2 and Maskinparken TRE), built by the same builders, we compared the work environment between the two buildings. It is clear that in Maskinparken TRE the builders were happier and healthier because of less dust and less noise when building with wood.’
Follow the links and get a tour inside different wood buildings under construction. The videos also highlight benefits with wood buildings.
Fast construction means fast return on investment. Building with wood is faster than building with heavier materials. Structural wood is lighter and faster to move around. Joineries are simple and easy to assemble. Significantly less delivery trucks and smaller crews are needed on site. These advantages all lead to cost savings during the construction phase. To get more information about the building process, follow the link below.
Wood is well suited for pre-fabrication and therefore has a lot of potential to increase productivity in the building sector. Pre-fabrication of wood elements is getting increasingly developed and several companies specialize in either pre-fabricated wall elements, pre-fabricated box modules, or both.
Pre-fabricated systems can be tailored to specific customer requirements and the use of pre-fabricated materials and systems can decrease construction time even further and decrease the risk of build-in errors at the building site. This all translates into economic savings. Follow the link below to read more about different pre-fabricated solutions.
Building with wood creates a building site with less dust and noise. For most activities wood can be worked with small handheld power tools. Wood is easy to move due to its low weight. Silent construction is also beneficial for neighbors to the building site who are disturbed to a lesser degree. Follow the link below and read more about the benefits concerning work environment, but also concerning indoor climate.
Wood should be kept dry at the construction site. Care should be taken not to leave wood exposed to rain or high humidity for extended periods. Wet wood or wood with a high moisture content should never be used in (indoor) construction due to the risk of subsequent mold growth in the finished building.
To the extent possible, deliveries of wood to the construction site should be made on a just-in-time basis to avoid stockpiling of building materials at non-optimal conditions at the site. Another strategy can be to cover the building during construction. The links below will give more information about wood and moisture, but also how to keep wood dry during construction phase.
