immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Bauwesen

  • Hilti wants to take over 4PS Group

    Hilti wants to take over 4PS Group

    The Hilti Group is seeking to acquire the 4PS Group. The Dutch company, which is headquartered in Ede and has branches in the UK, Belgium and Germany, specialises in software for business processes in the construction industry, Hilti informs in a corresponding statement. According to the statement, the acquisition is still subject to the approval of the relevant supervisory authorities. No details of the purchase price are given in the release.

    “As a company that works closely with its customers and focuses on driving the digital transformation of the construction industry, 4PS Group is a perfect fit for Hilti,” Thomas Hillbrand, member of the Hilti Group Executive Board, is quoted as saying in the release. “We share the conviction that optimised business processes offer enormous productivity potential for the construction industry.” The corresponding offering from 4PS is intended to complement Hilti’s software offering for working capital management and construction site management.

    The company’s 4PS Construct software is based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and provides functions for managing construction projects. Construction companies can use it to control their profitability and plan and manage the use of resources. “By integrating our services and cloud solutions into Hilti’s portfolio, we will become an even stronger digitalisation partner for the construction industry,” explains Paula Middelkoop, Director Product & Development at 4PS Group. The approximately 350 employees, including the management of 4PS, are to remain with the company under the umbrella of the Hilti Group.

  • Sika wants to grow in the American mining sector

    Sika wants to grow in the American mining sector

    Sika is acquiring Thiessen Team USA, based in Elko in the US state of Nevada. With this acquisition, the Zug-based building materials manufacturer intends to grow in the American mining sector, according to a media release.

    Thiessen Team USA specialises in shotcrete and mortar solutions for the mining sector and operates two factories near large mines in the western USA. Important raw materials for the production of batteries for electric vehicles are also extracted there. Sika expects demand for these raw materials to rise due to increasing investment in electromobility.

    Furthermore, Sika also sees great potential for its own solutions due to the growing demands on the sustainability of mining. The Sika technology for the production of cement-free concrete is highlighted. It is already being used for shaft filling in the world’s largest iron ore mine in Sweden and is now to be introduced in the USA.

    “The acquisition of Thiessen supports our expansion in the exciting mining business in the US and gives Sika a greater presence in this sector throughout the Americas,” said Christoph Ganz, regional director Americas at Sika. In addition, the acquisition will “offer significant cross-selling potential”, the statement said.

  • Trade fair for the timber industry takes place in the Umwelt Arena

    Trade fair for the timber industry takes place in the Umwelt Arena

    Impuls, the trade fair for the wood industry, will take place from 22 to 25 August in the Umwelt Arena in Spreitenbach. According to the announcement, Impuls is being organised for the third time by Kuratle & Jaecker from Leibstadt AG. Together with 32 producers from Switzerland and abroad, Kuratle & Jaecker will transform the 2000 square metre arena area into an industry meeting place for four days. The organiser will also be represented with an exhibition stand.

    Players in the wood industry will have the opportunity to find out about innovations, trends and product applications in the fields of flooring and parquet, doors and door technology, decorative interior fittings, building envelopes and timber construction in a very short time, the press release continues. In addition, there will be specialist presentations, special shows and training courses at the networking platform.

    The programme includes the main topic “Building with wood: from the floor to the roof” as well as innovative application techniques, products for a good indoor climate, system solutions and practical knowledge transfer and acoustic solutions. A range of products made from Swiss wood will also be on show. And, according to the programme, it is also about fire protection solutions, timber construction and industrial prefabrication as well as logistics, transport and storage. The digitalisation of the wood industry will also be a topic.

    Trade fair organiser Kuratle & Jaecker serves the woodworking industry throughout Switzerland from twelve locations with a balanced range of products and own brands for structural timber construction and decorative interior finishing, according to the company’s website. It also acts as an agent for other producers at home and abroad.

  • SFS strengthens market presence in America

    SFS strengthens market presence in America

    SFS, headquartered in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, has acquired the fastener business and other products of Connective Systems & Supply, Inc.(CSS), based in Denver, Colorado, USA, effective 1 July. This gives the globally active manufacturer of precision and fastening components from the St.Gallen-Lake Constance area market access to the fast-growing region around Denver, according to a media release. The purchase price was not disclosed.

    The business will be integrated into the Triangle Fastener Corporation(TFC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which belongs to the SFS Group. TFC is active as a supplier of fastening technology and other products for end users in the construction industry at 25 trading locations in the USA.

    Within the SFS Group, TFC is assigned to the Construction Division in the Fastening Systems segment. “With the acquisition, TFC strengthens its market position in this attractive market,” the media release states. The Denver area is considered a growth region in the USA. The construction industry in North America has experienced a strong upswing in recent years, as it has in Europe.

    CSS was founded in 1985 and has since developed into a “major partner for fasteners and other products for end users in the construction industry in the state of Colorado”. CSS’s divested business generated $15 million in sales last year with its 20 employees.

    The employees will be taken over by SFS, and the two locations in the Denver region will be retained and continued by the current management.

  • Grisons architect impresses in Los Angeles

    Grisons architect impresses in Los Angeles

    According to a report by LA Weekly, Chur-based architect Roger Kurath is one of the ten most innovative entrepreneurs in Los Angeles who are pushing boundaries in their respective industries. With innovative and sustainable design methods, Kurath is influencing the architecture of the West Coast metropolis, the article says.

    The work of the architecture firm Design21, founded in 2000, is represented in Switzerland as well as in the United States and Shanghai. Thoughtful design combined with cutting-edge technology have led to the firm’s buildings winning many awards. For example, Design21 received the Award of Merits at the prestigious PCBC Gold Nugget Awards for an 8000 square foot (about 750 square metre) custom house.

    As the article points out, Roger Kurath demonstrates not only exceptional talent but also a love of craftsmanship, with which he aims to create “sustainable dream homes for his discerning clients”. The aim is to create architectural masterpieces that also carry the climate of his homeland to various corners of the world.

  • New JED building in Schlieren to be built with zirkulit

    New JED building in Schlieren to be built with zirkulit

    The new building on the JED site in Schlierem is being constructed by the developer Swiss Prime Site in accordance with the principles of sustainability. According to a media release, the concrete is circular. This first circular concrete was developed by Eberhard Unternehmungen. It is now produced by Zirkulit AG, which was founded in Kloten in 2021.

    Thanks to a special recipe, zirkulit surpasses all previously known types of concrete in terms of sustainability. For the first time, zirkulit concrete combines the conservation of resources with a minimal CO2 footprint and can be used throughout the entire house, the statement says. With the installation of 8300 cubic metres of zirkulit concrete in the new JED building, a total of more than 10,000 tonnes of primary resources were saved and 83 tonnes of CO2 were bound in the material, it continues. The use of the concrete reinforces the transformation to a circular economy.

    JED (Join.Explore.Dare) is the site of the former NZZ printing works. Swiss Prime Site has already converted existing buildings there, which are used by the anchor tenants Halter and Zühlke. The new building will add office and laboratory space on five floors with a rentable area of 14,000 square metres.

  • Master Builders’ Association counters shortage of skilled workers

    Master Builders’ Association counters shortage of skilled workers

    The Swiss Association of Master Builders(SBA) expects a growing shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry. It has therefore commissioned a “Study on the Long-Term Development of the Economy and Skilled Workers in the Main Construction Industry” from the Competence Centre for Demographics, the association informs in a press release. According to the study, which was presented at the end of June at the Construction Industry Day in Lugano, the shortage of skilled workers, measured in terms of construction volume, could reach about 16 percent by 2040. This would cause annual turnover losses of up to CHF 800 million and thus endanger jobs in the construction industry.

    In Lugano, however, SBC Central President Gian-Luca Lardi also pointed out possible solutions. “If we increase turnover per capita by 0.5 per cent annually, we can make up for 50 per cent of the shortage of skilled workers,” Lardi is quoted as saying in the press release from his address at the industry’s traditional networking event. According to the association, this increase in productivity should mainly be achieved through digitalisation and innovation. At the same time, Lardi suggested “training more apprentices, keeping skilled workers in the profession longer and ultimately recruiting more lateral entrants”. In this way, the other half of the gap could be closed, according to the Central President.

  • Burkhalter buys Riggenbach

    Burkhalter buys Riggenbach

    Burkhalter Group signed a purchase agreement for Riggenbach AG, Lüftungs- und Klimatechnik on 29 June. The company, which is headquartered in Olten and has branch offices in Solothurn and Brugg, generates annual sales of around CHF 40 million, Burkhalter said in a corresponding statement. The takeover is intended to give the Zurich-based building technology specialist additional market share. In its strategy, Burkhalter reserves the right to acquire further building technology companies in order to expand its market share.

    The takeover of Riggenbach is expected to be completed next month. The purchase price is to be paid in cash and by means of new registered shares of Burkhalter. To this end, Burkhalter Holding AG will create 148,774 new registered shares, for which shareholders’ subscription rights will be excluded. Riggenbach has undertaken to hold two thirds of the shares acquired as part of the takeover for at least two years, informs Burkhalter. The new registered shares are expected to be tradable on the SIX from around the end of August to the beginning of September.

  • Walo repairs important bridge in the USA

    Walo repairs important bridge in the USA

    Dietiker-based construction company Walo Bertschinger is rehabilitating one of the most important bridges in the eastern United States. According to an announcement on Facebook, Walo is rehabilitating the roadways of the twin Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River with its ultra-high strength and fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPC). It is the largest application of its kind in North America to date, extending the life of the bridge by decades, Walo’s announcement says. Three-quarters of the surface was completed in time for the summer break, it said. The final phase will be tackled in the autumn and completed in December.

    In its statement, Walo recalls that the bridge between the states of New Jersey and Delaware was designed 71 years ago by Swiss engineer Othmar Ammann. The bridge builder also designed and built the George Washington Bridge in New York City. The suspension bridge over the Hudson River connects Manhattan with New Jersey.

    The Delaware Memorial Bridge, currently being repaired by Walo Bertschinger, bears its name “Memorial” in memory of the fallen from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait after its occupation by Iraq.

    The Delaware Memorial Bridge connects Pennsville in New Jersey and New Castle in Delaware. On the website of the operating company Delaware River and Bay Authority in New Castle, the double bridge with a length of more than 3 kilometres is described as an important link in the transport system for the entire eastern United States.

  • Kone wants to promote sustainable construction

    Kone wants to promote sustainable construction

    More than a quarter of all CO2 emissions are caused in the construction industry, Kone informs in a press release. This is where the globally active manufacturer of lifts and escalators wants to contribute to remedying the situation. To this end, the Kone subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, together with Martin Pfeiffer from the University of Hanover, have developed a comprehensive guideline for a sustainable construction and maintenance industry. The white paper “Green Buildings” shows enormous potential for reducing emissions in all phases of a building, writes Kone.

    As examples, the communication mentions recycled building materials and the deconstruction of buildings in line with the circular economy. In addition, low-waste prefabricated building components are recommended, which can be used again after deconstruction. In general, the motto is dismantling instead of demolition.

    Kone also pays attention to sustainability in its own core business. For example, the lift manufacturer relies on energy recovery for its lift systems and reduces malfunctions with the help of the use of artificial intelligence during maintenance. “With the white paper, we want to show that sustainability in the building sector has many different facets and must be thought about and lived in all construction and operating phases,” Petru Huurinainen, Managing Director of Kone Austria and Switzerland, is quoted as saying in the press release. That is why Kone not only installs CO2-free lifts, but also maintains them in a CO2-neutral manner and dismantles them in a circular economy-friendly manner. “The publication is intended to broaden the horizon to the green buildings of tomorrow.”

  • Building contractors are committed to the circular economy

    Building contractors are committed to the circular economy

    The construction and operation of buildings and infrastructures account for around half of Switzerland’s total demand for raw materials. At the same time, one third of CO2 emissions and over 80 per cent of waste are generated here. Twelve of the largest public and private building contractors want to remedy this situation, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research(Empa) informs in a press release. Together with Allreal, AXA Investment Managers Schweiz AG, the Construction Department of the Canton of Zurich, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics, the Building Department of the City of Zurich, Post Immobilien Management und Services AG, Swiss Prime Site, Swiss Life Asset Management AG, UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG, Zug Estates and Zurich Invest AG, Empa has signed the “Charter for Circular Construction“.

    The charter aims to promote the circular economy in the Swiss construction industry. To this end, the aim is to reduce the use of non-renewable primary raw materials to half of the total mass. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions are to be recorded in a first step and then greatly reduced. To this end, the Charter partners want to develop innovative solutions. As examples, the communication mentions renovating instead of building new, building for the long term, reducing the use of materials and reusing raw materials.

    The twelve initial signatories of the charter together underwrite around 4 billion francs of building construction investments annually, Empa explains. Other building owners are invited to join the charter and its goals.

  • DuraMon raises CHF 1 million in fresh capital

    DuraMon raises CHF 1 million in fresh capital

    Zurich-based DuraMon AG has received CHF 1 million in a seed financing round. The investment was led by the Zurich-based venture capital firm QBIT Capital. In addition to Serpentine Ventures, the ETH Foundation and other investors, the Zug-based building materials group Sika also participated as a strategic investor, according to a media release.

    According to the statement, the funds raised will be used in particular to expand the team, broaden the customer portfolio and optimise and automate the company’s processes.

    DuraMon is developing the world’s first sensor technology and smart analytics solution for precise and reliable monitoring of the corrosion status of reinforced and prestressed concrete. These solutions enable timely detection of deterioration in concrete infrastructures such as bridges, tunnels, car parks and garages.

    DuraMon helps customers “choose the right type of repair for the right structure at the right time”. As a result, reinforced and prestressed concrete infrastructures are repaired neither too early nor too late, according to the promise.

    Through the strategic partnership with global player Sika, “we can serve our customers in the construction industry with a comprehensive technology that enables sustainability through the rational use of construction materials and the proper maintenance of infrastructures and building structures,” Philippe Jost, head of construction and member of the executive board at Sika, is quoted as saying in the media release.

    The spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH) was founded in 2021 and transformed from DuraMon GmbH into DuraMon AG in April this year.

  • Sika opens new plant in Eastern India

    Sika opens new plant in Eastern India

    Sika is commissioning a new plant in Kharagpur in eastern India. There, the globally active Zug-based specialty chemicals company intends to increase its production and supply capacity for eastern India, according to a media release. This is Sika’s twelfth manufacturing plant in India. Sika has been active in the Indian market for 40 years.

    The new factory is located in an industrial park with good infrastructure links and has state-of-the-art production facilities as well as offices, laboratories, storage and logistics areas. Mortar products, concrete admixtures and setting accelerators for shotcrete are manufactured there for customers in the West Bengal region with a population of more than 100 million.

    “India is a growth market for Sika with enormous potential,” Mike Campion, Regional Head Asia/Pacific, is quoted as saying in the media release. The world’s most populous country shows strong industrialisation and urbanisation trends. Sika intends to benefit from this by concentrating on large infrastructure and construction projects in the country’s ten largest metropolitan regions. “With the new plant in Kharagpur, we can efficiently serve upcoming large projects in the east and northeast, including the capital Kolkata.” Kolkata is the capital of the state of West Bengal.

    The construction sector in India is reportedly projected to grow by 6.5 per cent this year. Next year, it is expected to grow by 6.4 per cent. In addition, the central government is particularly promoting “the expansion of transport and logistics infrastructure on rail and road, with the aim of driving industrialisation in the country and increasing manufacturing capacities”.

  • Excellence Kanal Service is now part of Hächler

    Excellence Kanal Service is now part of Hächler

    Excellence Kanal Service AG is a member of the Hächler Group with retroactive effect from 1 January 2023, according to a media release. Within the Hächler Group, Excellence is to operate completely independently like all Hächler companies. With the takeover of the sewerage specialist based in Muttenz, Hächler is further expanding its market position in the Basel and Baselland region, the statement continues. The group already includes Ex Team AG Kanalservices and Rohrrenova AG, both in Muttenz.

    According to the press release, the employees of the new Hächler company Excellence solve the most demanding tasks of their customers in the areas of sewer rehabilitation, sewer cleaning, sewer inspection and leak testing. Following the takeover, Excellence’s customers would now also have access to the know-how of the entire Hächler Group. In return, the customers of the other Hächler companies would benefit from Excellence’s special knowledge.

    The Hächler Group employs around 450 people in the Construction, Environment, Real Estate and Finance and Administration business units. Ten subsidiaries already belonged to the group before the Excellence takeover. ce/gba

  • Zimmerin on Tour is a guest at Strabag

    Zimmerin on Tour is a guest at Strabag

    Under the motto Zimmerin on Tour (Carpenter on Tour), Lara Zwiefelhofer will be travelling throughout Switzerland as a career ambassador from April to November. From 3 to 7 July, she will visit the timber construction department of Strabag AG in Lindau, according to a media release. There she will work on various projects. And on Tuesday afternoon, 4 July, she will inform secondary school students at the Grafstal school in Lindau during a tour of the company.

    Interested young people can get a taste of “wood construction air” and prove their craftsmanship. The visit is aimed at young people from the region who would like to gain an insight into the profession of carpentry, according to a statement from Schlieren-based Strabag. “We are not only looking forward to Lara, but also to the visit of the secondary school students, so that we can introduce them to a profession with a future,” Billy Rytz, commercial group manager for timber construction at Strabag, is quoted as saying.

    25-year-old Lara Zwiefelhofer from Liechtenstein is the new face of Holzbau Schweiz‘s career marketing campaign. She completed her training as a carpenter three years ago. Until the end of November, she will visit various timber construction companies every week and give short presentations about her craft and the advantages of dual training, according to the press release. She is also making informational visits to upper school classes.

    Regarding the job description and training, the Strabag press release states that a carpenter builds, renovates and refurbishes wooden structures indoors and outdoors. The training lasts four years. Learners learn the theoretical basics at vocational school, while the practical training takes place in a recognised timber construction company.

  • Implenia builds infrastructure projects for CHF 100 million

    Implenia builds infrastructure projects for CHF 100 million

    Implenia has received approval to build two complex transport infrastructure projects costing CHF 100 million. According to a media release, a motorway junction is being built in Zurich under the lead management of the construction and real estate company, which will provide particularly good protection against noise. On behalf of the city of Winterthur, Implenia is building a 390-metre-long complex bridge that will play a central role in the city’s development.

    Following approval from the Federal Roads Office(FEDRO), Implenia is responsible for upgrading the N01/36 Schlieren-Europabrücke motorway junction in Zurich-Grünau. The project includes maintenance of the traffic area between the Schlieren and Altstetten junctions. Prior to this, deconstruction, excavation and works pipeline work as well as the installation of a road wastewater treatment plant would have to be carried out. Noise barriers covering an area of 3,800 square metres are to protect residents of the Grünau neighbourhood from disturbance after the end of construction in 2027.

    On behalf of the city of Winterthur, Implenia is reportedly building a 390-metre-long, challenging bridge structure for pedestrians, bicycles and buses over the Grüze crossing. It connects Sulzerallee with St.Gallerstrasse and, according to the city, is intended to become “the public transport hub of the newly emerging Neuhegi-Grüze district”. The construction contract includes special civil engineering for foundations and protective structures, various civil engineering services in the track area and complex falsework structures. The bridge is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2026.

  • Building Award honours lifetime achievement for timber construction

    Building Award honours lifetime achievement for timber construction

    The Bern-based bilding – Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Young Engineers in Construction presented its awards for outstanding engineering achievements in construction this year on 15 June. The Building Award is presented annually in six categories. At the 5th Building Award, a lifetime achievement was also honoured for the first time, Building Award informs in a press release. The Lifetime Award went to Hermann Blumer for his influence on modern timber construction, which extended beyond Europe.

    Blumer “undoubtedly wrote building and architectural history”, writes Building Award in a press release on this year’s award winners. There, the honouree is described as a “bridge builder between the old and the new world of timber construction”. Born in 1943, he carried “the enthusiasm for the engineering profession into the world” and motivated “young people to do the same”.

    The prize for structural engineering went to Dr.Lüchinger+Meyer Bauingenieure for the conversion of the Felix Platter Hospital in Basel. The prize for infrastructure construction went to Basler & Hofmann AG for the slope stabilisation structure of a building for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. The prize for energy systems and building technology went to Kalt+Halbeisen Ingenieubüro AG for their networking of the tuwag site in Wädenswil ZH. TTS Inova won the prize in the Research and Development, Startups category for its geothermal probe. Lea Bressan from Basler & Hofmann AG was honoured as Young Professionals. The drumrum Raumschule and Queens of Structure CH received the prize for promoting young talent in the field of technology for their exhibition.

  • Scandens presents digital redevelopment planning

    Scandens presents digital redevelopment planning

    With its innovative software technology,Scandens wants to revolutionise digital renovation and investment planning for the decarbonisation of buildings. According to a media release, the Scandens web app provides users – homeowners, energy advisors, financial institutions, public authorities as well as architecture and construction firms – with an analysis of the current climate compatibility of the property with just a few clicks. It is intended to show over 400 different renovation strategies and concrete measures with which the current CO2 footprint and energy consumption of the building can be reduced.

    The spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH) was founded in 2021 and supported by the Migros Pioneer Fund. The machine learning algorithms were developed at ETH and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to the founders. The software reportedly combines them with the latest energy modelling techniques for digital twins and official planning standards.

    It updates the entire planning process, from data collection to feasibility testing and component and building design to economic calculation and CO2 balancing, including grey emissions. According to Scandens co-founder Dominik Bucher, the pilot customers have confirmed in daily use that “with our solution, time savings of 80 percent are possible. Our product will have a lasting impact on the construction and real estate industry.”

  • Holcim acquires Minerales y Agregados in Guatemala

    Holcim acquires Minerales y Agregados in Guatemala

    Holcim expands its commitment in Central America. The building materials producer, headquartered in Zug, is establishing its first subsidiary in Guatemala with the purchase of Minerales y Agregados. According to a media release, the acquired company is based in Sanarate and specialises in the production and supply of mortar and other solutions for construction and agriculture. Minerales y Agregados was founded in 2014 by the Coronado family.

    “With Minerales y Agregados, we continue to expand our geographic presence while broadening our range of modern construction solutions. The construction sector in Guatemala is highly specialised and demands world-class solutions,” Oliver Osswald, Head of Latin America Region at Holcim, is quoted as saying. “Minerales y Agregados is a perfect fit to help us meet these requirements,” Osswald added.

    Holcim’s production facility in Guatemala will add a new line of business to its “Solutions & Products” offering in the region, the statement said. Holcim expects synergies from the expansion of the Minerales y Agregados offering through supply from its plants in Metapán in El Salvador, as well as from the expansion of the range of advanced mortars and adhesives from the Disensa supply chain, which is part of the Holcim Group. This includes more than 1,000 retail outlets across Latin America.

    With this acquisition, Holcim is advancing its “Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth”, the company statement said. This strategy aims to expand the Solutions & Products business to 30 percent of Group net sales by 2025.

  • ETH fire simulator tests timber construction elements

    ETH fire simulator tests timber construction elements

    Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich have developed a new type of fire simulator. According to a media release, the oven, designed by the Institute of Structural Analysis and Design at the Department of Construction, can simulate a wide variety of fire situations. The knowledge gained from the tests should help to expand the use of wood as a sustainable building material.

    The stove is intended to support sustainable timber construction, which is becoming increasingly attractive in Switzerland. Since 2015, multi-storey buildings have also been legally permissible. High-rise buildings made of wood with a height of up to 108 metres are being planned. Fire protection is all the more important here.

    The stove is a metal cube reinforced with steel beams with a combustion chamber that is one metre high, one metre wide and just under 1.7 metres long. It is fired by ten gas burners, half of which are mounted on each of the two long sides. They can heat the oven to over 1400 degrees. Several cameras outside the combustion chamber record the tests and the composition of the fire gases can also be analysed.

    “We can precisely adjust the temperature in the kiln and likewise the oxygen content,” Andrea Frangi, professor of wood construction and head of the simulation project, is quoted as saying in the press release. “The kiln allows us to simulate different fire courses and test their effect on the wood structures.” Wooden components can be loaded with up to 50 tonnes during the test. The development costs for the simulator amounted to 2.5 million Swiss francs.

  • Fourth generation takes over at Ernst Schweizer

    Fourth generation takes over at Ernst Schweizer

    Ernst Schweizer AG has reached the next milestone in the succession from the third to the fourth generation. As announced by the family-owned company based in Hedingen, Hans Ruedi Schweizer handed over the chairmanship of the Board of Directors to Claude Siegenthaler on his 75th birthday on 6 June. The professor at Hosei University in Tokyo has been working as a strategy consultant for Ernst Schweizer since 2017 and has been a member of the Board of Directors for a year.

    Samuel Schweizer takes over the majority of shares from his parents Hans Ruedi Schweizer and Johanna Lütolf. He remains Chairman of the Executive Board and Delegate of the Board of Directors, as he has since 2019.

    He is proud “that the company remains in family hands, is solidly positioned and commercially successful,” Hans Ruedi Schweizer is quoted as saying. “With today’s changes, Ernst Schweizer AG will remain an independent family business in the long term and its further development is guaranteed.”

    Samuel Schweizer intends to continue with the current strategy. “As an energy turnaround maker and Swiss solar pioneer, we have long been active in reducing the CO2 footprint of the construction sector with innovative solutions in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency.”

    Claude Siegenthaler sees great potential. “We want to grow, not least in Europe,” the new Chairman of the Board of Directors is quoted as saying. “And we want to create added value thanks to further innovations and the opportunities of digitalisation.”

    Founded in 1920, the company specialises in solutions for the building envelope, letterboxes and solar systems. With 526 employees, it achieves a turnover of 185 million Swiss francs.

  • Bühler opens Energy Center for employee development

    Bühler opens Energy Center for employee development

    Bühler has inaugurated the Bühler Energy Center. With the newly created location, the technology group completes the Innovation Campus Uzwil and the Cubic, which will open in 2019. According to a media release, Bühler is investing “in a healthy cycle, because if the employees are doing well, the company is also doing well”.

    Against the backdrop of growing demands on companies, the personal well-being of employees is becoming increasingly important. “Positive energy and knowledge are crucial resources and form the basis for well-being, performance and resilience,” it says. To make the company fit for the challenges of the future, the Energy Centre was designed for the future fields of health management, vocational and adult education as well as series production and prototyping.

    The Energy Center offers support for independent learning and personal recreation. According to the motto “Make you fit!”, employees should be equipped with fresh energy to master the “complex and dynamic demands” of the private and working world. The Energy Centre is also open to other groups of people. It is designed “for our employees as well as for the employees of our partners and customers,” Stefan Scheiber, CEO of the Buhler Group, is quoted as saying.

    Construction of the Energy Center began in 2021. “The most resource-conserving and sustainable implementation possible included, for example, the reuse of concrete from the previous building and the use of low-CO2 cement,” Elvis Pidic, architect and Head of Corporate Real Estate Management at Bühler, is quoted as saying.

  • Holder wants to combat housing shortage

    Holder wants to combat housing shortage

    Halter AG wants to tackle an emerging housing shortage. The Schlier-based construction and real estate company is committed to sustainable and viable solutions, Halter explains in a press release. To this end, the company has prepared a position paper. Halter also presented the solutions proposed in this paper for discussion at the round table with Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin in May.

    In the position paper, Halter makes a number of demands. For example, additional use in residential zones and residential use in pure workplace zones should be permitted. Half of the additional living space created here must be realised as living space at cost rent. Halter also wants the potential of the cost rent financing model to be better exploited.

    The politicians are called upon to simplify the quality assurance procedure and to limit the digital building permit to use and architecture. Halter expects his own industry to reduce construction costs by increasing productivity.

    “The provision of affordable housing represents a similarly significant social challenge as climate-friendly conversion and new construction,” explains Halter CEO Markus Mettler in the statement. He says his company is ready to make innovative contributions to solving both tasks. “This goes hand in hand with the introduction of sustainable framework conditions for the construction and real estate industry that strengthen entrepreneurship and competitiveness in the sector and counteract the trend towards inefficient and costly regulation and nationalisation.”

  • Construction industry gets fewer orders

    Construction industry gets fewer orders

    Incoming orders in the construction industry were 8.1 percent lower in the first quarter of 2023 than in the same quarter of the previous year, the Swiss Association of Master Builders(SBA) informed in a statement. It assumes that this decline will have a negative impact on construction activity over the next one to two years. The SBC attributes the decline in new orders to higher interest rates and construction costs as well as a slowdown in economic growth.

    In residential construction, the SBC believes that lower construction activity could lead to a shift from a housing surplus to a housing shortage. As countermeasures, the association calls for “a bundle of practice-oriented measures”. Specifically, the communication mentions, among other things, curbing objections and shorter objection periods as well as reducing “overregulation” in structure plans and laws. Housing promotion should be based on market economy criteria and not on state intervention.

    In the short term, the SBC sees a positive outlook for the construction industry. Although turnover in the main construction sector in the first quarter was 150 million francs or 3.1 per cent lower than in the same quarter of the previous year, the SBC is forecasting a slight increase in turnover in the second quarter. For the second quarter, however, the construction index compiled by SBC in collaboration with Credit Suisse forecasts turnover growth of 1.1 percent.

    The shortage of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. At the Construction Industry Day on 30 June in Lugano, the SBC wants to show solutions here.

  • Sensor gate from dormakaba receives iF Design Award

    Sensor gate from dormakaba receives iF Design Award

    The new Argus V60 sensor interlock from dormakaba has won an award in the building technology category at this year’s iF Design Awards, the globally active locking technology group from Rümlang informs in a press release. The Argus V60 is designed for foyers with lift systems or office buildings.

    The sensor barrier can also be used to separate floors or parts of the entrance area of buildings. Here, the airlock, which can be integrated “in the smallest of installation spaces”, “blends into the architecture like a piece of furniture”, writes dormakaba. As further advantages of the Argus V60, dormakaba lists “security, elegance and efficiency in the smallest of spaces”.

    With the iF Design Award, the iF International Forum Design GmbH annually honours outstanding achievement in the design of products in a variety of categories. For this year’s iF Design Award, almost 11,000 entries from 56 countries competed for the quality seal for excellent design.

    The iF Design Award is not the first award for the Argus V60. In February, the sensor-equipped personal interlock from dormakaba had already convinced the jury at the German Design Award of the German Design Council.

  • Bernese wood technicians want to increase demand for beech wood

    Bernese wood technicians want to increase demand for beech wood

    The start-up Fagusnoir has been founded at the Department of Architecture, Wood and Construction(BFH-AHB) at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The Biel-based wood engineers are striving for “new perspectives and a significantly higher status in the value-added process” for the native beech, according to a statement. At the Berlin Design Week, which runs until 17 May, they presented a process developed at the BFH’s wood technology laboratory that can be used to change the colour of beech wood. A new look could make beech, which is hardly used, more attractive for the construction industry. The aim is to colour solid beech wood over its entire cross-section. The basis is the substances tannin and iron contained in the wood. They set in motion a chemical reaction that produces a dark, greyish colour in the wood.

    In Switzerland, every fifth tree is a beech. For aesthetic reasons, darker and “expressive wood species such as oak, walnut and cherry” are in demand. The wood-processing industry prefers rare or non-native tree species for interior finishing and furniture production. They have to be bought in large quantities abroad.

    According to Fagusnoir, due to low demand, many beech trees are not felled, are sold abroad at cheap prices or end up as firewood on the domestic market. The increasing spread of beech trees has a negative impact on the ecosystem.

  • Bruhin Spiess und Stefan Marti Garten erhalten SuperHink 2023

    Bruhin Spiess und Stefan Marti Garten erhalten SuperHink 2023

    Die in der Berner Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pro Naturstein zusammengeschlossenen zwölf Natursteinbetriebe in der Schweiz machen sich für eine Verwendung des nachhaltigen Bau- und Werkstoffs Naturwerkstein stark. Im Rahmen dieses Engagements zeichnet Pro Naturstein alle zwei Jahres kreatives und authentisches Gestalten mit Naturwerkstein mit dem SuperHink aus. In diesem Jahr wurden die Preise in den Kategorien Architektur/Innenarchitektur und Garten- und Landschaftsarchitektur am 11. Mai am Sitz der Eidgenössischen Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (Empa) in Dübendorf ZH vergeben, heisst es in einer Mitteilung.

    Über den SuperHink in Architektur kann sich Bruhin Spiess aus Aarau freuen. Das Architekturbüro wurde für die Gestaltung des Hauptraums beim Umbau der Schlossscheune Wildegg im Aargau ausgezeichnet. Hier wurde der fast 100 Quadratmeter grosse Boden mit 154 unterschiedlich grossen Muschelkalkplatten aus dem nahe Schloss Wildegg gelegenen Steinbruch Mägenwil belegt. „Wir haben dafür massive grossformatige Platten mit Einzelgewichten bis zu 300 Kilogramm verwendet, zusätzlich aber auch deren Reststücke, um so den Ressourcen-Verbrauch zu minimieren“, wird Architekt Martin Bruhin in der Mitteilung zitiert.

    Der SuperHink für Garten- und Landschaftsarchitektur ging an die Stefan Marti Garten AG. Das Unternehmen aus Grosswangen bekam die Auszeichnung für die Gartengestaltung eines Privathauses. Hier wurde mit eine Kombination aus Holz, Wasser und Naturstein ein Aussenraum von „einzigartigem Charakter und Charme“ geschaffen, heisst es in der Mitteilung.

  • PSI researches for low-CO2 cement

    PSI researches for low-CO2 cement

    A research team wants to bring previously unknown processes in the hydration of cement to light. Through a deeper understanding, it wants to pave the way for low-carbon cements. Under the leadership of the University of Malaga, the French University Grenobles Alpes, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility(ESRF), also located in Grenoble, and the Paul Scherrer Institute are involved in the study.

    According to a PSI statement, the biggest disadvantage of the current proposals for low-carbon cements is the slow hydration kinetics in the first three days. However, it is precisely the understanding of the processes involved in cement production in the early stages that is “crucial”, explains study first author and PhD student at the University of Malaga, Shiva Shirani. “That’s why we developed a method to get a complete picture of the hydration of Portland cement.”

    To do this, the scientists combined complementary experimental approaches at the ESRF and the Swiss Synchrotron Light Source at PSI. Near-field ptychotomography revealed the hydration of commercial Portland cement, according to the release.

    “Understanding the mechanics of the slowest processes will hopefully lead to strategies to reasonably accelerate the hydration of low-carbon cements,” said co-author Professor Miguel A.G. Aranda. This could be done, for example, by using strength-increasing admixtures “to allow early removal of the formwork”.

  • Magog distributes Meyer Burger solar modules

    Magog distributes Meyer Burger solar modules

    Meyer Burger Technology AG and Schiefergruben Magog GmbH & Co. KG have concluded a cooperation agreement on the distribution of the new Meyer Burger Slate product. This is a product variant that is suitable for listed buildings and is intended for slate-covered houses. Meyer Burger will supply Magog with it from August.

    This small-format, uniformly slate-grey solar roof tile “fits harmoniously into slate roofs and thus makes the energy turnaround possible for listed houses as well”, the responsible division manager Frank Hötzsch is quoted as saying in a media release. “We are very pleased about the cooperation with Magog, a proven expert in the field of slate applications.”

    “The new Meyer Burger Slate – Magog Slate Edition is characterised by a high energy yield,” said Georg Guntermann, managing partner of Magog. In addition, he said, it is easy for roofers to install and maintain. Thanks to the use of glare-free, structured solar glass, it can be integrated inconspicuously into the building. According to the information, the first pilot projects will be finalised soon.

  • Avobis builds business location in Hombrechtikon

    Avobis builds business location in Hombrechtikon

    The industrial area in Hombrechtikon’s Eichtal Park is taking its next step in site development: from 2024, the Avobis Group and its two companies Avobis and Rimaplan will build the new OakTec business location there. Around 29,000 square metres of land and 20,000 square metres of usable space will be available for commercial and production operations. An information event will be held on 15 June in Hombrechtikon’s small community hall.

    According to a press release, the concept is based on the idea of offering companies attractive, well-lit and flexibly divisible space. Access and deliveries are possible from an inner courtyard on two accessible levels. This is evidence of a “particularly economical use of land”.

    In general, the building is planned in a sustainable manner, according to David Belart, the client’s representative: “By carefully embedding the building in the terrain, the excavation volume is reduced, all roof surfaces are either greened or use solar energy, the entire energy concept is based on renewable energies, and the green belt in which the site is integrated promotes biodiversity

    Municipal President Rainer Odermatt is behind the project: “We support ‘OakTec’ and would like to further strengthen the Eichtal Park as an important generator of jobs in the region. To this end, we offer an attractive infrastructure and, together with the VZO, very good transport connections.”

    According to information, the project planning work for the building application is currently underway. In addition, according to Avobis, there are currently considerations for a further investment programme on the sub-areas further to the east with the striking existing buildings. They are to be further developed in a sustainable manner.