immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Holzbaustoff

  • Research into earthquake safety for multi-storey buildings

    Research into earthquake safety for multi-storey buildings

    Empa researchers are conducting practical tests on the stability of multi-storey timber buildings against wind gusts and minor earthquakes. According to a press release, the results should help to optimise construction planning, especially for increasingly popular, mostly four- to five-storey timber buildings, and increase building safety. They should also help to increase the competitiveness of wood as a sustainable building material for multi-storey buildings.

    The construction industry is therefore reliant on data that is as practical as possible in terms of stiffness, basic vibration times and damping. Such data can be used to ensure that exactly the right amount of material is used in the right places.

    The group from the Engineering Structures research department is using a hydraulic horizontal oscillator, known as a shaker, for its investigations on a real object. It can set up to 1000 kilograms of vibrating mass in motion in a controlled manner. According to the information provided, the data obtained so far now delivers results on the dynamic properties of a multi-storey timber construction using the usual construction method in this country.

    An open day on 14 September 2024 will demonstrate how the shaker is used to set a structural model in motion, which can occur during earthquakes. The model will be used to visualise how the weight and stiffness distribution in the structure influences its vibration behaviour.

  • Timber as a key building material for the development of urban areas

    Timber as a key building material for the development of urban areas

    Efficient use of energy and climate protection in buildings
    In view of the high energy consumption of buildings and their contribution to CO2 emissions, it is crucial to reduce energy requirements both during the construction phase and during the use of buildings. Thanks to its CO2-storing nature and efficient production methods, timber construction makes a significant contribution to reducing so-called grey energy.

    Modernisation and renovation of the building structure
    Many buildings in Germany are over 25 years old and need to be modernised and renovated in terms of energy efficiency. Timber construction offers innovative solutions here, such as adding storeys for efficient space utilisation and redensification, combined with an improved energy balance. Increasing urbanisation and rural exodus require intelligent building concepts in cities.

    Urbanisation and the role of timber construction
    Timber construction is proving to be the ideal solution for vertical and horizontal redensification. Thanks to its low weight and high degree of prefabrication, timber construction is particularly suitable for use in densely built-up metropolises.

    Timber construction is more than just a traditional construction method – it is an answer to the pressing questions of our time regarding climate protection and sustainability. Similar to concrete and steel at the beginning of the 20th century, timber construction has the potential to solve future construction tasks efficiently and sustainably and thus contribute to a more sustainable design of our urban landscapes.