- TIMBERBIZ.COM.AU - A La Une - 23/Jan 23:24

LapWall delivers for Metsa project

LapWall, Finland’s largest wooden element manufacturer, has been involved in numerous demanding construction projects. One example is Metsä Wood’s new Kerto LVL mill under construction in Äänekoski, Finland. Source: Timberbiz In this project, LapWall was responsible for delivering the roof, including the design, manufacturing, and installation of roof elements. The roof spans approximately 47,700 square meters, equivalent to six full-sized football fields. Roof elements measure up to 2.5 meters x 24 meters, enabling the fast and safe coverage of large areas with minimal lifts. Up to 1,500 square meters of finished roof can be installed in a single day. LapWall specialises in wooden wall and roof elements, which are increasingly in demand due to the rise of industrial construction methods. This approach focuses on pre-manufacturing structural components in factories before transporting them to construction sites. Compared with on-site construction, pre-fabricated products shorten project timelines, improve quality, and reduce moisture-related risks by shifting more work into controlled factory environments. The roof elements for the Äänekoski mill were produced at LapWall’s factory in Pälkäne within 5.5 months. The elements were transported wrapped in protective plastic, which was removed only upon installation, eliminating the need for additional weather protection and saving time. Lightweight wooden elements also provide logistics advantages. For example, LapWall’s delivery to Äänekoski included 696 roof elements, requiring 196 truckloads, far fewer than for concrete elements. Additionally, waste is minimized as the plastic wrapping and any leftover wood can be 100% recycled. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide detailed information on the carbon footprint across the supply chain, allowing builders and designers to assess the environmental benefits of using wood as a construction material. LapWall uses Kerto LVL in its products, particularly as the primary beam in roof structures. Kerto LVL enables the creation of lightweight, hollow wooden elements that are exceptionally strong and material efficient. Its hollow structure allows for integrating insulation and ventilation systems directly into the elements. In the Äänekoski project, the roof structure required approximately 800 cubic meters of Kerto LVL. The technical properties of Kerto LVL, including its strength, rigidity, and dimensional stability, make it ideal for element production, even under varying temperature and humidity conditions.