The timber construction system ‘Structurez’ is an earthquake resistant post and beam method anchored with special steel connectors and pins. This laminated timber construction structure assembles and disassembles quickly, without nails and screws, without any required expertise, always as simple as a Mecanno.
In order to offer also the finishing in a circular manner, WOODinc has developed the CircuWallPanels in collaboration with Uhasselt. These CWP’s have been internationally patented and have won the prize from the City of Amsterdam for the tender pilot for an innovative Bio-Based facade element.
In this combination of STRUCTUREZ and CWP’s, WOODinc supplies a unique ‘Light-CLT method’ where, in contrast to massive construction in CLT, transformable constructions in size and shell are offered and this with fewer raw materials, resulting in a truly rebuildable flexible building system.
WOODinc builds immovable, movable.
Raw Materials
STRUCTUREZ:
- Glue Laminated wood (GL24h – GL32h)
- Carbon steel connectors
CircuWallPanels:
- Wooden panel
- Wood fiber insulation panel (Hennep variant in study)
- Wooden rafters
- Screws, connectors, rubbers
- Façade material by choice
FSC/PEFC – wood originated from sustainable forestry coming from Austria
The production process
- The basis of the CircuWallPanels are trees. An infinite, regrowable, 100% natural, CO2 buffering product.
- These trees are harvested through sustainable FSC/PEFC forest management.
- The trees are sawn into planks and then assembled formaldehyde-free into glued laminated wood.
- The insulation layer consists of residual wood waste products, which are compressed into wood insulation panels. (In the research phase, hemp is being investigated as a variant.)
- The dimensions of the CircuWallPanels are determined by transport restrictions and to keep waste/cutting losses to a minimum.
- Our product is a circular product, it can be used again and this in a transformed setup.
The CWPs are anchored with reversible connections. They form a homogeneous shell and are independently detachable from the structure. The facade panels themselves are reversibly composed so that it is possible to return to the origin of the bio-based materials.
Applied
Our building system can be used for anything constructive. Ranging from temporary constructions to permanent residential high-rise buildings.
Our realizations range from bungalows, extensions, tiny houses, toppings, service flats (Doornik BE), office buildings (Orléans FR), to temporary catering pavilions (ASML Eindhoven NL, Floriade Almere NL, DGP Zandvoort NL), to event structures (Tomorrowland Boom BE),….
Environmental impact
- Classic construction methods – steel and concrete, are two heavily CO2-intensive processes when produced.
- In addition, our region has a very high density of ‘built area’. There are more than 6,000,000 houses in Belgium alone. More than 1000s are added every year, and 100,000s needs to be renovated. This means that construction is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions. The sector has therefore been identified as one of the key sectors for achieving the European climate objectives.
- By building with bio-based products such as wood, the negative impact of building on our climate is limited.
- Wood grows, needs only the sun as energy source, is an infinite product, buffers CO2 and only releases the CO2 into the environment when it is burned or by decomposition in the ground.
- The wood we use is FSC/PEFC labeled wood, coming from sustainably managed forests.
- Limiting cutting and waste is an important point of attention in the dimensions of our products and the conception of the buildings. Transport is also limited as much as possible by taking into account the production sizes of the products. Prefabrication reduces transport to the construction site as much as possible.
- Our products are standard not treated (insects, wood rot, fire-resistant). At the request of the customer, this is an option, in this case ecological products or treatments are chosen. The gluing of the laminated structures is formaldehyde-free.
- The screws used, as well as the connectors, are made of steel and preserved with a zinc coating. The ratio of steel parts to the total product is very small.
- Using this connectors gives the potential to reverse the cassettes to the basic materials and to create a circular product ready for integral re-use.
Grownth opportunities
The benefits of truly circular construction have not yet sufficiently penetrated most professionals and the general public. For the banking institutions, the revalorization of the goods, as it usually takes longer than their financing model of 20-25 years, is outside their scope. Demolition and waste are a concern for later, for the next,… ‘Who builds now to dismantle later?’ Habits and known patterns are difficult to break, to change. The others will solve the climate crisis.
Circularity requires choices in dimensions and a certain limitation of architectural freedom. Engineering by third parties within system construction is also more limited. Contractors become mechanics. This is disruptive in the market, which is currently based on unique customization with all associated indirect costs.
WOODinc can offer a complete apartment building, demountable and rebuildable in prefab elements. Our constructions can transform both during and after function, grow or shrink depending on the need and are technically proven. Our constructions are no more expensive than traditionally built buildings. In system construction there are also relevant savings on the indirect costs of the construction process and the quality of the product can always be improved.
The most important economic advantage of truly circular construction in the small loop, in other words with real reuse options without downcycling, translates into an important residual value of the permanent movable goods.
Also nice!
- Due to its simplicity in construction and connections, this timber frame system is suitable for professionals, craftsmen, workers in training and DiY-ers. In addition, the system builds quickly also allow easily to be dismantled. In this way everything becomes reusable, and is our wooden structure is completely circular. In combination with wood as the main material, it forms a building system based on renewable materials, which makes the whole circular and ecologically responsible. The solution to the challenges of the construction industry.