Jowat Magazine 2013-02 EN

2 |20132 |2013 P|5Progress were so far unusual. New applications were opened up, and innovative concepts of construction could be implemented in actual practice. The high-tech wooden buildings of the Hanover Exhibition Centre, the Me- tropol Parasols in Seville, or the Centre Pompidou in Metz, are examples of international fame. But we can closer to home, for example in factories, sports arenas, or bridges. This natural building material has by now gained an im- portance which until a short time ago, even the expert concerning the appropriate utilisation and processing of wood, the development of new substrates, and im- proved means and materials of connecting, bonding and coating; additionally, intelligent construction me- thods and prefabrication techniques are used. This development of materials – which has not reached its end by far – is mainly driven by the so-called wood- based substrates, but also by innovative hybrid structu- ral components made of wood and other building ma- terials. The new concepts are not only found in the construc- tion of buildings and bridges, but also in unconventional applications, like the roof system of the Plaza de la En- carnación in the old town centre of Seville. This is a wooden shade construction with a height of up to 28 metres. Six mushroom or parasol shapes are intercon- nected and a sunshade canopy is created over the pla- za, covering an area of 70 x 100 metres. These wooden assemblies are mainly made of laminated veneer lum- ber, with additional components of steel and armoured concrete, used above all for areas with carrying and connecting functions. The parasol construction also contains an integrated panorama restaurant.These outstanding highlights are one thing – but the substrate wood also had to undergo further development in the more conventional areas of use. For instance, the number of wooden one- and two-storey family homes continues to rise, not only in Central Europe. Multiple varieties of high-quality timber, woodbased substrates, and other building materials, are combined here into some years now, even multi-storey homes are built of wood. An outstanding example for this is the seven-storey apartment house in Berlin. The construction is based on load-bearing glulam made of solid timber, with concrete. Due to the static base frame without load- bearing interior walls, a free individual design for all Thanks to an intelligent construction method, a level of safety comparable to the standard of solid wood buildings could be reached. To remain competitive, wooden buildings must also meet additional require- and heat insulation. The demands comprise short assembly times, a pleasant climate inside the homes, accompanied by high levels of home comfort and a good heat insulation. In contrast to building in masonry and concrete, wooden construction is a dry method of building. Therefore, buildings and other constructions Seven-storey apartment house in Berlin Jowat Focus

Jowat Magazine 2013-02 EN

Pages Overview