Snapshots
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Not all parts of the tree trunk are the same. Therefore, different parts go into different end uses. This picture visualizes the shares and uses of a pine. As you can see, nothing gets wasted.
It is important to realize that tree is a living raw-material and no trunk is the same. For that reason, finding a suitable trunk for customer’s needs is a tricky job and can sometimes take some time.
It is also important to know that at least 20 % of branches are left on the logging site to secure nutrients needed for new growth.
HAVE YOU HERAD ABOUT PIKKU-FINLANDIA
Pikku-Finlandia (Little Finlandia) is a temporary venue in Helsinki, built to replace the city’s iconic Finlandia Hall during its renovation.
Pikku-Finlandia is a reusable wooden building designed by architecture students. In two years, after the Finlandia Hall is restored to its old glory, fully recyclable and transportable Pikku-Finlandia will be packed up and taken to a new place to start its life as a school or a kindergarten.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Sawn timber is sorted into different grades based on technical and visual characteristics. The shipping marks stamped on the ends of the sawn timber inform the customer not only of the sawn timber variety and grade, but also of the sawn timber manufacturer. Each manufacturer has its own unique markings, but commonly used markings are the crown, star and plus sign.
WOODEN CHAPEL IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
Kamppi Chapel, right next to the Mall of Kamppi, is a place for meeting people and appreciating peace and quiet in the centre of Helsinki. The chapel is 11.5 metres tall and it is made of three different types of wood. The external walls of the chapel are made of spruce. The external walls are coated in a special type of wax that uses nanotechnology.
? There is a reason for the growing popularity of using timber in construction
In addition to the climatical aspects, timber and timber frame buildings can be prefabricated in offsite factories, requiring fewer deliveries to site, having quicker on-site assembly times, with far less dust and noise to disturb other local residents.
This nice video by Lehto Group is a good summary of the process.
THIS IS WHY ???
Lifecycle Assessment studies consistently show that timber products absorb and store more carbon than is emitted through their production – making them a net carbon reducer.
Yet another good reason to build with wood.
Grow your profit by using the best raw material in the world. ??
Finnish timber grows in harsh conditions and develops its unique properties slowly, making it the strongest wood raw material in the world.
Build for the next generation ?
What if tomorrow’s skyscrapers were made of wood? Replace concrete with Finnish timber in construction.
What if tomorrow’s skyscrapers were made of wood? With Finnish timber you’re able to replace concrete in construction. Sustainably.
TIMBER MANIFESTO
EOS and CEI-Bois released ‘Time for Timber’ Manifesto in October. The manifesto emphasizes the role and the importance of timber solutions in the fight against climate change and pro low-carbon future.
“The potential climate impacts of using more wood and wood-based materials are immense: they offer solutions based on existing business models and proven technology which simultaneously store carbon and substitute fossil resources, and thus can diminish the CO2 emissions caused by the global building stock.”
Read the whole Timber Manifesto here
https://lnkd.in/dBC9zeh8
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Construction and demolition waste accounts more than a third of all waste generated in the EU.
Unlike other materials, timber is 100 % recyclable!
Timber used for construction purposes is a recyclable material that can be repurposed for producing other types of wood products or composites. Timber can also be combusted for energy.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Winter is coming ❄️☃️❄️ but there’s nothing to worry about.
Timber has naturally insulating properties, as it is 10 times more thermally efficient than concrete and 400 times more than steel, reducing operational emissions created due to heat loss within buildings.*) This makes timber and timber products ideal for the renovation and improvement of energy performance in existing buildings.
Zhen, M.; Zhang, B. Energy Performance of a Light Wood-Timber Structured House in the Severely Cold Region of China. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1501. https://lnkd.in/dejAcJDH.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
120 MINUTES – That is how log timber retains its load-bearing capacity in a fire.
The assumption that wooden constructions collapse in minutes in a case of fire is wrong. Timber retains its load-bearing capacity well in a fire and the failure times are long. Glued laminated timber does not burn through, but instead chars at a rate of less than 1 mm per minute. For that reason, a timber structure can easily resist fire for up to 120 minutes.
THIS IS WHY ???
Wood is the only sustainable structural material that grows worldwide which can enable a substantial decarbonisation of the built environment based on existing business models and proven technology; providing vast carbon sinks in our rural areas and carbon stores in our cities.[1]
Wood is a naturally renewable material which:
1. Sequesters carbon in forests as trees grow
2. Stores carbon in harvested wood products
3. Substitutes for carbon intensive materials such as steel, concrete and plastics
4. Drives Sustainable forest management leading to greater growth
5. Contributes to a Circular economy as wood products can be reused, recycled and recovered for low-carbon energy at end-of-life
[1] Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. 2020, Global Status Report For Buildings And Construction, 4.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Forests make up an important part of Finland’s national wealth, as for more than 600,000 Finns, forest ownership is considered ‘green gold’.
Most of Finland’s forests, roughly 60% of the total forested land area and 70% of timber growth, is owned by private individuals and ordinary Finnish families. The significance of private forest owners is very important for the country’s wood-processing industries. Up to 80% of the domestically sourced timber used by the industry comes from privately owned forests.
MESSAGE TO ARCHITECTS
Sami Horto from Architects Soini & Horto Ltd has an important message to his collagues:
“Construction plays a major role in global emissions. Concrete accounts for 8% of all emissions, while other construction materials add up to 3%. When the frames of buildings are designed and constructed from wood, where carbon is sequestered for decades, it is the greatest climatic act an architect can do.”
Keilamiemen Portti, situated by the seaside, will be an ultramodern office building, which will scoop its inspiration out of the nature.
WHAT COULD WE USE WOOD FOR?
There is a lot of buzzing around wood construction as in terms of houses and other buildings. But there are a lot of other big structures and objects also in infrastructure that could be made out of wood. Take for example bridges.
A wooden bridge is as strong as a concrete bridge but in terms of speed it is unbeatable. If the bridge is built indoors and assembled from pieces on the construction site, it only takes few days. This is a huge advantage, if it is a question of replacing an existing bridge.
With its 168 meters the bridge of Vihantasalmi (by Versowood) in Finland was the longest wooden road bridge in the world when opened to the traffic in 1999 – and may still be the longest.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Replacing concrete with timber in construction can decrease the total emissions from material production and construction by up to 60%. In other words, building European cities with wood would sequester and store over half of cement industry’s current carbon emissions.
? SLOW BY NATURE – just a random slogan, or is it?
A tree matures in Finland, depending on the site, region and species, within roughly 50 to 120 years. In terms of price, slow-growing timber cannot compete with species that have more rapid harvest cycles, but the slow growth ensures that the resulting wood raw material is the strongest in the world.
The characteristics of an individual tree trunk are unique. The clearly distinguishable annual rings make a visual record of its growth. The lighter, less dense rings are made of early wood from spring, while the darker rings are late wood from summer. Dense rings mean slow growth = increased strength and unique visual looks of a timber.
Furniture, houses, toys, packaging, interiors, outdoor uses, bridges and boats. You name it. This video by The Danish Wood Initiative shows how clever “innovation” wood is.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
When a round trunk becomes a square block, something happens in between. Roughly a half of a log is sawn away but nothing gets wasted. 100 % of our raw material is utilized in one way or another.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Not all parts of the tree trunk are the same. Therefore, different parts go into different end uses. This picture visualizes the shares and uses of a spruce. As you can see, nothing gets wasted.
It is important to realize that tree is a living raw-material and no trunk is the same. For that reason, finding a suitable trunk for customer’s needs is a tricky job and may sometimes take some time.
It is also important to know that at least 20 % of branches are left on the logging site to secure nutrients needed for new growth.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Building with wood can split the time on the construction site almost to half. How come? That’s because wood construction is 45 % FASTER than building with steel or concrete.
Installation times at worksites are reduced significantly because the surface treatment tasks, curing times or grouting of construction joints typical to concrete are eliminated. This reduces the labour and other construction costs significantly.
Yet again a good reason to choose wood!
Photo: Lehto Group Oyj
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Finland is Europe’s most forested country.
More than three quarters of her total area is covered with forests. Finnish forests annually grow by 110 million cubic metres of wood and the yearly felling volumes are clearly below the annual growth. The surface area of forests processed each year is less than 2% of the total forested land area, and the areas affected by clear cutting is less than 1% of the total forested area.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
In Finland the forestry is regulated by the most advanced legislation of its kind in the world.
One of the obligations stipulated by legislation requires forest owners to reforest their land after logging operations. To ensure reforestation, at least four seedlings are planted for each tree that is felled. The forest is indeed Finland’s most significant renewable natural resource and a major source of income for tens of thousands of Finns.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
More than half of the protected forests in Europe are located in Finland.
The conservation rules are strict, and most of the protected areas prohibit all types of forestry measures. The FSC and PEFC certification systems are in use in Finland, and most of the managed forests, more than 85%, are registered in one of these systems.
GOOD TO KNOW ??
Nordic practice. What does it mean and what is the advantage of it?
The good stability of timber is achieved in the sawing process through log dividing according to Nordic practice, in which the internal stresses are removed by heart splitting. Most of the pith also disappears due to the saw kerf in heart splitting. There are two different ways in use: “Normal” practice splits the heartwood and “heart free” practice removes the heart.
SHOUT-OUT
We want to give a shout-out to Forest Green Rovers’ and their first ever wooden football stadium in England.
SHOUT-OUT
Does anyone has to ask “why wood” anymore? The question should rather be “why not wood?”
SHOUT-OUT
Lake, sauna and Wood From Finland.
That’s all it takes for a perfect holiday.
SAWMILLING INDUSTRY IN FINLAND
Wood and sawn timber is important for our customers around the world but also for all Finns too.
In the first quarter of this year, sawn timber became Finland’s fifth most important export item.
RESILIENCE – the word of a day
Even if we had a brisk summer storm here in Finland yesterday, it is nothing compared to the conditions in hurricanes and earthquake. One could imagine that in an earthquake a wooden structure will snap just like that. But wood is a resilient material and due to its unbeatable characteristics, and it will stand up against earthquakes and also strong winds.
? Light weight
? Flexibility
? Strength and stiffness
? The ability to yield and displace without fracturing under abrupt lateral or horizontal stresses
It has already been tested that a seven-story wood-framed building showed almost no cosmetic damage after simulated earthquake of 7,5 on the Richter scale. Now the world’s largest outdoor earthquake simulator in San Diego is upgraded and the first test following the upgrade will feature a full-scale, 10-story, cross-laminated timber building.
Couple of years ago these phrases were fashionable in general discussion of forest industry: “Down to Earth material” “Passe” “A relic of the past”.
Really? We’d say “Up to Space material” “Up-to-date” and “Future solution”. Did you know that Finnish company Arctic Astronautics is launching a satellite made out of wood by the end of this year? Amazing! If this doesn’t convince you of the versatileness and strongness of wood, what does? And the bonus is that this nano-satellite is also ecological.
EDUCATION IN FINLAND
Finland is not only the country of high-quality sawn timber and knowledge of forest industry but also a country of best forest education. ????????????
Senior lecturer Esa Mikkonen from LAB University has a point and a message he wants to share with you and your children too.
“Do you want to tackle the climate change? Come to LAB University and learn more about the only renewable building material in the world. Forests in Finland grow faster than their use is: come and learn more about the traditional yet modern product, wood!”
Remember – it’s never too late to expand one’s knowledge! Ask Esa about flexible solutions for studying. esa.mikkonen@lab.fi
WOODEN REFERENCES
If you are still wondering if wood is a proper material to your project, you are not sure if you are able to construct something out of wood OR you just want to set back, relax and get inspired – this is what you must read.
A Wood From Finland company Versowood has launched a new Reference-book. This 120-page book will convince you of the superiority of wood. Enjoy!
BUILD SAFELY
Home, cottage, playhouse, sauna, villa, courtyard building, castle. You name it, but better build it with Wood From Finland.
The recent study of Natural Resource Institute Finland confirms that Finnish glulam is a safe material for outdoor and indoor use.
“Concentrations of volatile compounds harmful to health from wood are so low under normal conditions of use that there are no grounds for restricting the indoor use of Finnish wood.”
Read more (in Finnish)
WHY WOOD?
Because of this, for example:
Wooden surfaces in interior use hold potential for improving human health and wellbeing. In her doctoral dissertations PhD Tiina Vainio-Kaila studied antibacterial properties of Scots pine and Norway spruce, heartwood and sapwood. Wood was found to have various antibacterial parts and a diverse range of bacterial pathogens that were sensitive to it.
WELL-BEING & PERFORMANCE
If you want to improve your company’s well-being and performance, don’t overlook the advantages of wooden constructions and wooden interiors.
Listen to the Construction Record Podcast and what Dr. Graham Lowe tells about it from the scientific point of view.
TAKE OVER NORDIC GRADING
MODULAR TIMBER PARKING GARAGE SYSTEM
Imagine a parking garage made of wood. Imagine, that it can be built of blocks just like Lego-houses. Imagine, that after years the parking garage is no longer needed so you dismantle it and move it to some other location for some other purpose. Yeah, yeah… in movies maybe… or.. perhaps in Finland?
WELLNESS + WOOD
Do you want more productivity, lower stress levels and workplace satisfaction? If not, don’t waste your time reading this. But if you do – remember this:
When you build with wood, use it in structures, outdoor and indoor decoration, you’re making good for your employees, customers and climate. Read the full report ‘Workplaces: Wellness + Wood = Productivity’ by Knox & Parry-Husbands (2018) here.
GOALS FOR WOOD CONSTRUCTION
In Finland The Ministry of the Environment has set goals for public wood construction. National, ambitious goal for year 2025 is set to 45 %. That means that almost half of all new public builds are made of wood! Here is one example of it: Finlands largest wooden school.
Take a cup of coffee and listen how architect Michael Green confesses his love to wood and wooden structures ❤️. We have nothing much to add.
FINNISH WOOD WORKS
In the name of beauty, sustainability, naturalness and versatileness – let’s make this an era of wooden buildings!
Have a look at some beautiful examples made out of Wood From Finland and get inspired.
FIVE GREEN REASONS TO BUY WOOD FROM FINLAND
Have you ever wondered if there’re enough trees in Finland or how do we treat our forests? Here are some facts to answer to your questions.
? The first Forest Act was introduced in Finland in 1851. Since then, the utilization of our forests has been guided by the most advanced legislation in the world and forest management is mandatory in many ways.
? Forests cover over three fourths of the land area in Finland. Proportion of forest treated annually is less than 2 % of the total forest area and the share of clear-cutting is less than 1 %.
? Every tree we fell is replaced with at least four new seedlings. That makes around 150 million new trees every year, not to mention those 1,3 billion tree seeds that we seed.
? Finnish forest landscape is mosaic with many forests of different ages. We take care of the biodiversity of the forests through nature management.
? More than half of Europe’s protected forests are located in Finland. The total area of protected forests in Finland is 2,9 million hectares.
WHY TO BUY WOOD FROM FINLAND
Are you wondering whether you should start doing business with Finnish sawmills? Read these arguments and wonder no more.
? Finland has a long history of sawmill industry. We’ve been exporting our goods since 1700th Century so this is nothing new for us, trust us – we know this!
? Finnish wood grows slowly and in harsh conditions. This is how it gains its unique visual and strength properties.
? With modern technology we produce high-quality sawn timber and further processed goods and export it to over 70 countries around the world.
? One of the main reasons for long term customer relationships is our consistent quality. If you deal with us, you can count on that next time you’ll get exactly same quality – or even better.
? Have you heard of Finnish SISU? It is also related to the way we do business. If we promise something, we really mean it and fight to keep those promises.
Wood From Finland
Wood from Finland is a national promotion program for Finnish sawn timber operated by Finnish Sawmill Association.