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Finland could be a wood construction super-power

19/01/2012

Finland has the potential to become a super-power in wood construction, according to Juha Marttila, President of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK). Marttila is calling on the  Finnish authorities to actively promote the use of wood through public procurement and urban planning.

In Marttila’s opinion wood could be recognised as a primary material in both public and private procurement due to its energy efficiency and durability. The EU’s climate objectives and life span thinking in the construction industry also favour the use of wood in construction.

It is MTK’s view that Finland should be promoting the use of wood in every way, including in the basic repairs being carried on the concrete apartment blocks built in the 1970s. “Through the Aalto University, Finns have been involved in the development of the Timber-based Element System (TES) that is suitable for the overhaul of the concrete element buildings, and where wood has proved to be a competitive material,” says Marttila. He believes that wood has huge development potential in Finland’s domestic market.

Marttila also sees the development of the mechanical sector as a key factor. “The competitiveness of the Finnish forest industry does not come from a cheap raw material but from know-how and the quality of the products, he says. Finland’s revised fire regulations that came into effect in Spring 2011 are improving the status of wood in the construction industry and also creating many more uses for wood products in new and repair construction.

Sources: Talouselämä, Tekniikka & Talous, Puuinfo, MTK