The Federal Cabinet today approved the draft of a timber construction initiative presented by Federal Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz and Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir. This strategy of the Federal Government is intended to strengthen the use of wood as a sustainable raw material in the construction sector and to ensure more climate protection, resource efficiency and faster construction. With eight fields of action, from the exemplary role of the federal government and the strengthening of research and innovation, to securing skilled labour and knowledge transfer, to securing the supply of raw materials, the use of wood is to be significantly improved and the timber construction quota increased by 2030.
Kategorie für Blog: Building materials / Construction
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The bioeconomy can be a central building block for the transformation of our largely coal, oil and gas-based economy. However, renewable raw materials and synthetic carbon compounds are scarce and expensive. They should be used in areas such as the chemical industry - not as energy sources. For the shift from a fossil-based economy to a bioeconomy to succeed, fossil carbon must also become more expensive. The ifeu now presents the results of four trend-setting studies.
The first results of the timber housing study will be presented at the 15th Congress on Efficient Building with Wood in Urban Areas on 19 October 2022 in Cologne. So far, 118 large-volume housing projects with more than 100 units have been identified across Europe by the HFR researchers, 47 of which are located in Germany. Final results will be presented in early December at the 26th International Timber Construction Forum in Innsbruck on 30 November 2022 and will also be published in a brochure by Informationsdienst Holz.
Recommendations from the BMBF project "Urban Heat Transition" were published: ► Consistently tapping alternative heat sources such as wastewater heat ► Convert public buildings to renewable heat and create neighbourhood heating networks ► Ambitious energy refurbishment in neighbourhood conservation areas to keep rents affordable
In December 2020, the German Timber Industry Association (HDH) launched the "Initiative for Climate Protection in the Timber Industry". The aim is to support the industry companies in the necessary reduction of CO2 emissions. The initiative is now being further developed into an innovation cluster.
at the Sustainable Procurement Symposium in Dortmund on 26 August 2021 The Sustainable Procurement Day is a platform for exchange for procurers and decision-makers from municipalities, private and public institutions as well as churches and companies. Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is the patron. The Agency for Renewable Resources e. V. (FNR), project management agency of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will be represented with a workshop on the topic of "Public building and renovation with wood - the right way to tender for timber construction projects" in addition to the stand "The renewable office".
Author of the book review: Roman Schaurhofer, Vienna
The construction volume "Commercial Buildings in Clay and Wood - Added Value through Material" was published in 2020 by Sabine Djahanschah of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Foundation for the Environment) at Verlag Detail. The publication, which appeared in book form, deals with the use of the building materials wood and clay in the construction of commercially used buildings. To this end, six buildings with commercial use were analysed in terms of their architectural construction and technical quality features and evaluated with the help of measurements, surveys and life cycle assessments.
To live up to its climate change pledge under the Paris Agreement, the European Union must ensure that all 250 million existing buildings, as well as all new buildings in the EU, produce near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. In a new report, European national academies of science, through their association EASAC, call for far-reaching policy action. "Policies have long focused on creating energy-efficient buildings that require less heating and air conditioning or generate renewable energy on site. However, the energy used to operate buildings is only part of the story. We need to broaden the scope and look at emissions from building materials and methods - both for new buildings and for building refurbishment," says William Gillett, Director of EASAC's Energy Programme.
This building group project with 43 residential units, some of them as maisonettes, was realized as a timber hybrid building and exemplifies the qualities of timber construction in a dense urban context.
Exploit potential at neighbourhood level!
The KfW programme "Energy-efficient urban refurbishment" promotes integrated energy-efficient neighbourhood concepts and refurbishment management with programme part 432. Programme parts 201 and 202 provide investment support for cross-building and infrastructural supply systems. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and the Home Affairs provides the funding for the energy refurbishment process from the individual building to the neighbourhood from the Energy and Climate Fund (EKF).
Storms, drought and insect infestations have caused a great deal of damage to Germany's forests over the past three years. The "International Day of Forests" on 21 March is a good time to become aware of the many services provided by the forest.
"The raw material wood is precious. It is therefore important to use it responsibly and in a way that conserves resources," warns Peter Aicher, Chairman of Holzbau Deutschland. Even if wood is affected by environmental influences or the bark beetle, it does not represent an inferior raw material, but has almost identical properties to conventional construction timber. "If the so-called 'calamity wood' has the same structural quality in terms of load-bearing capacity as conventional sawn timber, it can be used without restrictions," explains Aicher. In addition, the wood retains its important function as a CO2 sink, regardless of external impairments.
On 1 February 2021, the amendment to the Bavarian Building Code came into force. In the future, the building material wood can be used in all building classes. The legal changes make building in Bavaria easier and faster, more space-saving and more cost-effective.
In the video, the Munich timber housing estate "Prince Eugene Park" and the City of Wood in Bad Aibling. "Drought and bark beetles are causing severe problems for the forest. The resulting damaged timber has caused the price of wood to plummet. Local forest owners are making a loss, although the beetle wood is being exported thousands of kilometres to China and America as construction timber. What could be the solution to the timber shortage? And could more timber construction in our country also be a way out of the climate crisis?"
A new study from Denmark takes a look at the costs of sustainable building construction and shows that more sustainable does not automatically mean more expensive. On the contrary. The study by Buus Consult on behalf of the DGNB system partner from Denmark, the Green Building Council Denmark, now provides clarity. In the study, it takes a close look at 37 DGNB-certified buildings.
Forestry Minister Peter Hauk MdL: "With our call for ideas, we want to further promote municipal timber construction in the state and further consolidate our nationwide position as the No. 1 timber construction state".
A total of around 6.5 million euros in funding from the Baden-Württemberg timber construction campaign is available for the call for ideas for municipal timber construction concepts. The online application deadline is 12 February 2020.
A broad alliance of actors from civil society, science, industry and practice is calling on the German government to promote the climate-friendly construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings. Up to now, only the use phase of buildings has been taken into account in state subsidies for buildings and in the Building Energy Act. There is a complete lack of specifications and consideration of the climate impact of building materials and the construction and disposal of buildings - despite the fact that the construction sector, with its upstream and downstream processes, contributes around 8 percent to German greenhouse gas emissions.
The ecological model settlement on a former barracks site in Munich sets new standards in timber construction. Various timber construction methods and building types up to seven storeys are being tested side by side in eight building projects with the aim of a final scientific evaluation. Timber frame, timber frame and timber hybrid construction methods are being used.
Around 60 percent of the resources used in Berlin are processed in the construction industry. This contrasts with millions of tonnes of building rubble and construction site waste. Every year, 2.2 million tons of primary raw materials are already saved in civil engineering and building construction in Berlin through the use of quality-assured secondary raw materials. But Berlin does not intend to stop there. By 2030, a further 1.4 million tonnes of primary materials are to be replaced by secondary raw materials each year.
From 1 January 2021, climate-damaging fossil fuels will be subject to a price of 25 euros per tonne of CO2 is proven. This means that oil and diesel will become more expensive by 7.9 cents per litre, petrol by 7 cents per litre and natural gas by 0.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Citizens will be relieved of the additional costs, among other things, by a reduction in the price of electricity. The amendment, which had already been passed by the Bundestag on Thursday, also passed the Bundesrat today. The Fuel Emission Trading Act (BEHG) is designed to reduce CO2-price in the form of national certificate trading for the heating and transport sectors.
Franklin Village", one of the first large-scale socially and ecologically developed residential projects in Germany, is to be built on the "Franklin" conversion site in Mannheim. The idea is to build a quarter in timber construction that claims to be ecologically and socially sustainable. The project developers will celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony in mid-September with an artistically designed parade of diversity.
Annual DIW Heat Monitor based on data from energy service provider ista Deutschland GmbH: Heating energy demand in residential buildings declines again for the first time since 2015 - Rising prices, however, cause heating expenditure to increase by 2.4 percent - CO2emissions have fallen by 21 percent overall since 2010, but by only 2.6 percent when adjusted for temperature - Energy-efficient renovation in residential buildings almost stagnant
Jury statement: "The WIR neighbourhood in Berlin is characterised not only by its high energy efficiency (KfW 40 standard) and the use of wood as a renewable raw material for the building construction, but also by the collaborative planning process, which led to different housing concepts and the integration of different social communities. Communal areas and shared facilities such as a residents' workshop, swimming pool, neighbourhood square and daycare centre enable a lively and diverse neighbourhood. This also includes a dementia residential community as well as organisations for youth work and refugee groups. The five apartment blocks were realised with a timber frame construction and the façade in timber panel construction. This resulted in flexible floor plans that offer good conversion options."
At their meeting in Weimar on 24 and 25 September, the construction ministers of the federal states adopted resolutions on social housing, the use of ecological building materials and the digitalisation of the building permit process, among other things.
The EU's plan to become involved in the area of public housing promotion as part of the new "InvestEU" fund was criticised. The federal government was therefore called upon to advocate a modification of the programme so that subsidies are only granted if the provisions of regional, national or federal funding regimes are observed, in particular if rent and occupancy restrictions are stipulated. The Chairman of the Conference of Building Ministers, Thuringia's Infrastructure Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff, said: "Creating affordable housing in Germany remains an important task. The federal government must continue to provide at least the same level of funding. In order to make faster progress, we need more money in the system. The EU's commitment is therefore to be welcomed in principle. But we must ensure that the funds also reach social housing construction, and we agree that this can best be achieved through the established funding programmes of the federal states."
A study funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture determined the potential of hardwood as a substitute for coniferous wood. The results of the study are now available in a brochure published by the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR). There is considerable potential for hardwood to be used in industrial timber, but it cannot yet be a substitute for softwood in construction
The new version of the Bavarian Building Code will make it easier to build with wood in the future. In future, it can be used in all building classes. Schreyer: "With this, we are making wood significantly more attractive as a building material and thus making construction more sustainable." The Council of Ministers passed the amendment in its session today. Now it is the turn of the state parliament.
At the proposal of the Federal Environment Ministry, the Federal Cabinet adopted the third German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess III) on 17 June 2020. With this programme, the government aims to achieve an economical use of raw materials. Companies in particular are to use natural resources more efficiently along the entire value chain. Greater use is to be made of digital solutions to increase resource efficiency. The decision in favour of resource-saving products is to be made easier for citizens through improved information.
Zur heutigen Kabinettssitzung und der dabei geplanten Befassung mit dem Entwurf eines Deutschen Ressourceneffizienzprogramms III (ProgRess III) erklären Dieter Janecek, Sprecher für Industriepolitik und digitale Wirtschaft, und Dr. Bettina Hoffmann, Sprecherin für Umweltpolitik und Umweltgesundheit:
Mit ProgRess III tritt die Bundesregierung auf der Stelle. Zwei Ressourceneffizenzprogramme der Bundesregierung konnten nicht verhindern, dass der deutsche Rohstoffverbrauch weiterhin steigt. Es ist absehbar, dass auch das dritte Ressourcenprogramm der Bundesregierung daran nichts ändert. Auch ProgRess III bleibt ein längliches Sammelsurium von Plänen, Ankündigungen und Prüfaufträgen.
Lecture "Can we build our way out of the climate crisis?" from 16 April 2020
Among other things, Schellnhuber calls for "prompt measures to achieve the two-degree target, above all by switching from fossil to renewable energy sources and replacing finite building materials with wood and renewable raw materials."
Now that almost all 570 flats in Germany's largest timber-built housing estate in Prinz-Eugen-Park have been occupied, the Munich planning committee has recommended realising the timber-built follow-up project "Kreativquartier" with 370 residential units.
Here are the key data:
http://sdg21.eu/db/kreativquartier
