Promoting the use of wood in farm construction in Finland
 

Project implementers

Finnish Forest Centre

Duration of the project

2021-2024

 

Description of the project

Increasing the use of wood in construction is one way of increasing carbon storage in Finland. At the same time, the growing use of wood can significantly replace the use of fossil-based and non-renewable materials, such as concrete or steel, with wooden materials.

There has been strong development in the use of wood in construction in Finland as a result of new wood products and industrial production. However, this development is not evident in farm construction, as new wood construction products have not been widely introduced in farm construction. The development of wood construction opens up opportunities to find new ways of using wood in farm construction.

The size of farm construction investments have increased over the past few decades. The common practice in Finland has been that farmers build their production buildings themselves. Growth in the size of individual building investments explains why the use of local wood material or wood from the farm’s own forest has decreased. Sometimes the obstacles in farm construction have been the lack of comprehensive ready-made wood construction solutions and the lack of information about and expertise in wood construction.

The objectives of the project are

• increase the use of wood and to utilise wood structure solutions more extensively in agricultural and rural construction
• the long-term objective is to support the sustainable development of rural areas, reduce the carbon footprint of farms and rural areas in building investments, and
• increase the carbon storage of in agricultural and rural buildings

By creating and developing structural solutions and model buildings in construction, ways to use industrial wood construction options can be found. Expandability, transferability and modularity are the properties examined. The aim of the structural models and examples introduced is to increase the competitiveness of and competence in wood construction. Production lines consider the use of wood in farm buildings from the perspectives of suitability, multiple use, serviceability, cost-effectiveness and duration. The project will investigate the opportunities for utilising industrially produced wood products and wood elements, and it will examine the use of local wood as part of structural solutions.

The project will be implemented in cooperation with farms, wood product and construction companies, the food industry and the sector’s planning and advisory organisations. The project includes development activities, communications and advisory services. The carbon footprint and the associated carbon storage are calculated for potential structural solutions and model buildings.

Contact information

Mr. Martti Kangasniemi, Finnish Forest Centre, martti.kangasniemi(at)metsakeskus.fi​​​​​​​
Project website (only in finnish)

Other projects related to wood products

Increasing carbon storage of wood products in Finland
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