MARKET REPORT specifications: “Multi-apartment buildings of wooden constructions: Design and construction regulations” and “Public buildings of wooden constructions”. “This is really a great leap forward because these regulations allow for construction of wooden houses of up to 28 metres,” said Fidarov. Three more code specifications will be ready this year: “Residential and public buildings with wooden frameworks: Design and construction regulations”, “Buildings and constructions of laminated timber beams: Design and construction regulations” and “Round-log residential and public buildings: Design and construction regulations”. In 2020, the Technical Standardization Committee TK465 admitted to examination a respective application for design justification of the Wooden Housing Association. The documents will be developed by the specialist experts of the Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Wooden Housing Association and the Kucherenko Central Scientific Research Institute for Building Structures. The new code specifications, “Residential and public buildings with wooden frameworks: Design and construction regulations”, will be applied on a wider scale either in regard to various frame technologies or types of buildings including multi-apartment houses and public buildings. “Buildings and constructions of laminated timber beams: Design and construction regulations” and “Round-log residential and public buildings: Design and construction regulations”, will be entirely new for Russia and will help establish new quality standards in construction. Thus, they will serve as benchmarks either for wooden housing purchasers, or producers and builders. Experts from the Wooden Housing Association believe that application of the new construction rules will help increase the marketability and attraction value of constructed buildings for banks and insurance companies. “We have sent some proposals on the development of wooden housing construction to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and to the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities,” said Fidarov. “They relate to technical standards and regulations; use of designs; creation of a catalogue of standard wooden houses and buildings for complex construction; mortgage mechanisms; increasing marketability of wooden houses; and intensive practical application of design and construction of longspan laminated timber in the construction of public facilities, pavilions, swimming pools, playing courts, drill halls, etc. The fire resistance of such constructions is higher than that of metals; upon reaching some temperature, metals begin melting and lose their loadcarrying capabilities. While timber charrs, they retain their load carrying capabilities two or four times as long as metal structures.” ACE IN THE HOLE Strelchenko believes that another problem in the construction of wooden housing is a low level of awareness among potential customers about the advantages of modern industrial wooden structures and materials. She thinks that producers should run broader promotional campaigns, while governmental agencies should promote construction of wood-based public and social facilities. “There are some reasons as to why the wooden housing construction in Russia is not so popular as it is in the Western world,” said State Secretary Evtukhov in his report to the National Forest Forum. “One of them is the promotion of mass wooden housing construction. In such countries as Finland and Sweden, there are entire residential quarters of high-rise wooden houses that are in heavy demand although their price is the same as concrete constructions. In the Nordic countries, multi-storey prefabricated wooden houses are highly demanded by the people; they are quickly erectable, eco-friendly, comfortable, attractive and provided with a well-developed infrastructure. So, one of the main present tasks is to bring to the knowledge of our citizens the advantages of living in wooden houses.” According to Fidarov, the popularity of wooden buildings may rise if used in the sphere of domestic tourism. For example, they could be reasonably used in hard-toreach places, on weak soils or recreational forest reserve lands. But to have more wooden buildings, another problem must be resolved: it is necessary to engage designers and architects who, for now, hold timber in low regard. Few architects and designers know how to work with wood. “Today, the training of design engineers on how to work with wood is neglected,” said Fidarov. “Many of them do not know how to work with wooden constructions. Much is to be done to incorporate such training in the educational system, while acting companies should work out an advanced training and retraining system.” Sergey Albitsky, construction expert of political group ONF (All-Russia People’s Front) Archangelsk Branch, believes that wood processing technologists should be engaged at the design stage so that they can give smart recommendations on details and processes. PILOT PROJECTS As Evtukhov says, construction of wooden country residential quarters will have a significant effect on the demand in this industry. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, today mid-rise multi-storey wooden houses have been built in Arkhangelsk, Voronezh, Tver, Kostroma, Orenburg, Omsk regions and the Republic of Sakha. 101 municipal wooden buildings have been constructed in Voronezh since 2014. Currently, the first project using mass wooden construction is under way in Pomorye, including the subsidisation of loans for purchasing such houses. Albitsky reports that 96 of 147 houses built in the Arkhangelsk region under the resettlement programme are wooden. “The timber application in construction is very broad,” said Boris Labudin, DEng, professor at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University. “Beside living houses, timber can be used for construction of industrial and public facilities, service buildings and rural health posts.” Such projects exist already, yet until now these are more likely rare cases than mass construction events. For example, a 52-metre walking bridge constructed using laminated timber has been built in Kemerovo with a clear bearing arch span of 51.56 metres and axial arch height of 8.87 metres. The main load carrying beams of the superstructure are wooden three-pinned arches. 1.1-metre-high bridge railings will be made of larch. Etalon Group intends to build a city quarter of CLTpanels in Moscow. House design activities are also under way. P 24 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>January</strong> / <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
5 th Edition ASIA’S SPECIALISED WOOD MATERIALS WOOD PRODUCTS TRADE SHOW by <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> Group of wood magazinesw w w . s y l v a w o o d e x p o . c o m 28 th -30 th JUNE <strong>2021</strong> SHANGHAI CHINA VENUE: 99 XING YI ROAD SHANGHAI CHINA JOINTLY ORGANISED BY WeChat China Timber & Wood Products Distribution Association Shanghai Timber Trade Association Shanghai Pablo Exhibition Co., Ltd. Enquiries For International Exhibitors Pablo Publishing & Exhibition Pte Ltd Tel: +(65) 6266 5512 Email: williampang@pabloasia.com ENDORSED BY American Hardwood Export Council French Timber Softwood Export Council Canada Wood Thai Timber Association Malaysian Timber Council National Hardwood Lumber Association