Timber Construction

House B
Exterior Wall, Floor/Ceiling, Window
The wall elements are held together by,
and aligned with, the upper headpiece.
The floor, which is composed of glued
laminated beams or glued laminated timbers,
is fitted and bolted in element
widths of between 60 and 250 cm
(beams) or 62.5 and 100 cm (timbers).
Mounting and shrinkage must be taken
into account when choosing the width.
During the construction phase, the wood
- especially the solid elements - must be
protected from the weather at all times to
prevent damage through moisture and
swelling.
If necessary, diaphragm action can be
ensured by joining the elements to make
them shear-resistant.
u b
To ensure that the light, effectively insulated
wooden waif fulfils its function, the
vapour retarding layer must be connected
to the wall at the floor edge in a way that
allows for subsequent inspection. Correspondingly
long sections of flexible plastic
sheeting that allow for diffusion must be
wrapped round the end of the floor and
fixed on the upper side of the floor to the
vapour retarding layer sheeting of the
installed wall elements.
The selected assembly system and point
in time when the exterior wall cladding is
installed determine whether the surfacefinished
windows are assembled in the
workshop or on site, and whether they are
installed with or without glazing.
The windows must be fitted to the structure
with a section of vapour-resistant,
flexible plastic that is fixed to the window
frame.
The joint between the lintel and the window
frame performs a vital function during
installation in absorbing tolerances
and movements. It should be filled with
an insulating material (mineral fibres, mineral
wool, sheep's wool, etc.) and sealed
with a pre-compressed seating tape or
permanently elastic sealing material. The
stringent requirements of the energy conservation
regulations must be observed
(see also p. 14a).
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d
House B
Interior Wall, Floor/Ceiling, Door
The ceiling's structural connection to the
interior walls corresponds to that of the
exterior walls. The problems related to
fitting the vapour retarding layer and
draughtproofing do not apply here.
The joint between the lintel and the doorframe
is constructed in the same way as
that of the window (see item c). The
requirements of building physics concerning
heat, vapour and draughts, which
present considerable practical problems,
do not apply here.
f
The floor structure, which is composed of
parquet, dry screed and impact insulation,
has been made 3 cm thicker than usual to
include a services shaft which, in turn,
accommodates the larger number ot lines
laid along the floor/ceiling. The problem
of power-supply lines crossing one
another can only be surmounted by careful
planning.
Even with such a relatively "complex"
ceiling structure, additional measures can
be taken to improve airborne-sound insulation
by, for example, using "sand honeycombs".
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