Technical articles and references

5-storey building with timber-concrete composite floors built with ASSY^® plus VG full-thread screws and cast-in FT connectors

In 2018/2019, two new buildings were constructed by the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), which facilitate the center’s work on research and recycling of materials such as wood, straw or biodegradable waste for clean use in the future. The five-storey office building, including a conference hall, and a slightly set-back but large technical center and laboratory building were constructed using timber.

In order to achieve the highest possible cost-effectiveness by minimizing the number of connection points, the wood-concrete composite floors were manufactured on site using ASSY^® plus VG screws in combination with FT connectors in a wet process. The high load-bearing capacities of the individual fastening points reduced the number of fastening points to be set and thus the installation costs. Due to the predefined screw-in angle, the variation of the screw-in angle was minimized.

ASSY^® timber screws were used to fasten the Pollmeier BauBuche components in the sill and plate area and the softwood posts. The high load-bearing capacities and the design possibilities of BauBuche connections in line with ETA-11/0190 were decisive for this approach. The ASSY^® transport anchor system was used to safely transport the prefabricated timber frame elements to the construction site.

Double-bridged truss structure: ASSY^®plus VG screws combined with 45° angle washers

In the framework of the further expansion of the internationally renowned amusement park Europapark Rust, the company Mingolla from Hohberg, Germany, has built an impressive multistorey hotel complex. The large span widths to be bridged pose a particular challenge, which was met by implementing a double-bridged truss structure in which struts are fastened to lower and upper girts and posts by means of steel brackets. To fasten the steel brackets on the wooden substrate, ASSYplus VG screws combined with 45° angle washers were used. This way, high loads can be efficiently born by compact material cross-sections.

Roof structure full of superlatives: 550-tons of timber beams for “Rulantica”

The first timber giant is in place! On Monday, 13 August 2018, the first of five trusses was installed for the roof structure of “Rulantica” water world. The 50-meter-long section of the in total 87-meter-long wooden truss was lifted onto the concrete supports by using a special crane. By the end of the week, all five trusses, each weighing 110 tons, were installed in their final positions. They will ultimately serve as the foundation for the 11,000-square-meter roof area. Timber trusses of these dimensions have not been installed at any other construction site thoughout Germany at this point.

Europa-Park’s water world “Rulantica” is increasingly taking shape. Installing the first of a total of five timber truss structures, Germany’s largest theme park took another major step on 13 August 2018. A truss is made up of two individual parts (50 meters and 37 meters). With the help of a special transport vehicle, the trusses were brought into the future water world one after the other and then lifted onto the concrete supports with millimeter precision using a 500-ton crane. By the end of the week, the remaining eight sections are to be installed on the supports into four more pairs of trusses. The timber trusses, installed at a height of 14 meters, will serve as the basic framework for the fan-shaped roof structure of “Rulantica”, which will be as large as two soccer fields.

Load-bearing columns for the fan-shaped roof

Before the installation the timber trusses, extensive technical preparatory work inside the trusses has been completed on the ground. This includes the installation of ventilation ducts for supply and exhaust air, routes for power, water, EDP and media lines as well as walkways for maintenance work during operation. 17 tons of technical equipment have been installed in each truss. The spruce wood provides a natural look and at the same time stands for an environmentally friendly and robust building material. Finally, the total load of the roof structure (timber trusses, technical equipment and roof) amounts to 1,600 tons.