5 minute read
The geotechnical specialists Terratest
of underperformance, low sickness rates and high employee loyalty – and most are based in smaller towns.
Quality and tailor-made mass production
Although the components of a Huf house emerge from a state-of-the-art production line, they are assembled to create an individually architectured house, with every part being manufactured to the highest quality standards. The production process is not driven by quantity but by the semi-automated prefabrication and pre-assembly of the components that results in a quality standard that could never be achieved through manual, predominately on-site, assembly.
Michael Baumann continues: “Every Huf house is as recognisable as a Porsche 911. Obviously, the underlying building technologies continuously change and adapt to new requirements and customers’ demands. Huf Haus was awarded the ‘Excellence in Solar Energy’ earned in 2001, and we launched our green [r]evolution Huf house Generation with a building management systems from REDBLUE ENERGY in 2009. Huf houses are built to the highest environmental standards, and our green [r]evolution houses are equipped with all the necessary energy-efficiency features at no additional cost. Customers can even opt for a plus energy Huf house.”
For some, individuality in systems is a contradiction, but Huf Haus has impressively proved the contrary with its modum line, launched in 2013. It has a flexible room programme with an intelligent modular design system, and thanks to the green [r]evolution construction design the houses convey a near perfect harmony between dream architecture and energy efficiency.
The innovative and evolving Huf Haus timbered architecture provides a solid foundation for this new type of house without compromising the quality of materials or construction. The level of technology in each build is determined by the owners themselves; however, the standard equipment installed surpasses the quality and design standards to begin with.
Michael Baumann: “The individual needs and requirements of the client are essential when designing a house. We do not use predefined layouts, only sample designs for
inspiration. The modular system of 1.20m x 1.20m allows for enormous flexibility in the basic dimensions of the house. This results in the perfect adaptation to each individual plot – even a smaller house can be configured so as to incorporate a large family.”
Sustainability as a matter of principle
Huf Haus chooses materials and energysaving production methods that are ecologically and environmentally viable. That is why in 2009 the company invested in a modern biomass power plant, which is fuelled solely by waste from the production line. The plant is fitted with an efficient exhaust filter, in advance of any legislative requirements, and saves a total of almost 500 tonnes of CO2 per year – an important contribution to the protection of the environment and climate, and maintaining the excellent air quality of the Westerwald forest near the company’s production site.
Michael Baumann concludes: “In 2011 Huf Haus invested in a second computerised numerical control machine in order to work wood even more efficiently. The machine – which is 18m long and 6m wide – has been delivered by Hundegger, the global market leader for CNC machines. The high quality as well as the precision make a considerable contribution to the economy and the competitiveness of the company.” n
Flat roofing Liner, Geomembranes EPDM from Sweden
Pond Liner, swimming pool liner PVC from Germany and Switzerland
Flat roofing Liner; Pond Liner EPDM from USA
Prefabricated Liner Panels up to 5.000 m2 in one piece for roofing, landscape gardening, swimming pools and golf courses
THE GEOTECHNICAL SPECIALISTS
Multinational Terratest is a leading engineering operation in drilling, excavation and soil treatment. Abigail Saltmarsh reports.
With a global reach and projects currently active in more than 30 countries, multinational group Terratest can justly claim expertise in a number of different areas of infrastructure.
Guido Pellegrino, director of the group’s International Department, explains that the organisation, which is headquartered in Madrid, has a reputation in a wide range of areas of construction.
“We are one of the leading construction, tunnelling and general engineering companies in the world,” he says. “We are known for our work in a number of different areas but one of the most recent trends we are focusing on as a group is water.
“With water as a scarce resource in many places, such as the Middle East, for example, the infrastructure related to it – and required for it – is becoming increasingly important.” Global growth
The Terratest group as a whole has its origins in a Spanish company, Craelius Diabor SA, which was founded back in 1959, as a subsidiary of the Swedish company, Sveska Diamantberborrin AB. At that time its activities were mainly dedicated to perforation and the production of drilling components.
In the 1980s, further companies such as Icos and Cimyson were incorporated into the group. Today, it is a multinational entity with branches in most European countries as well as in North Africa, Latin America and the UAE.
Over the years, the group has expanded to focus on a number of different areas. These include pile driving (both displacement piles and replacement piles) and core walls - reinforced concrete or plastic walls, for structural and waterproofing applications.
Its Small Diameter business division focuses on foundations that combine traditional micropile, anchor bracing and grouting techniques with more modern systems, such as jet and super jet grouting or compaction, balance and consolidation grouting. In the auscultation sector, Terratest also provides its services at all levels.
Working with water
In environmental activities, it aims to offer solutions to a wide range of problems, such as bio-remedies, soil decontamination and water table control. The group also focuses on aquifer decontamination and control, erosion control, the design and construction of waste disposal sites, leachate control and decontamination and river bed channelling.
“We work on the detection of pollution in water and the development of infrastructure for water,” Mr Pellegrino explains. “At the moment we are working on some desalination plants in different parts of the world.
