14 Our portfolio – Progress with Grönsamhet
The factory for future buildings
Climate-smart raw material
Sustainable transport
Our portfolio
This year saw the development of Setra’s wood industry hub for processed products. Our latest investment in cross-laminated timber is a win for everyone, not least our customers, who are now even better placed to achieve their climate goals and build more sustainably.
THE PEOPLE and the machines are all now in place, ready to get Setra’s investment project in Långshyttan rolling on schedule. The new factory for cross-laminated timber, or crosslam, is an ultra modern plant with machinery that enables us to manufacture the market’s largest crosslam elements. Prefabricating the solid, large-scale elements in the factory ensures easier assembly on site and keeps construction times down. The crosslam elements are made of wood primarily sourced from our own sawmill in Heby, while the raw material is harvested in the forests of central Sweden. “We’re seeing wood construction capture market share, as more and more builders try using crosslam and realise the benefits. They understand the forces at work and are choosing to develop their skills and promote themselves in the field of wood construction,” says Anna-Lena Gull, who has been responsible for establishing the new factory.
Glulam offers commercial synergies Production in the crosslam factory is digitalised and uses the latest Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology, which makes it possible to produce elements to order for each specific project. The technology also makes production of the panels highly efficient, with minimal waste. The proximity to Setra’s glulam factory, also located in Långshyttan, is a huge advantage. Glulam is used in most crosslam projects, so this brings several commercial synergies for the customer in terms of both production and transport. “In addition to the employees’ expertise in finger-jointing and laminate bonding, our glulam manufacturing has come a long way in terms of efficiency, short lead times and quick deliveries, and this successful methodology is now being implemented in the crosslam factory,” continues Anna-Lena Gull. Cross-laminated timber really took off in the late 1990s, with Austria leading the way in both production and use. When, in 1994, Sweden lifted the ban on building high-rise blocks in wood, interest in the material grew, although it is only in recent years that crosslam has taken on a more prominent role in Swedish construction. “One of Setra’s advantages is that we own the whole chain from sawmill to end product. This
Sustainability Report 2019 — Setra Group
allows us to calibrate every part of our business and make improvements to ensure optimal use of the raw material,” says Anna-Lena Gull. Part of the solution to climate change Of all the benefits that crosslam offers, the environmental and climate arguments are among the most important. Wood is a renewable raw material and the manufacture of the structural elements takes place in an energy-efficient process with a low carbon footprint. The material also serves as a carbon sink for the whole lifetime of the building. It used to be assumed that the greatest climate gains could be achieved during a building’s operational phase. Now we know that the construction and material phases account for a considerable portion of the climate impact during the lifecycle of a building. “Wood is part of the solution to the world’s climate issues and will play a key role in the transition to a fossil-free society. If we are to meet our climate commitments, we simply have to switch to building much more in wood,” says Anna-Lena Gull. Setra’s investments have got everyone in Långs hyttan excited about the future. In addition to new jobs, the conditions are in place for the establishment of new businesses in related fields. “It feels right that Setra’s development of new, sustainable construction systems is going hand-in-hand with the positive development of Långshyttan,” says Anna-Lena Gull.
Cross-laminated timber Cross-laminated timber (crosslam) is an engineered panel comprising planed timber that is glued together in layers at 90 degrees to each other. The material is dimensionally strong and has a high load-bearing capacity in relation to its own weight. Using large and stable crosslam elements ensures both rational and efficient assembly on site and keeps construction times down. A building in crosslam differs from buildings in concrete and steel, since the engineered wood binds large quantities of carbon for the whole lifetime of the building. This makes cross-laminated timber a climate-smart choice.
Culture and Resource-efficient colleagues business
