Setra Group AB, Sweden’s largest wood products company, has celebrated record results – and the strong profit trend looks set to continue.

“The second quarter was the best single quarter since Setra’s formation,” said chief executive officer Kent Torwald. “An operating profit of SKr86m means we showed a profit improvement of SKr130m during the first half of the year.” He expects the profit/earnings to stay stable for the rest of the year.

But while the company anticipates a continued strong market for both sawn and processed products, it continues to focus on increasing its involvement in value-added areas. This summer, for instance, it acquired a 15% stake in prefabricated home manufacturer Plusshus, a move which puts it on the starting blocks for the commercial launch of its Trälyftet construction system.

“Both the sustainability aspects and its aesthetic characteristics make a strong case for wood as the building material of the future,” said Mr Torwald.

He said the investment in Plusshus was in line with Setra’s efforts to increase construction in wood. “It also suits Setra’s long-term strategic efforts to raise the value-added content of wood. Through Plusshus we gain access to a very modern building module factory that is fully prepared for volume output, a prerequisite for a commercial launch of Trälyftet,” he added.

Trälyftet – which can be roughly translated as “giving wood a lift” – is Setra’s system for industrial scale construction of three- to five-storey buildings in solid wood. It includes three patented solutions for wall panels, sound insulation and ventilation.

Solid wood modules

The eco-friendly system is based on solid wood modules built on an industrial scale, and features integrated solutions for fire safety, sound insulation, ventilation, cableways and heat recovery – and all the raw material is from Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification certificated forests.

The modules, which include water services, ventilation, sanitation and electrical installations, are transported to site in protective wrapping where they are assembled when the weather is suitable and are immediately covered with a roof. The construction period is short which keeps costs on site down.

“Trälyftet is the fruit of a multi-year research project that we conducted with partners including the Royal Institute of Technology and Stiftelsen Vetenskapsstaden – the University Accommodation Centre,” explained Mr Torwald.

“The intention was to develop a resource-efficient and eco-compliant building system that provides cosy and comfortable homes. With an increased use of wood in interiors and construction, we are contributing to the sustainable development of society.”

Setra says it has solved the problem of sound transfer between apartments with a patented method which involves steel roller bearings being mounted in the walls between storeys. The structure is also automatically double-skinned when the modules are placed next to or on top of each other. The distance between the modules and the mineral wool between them also provides excellent insulation.

Innovation

Mr Torwald said innovation is key in the Trälyftet system. For instance, the energy requirement for heating and electricity is reduced through an unusual ventilation solution and smart energy recovery. Ventilation is ensured through a patented method using the bathroom drains, while heat from extracted air and shower water is used to warm incoming air.

While interest in wood as a construction material in multi-storey buildings is growing in Sweden, there are still some who are concerned about the fire safety aspects. Mr Torwald said that until the mid-90s in Sweden it was forbidden to use wooden structures in buildings more than two storeys high.

“Today,” he said, “we know that wood frames can be made just as fireproof as other structures. “The most fire-prone items in a building are usually furniture, fittings and hidden cavities in the structure.

“In the Trälyftet system every room is equipped with sprinklers. The wall structures and layers in the modules also create a division into fire compartments which prevent a fire from spreading.

“The bearing framework system in Trälyftet meets the requirements for fire resistance class REI 60, which means that it can isolate a fire and still be load-bearing after 60 minutes.”

According to Mr Torwald, the fact that a wooden building system like Trälyftet does not have to have a wooden façade could broaden their appeal.

“For someone in the wood industry to make such a claim might sound rather irreverent, but in order to blend in and adapt to surrounding buildings, the façades can easily be plastered without affecting the excellent properties of wood,” he said.