Wood frame office for Reichstag
         

Introduction

Just another day at the office

Constructing a wood frame office with Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber) is really business as usual for us. Because it is so light and strong, adding several new floors to existing structures is simple. As the external walls can do the bracing, fewer parts are needed. This makes the structure both easy to plan and construct.

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Load bearing

Kerto-Ripa floor element installation 
 

For the load bearing, Kerto-Ripa is the answer. When multiple spans are used, the maximum length of one element is 25 meters. For the Reichstag, we would use a span of 17 meters. This would enable an open space design. As Kerto is both light and strong, several floors could be added to the wooden Reichstag.

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Bracing

Wood frame office for Reichstag 
 

Simple to plan – and build

As the external walls would take care of the bracing, no separate walls would be needed. With a lot fewer parts, the structure is simple to plan and to construct.

Wooden office - wood frame structure 
 
 

Connections

Keep it simple – and flexible

Top slab connections allow simple wall elements. Only the top panel is on top of the supporting structure. This allows for a lot of flexure for internal wall design and later flexibility.

     
Kerto-Ripa roofing element
Roof: Kerto-Ripa roofing

​Kerto–Ripa roofing elements are made from Kerto® LVL using structural gluing. The element is used as load-bearing roofing and it enables longer – even 18m – spans with the normal structural height of the roof. Kerto–Ripa roof elements are used in roof structures in residential and public buildings. With Kerto–Ripa roof element the building's roof is ready in one go. The element is delivered to the site with a pre-fabricated ready ceiling surface, thermal insulation and roof covering. The pre-fabrication guarantees the elements' homogeneity and quality. Its erection time is short – in one day up to 1500m2 of weather protection can be installed.

Connection: Kerto-Ripa to load-bearing frame
Connection: Kerto-Ripa to load-bearing frame

​Kerto-Ripa elements can be installed on top of load-bearing frames or walls. This connection is generally used in multi-element systems. This connection, as shown in the one presented above, are fastened to the load-bearing frame from the top of the level – which is safer with regard to the work of the assembly crew.

Connection: Kerto-Q wall panel
Connection: Kerto-Q wall panel

​Self-supporting panel joint. The edge of the panel can be machined for self-supporting panel joists. Usually they form a half-lap connection in which part of the panel thickness is machined to create matching pairs of edges. The connection can be designed to transfer the load parallel to the joint.

Kerto-Q wall pane connection
Wall panel: Kerto-Q

​Large Kerto-Q LVL panels are a popular choice in wall panels because they stabilise the whole structure, and good fire resistance is achieved with a properly chosen thickness. Kerto-Q provides a functional solution in structural components, particularly when high shear strength is one of the requirements. Kerto-Q enables quick and easy design and construction. The elements are easy to connect to each other and other parts of the structure.

Connection: Kerto-Ripa top slab
Connection: Kerto-Ripa top slab

​Kerto-Ripa intermediate floor elements are connected to load-bearing structures through the top panel, which can be installed on top of the load-bearing wall or beam, thus keeping the floor height low. If necessary, an acoustic strip is installed on the contact surface between the panel and the wall. The wall on the next floor can be constructed directly onto the top panel of the Kerto-Ripa element.

Kerto-Ripa floor floor elements
Floor: Kerto-Ripa floor

​Kerto–Ripa® floor elements are used in intermediate and base floor structures in residential and public buildings. The basic structure of the element is lightweight, soundproof and requires no on-site concrete casting. Due to the element's long span buildings require fewer load-bearing columns, beams and structural connections. The elements are light, meaning that they reduce the load on foundations and can be used even if the ground has a very low load-bearing capacity. Kerto-Ripa elements are stronger and stiffer than rectangular beams of equal height.

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References

Office reference cases

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FMO Tapiola - Wooden office building

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Diesel Benelux headquarters

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Karisma shopping centre

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Paris poice department