Egger OSB and Egger lumber are among the materials used for the EcoBox © Egger Holzwerkstoffe
The importance of wood as a building material has steadily increased over the past 20 years, as wood is a natural, renewable raw material. At the same time, though, various environmental factors are leading to a decrease in the availability of top-quality wood. Veronika Auer, Egger Product Sustainability Senior Expert, explains why this is the case: “As a raw material, wood is itself directly impacted by the effects of climate change. Wood quality has been steadily deteriorating for several years, now, and will likely continue to do so in the coming years. There will probably be more damaged wood, which is due, among other things, to climate-related events such as storms and snow break coupled with insect infestation. As a result, a gap is forming. Demand for high-quality construction wood is growing. At the same, yield is decreasing in the production of construction lumber. Creating a construction product from wood qualities that have previously had little structural use requires innovative ideas and the courage to make them a reality. With the EcoBox, Egger is rethinking timber frame construction. The box-like product made from various timber construction products enables the structural and thus sustainable use of wood of different qualities.”
The resource-saving product offers numerous advantages, such as high dimensional stability thanks to intelligent material combinations, all while requiring less material. Industrial, standardized production ensures safety in planning, use and construction applications and guarantees consistent and reproducible quality.
The innovative alternative to timber frame walls
Modern production process for precise and dimensionally accurate timber construction elements © Egger Holzwerkstoffe
Egger’s EcoBox has a rectangular box-shaped cross-section and is made of lumber and OSB with soft wood fiber insulation in the cavity. Thanks to the optimal combination of the materials used and their precise assembly, this product convinces with very high dimensional accuracy and stability. This makes the EcoBox an ideal starting product for everything from efficient artisanal manufacture to the highly automated production of timber frame elements or room modules.
Compared to mass timber, Egger’s EcoBox requires up to 38% less wood, resulting in reduced weight during use and transport. By using OSB and lumber from Egger’s own production sites, the EcoBox is always available to meet customers’ needs. Thanks to improved insulation properties, it also reduces thermal bridges in the components’ surfaces.
With the EcoBox, the manufacturer is setting new standards in sustainability, efficiency, and quality assurance in modern timber construction. It has the European Technical Assessment (ETA), which guarantees safe use throughout the EU.
Efficient production
The semi-automatic production facility at the Wismar/DE site is designed for lengths of up to 6.5 m. Typically, double lengths at ceiling height (2.4 to 3.3 m) are produced there. Widths vary between 160 and 400 mm depending on energy efficiency-related and market requirements. The Egger EcoBox is 80 mm thick.
Precise structures, state-of-the-art measurement systems, and camera monitoring enable the production of precise and dimensionally accurate timber construction elements.
Future-oriented building, resource-efficient planning
With Egger’s EcoBox, construction projects can be optimized. To make sure that this happens from the very first planning step, the wood materials specialist has integrated the new EcoBox as a construction detail in the popular Egger Planning Support. With this planning tool, the company has established itself as a competent contact for services and digital planning in the field of “building in wood” for planners, architects, and students. Since 2019, Egger has made tried-and-tested components available for download on its website in standard digital data formats for BIM or CAD planning.
The Egger Planning Support offers customers numerous construction details on the EcoBox specifically for planning wall structures. The Planning Support contains not only a comprehensive selection of tested and certified structures, but also the corresponding standard details for roof, wall, and ceiling applications.
