Tartu Focus Group Meeting GATE Project - Gaining Added Value from Timber in Europe

GATE 2nd Focus Group Meeting

Tartu, Estonia, April 2006

Wood cabin at the Polva Museum

At this Focus Group meeting, partners and stakeholders were given the opportunity to make presentations. These related to the 'Economic Issues' that were to be raised later at the seminar in Poland, but because we were in a smaller meeting we were able to go into more technical detail than we would at the seminar.

Nick Tune from BRE in Wales gave a presentation on "Sustainable Affordable Homes". This described a 'sustainability' scoring matrix that BRE had produced for Forestry Commission Wales for their affordable homes project.

Mart Riistop from Estonia presented "Wood in building regulations of Estonia". Antoni Cywinski talked about the need for mass production of affordable homes in Poland and Wolfgang Horn from Thuringia in Germany talked about "CE marking for construction products".

Select the follwing link to view or download the presentation:
CE marking for construction in 5 points - Wolfgang Horn
148 KB

After the presentations, the final details for the Polish conference were discussed and agreed.

The Conference will be titled: "Time for Timber in Europe"

On the field visit day we met with Eric Konze at his summer house in the forest. Eric accompanied us for the rest of the day to see firstly a bridge at Tehvandi, constructed from glulam. We then saw plywood and veneer production at Company UPM-Kymmene followed by an observation tower at Harimae. We then visited a health spa and swimming pool at Puhajarve. This impressive complex made extensive use of glulam and was an excellent example of what can be done with this product.

The group by Eric Konze's summer house

Chris Edwards, FC Wales, shows Nick Tune of BRE how it's done!

Glulam bridge at Tehvandi

In the afternoon we visited Company Peetri Puit, where we saw the production of laminated beams. This generated much interest within the group, particularly from the Welsh contingent where similar production does not currently exist. We then saw glulam beams in use at the Polva City Gymnasium and at a shopping mall.

Plywood manufacture at Company UPM-Kymmene

Glulam manufacture at Company Peetri Puit

Glulam beams at the Polva City Gymnasium

We then visited the Polva Museum of Farm Houses where we saw many examples of traditional Estonian timber houses. Solid wood cabins were also produced here for export and we were able to see them at different stages of construction.

The Welsh group deep in discussion!

A big thank you to our Estonian partners for organising this event.

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GATE 2nd Focus Group Meeting