Uniform recommendations for Finnish large wooden buildings

A major gap has been filled in general design principles for large wooden buildings with the publica-tion of HalliPES, the uniform industrial standard for wide-span, industrial wooden buildings. The new guidelines include recommendations for load-bearing construction and joints in wide-span timber buildings and for the design of elements in the external envelope.

Solutions are set out both for build­ings with load-bearing walls and for buildings with separate frames. They can be applied to industrial and storage buildings, sports halls, places of assembly and commer­cial buildings, free-stall cattle sheds and rid­ing schools.

Maximum spans are 20 metres for build­ings with load-bearing walls and 32 metres for buildings with separate frames. Larger construc-tions can be built, but HalliPES does not provide solutions for these.

The aim of HalliPES is to make the de­signer’s work easier by providing a range of well-tried solutions on which specific design solutions can be based. Type of frame sup­port, spans and degree of com-pletion of en­velope elements, plus structural details may be varied freely.

The 19-part HalliPES guidelines can be downloaded at puuinfo.fi/hallipes. The structural solutions described are basic prin­ciples and the application of them to specif­ic projects is the responsibility of the project designers. Dimensioning of load-bearing structures and joints, plus technical solu­tions relating to fire protection, sound insu­lation and waterproofing must always take into account the demands of each specific case. Structures must be dimensioned ac­cording to the relevant Euro-codes.

The HalliPES project is financed by Finn­ish Wood Research and its member com­panies, plus Tekes and the Finnish Forest Foundation.

HalliPES standardises design and calculation principles for wide-span structures. Image: Finnish Wood Research 

HalliPES

• makes it easier to acquire wooden buildings
• makes it easier to design wooden buildings, commission the design of wooden buildings, and obtain the necessary approvals for them
• offers various manufacturers’ solutions simultaneously and makes it easier to obtain competitive tenders
• improves the quality and control of wooden building
• creates uniform rules for the supply of wooden elements and contract conditions for them
• allows for rapid construction times
• creates uniform criteria for the quality of design and construction

With the standardisation of element joints it is possible to

• speed up the on-site phase using the ‘ever-ready’ principle
• have a simple jointing method and standardised joints
• have a simple method of sealing joints between elements
• have a high degree of pre-fabrication
• ensure the strength of joints and transfer of forces at joints directly
• ensure the safety and water-tightness of waterproofing
• develop uniform manufacturers’ conditions while providing company-specific solutions