Svalinn
Case
Substituting steel, reudcing carbon emission and enhancing sustainability
How can substituting steel with glued laminated timber (glulam) in building structures reduce carbon emissions and enhance sustainability?
Challenge
Steel production is highly energy-intensive, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions. While innovative methods like hydrogen-based steel production show promise, they are not yet widely available due to infrastructure limitations. For Svalinn, finding an immediate, sustainable alternative to steel for supporting structures in their buildings is crucial. The challenge lies in identifying materials that offer structural integrity, fire resilience, and lower emissions, while meeting modern construction demands.
Solution
Through collaboration with Terravera Foundation, Svalinn explored the use of glulam (glued laminated timber) as a substitute for steel in building construction. Terravera’s lifecycle analysis models demonstrated that:
Glulam offers significant CO₂ reductions compared to steel.
Glulam structures can be fire resilient and durable, addressing traditional concerns about wood in large constructions.
A model comparison replacing 200 tonnes of steel with glulam revealed a substantial drop in lifecycle emissions.
Our Collaboration
Svalinn and Terravera partnered to analyze the sustainability impact of glulam substitution using Terravera’s lifecycle assessment tools. The focus was on assessing CO₂ emissions across the production, transport, and installation phases for both steel and glulam.
Key Achievements
Preliminary Carbon Footprint Insights:
Initial modeling provides a baseline understanding of emissions associated with replacing steel with glulam. While the preliminary figures suggest significant reduction potential, these results are part of an entry model and are subject to refinement through further analysis and deeper modeling efforts.Lifecycle Transparency in Development:
Terravera’s models are currently in progress to deliver a clearer picture of the environmental impact for different materials. The preliminary insights serve as a foundation for evidence-based decision-making, with deeper analysis planned to validate these findings.Potential for Sustainable Materials:
Early indications show that glulam could offer benefits such as carbon storage and opportunities for recycling and reuse, aligning with circular economy principles. These results are part of ongoing research and will be refined as the modeling process develops.
A game changer for decision makers
With Terravera’s collaboration, Svalinn is now equipped to:
Quantify the environmental benefits of using glulam versus steel.
Promote sustainable building practices backed by robust data.
Guide clients and stakeholders toward greener construction choices with confidence.
“Svalinn can benefit from the platform Terravera has developed to gain insight into sustainable practices, new technology and best practices in the industry. We are also interested in objective comparison bases and benchmarking tools, which will help us assess our sustainability initiatives and compare them with best practices in the industry, thereby identifying areas where we can improve”
Why It Matters
As the construction industry seeks to decarbonize, Svalinn’s adoption of glulam, supported by Terravera’s analytical tools, represents a tangible step toward lowering emissions and fostering circular building practices. This collaboration demonstrates how data-driven decisions can drive innovation in sustainable construction.
