Future viability of functional ceilings
Construction activity can be divided into two groups, new construction and existing construction. In general, building in the existing stock is understood to mean construction measures on existing buildings that maintain or increase their value. This includes refurbishment, maintenance, modernisation, renovation and extensions. In model calculations, 39 % of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are attributed to the building sector. Through the targeted recycling of building materials, the building sector can contribute significantly to the implementation of a circular economy (urban mining). The material requirements of a refurbishment are around two thirds less than those of a new building. Metawell® is the suitable product for the renovation of existing buildings. Metawell® is flexible in its design and with 9 kg/m² incl. pipe and water very light. The elements are prefabricated to a high degree and can be installed with short assembly times. The high inherent rigidity allows a large spacing of the suspension points and leads to fewer collisions with other components in the ceiling cavity. However, one problem always arises in any building project: the problem of space. Especially when building in existing structures the usable ceiling void or the remaining room height is an important point of discussion besides the weight of the suspended ceiling. Metawell® offers an enormous advantage due to its low installation height and at the same time high inherent rigidity – less substructure due to low panel weight.
It often does not make economic and ecological sense to demolish old buildings even though they could be modernised. For example, the “grey energy” that goes into the production of building materials such as concrete, steel and stones is lost during demolition. Metawell® also allows the modernisation of difficult existing buildings due to its unique property profile. Increasingly, the networked planning of buildings is being carried out with the help of a virtual database model that digitally models, combines and records all relevant building data. This goes under the term BIM (Building Information Modelling). The virtual building goes through various life cycle phases from design, through the construction phase, to demolition. In each phase, a large number of documents are generated by the project participants such as the architects, engineers, specialist planners, suppliers and assembly companies, which depict the current status of the building. In addition to the planning of qualities on the basis of drawings, calculations and technical data, a quantity takeoff is created to determine costs in accordance with DIN 276. Thus, changes in the planning, which require an adjustment of the drawings, usually also have an effect on the quantity and cost calculation. All parties involved then receive updated drawings and must compare these with their technical planning. The three-dimensional building models must be filled with the relevant information by all project participants. Here, the geometric data is only part of the information to be inserted. In addition, there are also, for example, weight data, thermodynamic, electrical, hydraulic and acoustic performance values.
