16 | Focus on Germany Part 2: Elka
The sawmill has a production capacity of sawn timber of about 150,000m3
a year.
Elka’s ‘vita’ Natural Wood Panel is a form of CLT. The product is three-ply and is available in a range of large dimensions. The panels are produced in a dedicated production line with its own single-daylight press.
Thicknesses are 16, 19, 22, 27, 34 and 42mm, while qualities offered are AB/B, B/C, B/C+ and C+/C. Panel sizes offered are 2525x1025, 2525x683, 5050x683 and 5050x1025mm. Tongue and grooving on all four edges is also available and is a major strength of Elka’s offering to the market, said Ms Kuntz. Certifications for these panels includes
DGNB/QNG ready/FSC and Blue Angel. The German wood-based construction
market is heavily committed to sustainability and vita CLT forms a major part of its timber buildings’ construction. Prefabricated timber buildings made from
Elka’s solid timber, CLT, particleboard and esb (more on which later) are exported all over Europe and to the UK, although the principal markets are currently Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. “We often have to explain to potential
customers what they can use vita panels for and how to use them, because of their versatility,” said Ms Kuntz. Today, says Elka, multi-layer solid wood boards have to meet a wide range of requirements, such as static properties, indoor air hygiene and the new national and European standards and directives. As a multi-layer solid wood board, vita natural wood board meets the emission requirements of a furniture board, as well as the static values of a building board and the ecological requirements of sustainability: it is fully traceable for PEFC and other environmental certifications. Elka says that vita board has excellent durability and high strength at low weight compared to other wood-based materials. The fact that no recycled timber is allowed
in wooden house construction, because of formaldehyde/VOC considerations, works in favour of Elka’s fresh-wood-only approach to all its production.
Elka claims that selected woods in spruce and Douglas fir turn the vita boards into beautifully shaped, unique specimens. For the top surface in AB quality, the board surface is perfected with a high-quality elka natural knot dowel, says the company. Production capacity for vita board is approximately 12,000m3
a year. Top: Long timber truck entering the company premises
Centre: Sawn timber from the sawmill; drying chambers in the background Above: The new 100% electric truck from elka-Holzwerke
WBPI | February/March 2025 |
www.wbpionline.com
“Sustainability is extremely important to us as a company,” said Ms Kuntz. “We won the German sustainability prize for 2025 and that is a prize which is difficult to get. We have cascaded production, which means there is no waste at all; all the chips from our
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