News vom 18.05.2022
News vom 11.05.2021
Welcome to the refreshed Accoya RoundUp Spring issue. Browse our latest global news, international project inspiration, technical developments and much more. If you have news or case studies you’d like to share for our Summer issue, get in touch.
News vom 22.03.2021
Prague, Czech republic
The Zoological garden in Prague is a tropical environment to allow certain plant species to grow and thrive. There is a bridge for visitors to pass across the water which is made from Accoya wood.
Previously, other wood species, such as oak, had been used for the bridge but they became rotten very quickly, mainly between the decking boards and underneath the construction.
When looking for a replacement material, Accoya was selected due to meeting structural strength, dimensional stability and overcoming durability issues.
Accoya distributor based in Czechia, Totem, was responsible for this project. The Accoya bridge has now been installed for 3 years and is performing very well.
News vom 25.02.2021
Banff Gondola Experience
Banff, Alberta, Canada
The views from the Pursuit Collection Banff Gondola observation deck at the Sulphur Mountain summit are nothing short of spectacular, and so is the experience to get there. First, you enjoy a gondola ride and ascend over 600 meters on your journey to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Once you arrive at the summit, you are greeted with even more gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. It is truly breathtaking.
The spacious Accoya observation deck surrounding the building invites visitors to relax and enjoy the stunning mountain scenery in style. The Accoya decking materials, provided by Upper Canada Forest Products, were transported to the top of Sulphur Mountain using the gondola line material carts and helicopter hoisting.
The deck construction was scheduled throughout the severe winter season to avoid interruption of the summer guest experience, but PCL Construction Management Inc. was up to the challenge. The Banff Gondola experience continued full gondola operation and upper terminal services during the deck construction with minimal downtime to guests.
Accoya was chosen not only for its authentic wooden aesthetics and sustainability but also for its impressive performance. At these altitudes, winters bring a lot of snow and extreme temperatures, the stress of which can be problematic for many materials – especially wood. The high amount of foot traffic from tourists, which puts added stress on the deck, also needed to be taken into consideration by the project team. For Accoya, these challenges are no problem at all. Due to the patented acetylation process, Accoya wood is very dimensionally stable so it barely shrinks, swells or warps, and is extremely durable in all weather conditions. Which made it the right choice for this project.
The completed Accoya observation deck has been built to last, and will continue to invite Banff Gondola visitors to enjoy the outdoors and take in epic mountain views for years to come.
Project elevation: over 2,000 meters
Wood species: Accoya wood from Upper Canada Forest Products, Glulam Beams from Structurlam
Designer/Structural Engineer: ISL Engineering
Client: Pursuit Collection – Banff Gondola
Finishing: Accoya was planed to 1.125″ thick with no finish
News vom 18.01.2021
Fenders are not only an essential part of flood management assets in the Thames Estuary, they also provide unique bio-diversity niches in tidal waters, promoting healthy and diverse habitats.
Accoya wood, donated by Accsys via its distributor International Timber, is being used by the Environment Agency’s TEAM2100 programme as proof of concept that it can replace hardwood, provide habitat and contribute to achieving the organisation’s Net Zero ambition.
“TEAM2100 is the Environment Agency’s 10-year programme to refurbish and replace flood risk management assets in London and the Thames Estuary. Asset management approaches enable sustainable delivery. Choosing construction options and materials are part of this approach, and material ‘provenance’ is key to delivering sustainably. Certification processes, such as the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program, help achieve this and permit identification of materials that consider the effects of their production on the environment, minimise energy and water use and aid social fairness. We look forward to observing the performance of Accoya wood as a potential substitute for hardwood.”
Dr Jo Guy, of the Environment Agency and Environment and Sustainability Manager.
Sustainability consultancy 540 WORLD worked with Accsys and TEAM2100 to implement this important sustainability initiative, with a view to more widespread substitution of slow-growing hardwood with fast-growing, rapidly carbon-sequestering and very durable Accoya. The lack of toxic or plastic-based additives to Accoya is vital to its use in these environments, eliminating the risk of potential leaching into the water and environmental or ecological harm.
Each cubic metre of Accoya contains nearly one tonne of CO2e absorbed by certified sustainable forests, and keep that carbon safely stored for decades: it is warrantied for 50 years above ground, and 25 years in fresh water, with previous tests also indicating exceptional durability and integrity in marine environments. This installation in the Thames Estuary will provide further data on long-term performance, adding to the consensus of positive data from sites in the Mediterranean and North Seas.
