One of the most ambitious institution projects is being constructed by Roskilde Kommune in Ringparken, Roskilde. The project, a 1.200 m3 children’s institution, focuses on sustainability and indoor climate, and is one of the first construction projects to work on achieving the DGNB Heart-certification - a certification with a particular focus on a healthy indoor climate for the building’s future users.
The developer, Roskilde Kommune, has assessed the wireless moisture sensor from Woodsense as a tool to achieve knowledge and data which can be used in future timber construction projects:
- Roskilde Ejendomme generally works towards gathering knowledge and experience on timber constructions and recycled materials, as part of reducing the embedded climate impact in our buildings.We are happy to share our experiences with others, as it is a shared task to increase knowledge about construction.
Sabrina Holstein, Special Consultant at Roskilde Kommune Ejendomme, explains and continues:
- The Woodsense sensors were a natural option for the Ringparken-project, partly to focus on QA, but also to increase our knowledge of how the hidden constructions perform in different situations. The sensor continuously provides actual data that both increases knowledge about microclimate in the construction, but can also potentially be used in the context of several other parameters.
One of the major advantages associated with the moisture sensor is that the sensors can be placed in the construction phase and thus make ongoing measurements in risk areas and areas that are difficult to reach. In addition, there is the possibility to extract reports in connection with quality assurance of construction projects both during construction and maintenance. As Sabrina Holstein explains:
“Working interdisciplinary with these opportunities is an interesting part of the task. You can follow the moisture content of the materials both during construction, but also afterwards in different weather conditions and different indoor climatic situations. My intention is that we harvest knowledge and data in this project that can be used directly in the design as well as in the use of our future buildings.”
Through the sensor’s report feature, it is possible to create reports over long periods of time and include weather data to follow correlations. Images and notes can be attached so that all necessary information for quality assurance can be found in one overall report. Users can also share reports with other players in the construction industry and thus achieve a better user experience, as all relevant people can access the reports quickly.
The sensor has become an integral part of the construction project from the very beginning, and has therefore been considered throughout the process from construction to finished building.
During the construction phase, the intelligent moisture sensors became part of the construction firm’s quality assurance plan. Here, the construction firm was able to use automatic moisture monitoring to replace unnecessary time on manual measurements by setting up sensors and monitoring continuously during the construction. The sensor made it possible to make continuous measurements on CLT elements when they arrive from the factory and are stored on the construction site, as well as when the material is used in construction.
See example from another CLT construction here:
“At MOE, we already have a good impression of Woodsense through our Timber Resource Center. So we were in agreement when Sabina suggested them to be part of the project. Their product makes it possible to monitor the moisture content of timber structures from the factory and well into the period of use, which can have a significant value for the construction project. It gives us information about unwanted changes in the indoor climate before any damage has actually occurred. The construction firm can also make the QA much faster, and the knowledge we gather on this project can hopefully benefit many projects in the future both in Roskilde and for other developers. Ultimately, it is about users receiving the healthiest buildings possible, and that we put the least possible strain on the climate each time we build something new.” - Nina Wellendorff Marquardsen, Project Manager at MOE A/S
Later in the project, the sensors can be used in areas that are particularly exposed during construction, such as on facades while waiting on an overhang or gutter. The construction firm often makes continuous measurements when closing each area - here, the sensor can also save working hours, as the sensor monitors continuously.
Through talks with architects, a number of areas have been identified as particularly relevant to monitor in the use-phase of the construction. The selected areas include a cork-facade, different types of roofs, between floors and insulations, on CLT elements both inside and outside, as well as on all facades to obtain reference points for the measurements.
Woodsense also contributes with experience from various other projects on which it has been useful to monitor both in the construction phase and after the building is put into use. This includes on foundations as covers against heavy rain, sedum roofs and as additional monitoring at exposed surfaces.
Roskilde Kommune has chosen to use the DGNB-system to ensure a focus on climate impact and sustainability in the construction project - both during construction and when the building is taken into use - and has therefore chosen to incorporate Woodsense moisture sensor. The project in Ringparken will therefore be one of the first in which a sensor solution contributes to the developer being able to obtain the sustainability certification, DGNB.
The Gold DGNB-certification requires that the construction project achieves a total of 65 %, of which each main area must achieve a minimum of 50 %. The Sustainable Heart-certification focuses on indoor climate, quality of use and the health of the building. The sustainable certification focus, among other things, on the project’s choice of materials, lifespan and resource consumption.
Woodsense is in the process of preparing a documentation package which specifies which criteria the sensor contributes to.
Some of the essential criteria by which Woodsense is now able to document a sustainable gain are the criteria:
- PRO1.5: “Instruction for maintenance and use of the building”
- PRO2.2: “Documentation of quality in execution”
- PRO2.3: “Commissioning”
- PRO2.4: “User communication”
- ENV1.1: “Life cycle assessment”
- ECO1.1: “Total economy”
- ECO2.2: “Resilience to climate change”
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