14 September 2015

Terästarvike Oy is committed to long-term sustainability in its operations and acquisitions. Their new warehouse was built to be energy-saving.

Terästarvike Oy was faced with the need to construct a new warehouse when its previous warehouse became hopelessly small even after an expansion. The family-owned company, founded in 1978, has gradually expanded its operations from the wholesale trade and import of steel and mounting hardware to providing subcontracting components and assemblies, as well as intelligent logistical services. Splitting bulk orders that have been ordered for customers for delivery in smaller quantities requires a lot of storage space.

Right from the start, the partially two-storey warehouse on Kauppatie road in Malmi,Helsinki was designed to be large enough, and has an area of 2,800 square metres. It has 1,400 pallet slots and about 2,000 metres of shelf space for small goods. In addition to its storage premises, the building has nine spacious, light office rooms and a kitchen.
Terästarvike Oy's new premises of were completed during the spring of 2014. Terästarvike managed the construction project themselves and also chose the building materials, including the outer walls.

"We worked together for many years with what used to be Rautaruukki, so when a familiar salesman from Ruukki Construction called at just the appropriate time and told us about the benefits provided by the Ruukki energy panel system, we considered it a serious option for our new warehouse," explains Tuomas Heiman, managing director of Terästarvike Oy.

Sustainable development as a guideline
Ruukki life energy panels were chosen for the façade. They are prefabricated sandwich panels with a layer of insulation material placed between two steel metal sheets. Ruukki life energy panels are insulated with mineral wool from recycled sources.
The use of energy panels significantly improves the building's energy efficiency. It greatly reduces heating and cooling requirements and also lowers carbon dioxide emissions. Ruukki is the only manufacturer to provide a guarantee for its energy panel system, which consists of panels, accessories and installation work guidance.
"The installation personnel did a good job installing the energy panels and keeping to the set schedule. They even did a lot of extra things when they noticed that the management wasn't always on track. Ruukki representatives visited the site regularly to check that everything was proceeding according to expectations."
Due to the compactness of the warehouse, Terästarvike Oy is able to save about 15% in heating costs compared to the minimum requirements of the Finnish building regulations.
"Even though the warehouse has direct electric heating, the electricity bills remain moderate, as no heat goes to waste. The compact solution was a smart choice to build, especially when it wasn't much more expensive than normal constructions.
We focus on sustainable development, sustainable human resources policy and sustainable customer and supplier relationships.The energy-saving solution agrees with our approach to sustainable development," Heiman says.

New warehouse creates growth opportunities
The new facilities have enabled Terästarvike to expand business operations. The aim is for steady growth and the development of customer relations.

"We try to work with customers in a way where we can help each other, as well as build a bright future," Heiman says.

Involved in the construction:

The building was designed by Arkkitehtuuritoimisto Seppo Kokko Oy. Structural engineering was led by Insinööritoimisto Juha Kupari Oy. The energy panel system was installed by SPLR Termo, trained by Ruukki Construction.

Ruukki's deliveries in 2014

Ruukki life energy panels for outer walls 1,500 m2 (SPA2300 LIFE)
Energy windows integrated into the panels, with a U-value of 0.9.

Technical information:

Sandwich panel SPA E LIFE for external walls

  • Effective width: 1,200 mm
  • Length: 2.00-13.5 m
  • Thickness: 150, 200, 230 mm
  • Fire reaction: A2-s1, d0
  • U-value: 0.16-0.25
  • Fire-resistance rating: EI60
Ruukki life energy panels on Terästarvike Oy's new warehouse. The solution saves heating costs and supports Terästarvike Oy's principles of sustainable development.
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