Material with a long service life
Troldtekt has a long service life and can often 'live on' when a developer transforms their building for new purposes.
The combination of wood and cement makes Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool a robust material. Once installed in buildings, the acoustic panels have a service life of at least 50–70 years, and based on experience, for even longer.
In the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the standard lifespan of cement-bonded wood wool panels is stated as being 50 years, based on generic product information from databases. However, in practice there are plenty of examples of Troldtekt acoustic panels in buildings which are much older.
Several examples of transformation
Old Troldtekt ceilings are often preserved when a developer transforms their building for new purposes. One example is ZENI architects’ design studio, which was one of six nominated projects for the RENOVER Award 2020. The design studio in Aabenraa is in a former boiler hall, and the original Troldtekt ceilings from 1957 have been preserved.
Old Troldtekt acoustic panels can also be painted to create a new look. This was done, for example, in connection with a major refurbishment of Aarhus Airport – rather than opting for completely new ceilings.
The impressive durability of Troldtekt acoustic panels has also been evident in connection with the expansion of the company’ s factory in Troldhede. We bought a number of neighbouring properties dating back to the 1940s, when Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool was commonly used for plastered wall constructions. It turned out that the interior walls in one of the buildings concealed 80-year-old Troldtekt panels, which were still holding up.
Longevity plays a big role for the environment
Materials with a long lifespan are good for the environment and for total life cycle costs. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of a building covers the extraction and processing of the raw materials, transport, the production of the various building materials, operation and maintenance, waste treatment and reutilisation.
Often, much of the environmental impact stems from the production phase, and when a material lasts for 70 years, this impact is spread across a significantly longer period than for a material which needs replacing after only 20 years.
The period under consideration, i.e. the time horizon in the calculation of the building’s life cycle, plays a major role in the LCA calculations. The period can vary depending on the building type, and is usually defined in advance if the calculation is performed as part of a certification process.
Leading building certifications such as DGNB, for example, only operate with a 50-year lifespan for buildings. However, since Troldtekt, like several other building materials, has a markedly longer lifespan, it will often make sense to operate with longer service periods, for example of 80-120 years.