From the series „Facade and wall materials – trends 2023”
Rapid construction systems are a direct response to changes in the construction industry. Time pressure on project implementation, on the one hand, and difficulties in finding qualified workers, on the other, are forcing contractors to look for new solutions that will allow certain tasks to be completed faster, involving fewer workers. The undisputed leader in this field is Xella Polska, which has just launched a system for express construction of structural walls (exterior and interior) — Ytong Panel SWE. Recipients of this system, can also count on design support.
Ytong Panel SWE is a large-size, modular cellular concrete panels. Later this summer, production of this new product will start at the Ytong plant in Ostroleka.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
The construction industry is entering a phase of dynamic change after years of technological stagnation. This transformation has to do with a number of challenges that the industry has faced. Among them are the difficulties in finding qualified workers, rising labor and energy costs, but also climate change and the related increasing requirements for energy efficiency of buildings and lowering the carbon footprint of investments.
Ytong Panel SWE — the answer to market needs
Large format systems and on-site mechanization may be the answer to many of these challenges. This is because large formats, which are usually installed using various types of cranes and mini-cranes, reduce the number of workers needed on site. Typical board sizes will allow the erection of walls in a module height of 10 cm and a module length of 7.5 cm. This will significantly simplify the order process and reduce waste on the construction site.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
So far, cellular concrete has been associated mainly with systems of small-sized blocks. Their bricklaying in comparison with other technologies is much less labor-intensive, but still requires physical effort. Xella Polska is gradually introducing larger and larger formats to construction sites. In addition to the Ytong Panel panels, which have been known for years for quick construction of partition walls, large-size Ytong Jumbo blocks with a height equivalent to three regular Ytong blocks have also been offered for some time.
The latest system is Ytong Panel SWE panels — the largest cellular concrete elements available on the market.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Large range of dimensions and design freedom
The height of Ytong Panel SWE elements ranges from 180 to 300 cm, and the width from 29.9 to 59.9 cm, with two types of thickness: 20 or 24 cm. The Ytong Panel SWE system is available in the P4/500 variety, which has a compressive strength of 4 N/mm2 and a density class of 500 kg/m3.
The panels feature the advantages of prefabricated panels, but without their disadvantages in the form of excessive typification, which limits design freedom. A wide assortment of Ytong panels allows you to create buildings with different types of solids and scale from them. The Ytong Panel SWE system allows walls to be erected in all types of single-family houses (including terraced houses), as well as lower industrial and public buildings.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+ for single-layer walls
A new variety of panels with a lower density (300 kg/m3) and a thickness of 36.5 cm will be on the market before the end of summer 2023. This will be the Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+ system. It will allow building single-layer walls with a heat transfer coefficient of U = 0.2 W/(m²K).
Express construction of structures with Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+ technology, combined with the absence of the need to install an additional layer of insulation, will mean even faster implementation!
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Ytong Panel SWE — the fastest building system in its class
The large dimensions of Ytong Panel SWE elements and the mechanization of work on the construction site significantly speed up the erection of walls. The panels are installed using a crane, mini-crane or HDS. Walls with Ytong Panel SWE are erected almost 4 times faster compared to masonry with small-sized Ytong blocks.
A two-man brigade of fitters together with a crane operator for 8 hours is able to erect up to 150 sqm of partitions in the Ytong Panel SWE system, while a mason's team of three is able to build about 40 sqm of wall in the same time.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Shorter execution time means lower fixed costs of conducting construction, it also means faster completion of the investment, which means faster return of invested funds. In turn, mechanization of construction translates into fewer workers needed. A two-person team with a crane operator replaces a three-person masonry team, and at the same time is characterized by much greater efficiency and effectiveness of the work.
Ytong Panel SWE and Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+ are also panels with high dimensional accuracy. After installation, they create a smooth and straight wall surface that is easier and cheaper to finish
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Support for architects through BIM design department
Xella Polska not only offers systems for rapid construction, but also guarantees the preparation of a full construction project. Its development is handled by Xella Polska's specialized BIM design department. It prepares the design and a 3D model of the building. All in BIM technology. On its basis, the Ytong plant produces the right elements, which are delivered to the construction site with a detailed assembly plan.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Xella Polska, the manufacturer of SWE panels, provides full technical support at every stage of the investment. If the customer wishes, it can also carry out the installation of the elements on site itself, as part of its contractor service called Construction Services. The customer settles with the manufacturer per square meter of finished wall and no longer has to worry about the delivery of building material, construction logistics and labor.
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Lower carbon footprint, thanks to local manufacturing
Ytong panels have so far been imported to Poland from German Ytong plants. Later this summer, production of Ytong Panel SWE and Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+ is scheduled to start at Ytong's Ostroleka plant, which will significantly increase the availability of this new technology on the Polish market. Local production will also reduce the carbon footprint of construction sites in our country due to shorter transportation.
A multimillion-dollar investment in a new SWE panel production line is nearing completion at the Ostroleka plant. Final production tests for this new product are underway (June 2023).
Xella brand products
© Xella Polska
Both systems, Ytong Panel SWE and Ytong Panel SWE Ultra+, respond to the difficult challenges of the construction market. Express construction of energy-efficient partitions allows to significantly reduce the cost of construction, as well as the subsequent operation of the building.
Learn more about Ytong Panel SWE technology: https://www.xella.pl/pl_PL/Ytong-Panel-SWE
See a video about the advantages of Ytong Panel SWE system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6af3pwH_5I
For more information, visit the company's Xella Polska page on the A&B portal.
