Research competition: New digital tool simplifies renovation decisions for apartment buildings

Just before the start of the new academic year, Woodhouse Estonia announced the results of its research competition focused on the wooden house sector. The aim of the competition is to recognize theses that concentrate on the development of innovative and practical solutions, thereby contributing to the advancement of the wooden house industry.

A total of eight theses competed for the wooden house sector research award, focusing on various topics, including factory-based renovation of apartment buildings, fire safety of wooden materials, and the feasibility of reusing wood materials. The first prize was awarded to a thesis that addresses the widely relevant topic of factory-based renovation of apartment buildings in the current context, contributing to the digitalization of the renovation process and the creation of a knowledge-based expert system.

Joosep Viik’s (TalTech) thesis aimed to develop a solution for the renovation process of apartment buildings tailored for those who are not construction experts. The author created a tool — a knowledge-based configuration expert system for renovations (TeKES) — that helps articulate the initial requirements of the renovation process more precisely and provides a solid framework for the renovation. This tool utilizes data from the Estonian Construction Register (EHR) and the national digital twin, simplifying the assessment and analysis of renovation options while offering well-considered solutions for both renovation initiators and technical consultants. The tool helps estimate expected renovation costs and evaluate energy use and environmental impact. Although the prototype is not yet available for general users, it would significantly aid in clearly demonstrating the practical value and costs of renovations in the future.

Additionally, the thesis provided a comprehensive overview of the current renovation needs of apartment buildings in Estonia. It is estimated that around 14,000 apartment buildings in Estonia require renovation, the majority of which are Soviet-era reinforced concrete panel structures. The holistic reconstruction of these buildings can be effectively addressed using solutions offered by house factories, specifically factory-produced insulated facade elements. The importance of this work and its themes is also emphasized by industry manufacturers, who highlight that increasing transparency and clarity in the renovation process for housing associations is a key factor in motivating apartment owners to initiate renovations.

Joosep Viik – Photo by Evert Palmets

Second place was awarded to Tõnu Saarelaan‘s (TalTech) thesis on wood material reuse. According to the Woodhouse Association, studies on used wood are highly valuable as they enhance the reliability of wood use in construction and its potential for reuse. This also means that the results of the thesis will contribute to the development of opportunities and quality in wood’s circular economy.

The third prize was awarded to Mihkel Hõlpus (TalTech) for his work, which holds significant practical value, investigating the behavior of finger-jointed solid wood in fire situations.

Teadustöö konkurss 2024 - II preemia - Tõnu Saarelaan
Tõnu Saarelaan – 2nd Prize. Photo: Woodhouse Estonia

Research competition 2024 results:

  • 1st Prize and KMT Prefab Special prize – Joosep Viik „Knowledge-based configuration expert system for renovating Estonian apartment buildings”, supervisor Ergo Pikas
  • 2nd Prize – Tõnu Saarelaan “Assessment of strength and stiffness properties in the reuse of structural timber”, supervisoers Alar Just and Eero Tuhkanen
  • 3rd Prize – Mihkel Hõlpus “Behaviour of structural finger jointed solid timber in fire situation”, supervisor Alar Just

All participants and winners were rewarded by Iglucraft, offering students and their supervisors a relaxing sauna evening at the Noblessner Igglupark in Tallinn!

Congratulations to each award recipient, and a big thank you to everyone for participating in the competition!

Through the award competition, Woodhouse Estonia contributes to promoting broad collaboration between sector companies and higher education institutions while encouraging young students to write research papers on topics related to wooden construction and factory-based production. The award distribution began in 2015, and students from all Estonian universities at the bachelor’s, master’s, and applied higher education levels are eligible to participate. The student’s thesis must address a current problem in the field of factory-produced housing, development, marketing, or another related area, or provide significant added value to the Estonian wooden house sector. All theses submitted to the wooden house sector research competition (including previous years) are available on the Woodhouse Estonia website under the “Research papers” section.