27/03/2008 Leading provider of advanced wood-based solutions Finnforest has helped to realise Aéroports de Paris' (ADP) vision for a beautiful 700 metre concourse of Terminal 2E, at Charles De Gaulle Airport. The hugely challenging project involved the precise engineering and installation of suspended internal cladding formed of 150 structural timber arches made of Finnish birch plywood. The re-construction of the Charles De Gaulle Terminal 2E concourse is in keeping with the original shape, but with a twist. A steel and glass form rises from the first floor of the concourse forming a spectacular barrel vault. The arches spanning the 32 metre width of the vault echo the many bridges of Paris that cross the River Seine. ADP was keen to enhance the building's aesthetics even further, by introducing the natural warmth and beauty of timber, and at the same time create a fascinating complement to concrete that figures heavily throughout the airport. The project posed considerable challenges requiring seamless cooperation between the design teams at Aéroports de Paris (ADP) and Finnforest specialists. Bernard Cathelain from ADP said: “Ultimately, Finnforest was the best timber engineering company that could be relied on to deliver the total solution, from sourcing the raw materials through to the end installation. The company's expertise has enabled ADP to achieve a design vision to the specified quality, within budget and on time.” The particular intricacy of the project lent itself to the engineering expertise of Finnforest Merk, Finnforest's own centre of excellence in timber engineering. “In this kind of challenging projects we are glad to utilise the expertise of our German subsidiary Finnforest Merk,” says Mika Kallio, Head of Building Solutions business at Finnforest. “Located in Aichach, Bavaria , Finnforest Merk, designed and manufactured the claddings structural elements from premium quality birch plywood which was able to meet the demanding technical and reliability requirements of the huge structure. Finnforest is a leading supplier of advanced wooden structures in Europe and the number one producer of engineered wood products. “By managing the whole of the process from basic production to finished components for building and construction, we can offer ecological and high quality solutions for large building projects,” says Kallio. A total of 130 standard arches, each comprising six sections of up to 8.5 metres, were manufactured at the Finnforest Merk's production and engineering facility. Minute attention was given to the aesthetics. Each 8.5m section was built from over a 100 European ash faced Finnish birch plywood battens, the grading and sequence of which was prescribed by ADP, after considering several samples. Every section had to be built up using this required sequence. Precision throughout the whole process was key to fulfil the required tolerances. Bespoke jigs were custom-built to ensure accuracy, and as a result not one arch section was rejected on site. In addition, a further 20 arches, which form the end arches for each of the 10 zones, were built up on site, as they were too wide to pre-fabricate off site and transport. Hundreds of individual battens were fixed, again adhering to a specific sequence as stipulated by the architect. Finnforest provided its own specialist erection teams for the installation of the arches, a mammoth undertaking considering each section weighed almost one tonne, and pressure couldn't be applied to any surface for any length of time. Finnforest was one of the project contractors able to gear up activity to ensure the project was completed on time, with additional crew utilised to offer dual zone parallel installation, with extra shifts also added at the manufacturing plant. For further information, please contact: Mika Kallio, head of Building Solutions, tel. +358 40 567 4254. Johanna Kankkunen, head of marketing and communications, tel. +358 50 350 4005