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HASSLACHER NORICA TIMBER, from wood to wonders
      HASSLACHER NORICA TIMBER, from wood to wonders

      Production facility Element5

      St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

      © Element5 | Architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson
      © Element5 | Architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson
      © Element5 | Architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson
      © HASSLACHER group | Peter Maier

      Expansion of existing Element5 plant in Ontario, Canada

      Approximately 170 km (105 mi) South-West from Toronto (Ontario, Canada), is St. Thomas, the home of HASSLACHER group’s most Western production facility, operated by Element5, MEMBER of HASSLACHER group.

      The HASSLACHER group has been active in the North American market for over ten years with its timber products and mass timber construction solutions. Through the joint venture with Element5, the full portfolio of the HASSLACHER group is available in North America since early 2024 - with shorter lead times, increased capacity, and comprehensive engineering expertise.

      To keep up with the high demand of integrated system solutions for modern timber construction, HASSLACHER group decided to expand the existing Element5 plant of 13.000 m² (140,000 ft²) to 33.500 m² (360,000 ft²) in total by using a combination of structural steel and mass timber. The new state-of-the-art facility, constructed over the course of 12 month, will be finished in Q3/Q4 2025, and have a yearly capacity of 50.000 m³ glued laminated timber and 50.000 m³ of cross laminated timber.

      The project features of a major addition to an existing 13.000 m² (140,000 ft²) industrial facility constructed from structural steel which is used to produce engineered wood products such as cross laminated timber and glue laminated timber. This expansion consists of a 24.000 m² (260,000 ft²) hall to accommodate additional area for shipping, assembly, and a new glue laminated timber production line. This area was constructed with structural steel and includes a glued laminated timber beam canopy fastened to the main structure. To accommodate the capacity of the production line, the existing kiln was expanded by (25,000 ft²). In addition, a 5.300 m² (57,000 ft²) prefabricated steel structure was raised near the main building to house a new lumber sorting line, featuring the multi-sensor quality scanner Goldeneye by MiCROTEC©. A two-story mass timber front office 1.700 m² (18,000 ft²) is completing the HASSLACHER group’s latest expansion targeting the American markets.

      In total, 602 m³ of glued laminated timber and 229 m³ of cross laminated timber were produced by HASSLACHER group's sites in Hermagor (HASSLACHER Holzbausysteme) and Stall (NORITEC Stall). The carbon from 625 tons of CO2 is captured from the atmosphere and remains stored in the installed wood mass.

      Project information
      Location: St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
      Customer: Element5, MEMBER of HASSLACHER group
      Architect or planner: Architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson
      Design and construction: Co-Elevate (EOR Foundation and Steel Structures), Element5 (EOR Mass Timber Structure)
      Builder: Dancor Construction
      Year of building: 2024/2025
      Time for building: 12 month
      Used wooden products: 602 m³ of standard and block glued laminated timber (HASSLACHER Holzbausysteme)
      46 m³ cross laminated timber (NORITEC Stall)
      Sites HASSLACHER group: HASSLACHER Holzbausysteme
      NORITEC Stall