Reference projects

The wood constituent lignin accrues in large quantities as a by-product of pulp and paper production. In collaboration with industrial partners, we are developing a high-performance bio-foam from lignin. In order to demonstrate its market potential, the lignin foam is being processed into molded parts for the automotive industry within the scope of the project. These parts are to be utilized as the core in car bumpers. Petrochemical foam materials could also be replaced by climate-friendly lignin foams in numerous other applications - for example in packaging, insulation materials or as a core material in wind-turbine rotor blades.

Heating systems must be insulated in accordance with the German law on building-energy efficiency. For system components such as pump groups, valves or fittings, prefabricated insulation boxes made from polymer foams are available. These can be easily installed and subsequently removed. However, as they are of normal or low flammability, they cannot be fitted everywhere. Insulation using non-combustible materials has been laborious up until now. In collaboration with industry partners, we are developing a practicable solution: insulation boxes made from non-combustible foam that can be overhauled and recycled. Heating systems in building areas with increased fire-protection requirements could, as a result, be installed, maintained and modified more quickly.

Protecting moorlands, avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions and, at the same time, extracting valuable raw materials for house construction and horticulture: That is the aim of this model and demonstration project, which is being implemented in two model regions in the districts of Emsland and Cuxhaven by a total of 13 partners from research and industry. The task of the Fraunhofer WKI is to thereby develop, manufacture and test construction products on the basis of cattails in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer IBP.

Houses made of wood are good for the climate and conserve finite resources such as concrete or steel. In particular, the construction of multi-story buildings and entire city quarters in timber construction offers great potential for achieving climate protection targets and strengthening the construction industry with a view to the future. By international standards, however, timber construction in Germany is still in its infancy. We want to change that. Together with project partners, we are investigating and optimizing the networking and cooperation of the players along the »urban timber construction« value chain, using the Berlin-Brandenburg region as an example. In this project, we at the Fraunhofer WKI are investigating the regionally available pine-wood product range in order to produce high-quality timber construction elements from it. The aim is to support metropolitan regions on their way to climate neutrality and to make the German construction industry fit for the future – based on renewable raw materials and closed, efficient resource cycles

Climate change presents major challenges for the German forestry and timber industries. Extreme weather events and the mass reproduction of insect pests have caused enormous damage to the forests. In particular, spruce trees have fallen victim en masse to droughts, storms and bark beetles. The majority of the damaged or dead spruce trees cannot be harvested promptly. Some of them remain standing and lying for several years. Is the wood quality then still sufficient for the production of durable construction products or wood-based materials? Within the framework of this project, we are investigating this question in collaboration with partners from research and industry. With the creation of a guideline, we also intend to provide specific recommendations for action for forest owners and the timber industry.

The primary objective of the EU project RECREATE is the development of innovative technologies for promoting the profitable re-utilization of end-of-life composite components for industrial applications. The project is divided into different technological use cases and addresses a multitude of different target sectors such as wind energy or the automotive industry. The Fraunhofer institutes IWU and WKI are working in collaboration with further partners on the design and manufacture of reusable fiber-composite structures for a wind-power rotor blade.

Resource conservation and energy efficiency determine the future of construction. Wood is an environmentally friendly and versatile building material. In addition to its ecological assessment, it also offers some technical advantages. Innovative timber-hybrid systems have even better mechanical properties, higher durability and allow for slender structures. Therefore, they are not only more resource efficient but also expand the architectural scope. In this project, we investigate and optimize the long-term behavior of wood hybrid systems, thereby laying the foundation for their use in the construction industry. Our main goal is to significantly increase the use of wood in building construction.

The Corona pandemic has demonstrated the importance of protecting people against infection through airborne pathogens in indoor environments. Air-purification systems can significantly contribute towards this. Currently, however, there is no uniform procedure for testing their effectiveness. We are developing a possible test standard in order to close this gap. In the future, this should facilitate the health evaluation of workplaces with regard to viruses and other airborne pathogens.

In modern industrial societies, people spend the majority of the day inside buildings. The air quality in indoor spaces is therefore a decisive factor for health and well-being. Foreign substances and odors can have a negative influence on the air quality. One ever-present potential source is construction products. Despite the existence of testing and evaluation schemes for construction-product emissions, unpleasant odors can still be generated in real indoor environments, or guideline values can be exceeded. In this project, we are investigating the relationship between construction-product emissions and the air quality in realistic model rooms and are developing simulation models. The results of the project will be incorporated into a practical guide. This should provide planning and architectural offices with recommendations regarding the selection and utilization of building materials.

Bulky waste contains valuable raw materials. Due to the quantity and variety of the bulky waste that is accumulated, manual sorting is very laborious. In collaboration with project partners, we are developing a solution for the automated sorting of bulky waste in order to recover wood, wood-based materials and non-ferrous metals which is based on various image-acquisition and image-processing methods as well as artificial intelligence. We are thereby helping to ensure that a higher proportion of raw materials from bulky waste can be recycled. This conserves resources and improves economic efficiency.