AFRY Management Consulting has prepared a comparative study on the carbon footprint of Metsä Wood's Kerto® LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) product. The report highlights the climate benefits of Kerto LVL compared to traditional steel reinforced concrete in certain floor and wall structures. The study compares load-bearing structures, excluding insulations or other materials, to ensure a fair assessment of primary structural components. As a conclusion, the material efficiency of Kerto LVL results in remarkably smaller fossil climate impact per square meter. The study was critically reviewed by Research institutes of Sweden, RISE and Ramboll.

Material-efficient floor structure results in over 70% lower climate impact compared to a concrete floor element
The study reveals that Kerto LVL offers a substantial reduction in carbon emissions when steel reinforced floor element is compared to wooden floor elements utilizing the Kerto-Ripa technology developed by Metsä Wood. "In this case, the material efficiency of Kerto LVL results in over 70% smaller fossil climate impact per m2 as the fossil climate impact per m² of floor for Kerto LVL is 29 kg CO₂e, while in-situ casted steel reinforced concrete slab has a fossil climate impact of 105 kg CO₂e. The material consumption per m² of floor for Kerto LVL is only 34 kg, compared to 675 kg for reinforced steel concrete. The difference in weight is over 90%", explains Rosa Zabihian, Sustainability Manager from Metsä Wood.

Hybrid wall structure with Kerto LVL cuts material use by over 80% and lowers climate impact
In wall applications, the study focuses on a functional unit of 1 m² of wall on the first floor in an 8-story building. The study compared the load-bearing inner core panels of two elements: a conventional concrete sandwich element and a hybrid element with Kerto LVL replacing steel reinforced concrete. The fossil climate impact per m² of wall for Kerto LVL is 52 kg CO₂e, while steel reinforced concrete has a fossil climate impact of 68 kg CO₂e per m². The fossil climate impact per m² of wall from the whole life cycle of Kerto LVL is over 20% smaller compared to steel reinforced concrete. The material consumption per m² of wall for Kerto LVL is 60 kg, compared to 463 kg for reinforced steel concrete meaning over 80% less use of material in weight.

Material choices make a difference
The results highlight the climate advantages of floor and wall structures built resource efficiently with Kerto LVL. This can help identify emission reduction opportunities in construction projects. Kerto LVL can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of building projects compared to steel reinforced concrete. "Design and material choices made in the early stages of a construction project are crucial to maximizing material efficiency and achieving the best environmental outcomes", Rosa Zabihian continues.

Metsä Wood is continuously seeking new ways to reduce the life cycle emissions of their products and applications where Kerto LVL is used. Innovative, material efficient and low-emission construction applications are developed together with other material and solution suppliers in the construction industry.