Climate-friendly transport to site.
15.01.2023 | Sustainability
More than 600 km and 4,500 metres of elevation over seven days on a Cargo Bike: Sebastian Hilscher transported the last component, weighing some 25 kg, from his company in Upper Austria to a construction site in Frankfurt am Main on his Riese & Müller Packster 60 Cargo Bike. The sustainable flagship project “Timber Pioneer” – Frankfurt’s first office building to have a timber hybrid construction – is being built there in the heart of the central Europaviertel district.
Sebastian Hilscher hopes to point the way towards sustainable construction with his climate-friendly mode of transport. © Overtec
By Cargo Bike to site.
"Before the trip, I never really cycled – at most, I might have taken my bike to the baker’s around the corner. For that reason, I trained intensely for two months beforehand. I enjoyed it so much. The project has turned me from a non-cyclist into an enthusiastic cyclist", explains Sebastian. He wants to point the way towards sustainable construction with his carbon-neutral mode of transport.
Sebastian opted for a Riese & Müller Packster 60 to transport his roof parapet component. "I had never ridden an E-Bike or a Cargo Bike before. Despite that, it took no more than 30 seconds to familiarise myself with it. I immediately felt safe. Throughout the trip, I always parked the bike directly in front of the door of my hotel and then checked back on the bike in the evening. In a way, the bike has almost become part of me", says Sebastian, laughing.
Sebastian describes the hours on the bike, without phone calls, emails and constantly checking his smartphone, as a meditative experience: "It was rather like walking the 'Camino'. You start off totally motivated and focussed on getting there. But then when the end is in sight you find yourself thinking: Oh no, it’s come to an end. That aspect really moved me. It was a really wonderful and great experience."
A sector in flux.
Overtec, a family-run company, is part of a green movement in the construction industry that has set itself the aim of promoting resource conservation in the construction industry. For almost 40 years, the Austrian company has been producing prefabricated products for the construction industry, with sites in Vienna, Munich and Attnang-Puchheim.
Cement production results in around four times the CO2 emissions worldwide as global aviation. With the aim of reducing these emissions, Overtec has developed patented components made from a wood-cement mixture that cause up to 63 % lower emissions than comparable products.
Due to their thinner construction, combined with excellent stability, the production of the EPD-certified (Environmental Product Declaration) roof parapet elements requires significantly less cement. The weight saved and the smaller total surface area of the roof parapet elements simplify transport and also relieve the burden on the environment.
Timber Pioneer
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The sustainable office of tomorrow is currently being built in the heart of Frankfurt’s Europaviertel district: across eight floors, the green flagship project combines ecological construction, low raw material consumption, energy efficiency and healthy working practices.
The timber hybrid construction comprises some 1,800 cubic metres of timber, which equates to 80 % lower CO2 emissions. The building is also 57 % lighter than a conventional solid structure. Prefabricated composite elements also reduce the amount of dust, noise and waste during the construction process itself.
A separate e-mobility concept is also part of the sustainable office building: anyone who cycles to work also benefits from the appropriate infrastructure. Secure bike parking spaces, electric charging stations and comfortable shower facilities are provided as standard.
Find out more: timber-pioneer.de