How autoclaved aerated concrete helps building IKEA's new central warehouse in Norway

A fire can have devastating consequences in a central warehouse of a furniture manufacturer. Warehouses must meet high fire safety requirements. Ikea, one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers, relies on autoclaved aerated concrete walls from Hebel for its new central warehouse in the Norwegian town of Vestby.

High fire safety in the central warehouse

The warehouse will mainly handle the furniture chain's online shopping. It is estimated that two million orders per year will be shipped from the warehouse. The turnkey project is being carried out by general contractor A Bygg Entreprenør AS, with Metacon AS as subcontractor.

Xella Norway is supplying approximately 9,000 square meters of Hebel firewalls. The contractors chose Hebel autoclaved aerated concrete because of the requirement for fire-class EI-M 120.
Our material does not burn, resists fire for up to 360 minutes and heats up much more slowly than other building materials.

In addition to slowing the spread of fire, smoke and heat within the warehouse, the fire compartment walls must also be able to withstand impacts, such as furniture being knocked over or other parts of the building collapsing. This reduces the risk of the building collapsing in the event of a fire.

Strict environmental requirements

Xella Norway worked closely with Metacon from the start of the project. There were several reasons for this. The construction managers wanted to minimize the building's carbon footprint and therefore imposed strict environmental requirements on all parties involved.

Hebel AAC is lightweight and made from mineral resources such as sand, lime, and water. The material is also recyclable and absorbs CO2 over its lifetime. Compared to other firewalls, Hebel walls therefore have a relatively low carbon footprint.

Other advantages include their light weight, adaptability and length. This allows for large scale construction. All of these advantages ensure efficient and cost-effective construction.

Our deliveries will be finished in June 2023.

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