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EV charging station in Aarhus, Denmark
This build was commissioned by CLEVER, the Danish electric vehicle charging and mobility solution company. The architects were COBE. The project was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 6 days, using prefabricated structures.
Our services:
- Construction
- Detailing
- Production
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LocationFerry terminal in Aarhus, Denmark
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Year of construction2020
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DimensionsHeight: 4.6 m; width: 5.5 x 5.5 m
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ClientClever A/S (Denmark)
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ArchitectCobe (Denmark)
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DesignABC Rådgivende Ingeniører (former: AB Clausen) (Denmark)
Green roof
The roof of the building is covered in plants: it has been fitted as an extensive green sedum (stonecrop) roof, which requires minimal upkeep.
PROTOTYPE
Before constructing this build in Denmark, we manufactured and built a full-scale prototype of the station on the grounds of our headquarters.
Engineering part of the project
ZAZA TIMBER Engineering consulted Danish engineers ABC Rådgivende Ingeniører (AB Clausen) on connections for higher snow loads and developed the structure details, as well as designing the roof panels and their fastenings.
The most significant improvements:
- Considerable bending is induced by the snow load, therefore a solution with high-strength fully threaded screws was used to connect the tensile zone of the narrow cantilevered beam with the steel part.
- The direction of the cantilevered beam’s fiber was changed (so it would be parallel to the top part instead of bottom part) so there would not be cross-cut fibers in the tensile zone. This approach improves the load-bearing capacity and increases safety.
- Other connections were also improved using more modern hidden connections.
- For the central column, we chose to use a special steel which can be coated with a zinc layer up to 200 microns thick, which improves the longevity of the steel, given that the station is located on the coast.
For other details more exposed to the elements, we used Accoya acetylated wood.
Production part of the project
From a manufacturing point of view, this was a simple project for us. The total volume of the structures was 3.4 m3. The structures made for the columns had a strength category of GL24h, while the beams had a strength category of GL30h.
Cuts, drilling and sawing were done in the factory.
Glulam structures (beams and columns) were made from FSC-certified spruce wood.
We also applied surface treatment in the factory. The main aims of the treatment were to ensure protection against UV light, damp, and mold spores. We used ADLER Pullex Silverwood impregnation for the treatment.
Construction part of the project
For ZAZA TIMBER Construction (previously: Igate Būve), this was our first construction project overseas. Construction took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This required more careful planning and the preparation of various backup scenarios.
Construction took six days.
Before assembly in Denmark, we produced and built a prototype of the station in its original dimensions on our own premises, next to our factory.
Some of the assembly was done in our factory (sawing the panels, fastening).
As this charging station was to provide “green” energy, the architecture, materials, and concept were also “green” and demanding in terms of sustainability, choice of materials, manufacture, and construction solutions.
The architects were Danish architecture office COBE. The station was manufactured and built in a way that would be easy to disassemble and recycle or upcycle the materials.
The concept of using sustainable materials in this project meant the use of timber for the main structures: glued pine, Accoya and plywood. The roof of the structure is covered in plants, having been designed as an extensive green sedum (stonecrop) roof requiring minimal upkeep.
Considerations for the suitable use of materials and design meant that steel parts were integrated into the design. The timber structures were treated to ensure they were long lasting but also to maintain the visual texture of wood.
Some of the construction details were delivered directly to the construction site, which simplified the logistics and reduced the environmental impact of the transportation.
To load the screws correctly and evenly, it was important to tighten them with a constant torque not exceeding the load-bearing capacity. A special screwdriver was therefore used that controls the torque by computer.
