Urban Timber Houses in Vienna

Project "Mühlweg" of more than 250 flats in Vienna with four- and five-storey timber houses is described in this paper. In 2001, the building code of Vienna was modified to make way for the establishment of multi-storey timber houses with up to five storeys, provided that the supporting elements for the ground floor are made of mineral materials. In regard to multi-storey apartment building in Vienna these building methods were innovative. The city of Vienna has initiated a new focal point in public housing by promoting timber construction through advertising a competition amongst property developers. These timber constructions constitute something of an innovation in the area of multi-storey housing in Vienna. The advantages of timber buildings clarify why timber construction will play a major role in the future: High-grade prefabrication along with shorter construction periods, minor construction material moisture and ecological aspects. Because there are almost no experiences available regarding timber construction in urban areas, the city's municipality has assigned the Holzforschung Austria to support the three winning teams from the planning to the assembling periods. The objective was to become integrated in the design process as soon as possible and to provide the long-term experience of a testing and inspection institute in case of specific questions regarding the field of timber construction. This support assures a high standard of quality for these pilot projects. Apart from fire protection, the weighted impact sound pressure level of the partition ceilings presents a challenge. The measurement results and the construction methods are pointed out in this paper.