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Wood is Extensively Used for the Construction of the Seedling Complex at Mežvidi Nursery

The construction works of the new LVM Mežvidi tree nursery seedling sorting and processing complex in Jaunkalsnava are underway to increase the production capacity of forest seedlings and meet the demand for high-quality forest seedlings. Currently, the assembly of wooden structures for the production part of the building and construction works for the administrative part of the building are being carried out. In total, 30 % of the planned work has been completed so far.

Long-span glued wooden structures, which reach 30 metres in length, are being used in the production part of the building of the seedling sorting and processing complex.

“The biggest challenge was the delivery of these long wooden structures to Jaunkalsnava, because the transportation route had to be coordinated and the accompanying transport had to be involved. The use of wood in the construction is a responsible choice for the climate and wood is a suitable material with long service life. Thanks to the availability of raw materials, construction production options in Latvia and relatively simple assembly works, wood is also a suitable material for the construction of production and warehouse facilities,” says Uģis Perševics, Construction Manager at LVM Real Estate Administration.

The long span of the structures is necessary to ensure the seedling processing cycle. By building spacious rooms without constructive elements such as columns in the middle of the room, you can plan a more efficient placement of production equipment, seedlings, and other raw material transportation routes.

In the construction of the frame of the building of the seedling complex, materials not typical for production-type buildings are used – wooden structures. We also use other sustainable solutions such as rainwater from the roof of the building will be drained into a reservoir on the territory and used for watering the seedlings in the nursery, whereas solar panels will be used for electricity generation and water heating, which will promote energy efficiency and environmentally friendly construction. Wood is also used in the construction works of the administrative part of the complex building – in the frame constructions and decoration, in the frame constructions of the production part and in the frame constructions and decoration of the adjacent warehouse building.

It is planned to build a seedling sorting and processing complex building with an area of 8 000 square metres, which will house production facilities, seedling freezers, and the nursery's administrative premises. Moreover, the construction works will include a storage warehouse for inventory and equipment with an area of 500 square metres, construction of utility networks and improvement of the area of 2.8 hectares.

In the near future, it is planned to start the roof assembly works, and with the arrival of warmer weather – to resume the improvement works of the territory.

In the spring of 2022, the first pine tree seedlings grown in the Mežvidi Nursery were sold in the amount of 3.2 million, whereas this year it is planned to sell 9.6 million pine and spruce tree seedlings. The Mežvidi Nursery is to reach its full production capacity – 15 million seedlings per year – by 2026.

Using wood in construction requires less energy than using metal or concrete. Wood contributes to energy efficiency thanks to its ability to conduct heat, which makes it a better insulator than other materials. Anyone interested is encouraged to discover other possibilities of wood as a construction material, as well as learn about the importance of a growing forest in mitigating climate change, at the largest forest industry event – the Latvian Forest Days – which is to take place in Tērvete on 26 and 27 April.