In Hønefoss, a small Norwegian town a good hour's drive from the capital Oslo, a sports facility, the Haugsbygd Arena, is to be built. But the masonry company, Murercompaniet AS, was faced with a major challenge: the tight deadline for installing and plastering the interior walls of the sports hall. Time was of the essence. An innovative solution was required.

Ytong wall elements were chosen. Although popular in countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, these elements had not yet become established in Norway. This was about to change.

Murercompaniet AS was looking for a faster and better alternative and chose Ytong elements from Xella. Admir Jahic, the project manager, vividly remembers the pressure they were under and how the Ytong elements came to their rescue: "We were under a lot of time pressure, so we had to find a solution faster and better than planned.  As a result, the assembly work was carried out as planned and we were able to complete the project on time and avoid delays," says Admir Jahic, project manager at Murercompaniet AS.

Healthier workplace using Ytong

Jahic is convinced that Ytong elements have great potential in Norway: "Large construction projects are often characterized by high time pressure, where both load-bearing and non-load-bearing partitions with high fire protection requirements have to be installed. In these cases, Xella's Ytong elements are a very attractive alternative to other lightweight walls and concrete materials, because you get a robust material that is inherently fire-resistant and can be installed efficiently with a lift". At the same time, he says, Ytong elements are a very clean product that avoid mortar and a lot of cutting. This contributes to a more efficient and healthier working environment.

Kenneth Gregersen, Project Developer at Xella Norway, comments the interest in Norway: "The Haugsbygd Arena is the first project for which we are supplying Ytong elements in Norway. We believe that this product has great potential for large building structures that require fast and robust solutions for internal partitions."

Gregersen believes that the wall elements could become more common in Norway in the future. "The autoclaved aerated concrete wall elements can be used for both load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls and partitions in all types of buildings. The panels are fire and moisture resistant and are not affected by decay. The patented super-smooth surface requires only a light application with a sand trowel, cement trowel or plaster mortar. In addition, the walls can be installed early in the construction phase, so you don't have to wait until the building is dry".

The sports hall at Hønefoss is scheduled for completion at the end of 2023.