The exhibition sections at BAU 2013: Materials, technologies, systems – Part 4

BAU 2013 is a 180,000 m² showcase of materials, technologies and systems. That´s the equivalent of 25 football pitches filled with state-of-the-art technology for the international building and construction industry. In a five-part series, we present a succinct review of what the main focuses will be in 2013 in the individual sections at the fair. In Part 4, we look at the following: locks, fittings, security; energy, building systems, solar technology; and wood and plastics.

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Locks / Fittings / Security (Halls B4/C4)

Thermal losses in ventilation can be significantly reduced by using new-style fittings: electrically operated, these systems enable air flow to be optimized and tuned to individual requirements. The opening and closing times can be set via touch panels in the home or time switches; it´s even possible to do this remotely via a smartphone. All this enhances comfort and convenience in the home. These two factors are also high on the priority list when it comes to external doors, and the industry is constantly improving its automatic recognition and locking systems – from transponder coding to biometric identification processes. Exhibitors at BAU 2013 will be presenting a wide variety of locks, cylinders and fittings, including systems to control access and prevent break-ins.

Energy / Building Systems / Solar technology (Hall B2)

Advances in heating, cooling and air-handling technology are being boosted as a result of the declared aim of moving away from fossil fuels towards regenerative sources of energy. Photovoltaics and solar thermal energy (for heating and cooling) are two alternatives, and these are increasingly being integrated into buildings and building systems. In some cases solar modules (photovoltaic panels) are taking the place of conventional building materials. This works on both single-family houses and on larger buildings. Examples are the Central Station in Berlin and a whole range of sports stadia. David Wedepohl from the German solar industry association, Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft: "The focus is on building automation, but also on storage and intelligent consumption." More and more people are aiming to become independent of the electricity companies – and for that the electricity generated on your own roof or house wall has to then be able to be stored in sufficient quantities. Solar energy storage devices are now available for private as well as for industrial purposes. Advances here are continuing apace. As well as energy storage, intelligent management of energy consumption is also a key component in electricity provision: this means adapting consumption to generation, e.g. equipment that uses a lot of energy, such as a washing machine, is only then switched on when sufficient electricity is available. Any excess electricity generated can be fed into the national grid.

Wood / Plastics (Hall B5)

The wood-processing industry will be showcasing many innovations at BAU 2013, in particular as regards the megatrends of sustainability and energy-efficiency. "Building in an environmentally friendly way means building in wood and wood derivatives," says Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Principal Managing Director of Germany´s wood and plastics processing federation (HDH – Hauptverband der deutschen Holzindustrie und Kunststoffe verarbeitenden Industrie). As a natural material, wood´s beneficial physical properties are increasingly being exploited in architecture and building. Lightweight yet stable materials combine well with other materials in a hybrid method of construction, and this is opening up new possibilities, for example in the construction of multi-storey apartment blocks. In 2011, for example, in the town of Bad Aibling in Upper Bavaria, an eight-storey wood-framed building was constructed: the all-wood walls consists of solid wooden posts planked with wood-derivative panels; insulation materials and building paper take care of thermal insulation and air-tightness. Excellent thermal insulation is the basis for the latest generation of highly energy-efficient buildings. Many of these "plus-energy" buildings, i.e. building that produce more energy than their occupants consume, are already being built as prefabricated timber-framed buildings. The rising demands of private and public clients in terms of the environmental compatibility of their building projects are also being met in the building products and materials offered by the wood-processing industry.

For a list of all the exhibitors at BAU 2013, the product groups and product presentations, go to the online catalog, at: www.bau-muenchen.com

Your press contacts for BAU 2013:

Johannes Manger and Benjamin Büttner

Tel. (+49 89) 949-21482, Fax (+49 89) 949-9721482

e-mail: Johannes.Manger@messe-muenchen.de and Benjamin.Buettner@messe-muenchen.de