The outer walls of apartment blocks are usually made of concrete elements, so that the seams between elements are visible on the building facade. ParmaRappaus is a new solution developed by researchers at the Department of Civil Engineering of TUT and the company Parma Oy: facades are built of ready-made structures that are joined together seamlessly.
The biggest advantage of ParmaRappaus is that it is not dependent on weather conditions or seasons that add their own limitations to the building work. Earlier, plastering was carried out on-site, with the workers occasionally having to wait for suitable conditions. "The ParmaRappaus plastering is finished indoors, so it is not weather-dependant", tells Parma Oy Project Manager, Erkki Myllymäki. The affordable production costs are an added benefit.
Comprehensive architectural designs are becoming more and more popular in construction industry. A unified look is especially important in these kinds of buildings, which explains the popularity of the seamless facade.
Research cooperation with TUT has benefited Parma Oy in many ways. "TUT is a competent and reliable partner for us and it is also important that the research results can be quickly applied into practice", acknowledges Myllymäki.
The department of Civil Engineering is praised for flexibility and flow of ideas. "Research methods and equipment are always developed on a problem-centred basis. A team of around 40 experts guarantees that the companies’ questions are not left unanswered", promises Professor Matti Pentti. Parma Oy will continue utilising TUT’s research expertise in future. "Our product has been received very positively in the market. Constant product development brings us a significant competitive edge", says Myllymäki.