© Dieter Steinbach
wienerberger Bausysteme produces prefabricated brick walls for houses and other buildings. Managing Director Michael Toth reveals what’s behind the solution.
Michael Toth: I see us as a start-up in an international company. Our eight-member team develops and supplies prefabricated construction systems for brick walls. We have two key account managers who support customers at every stage of their construction project, from the initial consulting and planning phase right through to production, delivery and invoicing. Another colleague is responsible for winning new customers for our solutions. Our wall elements are precision manufactured to the customer’s specifications in robot-assisted single shifts at our factory in Kirchberg am Wagram in Lower Austria. As Managing Director, it’s my job to ensure that operations run smoothly and to grow this young business segment.
Toth: Any project that is suitable for conventional masonry construction can be built with prefabricated brick walls. This includes single family homes and semi-detached houses as well as terraced houses and even multi-story residential blocks. Our system is also used for commercial properties.
Our solutions provide value for all sorts of target groups: We appeal to master builders who want prefabricated wall elements that can be put up quickly and easily. Property developers and housing associations also benefit from accelerated construction timelines and early completion. And of course, we love it if our customers become “repeat offenders” so to speak and carry out other projects with us later on.
Toth: Since the wall elements are made at our plant in an automated production process under controlled conditions the weather is never a problem, and we are able to guarantee consistently high quality. On a construction site, precision-fit prefabricated elements are a fast and economically-efficient solution: With our system, it takes around ten minutes to put up a four-meter-long wall – so a complete story can be erected in just one day. The precision-prefabricated wall elements also help reduce the volume of construction waste on site, cutting both labor costs and waste disposal costs. And: A clean building site is a safe building site.
“Since the wall elements are made at our plant in an automated production process under controlled conditions the weather is never a problem, and we are able to guarantee consistently high quality.”
Toth: Ideally, our key account managers begin guiding a construction project very early on, by which, I mean before the application for planning permission has been submitted. At this stage, we hammer out the technical details, optimize the economic efficiency of the construction and discuss the building schedule with our customers. This is where questions come up such as: When will the wall elements be needed on the construction site? In what order should they be put up? Is there a crane on the site or will a mobile crane be required? Finally, we create a digital 3D model. This forms the basis for our instructions for production and installation.
Toth: Four colleagues operate the production line at our site in Kirchberg am Wagram in Lower Austria. A robotic arm takes the individual bricks and arranges them in rows. These are then joined together using a dry bonding technique. And if required, the walls can also be cut to shape using waterjet cutting. Any ceramic waste generated during production is sold. This recyclable material is then crushed and used as granules to improve soil quality. On the agreed date the prefabricated wall panels are delivered to the construction site, where the builders put them up in accordance with our installation instructions.
Custom-fit: wienerberger Bausysteme programs the production system to produce the required wall elements on the basis of the digital 3D models that were created.
Toth: The details of the order need to be clear before the production process can begin since changes are no longer possible once production has been authorized. If we are already involved at the planning stage, we are able to streamline the construction schedule and optimize the design. This makes building projects faster and cheaper. If this is not the case, the customer ends up paying more for the prefabricated element than they would have done for a conventional pallet of bricks, because the cost of labor is included in the former – and they don’t reap the full benefits of prefabrication either. The earlier we are involved, the greater the benefit to the customer.
Toth: There is a shortage of sustainable, affordable housing. This is reflected in interest rates, rising rents and higher land prices, for example. At the same time, wage costs have also risen. All these factors are making it more difficult for people to afford a home of their own. This is where we have to begin: We are therefore continuing to develop our product range in a way that enables us to create housing efficiently and at a reasonable price. Additionally, there has been a shortage of skilled workers in recent years, which is also slowing things down. Prefabricated walls take some of the back-breaking labor out of the job for workers, making a career in construction more attractive.
We are also well-positioned in terms of sustainability: Clay is a natural, durable raw material that we use for prefabricated elements in a way that conserves resources. We keep transport distances as short as possible and are also increasing the proportion of recyclable products. To facilitate these efforts, we collaborate with external partners. For example, wienerberger is currently developing a reusable wall system in cooperation with the Graz University of Technology – in keeping with our Sustainability Strategy.
© Andreas Hafenscher
Bespoke construction: Multi-story apartment blocks can also be built to individual specifications from prefabricated wall elements.
Toth: Austria is not the only country where wienerberger offers prefabricated solutions. We also produce prefabricated brick elements in Belgium, for example. This is something that many of our country organizations are interested in. I’m always pleased when colleagues come to visit our plant to learn more about wienerberger Bausysteme. Our aim is to create sustainable, affordable housing. Serial construction should make a significant contribution to this while at the same time blending in with the local architecture. A second approach is automation through the use of robots on the construction site. wienerberger Czech Republic is very active here and we regularly exchange information.
“Our aim is to create sustainable, affordable housing. Serial construction should make a significant contribution to this while at the same time blending in with the local architecture.”
Toth: wienerberger focuses on integrated solutions expertise and collaboration with partners from within and outside the company. We work constantly to increase the added value that our prefabricated elements provide for the customer: There is demand for all “finishes” that are otherwise carried out on the construction site – such as window modules including the structural attachments and electrical installations that are integrated into the walls as well as plasters. We believe the trend in solid wall construction will continue toward increased prefabrication and automation. wienerberger will play an active role in shaping this development. This will enable us to make our contribution to affordable, sustainable housing.
© Dieter Steinbach
Michael Toth joined wienerberger in 2014. Prior to being appointed as Country Operations Director and Managing Director of wienerberger Bausysteme, he held several other leadership roles in the company, including that of Group Manager for Production Sites in Eastern Austria. What does the industrial engineer, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering and business law, appreciate most about his work? “The variety. We are a small, dynamic team – no two days at work are the same. We can really position ourselves as innovators who are able to bring new products to life and shape the future.”
© Wienerberger AG
