Attention: New obligations for construction products from January 1

New obligations for construction products placed on the Czech market pursuant to Government Regulation No. 163/2002 Coll., as amended by Government Regulation No. 119/2024 Coll., apply from January 1, 2025.

From January 1, 2025, manufacturers/importers are required to include in their declaration of conformity all product characteristics that may affect compliance with at least one of the basic requirements for construction works.

Specific properties for a given product can be found in the Test Results Assessment Report.

Declarations of conformity issued before January 1, 2025, based on conformity assessments pursuant to §7 shall remain valid for the period specified therein.

Declarations of conformity issued before January 1, 2025, based on conformity assessments pursuant to Sections 5, 5a, 6, 8, and 9 shall remain valid until there is a change in the facts relevant to the issuance of the declaration, but no later than December 31, 2027.

At the same time, the manufacturer/importer must affix the Czech conformity mark CCZ. The CCZ mark shall be affixed to the product or, if this is not possible or appropriate, to the packaging or technical documentation.

Aktuální znění NV č. 163/2002 Sb.

Více informací a značku CCZ ke stažení naleznete zde na webu MPO.

If you have any questions, please contact: Ing. Štejfová, stejfova@vvud.cz, mobile: 739 569 323

Dřev

New: Guide to proper storage of lumber for natural drying

Transporting and storing lumber has its own rules. Wood is a natural material and constantly adapts to the conditions in which it finds itself. It is affected by humidity, temperature, sunlight, location, air flow, and also the way it is stored.

The Timber Institute has now published a new guide entitled How to properly store sawn timber products for natural drying?

In this publication, experts understandably summarize the needs and requirements for proper storage of lumber. They point out the basic principles of its storage, wood handling, transportation, and also the main risks.


The czech manual is intended for roundwood processors, traders, as well as all other craftsmen, builders, furniture makers and DIYers.

The price is 350 CZK incl. VAT.

Recommendation for purchases from abroad: use SEPA payments.

The publication contains 11 chapters and 25 images for easier understanding of the issues. A preview and content of the manual is available below. The manual is distributed by address in the form of an e-book (in PDF format).

How do you get the manual?

Register in the form. You will then be sent an advance invoice and after payment you will receive a tax receipt and a PDF document by email.

Registration form:


    A preview of the content and introductory essay is here:

    Recycled building boards presented to the president

    Last year, representatives of the Diakonie Broumov social cooperative and I discussed methods of testing and certifying multipurpose building boards made from textile waste.

    In our laboratory, we verified the properties of these boards according to the testing and classification methods of ten selected ČSN EN standards. The aim was to verify the mechanical and physical properties of the boards, the health aspect of the release of volatile substances, and fire resistance.

    After the certificates are issued, the boards can be marketed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the EU and other selected countries around the world.

    Meeting with the presidential couple

    A few days ago, building boards made from textile waste were presented to President Petr Pavlov and his wife Eva at a meeting with selected representatives of Czech innovative companies with export overlap.

    Congratulations to Mr. Hendrichovský’s team from Diakonia for being chosen as a progressive innovator to present their products at the highest level!

    We are pleased to have contributed to this success with our laboratory services and expertise. Our research and development team contributes to innovation for manufacturing companies across the woodworking industry.

    The area of recycling and reuse of waste or secondary raw materials is also part of our activities. And it’s not our first time dealing with textile processing.

    Board production line

    The groundbreaking idea of processing textile waste into building boards continues with the establishment of a new company, TXB CZ (Textile Board), which will resell the products and also expand their portfolio.

    President’s statement

    President Petr Pavel commented on the meeting: “It is undeniable that innovation is the driving force of progress and there are great opportunities in fresh ideas. Yesterday, Eva and I, in cooperation with regional innovation centers, invited representatives of startup and inspiring companies to Lány, which help, inspire and enrich with their work and unique approach.

    At the same time, we would like to use this meeting to motivate those regions in which innovation centers can only be created. Whether it is the production of optical systems for satellites, the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart arrhythmias, an application to support mental health, or the active use of virtual reality in education – you deserve great recognition for your courage and creativity, thanks to which you are moving the Czech Republic forward.

    Tisková zpráva na webu Hradu.

    You can see how Diakonie Broumov is taking its idea to the world. přečíst na webu Naše Broumovsko zde.

    More about Diakonii na jejich webu.

    Invitation to the For Arch fair

    On 19-23 September 2023, the next edition of the international building fair For Arch will take place at the PVA Letňany in Prague.
    The Timber Research Institute has once again become an expert partner of this event. Our technicians will give lectures on the quality of wooden buildings, their possibilities, certification and the correct way of construction.

    Book your time and come and talk to many experts in the construction industry.

    More information on the organizer’s website: www.forarch.cz

    Wooden nurseries in the Chamber of Deputies

    At the beginning of May, the Chamber of Deputies hosted a seminar under the auspices of the Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Jana Krutáková, on the topic “Schools built from wood: a case study of the Republic of Finland”. The event was held in the presence of Nina Vaskunlahti, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, Petri Heino, Programme Manager of the Ministry of the Environment of Finland and other persons from the Embassy of the Republic of Finland in Prague, invited companies with Finnish participation and expert guests.

    The Timber Research Institute was also represented at the event. This was the second meeting on the use of wood in construction on the floor of the Chamber of Deputies. The topic of timber buildings will continue to be on the radar of MPs.

    The seminar was organised by Tomáš Dubský, Josef Flek, Ondřej Lochman and Lukáš Vlček, Members of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

    Research for MIT – evaluation and energy savings of natural materials in the construction industry

    Since 2021, the Timber Research Institute has been conducting an assessment of energy saving opportunities in the construction industry using domestic renewable and secondary raw materials for the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The analysis included an assessment of the environmental impact of their use throughout the life cycle of the building.

    The evaluation of the selected construction systems also took into account the energy and costs required not only for the operation and heating of the buildings, but also for the construction itself. A comparison was made of the CO2 emissions in the production of the assessed building materials against other conventional building materials. The results were prepared with the financial support of the State Programme for the Promotion of Energy Saving for the period 2017-2021, Programme EFEKT II. The project was closed at the end of 2022.

    The whole research was divided into five stages:

    • Stage 1: Search systemisation of available knowledge and data
    • Stage 2: Analysis of potentially advantageous design systems and selection of representatives for case studies
    • Stage 3: LCA and LCC analyses – determination of life cycle environmental impacts of selected structural systems
    • Stage 4: Cataloguing and evaluation of achievable parameters
    • Stage 5: Proposal of strategic, technical or legislative measures to reduce negative environmental impacts in the construction sector

    Brief conclusions from the research can be found in the attached article.

    Salon of Wooden Buildings and Yearbook of Architecture

    In the second half of April, the opening evening of the Wooden Buildings Salon took place at CAMP, a project combining modern wooden buildings, architecture and responsible lifestyle. The Timber Research Institute was once again the expert partner of the event.

    A video recording of the evening, including lectures by the excellent international guests Helmut Dietrich (NO) and Reiulf Ramstad (AT) can be viewed here.

    The exhibition on a wooden installation is open until 17 May 2023 at nám. Václav Havel in the centre of Prague.

    If you want to learn more about the exhibited projects, read interviews with foreign and domestic architects and have a closer idea of what awaits wooden architecture in the coming years, you can buy the publication WOOD ARCHITECTURE ANNUAL ´23.

    More on the organizer’s website

    What prevents wooden buildings from expanding in the market?

    The analytical company CEEC Research has prepared a Quarterly Analysis of the Czech Construction Industry Q1/2023, in which it dealt with the market share of wooden buildings and barriers to their expansion.

    12% of construction companies are involved in timber buildings. The majority of construction companies (67%) consider wood construction to be more environmentally friendly. According to the respondents, the purchase costs of wooden buildings are roughly the same as those of conventional buildings. According to the construction companies involved in timber buildings, the spread of these buildings is mainly limited by the low awareness of their good quality.

    Eduard Muřický, Deputy Chief Director of the Economy Section of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic commented on the situation in the study:

    “The Ministry of Industry and Trade has long supported work to update the standards applicable to timber buildings to remove potential barriers to the increased use of wood-based materials. In this context, it cooperates with the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of the CTU and in the field of standards development with the Czech Agency for Standardization. The University Centre is working on the creation of normative conditions for fire safety for the increased use of wood in the construction industry.

    The Timber Research and Development Institute is working on a project on the use of wood in relation to the life cycle of buildings, energy consumption and environmental impacts for the future use of wood as a building material.

    The MIT together with the Ministry of Agriculture is also cooperating at European level to create conditions for the use of wood-based products in the construction industry.”

    Read more in the CEEC Research press release.

    Invitation to the MIT subsidy and consultation seminar

    On 2 May from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic will hold a regional seminar at the Clarion Congress Hotel in České Budějovice. Director Beránková from the Timber Research Institute will give a lecture at the economic and technical workshop on the topic “Use of wood in construction in the Czech Republic – possibilities and limitations”.

    The seminar and workshop is dedicated to the new support from the Operational Programme Technology and Applications for Competitiveness (OP TAK). As part of a targeted campaign in the regions, the MIT is trying to briefly acquaint those interested with the current information and calls for OP TAK in 2023. The speakers will also touch upon the ongoing Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness (OP PIK), where the end date of project administration is approaching.

    Newly, participants will be provided with space for questions and consultation of business plans in the framework of networking with experts on energy saving programmes and renewable energy sources of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the regional office of the Agency for Enterprise and Innovation. This will be followed by an economic and technical workshop organised in cooperation with the Department of Regional Studies of the NF VŠE, which will complement the seminar with inspiring contributions from experts on low-carbon economy and CO2 storage.

    Program:

    9:00 – 9:30 Registration and morning coffee

    9:30 – 9:40 Introductory remarks by the Chief Director of the EU Funds Section, Assoc. Ing. Marian Piecha, Ph.D., LL.M.

    9:40 – 10:40 Saving Programmes and Renewable Energy Sources, Ing. Jan Piskáček, Director of the Department of Infrastructure for SMEs and Energy Programs

    10:40 – 10:50 Space for questions

    10:50 – 11:10 Services of the API Regional Office for applicants and beneficiaries in OP TAK and OP PIK, Ing. Hana Staňková, Project Manager for the South Bohemia Region

    11:10 – 12:25 Networking with refreshments

    12:25 – 13:30 Workshop in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics, University of Economics

    CO2 as a tool for economic evaluation of business, Mgr. Šárka Tomanová, University of Economics, Director of DEAL GREEN, s. r. o.

    Use of wood in construction in the Czech Republic – possibilities and limitations, Ing. Jitka Beránková, Ph.D., Director of the Timber Research and Development Institute

    Geological CO2 storage, RNDr. Vladimír Kolejka, Czech Geological Survey

    Incorporation of CO2 into wood and wooden buildings, Nema spol. s. r. o. and its experience with subsidies, Executive Director Tomáš Nemrava

    13:30 – 14:00 Final closing

    Official invitation on the MIT website.

    Register with the organizer here

    A look back at the largest Wooden Buildings Conference

    At the beginning of April, the largest professional conference on timber buildings, which has been organized for 24 years by the Volyně VŠ and SPŠ in cooperation with the Regional Office of ČKAIT České Budějovice and other partners, took place. The event was filled to maximum capacity, both with lectures, participants and exhibiting partners.

    The Timber Research Institute was an expert partner, but also part of the conference programme. The Director of the The Timber Research Institute , Mrs. Ing. Jitka Beránková, Ph. D., presented a paper on “Wooden buildings – legislation and common sense”.

    One of the lecture topics is elaborated in the conference proceedings, namely “Analysis of potential energy savings, life cycle costs of buildings and environmental impacts in the use of wood in construction”. The proceedings can be requested from the event organiser,VOŠ a SPŠ Volyně.

    The entire event was documented on the school’s Facebook page.

    A short photo overview of the event is attached.