Developing a new floor system using domestic materials, "(tentative name) WOOD FLOOR UNIT 3.2" | Six domestic companies jointly develop new building materials

Contributing to solving social issues by proposing new ways to use timber (CLT)

NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., MEC Industry Co., Ltd., Sanyo Kogyo Co., Ltd., Rinrei Co., Ltd., and Maruyama Metal Industries Co., Ltd., has developed a new building material using domestically produced timber, tentatively named "WOOD FLOOR UNIT 3.2" (hereinafter referred to as "this product") (patent pending), which will be manufactured and sold by MEC Industry Co., Ltd.

As a company specializing in the comprehensive production of spaces, we participate from the initial conceptual stage of product development, supervising the concept design and construction techniques, and advising on details and construction methods to bring the proposed concept design to life.
The first phase of this product has been installed in a portion of the innovation facility operated by Mitsubishi Estate at the Shin-Marunouchi Building.

This product is a free-access floor*2 that utilizes CLT*1 and is a "new building material" that combines high design appeal with beautiful wood grain that covers the entire floor surface, functionality that takes advantage of the high strength of CLT, and environmental contribution functions that help prevent global warming through the carbon fixation effect of wood.

[Features of "(Provisional Name) WOOD FLOOR UNIT 3.2"]
(1) Exposing CLT without fire-retardant treatment
(2) A special coating that preserves the good qualities of the wood (fragrance, texture) and prevents staining.
(3) A joint that achieves both a design aesthetic where no metal fittings are visible on the finished surface and easy construction.
(4) Contributes to the global environment through high carbon sequestration efficiency

Conventional free access floors generally have carpeting laid on top of steel panels, but this product uses the wood grain of the CLT panels as the finishing material, eliminating the need for carpeting and allowing the natural wood to be exposed as standard.

The use of domestic timber in this product will lead to the maintenance and improvement of forests' carbon fixation, water source conservation functions, disaster prevention functions, etc., and by creating a virtuous cycle for domestic forests, we will also contribute to solving social issues.

■Background of this product development
The Mitsubishi Estate Group, while promoting the use of domestically produced timber, recognized that in Japan, fire safety regulations make it difficult to expose CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) used in structural applications, preventing them from conveying the inherent appeal of wood to building users. Furthermore, from a cost perspective, interiors using natural wood often require custom-made products, and the lack of standardized, readily available products leads to high costs.
Therefore, leveraging the expertise of Mitsubishi Estate, which handles real estate development both domestically and internationally, we believed that we could solve the challenges facing the market by developing a new, easy-to-use, standardized building material using domestically produced timber. We teamed up with various companies that have know-how in the elements necessary for development, such as concept design, ease of construction, coatings, and connecting hardware, and developed this product based on the concept of "Good for the Earth, made and used by everyone."

■Features of this product
- Exposing CLT without fire-retardant treatment.
Because it is not subject to interiors finish restrictions, fire-retardant treatment is unnecessary. CLT can be used as an element of the spatial design.

・Special coating that prevents dirt while preserving the good qualities of wood (scent, feel)
We have adopted a coating agent that is easy to maintain while still taking advantage of the texture of the wood. The grain, feel, and even the rich scent fill the entire space with the natural atmosphere of wood.

・Joints that achieve design and easy construction that do not show hardware on the finished surface
No carpet will be applied. Just as the panel itself functions as a finishing material, the special joint where the hardware is not visible on the surface makes it easy to construction whether it is made in S or RC construction, new construction or renovation work.

・Contributes to the global environment with a high carbon fixation effect
When this product is used over 100m2, it is expected to have a carbon fixation effect (CO2 equivalent) of approximately 3.2t. (Calculated from the Forestry Agency's guidelines for "visualizing" the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed and fixed by companies through forest creation and wood use.)

■ Product Overview
・Material specifications: CLT (mainly made from southern Kyushu cedar)
Material specifications (panel size) Hook-connect type: 497mm x 497mm x thickness 36mm, Side-joint type: 497mm x 497mm x thickness 54mm
Panel weight: Hook-and-loop type: approx. 4.0 kg/piece, Side-joint type: approx. 6.0 kg/piece
Load capacity: Hook-and-loop type: Approx. 2,500N, Side-fitting type: Approx. 5,000N
Finishing: Apply special coating agent

Annotation
*1 CLT: An abbreviation for Cross Laminated Timber, which refers to a large panel in which layers of wooden boards are laminated and glued together so that each layer crosses each other at right angles.
*2 Free access floor: A floor that can accommodate power supply and communication wiring, as well as air conditioning and other equipment under the floor.
*3 Large diameter logs: Generally refers to logs with an end diameter (diameter at the narrowest end) of 30 cm or more.

■ Roles of each company
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. / Product Planning and Development
MEC Industry Co., Ltd. / Material manufacturing, processing, and sales
NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Co., Ltd. / design supervision, construction supervision, and general advice on product development.
Sanyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. / Support leg manufacturing, construction verification
Rinrei Co., Ltd. / Development of natural wood coating agents and maintenance supervision related to performance maintenance.
Maruyama Metal Industries Co., Ltd. / Development of special joining hardware that does not show on the finished surface

[Reference] About the joint development companies

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
Business description: Development and rental of office buildings, commercial facilities, hotels, logistics facilities, etc.; development and sales of profitable real estate both domestically and overseas; development and sales of residential and industrial land, etc.; operation of airports and leisure facilities, etc.; real estate brokerage and consulting; asset management business.

MEC Industry Co., Ltd.
Business description: Purchasing, manufacturing and sales of building materials

Ltd. NOMURA Co.,Ltd.
Services: Research, planning, consulting, design, layout, production, construction and operation and management of space creation

Sanyo Industries Ltd.
Business activities: Manufacturing and sales of metal building materials and construction materials / Manufacturing and sales of interiors materials, exterior materials, air conditioning and ventilation systems, and contracting for construction work.

Rinrei Co., Ltd.
Business description: Research and development, manufacturing, sales and export of hygiene management products such as wax for commercial, household, automotive and industrial use, high-performance coating agents and detergents, as well as manufacturing and sales of commercial cleaning equipment

Maruyama Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
Business description: Manufacturing and sales of metal snap buttons, resin molded products, and cutting products