59th Nordbau Neumünster: Success with key topics and impressive special Attic Conversion Show

NEUMÜNSTER: – The new trade fair days from Wednesday to Sunday were regarded as a positive development of the biggest compact construction trade fair in North Europe with 67.100 visitors on five trade fair days from 10 – 14 September 2014.
Nordbau construction trade fair
The construction industry is booming and the 59th Nordbau is held under a good omen emphasised Reinhard Meyer, Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Economic Affairs on the occasion of the opening day. The Minister called on the construction industry to especially focus on investment in transport infrastructure in northern Germany. It is too simplistic to leave important transport projects halfway through completion with hasty cost capping. The example he gave was the Fehmarnsund bridge, which also should „match“ with the Danish-German Fehmarnbelt tunnel. Then Dr. Michael Beckereit, Vice-President German Association of Local Utilities as well as Dr. Steffen Bender from the Helmholtz Institute explained new approaches to this problem such as urban solutions from the cities and countries which can be created cost-effectively in terms of climate change and heavy rainfall.
„Efficiency on the construction site” was one of the top issues. In order to optimise their work process and reduce costs with perfectly matched construction machines and attachments, exibitors provided their clients with extensive and specialized services. In addition to numerous innovations there was a world premiere of a battery operated rammer, which will be available for sale in 2015. This development will be especially useful for urban construction, where noise emission is playing an important role during project execution.
The Nordbau’s special show for attic conversions was unique in its intensity and in diversity. Suppliers of most modern construction elements as well as construction and insulation materials, together with the craftsmen involved, architects and Haus & Grund initiated impressively the mutual special topic. Suppliers, buyers, service providers and other visitors benefited equally from impulses and ideas of modern attic conversion. Attic conversion increases property value, it can be supplement pension income from extra rent and it can provide an additional housing supply in high demand city locations. Student committees of universities were also involved in the preparation of the special topic.
In the newly built forum between the trade fair halls the visitors and tradesmen found a central contact point of experts for all questions regarding house building, current and scheduled road construction projects and professional organisations.
The range of products and services at the Nordbau for civil engineering and municipal engineering attracted professionals as well as house owners. The trade-spreading platform has also become a meeting place for college architects and engineers during the first lounge evening of the Chamber of Architects and Engineers as well as during architecture students’ events. The numerous exhibitors of brick and clinker created the suitable framework in the hall where the Chamber of Architects had their stand. There were diverse products of heating technology showcased in a 4,000 square meter hall, which proved to be of great interest by visitors.
Many of the 40 accompanying seminars were fully booked and were attended by a total of 4000 participants. Two thirds of these events are recognized as official training sessions of the Chamber of Architects and Engineers. There was a two day seminar about municipal technology of economic construction and cost saving maintenance of cycle paths. For the first time the VDBUM, Association of the Construction Industry, Environment and Machine Technology, tackled the topic „Free of explosives working and building“ when taking prevention and protection measures for construction machine operators in their machines. Service stations of construction equipment manufacturers reported increasing demand for retrofitting measures in construction machinery with special armouring for the protection of employees.
The institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention- building and construction industry in Northern Germany are increasingly demanding for protection of machine operators at building sites.
The 60th NordBau will take place 9 to 13 September of 2015.