Certified wood construction:
the importance of quality with ARCA

In an ever-changing industry such as wood construction, ensuring quality, safety and sustainability is essential. ARCA certification was created with precisely this goal in mind: to protect those who design, build and live in wooden buildings by raising construction standards.

Metallurgica Ledrense, which has always been committed to the development of innovative and certified solutions for the building industry, is an ARCA Technical Partner: a recognition that confirms our commitment to the promotion of a concrete and verifiable culture of quality.

In this article, by Mauro Carlino (ARCA Manager) we look at the principles of ARCA certification and the advantages of relying on ARCA Technical Partners.

What is the ARCA certification system and what does it cover?

ARCA was created to promote quality wood construction and to guarantee, in a serious and transparent way, the performance of wood buildings, elevations and extensions, to protect the people who live and work in them.

Developed since 2009 in Trentino at the initiative of the Autonomous Province of Trento, ARCA promotes a model of innovative, technologically advanced and competitive wood building in the sustainability market.

The certification is based on established experience, in particular the SOFIE project: a seven-story wooden building that passed a simulation of the Kobe earthquake (January 1995, 6,500 casualties, 7.2 degrees on the Richter scale), demonstrating the extraordinary seismic resistance of XLAM structures. Also, a few months earlier, a prototype SOFIE house managed to withstand a major fire test conducted by the Building Research Institute in Tsukuba, Japan, for more than an hour.

ARCA was developed by enhancing local research experiences(University of Trento, CNR-Ivalsa), the know-how of companies, designers, and institutions, and the expertise of the Green Building Council Italy.

What can be certified through the ARCA system?

The ARCA certification applies to different types of interventions:

Complete buildings (“turnkey”).
Structures in the advanced rough., as a first step toward certification.
Individual components such as windows, doors, panels XLAM and other wood products.

The protocols apply to all major types of wood construction: houses, schools, hotels, public buildings, using technologies such as XLAM panels, frame systems, blockbau and solid wood elements.

In addition, ARCA accredits professionals and companies who operate by following strict quality standards, helping to raise the level of the entire supply chain.

What are the specifications that ARCA verifies?

ARCA evaluates construction characteristics during both design and construction, focusing on technical performance (seismic safety, fire resistance, sound insulation, energy efficiency), construction detail management, durability, supply chain innovation, and sustainability.

What are ARCA Technical Partners?

ARCA Technical Partners are companies that support the work of popularizing the quality of wood construction through work on innovation, research and development of industry technology and technique.

Collaborating as a Technical Partner means:

Promoting the culture of good building.
Participate in internationally recognized scientific projects.
Support the connection between universities, research centers and companies.

Habitech - Trentino Technological District participates and supports several research projects funded by the European Commission on the topic of wood construction such as:

Build-In-Wood, which has produced a Design Guide international and a community global community for sharing best practices on wood construction.
Timber Forward, a project carried out with Green Building Council Italy and Lendlease, aimed at promoting bio-based materials in the building sector, in collaboration with the network Built by Nature supported by the Laudes Foundation.

Metallurgica Ledrense: ARCA technical partner for prefabricated dry foundations

Metallurgica Ledrense stands out in the ARCA certification landscape for the innovative contribution it brings to the industry.
Our company actively promotes solutions such as Ledrosteel Foundation, the system of prefabricated dry foundations certified on the basis of the relevant “European Technical Assessment” (ETA): a technology that guarantees rapid installation, structural stability and minimal environmental impact, ideal for wooden buildings, prefabs and constructions in constrained areas.

For us, being a Technical Partner means not only adhering to high standards, but also directly contributing to the development of new technologies and best practices that improve the entire supply chain.

Building the future on a solid foundation

Investing in ARCA certification means focusing on safer, more durable and sustainable wood construction. Relying on a technical partner like Metallurgica Ledrense means counting on certified expertise, technological innovation and cutting-edge engineering solutions.

Keep following us: in future articles we will delve into concrete cases of application of our technology!

Mauro Carlino

Mauro Carlino, a building engineer-architect who graduated from Trento, specializes in the restoration of existing heritage and wood architecture. Since 2012 he has been working at Habitech - Distretto Tecnologico Trentino, where he is now Head of ARCA and the Wood area. He is in charge of ARCA certification, evaluation of wood projects and construction sites, drafting and updating Technical Regulations and training through the ARCA Academy. He teaches the ARCA Basic Course and training courses dedicated to professionals, companies and technical institutes.