Buildings in Finland

[tuulen]

I'm in New England, USA, and where I am the annual temperatures generally are between +35C and -25C, although sometimes hotter, and sometimes colder. All of which is to say that the area I am in, and that the buildings in this area, are subject to frozen, and then not frozen, ground, in particular that the foundations of buildings in this area could be subject to a phenomenon known as frost heave, annually.

Now, in my virtual tour of Finland, it appears that frost goes much deeper into the ground than in my area, and so to prevent frost heave, it appears that building foundations in Finland must go much deeper into the ground than in my area. For instance, in my area the minimum foundation depth is considered to be at least 1,25 meters, whereas in Finland the minimum foundation depth could be twice as deep, and maybe even more than that, depending on the level of the water table, etc.

So, wow! It appears that Finland really does have cold winters!

[Upphew]

Now, in my virtual tour of Finland, it appears that frost goes much deeper into the ground than in my area, and so to prevent frost heave, it appears that building foundations in Finland must go much deeper into the ground than in my area. For instance, in my area the minimum foundation depth is considered to be at least 1,25 meters, whereas in Finland the minimum foundation depth could be twice as deep, and maybe even more than that, depending on the level of the water table, etc.

Some foundations might go so deep, depending of the area (clay is the problem). But at least in Lappeenranta area shallow foundations are the norm, not the exception (even if there is quite much radon). Shallow foundations goes maybe 0,5 meters to the ground, frost goes to 1,8-2,6m, but it is nothing that 100mm of insulation won't fix. Why dig foundations so deep when proper insulation (and drainage!) will keep frost and ice in bay?

[sammy]

So, wow! It appears that Finland really does have cold winters!

Well - do you mean Southern or Northern parts of Finland... quite different Anyway it isn't that it would get phenomenally cold even in the North, it's just that winter (read: the frost period) lasts longer the further North you go. Finland is not Antarctica exactly... and the temperatures here are not in any way exceptional to what you might experience elsewhere in the regions close to the Arctic circle. You may hear of temperatures like -30C or -40C in mid-winter but that is already rather rare - bar perhaps the very Northernmost areas... I think the lowest temp measured was -50 or so (in Lapland, sometime in the late 90's?) but that's insanely exceptional

Here in Helsinki it's rarely even as cold -15C in winter... just a few centigrades below zero (or even above) is far more common. But occasionally, yes it may get close to -30 here as well.

However I wouldn't know much at all about building foundations. But this is how central heating works in here

[CatNip]

It's mostly even a bit too hot in Finnish flats during the winter than cold.
During the past years we Finns have tries to learn to live in colder flats during the winter, as most of the Finns keep the temperature at +22 celcius or even warmer during the winter months.

Found some presentations on laying a house foundations in Finland:
http://www.lammi-perustus.fi/attachment ... sennus.wmv
http://www.parma.fi/download.aspx?intFi ... ctID=10179

In the cities houses are connected to district heating system, here Helsinki info as an example: http://www.helen.fi/sljeng/kl_verkko.html

other links: http://www2.energia.fi/energiauutiset/chp2009.html

[Rosamunda]

Our house is built on clay. The foundations are resting on metal pillars that have been sunk >15m into the ground. We are about 13m above sea level in Espoo (west of Helsinki).

A few years ago we built a deck in the back garden. It is floating on concrete blocks and is not attached to the house. One cold winter (the whole of January was well below freezing and even as cold as -25) we noticed that the outer edge of the deck had risen 20-25 cms above the concrete blocks!

But our house has very few cracks in the walls, surprisingly.

Oddly, Finns seem to like homes with flat roofs. They were really fashionable in the 60s and 70s. Now all those "retro" buildings are having proper roofs built onto them. Quite a few houses in the suburb where I live have had roofs added in the 90s and only a handful of 60s/70s buildings have retained the Modern style.

[sammy]

Oddly, Finns seem to like homes with flat roofs.

Dunno, maybe that could be compared with "liking flared trousers" - they were all the rage at some point, modern and "in" so to speak. I'm not sure if people living in the houses really preferred flat roofs as much as the architects did, especially after they noticed the drawbacks (so this is what "running water inside" means). Perhaps the 60's/70's building technology also contributed to the problems.

[AldenG]

Minnesota and Michigan were a shock to Finnish immigrants.

They looked so inviting and familiar, but the temperatures were more extreme: much hotter in the summer and much colder in the winter.

I think in New England, you'd have more humidity at every time of the year than Finland.

[Pursuivant]

Oddly, Finns seem to like homes with flat roofs. .

No its the architects who liked them. Who made all these modern buildings.

[Pursuivant]

and so to prevent frost heave, it appears that building foundations in Finland must go much deeper into the ground than in my area.

It depends on the kind of ground as well as the drainage... clay heaves as its hard to drain, dry earth or dirt won't

[tuulen]

and so to prevent frost heave, it appears that building foundations in Finland must go much deeper into the ground than in my area.

It depends on the kind of ground as well as the drainage... clay heaves as its hard to drain, dry earth or dirt won't

True, I was looking at the more extreme conditions in Finland, especially of those in northern Finland.

Here's what I was looking at: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD ... tTRDoc.pdf (Note: .pdf file)

OK, I won't let the secret out, that you in southern Finland have palm trees, crocodiles, and endless groves of fruit-bearing trees.

;-)

[AldenG]

OK, I won't let the secret out, that you in southern Finland have palm trees, crocodiles, and endless groves of fruit-bearing trees.

Already?

I thought that was in the next 5-year climate plan.

[tuulen]

OK, I won't let the secret out, that you in southern Finland have palm trees, crocodiles, and endless groves of fruit-bearing trees.

Already?

I thought that was in the next 5-year climate plan.

lol

I couldn't resist a bit of humor. My MIL is from Finland, from Kemi, and here in America she is known to have once told a story to somebody who had asked about life in Finland, where she then said that on occasions she had to chase polar bears out of her kitchen, with a broom.

There are polar bears in Finland, right?

:-)

[Upphew]

There are polar bears in Finland, right?

Of course: they can be found at Ranua

[tuulen]

There are polar bears in Finland, right?

Of course: they can be found at Ranua

So, there really are polar bears in Finland, and in Ranua, which is not far from where my MIL comes from!

I understand that polar bears are considered to be an endangered species, and in the news I have seen stories about a polar bear cub in Germany, but I wasn't aware that Finland could also be making efforts to help save the polar bears.

However, I'm quite sure that my MIL was telling a tall tale.

[AldenG]

Yes, polar bears can be huge. They are essentially white grizzlies. A woman with a broom would be food with a garnish.