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harvested to manufacture the deck installed About american white oak (quercus spp.)

at Expo Milano to be replaced in the forest. Widespread throughout Eastern USA. White oak is similar in colour and
appearance to European oak. The sapwood of American white oak is
The deck is better than carbon neutral on a light coloured and the heartwood is light to brown.
ABOUT AHEC. For over 20 years the American Hardwood Export
cradle-to-grave basis. The carbon emissions Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of wood promotion in Europe,
successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods.
associated with delivery of materials and AHEC’s support for creative design projects such as The Wish List for
London Design Festival 2014, Invisible Store of Happiness for
fabrication of the deck are more than offset Clerkenwell Design Week 2015 demonstrates the performance potential
of these sustainable materials and provides valuable inspiration.
by energy generated from wood offcuts and IMOLA LEGNO. Imola Legno is Italy’s leading timber distribution
company with a great passion for wood and for its enormous versatility.
disposal at end of life. Much of the energy The company offers customised semi-finished products suitable for
different industries. Imola Legno is aware of its environmental
input for production of the deck derives responsibility towards the world’s forest resources and therefore is
committed to deliver only products that are legally sourced.
from renewables. For as long as the deck re-
American white
mains in use it will storethe equivalent of oak deck

14.5 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

For David Venables, European Director of

AHEC, this project was a great opportunity

for the US hardwood industry to support

this important event and the strong USA

presence and messages. “The floor looked

amazing, it was full of character and vibrant

grain patterns and clearly everyone involved,

including the architects were really pleased

with the end result. It has also given us the

chance to LCA profile a decking product for the

first time, and results show once again just how

strong the environmental credentials of Amer-

ican hardwoods really are.”

The white oak decking was manufactured

in Italy by Imolalegno. Comprising profiled

random length strips, 20mm in thickness

and 80mm wide. The floor was laid using

a hidden clip mounting system with 5mm

gaps between each strip. Stainless steel fas-

teners were used and the decking can easi-

ly be taken up without damage either for

routine maintenance or re-use, thus consid-

erably extending its life expectancy. The

deck is finished with one coat of a clear an-

ti-oxidant oil. I

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