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Project New National Museum

Never before has an art museum like this been built in Norway. On Saturday 11 June 2022, the Nordic region's largest art museum finally opened, with a stone facade that is held up by brackets in acid-resistant steel from Nordic Steel.

- We have delivered a unique suspension system that has never been made before. At the same time, we are proud to contribute to the new National Museum meeting important environmental requirements, by using up to 80 percent recycled steel, says Børre Lobekk, CEO of Nordic Steel.

The brackets hold the facade

The walls around the National Museum are covered with slate. The suspension system on which the slate is mounted are unique steel brackets, specially made from Nordic Steel. Nearly 1,600 different brackets were made for the National Museum, where the number of each type varies.

- Almost no brackets are alike, they have different lengths, dimensions and different fastening points. Some are fixed in the lower part of the building, others further up on the wall, which means that they have to withstand various loads, Lobekk explains.

Wall-in box in acid-proof steel

Railings, benches and boxes for walling in technical equipment were also part of the complete delivery from Nordic Steel.

For contractor AF Gruppen, it was crucial to pick a reliable supplier for the project.

- Such a suspension system has not been made before, therefore it was extra important for AF Gruppen to use a reliable quality supplier. Nordic Steel has high precision on deliveries, understands the need and always delivers within the quality we need, says Hedda Kløvig, project engineer at AF Byggfornyelse during the construction of the National Museum.

The brackets behind the facade

Norway's Greenest Steel Centre

Among other things, Nordic Steel gets contracts because the company delivers on strict environmental requirements in public procurement, offers climate accounts and environmental declarations. The construction of the National Museum had very high climate requirements for, among other things, greenhouse gas emissions and material choices. One of the climate measures was the use of recycled steel rather than new steel.

Finished facade

High quality and competence at all levels is necessary to carry out an assignment as at the National Museum. Statsbygg as the client had strict requirements for both implementation and quality of the project.

Nordic Steel delivers on the highest requirements for certification and approvals. Documentation on all projects is an important part of the delivery.

Approximately 350,000 kilos of acid-proof steel brackets for the National Museum were designed and produced at Jæren, before being sent to Oslo for assembly.

Brackets in the hall

Serious supplier - certified welders

- We test our welds before we start. All welders have approved certificates for work in accordance with the welding procedures to be used, says William T. Boomer, welding coordinator at Nordic Steel.

An external welding inspector checked and approved all the welds for the project according to NS-EN ISO 5817: 2014, to double check and document that everything was correct. This was done, among other things, by measuring the size of the welding strings and the thickness of the weld.

Facts about Project New National Museum

  • The Nordic region's largest art museum with 54,600 square meters
  • The building is built on the old site of Vestbanen in Oslo
  • The cost framework is around NOK 6 billion
  • The construction of the National Museum started in 2014
  • Older and modern art, contemporary art, design and architecture come under one roof
  • 6,500 works will be displayed in the group exhibition, over 10,000 square meters
  • The light hall will be the building's signature with a spectacular showroom
  • The environmental goal of the project is a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during the building's lifetime
  • The National Museum was Statsbygg's first project with such high environmental requirements
  • Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 47.6 per cent during construction (Statsbygg's greenhouse gas report)
  • The construction project is a model project in FutureBuilt, which entails a commitment to reduce climate emissions as much as possible compared to similar projects
  • Art moved into 2021
  • The National Museum opened to the public on 11 June 2022

"Such a suspension system has not been made before, so it was particularly important for AF Gruppen to use a safe quality supplier. Nordic Steel has high precision on deliveries, understands the need and always delivers within the desired quality.

Hedda Kløvig, AF Building Renewal
AF Group

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