The award for moisture-safe construction, awarded for the seventh time, aims to highlight the key role of moisture control during construction and the moisture technical functionality of structures in the implementation of a safe, healthy and long-lasting building. The aim of the competition is to highlight good practices, implementation methods and products that aim to improve the moisture safety of buildings. The competition applies to both new construction and renovation.
At the Building Physics conference on 28 October 2025, a total of five competition entries were heard, and the prize was awarded to the drying studies of the DELTABEAM® structure and following people:
- Tuomas Harmaala, Peikko Finland
- Juuso Salonen, Peikko Finland
- Esa Rusila, Peikko Finland
- Antti Mikkonen, Tampere University, Building Physics
- Tuomas Raunima, Tampere University, Building Physics
- Ilkka Valovirta, Tampere University, Building Physics
- Eero Tuominen, Tampere University, Building Physics
- Juha Vinha, Tampere University, Building Physics
In the award-winning idea, drainage solutions installed on delta beams at the factory make it possible to provide additional security for the moisture performance of the delta beam-hollow-core slab composite structure, if the basic conditions for concrete drying are met.
This year, the jury of the competition also awarded an honourable mention to the research on brick-clad timber-framed exterior walls of cooled residential buildings in the current and future climate. Cooling has become more common in the building stock due to climate change. The studied structure is one of the most common facades of detached houses in Finland, and it is also used in non-load-bearing exterior walls in apartment buildings. The study was carried out in the Building Physics research group at Tampere University. The study was made by:
- Maiju Hyötyläinen
- Anssi Laukkarinen
- Ilkka Valovirta
- Juha Vinha
The jury of the competition for moisture-safe construction were:
- Juha Vinha, Tampere University, Building Physics (chairman of the jury, disqualified from the winner’s selection)
- Jyrki Jalli, IdeaStructura Oy
- Pekka Laamanen, AFRY Buildings Finland Oy (disqualified from the winner’s selection)
- Elina Yli-Luukko, Northern Finland Construction Cluster
- Heikki Heikkonen, Rakennuslehti