Kerto-Ripa® elements from Metsa Wood – A brilliant execution

 Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Metsä Wood – recognised as one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of engineered wood products always seeks for something exceptional. Inventing Kerto LVL is one of their finest innovations. Kerto-Ripa® combines the performance of Kerto LVL.

Kerto-Ripa® integrates the strength of Kerto LVL, offering high-performance elements designed for use as load-bearing components in floors, roofs, and walls. These elements are fully customisable to meet the specific needs of engineers, architects, and contractors.

What is Kerto-Ripa?

Kerto-Ripa is composed of full-span plates (Kerto LVL Q-panel) and ribs (Kerto LVL S-beam), bonded together with PU glue to achieve full composite behaviour. The grain direction of the plates and ribs are oriented in the element span direction, with the cross-grain veneers of the plate distributing loads over the ribs. This combination results in a high-performance product that provides excellent comfort for the end-user.

Advantages of using Kerto-Ripa:

Kerto-Ripa is an all-in-one solution which offers the right benefits for an optimal construction. Wood construction also offers numerous advantages, such as

Flexibility

• Kerto-Ripa elements can be used both in wooden and hybrid constructions, as it easily connects to wood, masonry, concrete or steel structures
• Large openings in ribs (up to 70 % of the height) can be made easily
• Integration of installations

Technical

• Fire resistance up to 120 minutes
• Bracing of the element through smart gluing technology
• Load-bearing structure with a high stiffness and consequently a low vibration degree

Building Time

• Fast and easy assembly due to the prefab construction and big sizes (24 x 2.4 m)
• Prefabrication ensures uniform quality and a reduction in defect costs
• A quick covering of large areas keeps the building area below clean and dry

Light in weight

Kerto-Ripa elements can be up to 5 to 10 times lighter than with equal technical

Performance

• Consequently lighter load-bearing frames and foundations are needed
• Lighter and cheaper building equipment, such as electric cranes, can be used

Kerto-Ripa is under Kerto® LVL which is a structural laminated veneer lumber used in all types of construction projects, from new buildings to renovation and repair. Kerto LVL combines excellent technical performance with ease of use. Its essential qualities include strength and rigidity, dimensional stability and light weight.

Kerto LVL is produced from 3 mm thick rotary-peeled strength graded softwood veneers. The veneers are bonded with weather- and boil-resistant phenol formaldehyde adhesive to form a continuous b​illet. The billet is cut to length and sawn into LVL beams, planks or panels according to customer´s requirements.

Get more such product updates from: Hot Product

Read more news on: sawmill, LVL, wood panel, construction, sustainability

Tags: construction, Kerto, Kerto LVL, Kerto-Ripa®, LVL, Metsä Kerto-Ripa, Metsä Wood, Metsä Wood kerto, softwood, veneers, wood components