fischer’s fastening solutions have been used this year in a demanding restoration project at the Carmelite monastery in the historic city center of Bruges – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important testament to European architecture.

Restoring historic buildings requires special care and technical expertise. The structural integrity must be secured for the long term, while at the same time preserving the authenticity and cultural value of the building fabric. This is precisely where fischer's innovative products come in – combining modern fastening technology with precision craftsmanship.

A central element of the restoration work in Bruges was the use of the fischer FIS EM Plus injection mortar – a particularly high-performance epoxy resin mortar that was originally developed for anchoring in concrete and for subsequent reinforcement connections, and, for around two years now, it can also be used in accordance with approval for high-performance connections and reinforcements of timber components.

FIS EM Plus is one of very few injection mortars with building authority approval or general type approval for wood connections and reinforcements in glued laminated timber and laminated beams made of spruce, fir or pine. It thus enables durable and very high-performance adhesive connections while taking sensitive historical structures into account.

Specially developed centring clips were used to ensure the precise alignment of the wooden elements in the Carmelite monastery. These ensure that the connecting element is centred in the drill hole of the component – a prerequisite for durable, aesthetically pleasing connections, as required in historical constructions.

In addition, fischer's high-performance mortar FIS V Plus was also used in the restoration work. This powerful universal mortar for concrete and masonry ensures that the reinforced concrete ceiling slabs are securely connected to the walls in the Carmelite monastery.

‘The preservation of historic buildings is both a technical and a cultural task,’ says Niklas Haag, Managing Director of the Belgian subsidiary of the fischer Group of Companies. ‘With our innovative fastening solutions and many years of expertise, we are making an active contribution to the protection of Belgium's architectural heritage.’

Thanks to precise planning, technical expertise and reliable fastening solutions from the fischer Group of Companies, the Carmelite monastery in Bruges will remain a part of Europe's cultural heritage for generations to come.