Australasian Timber - June 2018

JUNE 2018

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Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

OUTSTANDING QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP RECOGNISED IN HIA AWARDS

TOWER OF WOOD TO FEATURE AT SKYSCRAPER SUMMIT

DEMAND FOR SPECIALTY CARDS ON THE RISE

NEXT EDITION: FRAME WRAP

Innovation in timber engineering www.hundegger.com.au

NEW NEW

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Engineered for Improved Performance Bold thread design provides superior holding power, even into the end grain of timber.

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Large washer-head provides superior clamping, while nibs offer greater control for the installer when seating the head.

Patented SawTooth point for faster starts, less torque, and no pre-drilling. ™

6-lobe T-40 drive eliminates cam-outs for easier installation and longer bit life.

End grain installation = no strapping + no interference with wall frame trades.

Head stamped ffor easy Head iidentification dentification of screw length le ngth and d diameter for bbuilding ilding ccertifier.

The New Strong-Drive® SDWS TIMBER Screw is even better than the original!

Its patented SawTooth™ point ensures fast installation and reduced torque as well as eliminates pre-drilling. The bold thread design provides superior holding power while the large, low-profile head provides a broad bearing area which allows for superior clamping of the timber, whilst also providing less interference after installation. All of this and a double-barrier coating for superior corrosion resistance — now that’s a fastener engineered to perform.

One fastener for multiple timber projects with high withdrawal and shear loads. To find out more or obtain withdrawal and shear engineering data call 1300 STRONGTIE or visit strongtie.com.au

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Hundegger Australasia Pty Ltd Charlie Hutchings 2 Hi-Tech Place Rowville Victoria Australia 3178 T: +613 9763 5766 Email: enquiries@hundegger.com.au Web: www.hundegger.com.au

Innovation in timber engineering

NEWS

Fire retardant coating provides more options for wall and ceiling linings

A

s wood products become increasingly specified in a wide range of construction projects, understanding the fire properties required by the National Construction Code (NCC) and how wood products can comply is essential.

Currently, the NCC does not permit the use of fire retardant coatings to achieve the required fire hazard properties under the Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) provisions.

WoodSolutions Design Guide 45 has been written to provide a Code of Practice to enable

Ŷ Boris Iskra.

the use of fire retardant coatings applied to wood products, via the Performance Solution pathway, as a means of achieving the fire hazard properties required by the NCC. This Code of Practice is intended to supplement the NCC by addressing issues relating to the supply, testing, installation and maintenance of fire retardant coatings.

Typical fire retardant coatings include: paints and varnishes, intumescent coatings, encapsulation coating systems and surface treatments with liquids.

“Fire retardant coatings have been used exten-

sively in many other jurisdictions throughout the world (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand) for several decades and this Guide draws on this international experience. Hopefully, in the near future, the benefits of using these coating systems as a means of protecting building material surfaces will be a DTS Solution in the NCC” said Boris Iskra, National Codes and Standards manager for Forest and Wood Products Australia.

Fire retardant coatings form part of a system comprising; the wood product substrate, the

fire retardant coatings, and any primers, undercoats and top coats that may be used in conjunction with the fire retardant.

“This publication is an invaluable resource for professionals specifying and building with wood and wood products,” said Eileen Newbury, National Marketing and Communications manager for Forest and Wood Products Australia, the industry services company that resources WoodSolutions.

“When correctly specified and applied, fire retardant treatments can be used to improve the performance of wood

products so that they can achieve Group 1 and Group 2 classifications.”

Applying fire retardant treatments to wall and ceiling linings offers interior architects and designers a wider range of choices, especially when specifying wall and ceiling linings in multi-residential, commercial and educational projects.

The new guide and the rest of the 44 titles in the WoodSolutions Design Guide library are available for free download from the WoodSolutions website – woodsolutions.com.au.

Special Exhibits Gallery displays mass timber phenomenon With high-rise mass timber buildings springing up all over Portland, the United States, and the world, it only makes sense for the World Forestry Centre to bring to light the amazing story of the mass timber phenomenon in its newest exhibit, The Future of Tall.

The Future of Tall tells of the strength, versatility, fabrication, and installation processes of mass timber products that are being used today to build multi-story buildings that are cost-competitive, carbon-efficient, sustainable, and reliable.

On display in the museum’s first floor Special Exhibits Gallery, visitors are introduced to mass timber through stunning visual display panels, videos, and hands-on pieces. The exhibit also features a spectacular 13-foot mass timber bench originally displayed in the Portland Art Museum’s John Yeon exhibit.

australasian

Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

June Vol.26, No. 4 Established 1977

4

The term “mass timber” refers to a style of solid wood framing that incorporates engineered wood products that are often panelized as both vertical and horizontal members. The term is derived from the fact that the products used in mass timber construction are often quite massive.

Mass timber products, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT), dowel-laminated timber (DLT), glue-laminated beams, columns and panels (glulam), and mass plywood panel (MPP), are manufactured by assembling smaller pieces of lumber or veneer into much larger pieces using nails,

Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: John Turner Editorial: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Out of office: (08) 7127 6370

Advertising: Kent Humphrys k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Timber Classifieds: k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Design and Artwork: Peter Frezzini with the NEM Creative team

dowels, or adhesives. The engineered nature of these products provides them the strength, and earthquake and fire resistance needed to make them suitable for use in very large structures.

The Future of Tall is made possible by a grant from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and support from LEVER Architecture.

Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501

FRONT PAGE: HIA award-winning building. Read more on pages 30-31.

Conditions: The opinions expressed in Australasian Timber Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated.

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Australasian Timber Magazine copyright © Ryan Media. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

NEWS

What’s On 2018 10-16 June North American Forest Soils Conference – International Symposium on Forest Soils. Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. www.cef-cfr.ca

18-19 June Frame Australia (Timber Offsite Construction) Digital Future. Park Hyatt, Melbourne.

20-21 June Woodflow, Melbourne. www.woodflow.events

20-22 June 4th International Conference on Reforestation Challenges IUFRO. Belgrade, Serbia.

26-27 June Woodflow, Rotorua www.woodflow.events

4 July AFCA Phone Conference

7-18 July 41st Council on Forest Engineering Annual Meeting: Revolutionary Traditions, Innovative Industries. Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. cofe.org

15-18 July 41st Council on Forest Engineering Annual Meeting - Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. www.regonline.com/ cofe2018

18-22 July Interforst 2018. Munich, Germany. www.interforst.com

30 July - 1 August Australian Timber Trainers Association annual workshop, Mt Gambier. www.atta.org.au; Mobile: 0418849911

3 August Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards Nominations Close

5-10 August Workshop on Tree Resistance to Insects & Diseases: Putting Promise into Practice.

Mt. Sterling, Ohio, United States.

6

www.treeresistance2018.ca.uky.edu

6 August Bank Holiday NSW Picnic Day NT

8 August Forest Industry Safety & Technology Conference, Rotorua, NZ. www.forestsafety.events

9-10 August National Timber Councils Association (NTCA) annual conference, Melbourne under the theme Timber - A National Asset.

Contact Sandy Kam 0498 487 844

15 August Forest Industry Safety & Technology Conference, Melbourne, AUS. www.forestsafety.events

15 August Royal Queensland Show 20-23 August World Conference2018 on Timber Engineering 2018. Seoul, Republic of Korea. wcte2018.kr

23 August AFCA Board Meeting. Green Triangle or Portland

28 August Changing Perceptions Conference, Mass Timber - Raising Building Performance, Rotorua. https://connexevents. com/cpetc2018/

September Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards Judging Process

2-5 September Australian Forest Growers (AFG) and Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) joint conference - Forests for healthy cities, farms and people University House - ANU (ACT).

1 Balmain Cres, Acton ACT 2601.

Ŷ VAFI member Fenning Timber.

Ŷ VAFI CEO Tim Johnston.

VAFI offers members more than just advocacy

T

he Victorian Association of Forest Industries Inc. (VAFI) is the peak body for the timber and forest industry in Victoria.

For over 130 years, the Association has served the Victorian industry; advocating to Government and key stakeholders on behalf of its members, and the industry more broadly.

The Association works to ensure an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable future for Victoria’s timber and forest supply chain.

VAFI represents the entire lifecycle of the timber and forest industry, whether you work in the forest (plantation and native), manage the product, process the material, work in haulage, or are just a supporter of the industry - VAFI is your voice.

VAFI reflects the changing dynamic of the industry, and works towards ensuring that we operate as one, fully

integrated supply chain.

We are serious about getting the best outcome for members and showcasing the Victorian timber and forest industry in the best possible light.

As your peak body, VAFI delivers the industry’s vision for a strong, sustainable future. We are your trusted voice to lead the way through the tough times, as well as the good times.

Offering tailored and specific services to meet the needs of our diverse membership, VAFI is the Association to best represent your needs. As 2018 is a state election year in Victoria, we’re keen to ensure we are hearing as broad an industry voice as possible so as to fully inform and advocate to Government and Opposition when they are developing their policies and programs which have a direct impact on those who work in the industry.

Being a member of Victoria’s most influential body for the timber

and forest industry gives you assurance that your needs and business requirements are a vital part of VAFI’s advocacy work.

Your commitment to VAFI ensures we can continue doing what we do best - working for a bright future for the timber and forest industry.

Membership benefits include: s Advocacy s Policy advice s Media and communications advice and information s Networking and Events s Access to national representation s Industry representation s Technical support Membership options: There are currently three levels of VAFI membership available, offering direct targeted services to each member.

Full Members Any business, entity, firm or company who is an employer in

the value-added supply chain, including but not limited to: forest growing and management; harvesting and haulage; saw milling and processing; pulp and paper manufacturing; timber manufactured products; wood panel and board production; timber import, export and merchandising operations in Victoria or adjacent areas.

Associate Members Any associated business, or organisation involved in the timber and forest industry.

Individual Supporter Members Any person supportive of the timber and forest supply chain who supports the work of the Association Check out www.vafi. org.au/memberships or get in touch with VAFI CEO Tim Johnston on (03) 9611 9000 or t j o h n s t o n @ va fi . o rg . au to enquire about becoming a full member, associate member or supporter member.

A decade of awards for Pulp & Paper Industry The 10th PPI Awards (hosted by RISI) will be celebrated on 5 March, 2019.

The awards are the only global awards dedicated to the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp and paper sector. It provides a platform that honours a multitude of different categories celebrating leadership, vision, innovation and strategic accomplishments within the industry.

For the past nine years, quality nominations have come in from all corners of the globe, making this awards dinner the finest event on the industry’s calendar.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

Main dates in the lead-up to the awards night are:

July 1: Categories announced September 1: Request for nominees October 31: Final day for Nominations November 15: Judging Begins December 7: Judging Completed December 12: Finalists Announced March 5: Winners Announced www.timberbiz.com.au

Innovate

Collaborate

Manufacture

Fabricate

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NEWS

A first look inside the world’s tallest timber tower

L

eading property and infrastructure company, Lendlease, has provided a first glimpse inside the world’s tallest and largest engineered timber office building, 25 King, at Brisbane Showgrounds.

The first of its kind in the Australian property market, 25 King includes extensive use of innovative and sustainable building materials – glue laminated timber structural beams and columns and cross laminated timber (CLT) floors – as well as stateof-the-art technology to deliver a true workplace

of the future.

And with six of 25 King’s nine levels completed in less than 12 months, the building is testament to the benefits of construction using engineered timber. 25 King is Lendlease’s fifth engineered timber building in Australia and one of several timber projects the company currently has underway across the country.

Coinciding with the preview of 25 King, the building’s owner, ethical investment company, Impact Investment Group (IIG), released new details of a co-in-

vestment opportunity for the building.

“25 King is setting a new benchmark within Australia and internationally for the delivery of office buildings that are more sustainable from an environmental perspective while also delivering cost, time and waste efficiencies. This is a very compelling combination,” said Dale Connor, CEO, Lendlease Building.

“25 King really is the next generation of sustainability, being carbon neutral through the construction phase and completely recyclable at the

end of its life. Compared to a traditional concrete and steel construction, the pre-formed engineered timber construction means no waste and an energy saving of at least 40%,” he said.

“We’re committed to helping move Australia to a low-carbon future, so we look for property investments with excellent potential for environmental sustainability,” said Darren Brusnahan, Head of Funds Management – Real Estate, Impact Investment Group.

“Lendlease is delivering Brisbane’s finest

office building, so this is a rare opportunity for wholesale investors to access a property of this calibre, with a blue-chip anchor tenant.

“We’re looking forward to co-investing with new clients in the unlisted IIG unit trust that will own 25 King upon completion, which is targeting an internal rate of return of 11.1% a year.

“The Trust is also targeting a 7.4% average yield post-completion, with 100% tax deferral for at least three years post-completion.

“With the engineered

timber, we think 25 King will be particularly attractive for tenants who want to pull together their teams into the kind of beautiful space that workforces love.

“And the Brisbane Showgrounds has exceptional transport connectivity, with road hubs, nearby train hubs and bus lines, and a very fast trip to the airport.”

Global engineering firm Aurecon will occupy 43.5% of the net lettable area, with IIG joining with developer Lendlease to secure new tenants for the remaining office space.

Ŷ An inside look at what will be a highly impressive building.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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F I X I N G

W A L L

P L A T E S

T O

S T U D S

StudLok is the

KEY to FAST-FIXING!

StudLok Fixing Method

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StudLok SL125 with 5mm hex socket head

MiTek’s NEW StudLoks provide a fast and easy way of fixing wall plates to studs. They come in two sizes (yellow 125mm & blue 150mm) to accommodate single or double wall plates. Both have a 5mm hex socket head that fits a standard drive bit and sits flush with the wall plate surface when fixed. Plus there are optional, all weather colour-coded tags available for easy identification and certification. The MiTek StudLok is an Engineered Building Product and meets all the requirements of the National Construction Code Series and Australian Standards. For specifications and installation instructions, get the data sheet from:

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NEWS

Survey finds printed books have a positive future

T

Alternative beer packaging solution Grupo Europac’s has developed an alternative to the conventional beer packaging product. This ready to take solution serves both transportation and point of sale display purposes for a six-pack of bottled beers. It comprises a sheet of die cut cardboard that can be folded to become a bottle carrier.

This design reduces the amount of cardboard used when compared with the classic box-style packaging solutions. Furthermore, visibility is enhanced and the ability to tell this product apart from others on the shelf is increased due to the high-quality flexographic printing and its structural design, which allows the product itself to be seen.

Finally, this solution offers incredible functionality for end customers via a handle that has been designed to make it easier to carry.

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he more things go digital, the more value there is in the printed product There is a bright future for printed books, a recent survey has found.

According to the results, printed books will continue to be important, relevant, interesting and still very much appreciated compared to ebooks and audiobooks.

As one of the leading book paper and cover providers, Stora Enso conducted a study with 80 in-depth interviews in 13 countries across Europe, Asia and North America together with research company Opticom International.

The aim was to gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities regarding book publishing and consumption.

Participants included publishers, retailers, printers, merchants and new players such as audio and ebook publishers as well as companies that trans-

fer physical books into digital format.

“One of the main findings was that there is a positive future for printed books,” says Essi Lauri, VP, Head of Segment Newsprint & Book, in Stora Enso Paper division.

Printed and digital together are the future While audio and ebooks are important in professional and educational segments, only eight percent believe that e-books will grow in volume.

“Interest in e-books seems to have plateaued somewhat, and audiobooks are not necessarily seen as an alternative to physical books, rather a complement. You can listen to an audiobook while driving a car or jogging, where reading a physical book would be impossible,” says Essi.

E-books sales have been strong in the UK and US (approx. 20% of the market), but have stagnated in recent years and have not affected

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

print sales as much as expected. In France and Germany e-books represent less than 10 percent of the market. In emerging markets, the interest for e-books appears weaker, regardless of the rapid growth in tablet and smartphone users.

Audiobooks, on the other hand, continue to increase in sales, mostly via crime novels, true stories, biographies, romantic and erotic genres.

However, the majority of the respondents see audiobooks as a compliment, not an alternative − consumers have a choice.

In addition, there is no indication that Millennials would prefer digital more than older generations.

Another finding is that people want to have a counterweight to screen time. As one respondent put it, ‘The more things go digital, the more value there is in the printed product’.

“Holding a physical book gives you a different feeling than holding

an e-book. It’s an experience. And here, the paper and book cover, the tactile features and quality material, are important”, Essi continued.

Certain types of books it seems are meant to remain in paper format. Examples of these are hard cover books, including children’s books, photography books, books given as gifts and hobby related books such as Do It Yourself, gardening and cook books.

Stora Enso is a global leader and specialist in paper and board production. The company has one of the widest uncoated mechanical and woodfree book paper portfolios on the market, in addition to a wide range of paperboard for covers that are designed for demanding finishing treatments such as embossing, foiling and varnishing. All Stora Enso book papers and boards are fully recyclable and based on renewable materials.

www.timberbiz.com.au

Fast, efficient timber coating machinery.

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Imported direct from Denmark

Use for oil OR water based timber oils, stains and paints

Ceetec timber coating machinery is proudly distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Intergrain Timber Finishes.

For more information on Ceetec equipment solutions, contact 1800 630 285.

NEWS

International Briefs Biggest timber market in China’s north closes Beijing has begun demolishing illegal buildings in the city and this has affected some timber markets, such as Beijing Dongba Precious Timber Market.

Beijing Dongfang Shengze Commerce Group, which manages the place, was asked to halt operations.

The market was located in Chaoyang district and known to be the largest timber wholesale market in China’s north, covering 380,000m2. The market offered a large selection of specialised wood products, logistics support and also organised exhibitions.

$13m investment in wood products facilities Resolute has announced major investments totaling $12,956,700 in its La Doré wood products facilities, in the Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec.

The investments will be used to integrate new technologies into the manufacturing processes in order to sustain the facilities’ continuously enhanced performance in an ever-changing competitive environment. Also through these investments, energy efficiency will be improved as operational processes are modernized. Resolute employs close to 250 people at the La Doré sawmill, planer mill and finger-jointing facility, and more than 2,000 in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.

Norwegian sawmills choose Valutec kilns Three Norwegian sawmils have chosen to invest in lumber kilns from Valutec for a total order value of more than SEK 40 million. Kjeldstad and Gran Tre are investing in batch kilns and Bergene Holm is investing in three continuous kilns with a total capacity of 120,000 cubic meters (50,800 MBF) annually. The Bergene Holm investment is the second step in an investment program. Gran Tre KS is planning on increasing its production by 50% so chose to invest in two forklift-fed batch kilns. Kjeldstad’s investment involves a batch kiln for the mill in Stören.

Indian company releases waterproof ply Alstone Industries has launched India’s first ply that is 100% waterproof – Alstone Water Proof Ply (WPP) , which is manufactured from ingredients like rice husk, PVC , calcium and additives. WPP is similar to plywood in its feel, smell, color and touch, with features like of 100% waterproof, 100% termite proof and fire retardant properties; does not require any special adhesive to paste veneers and laminates.

Indonesia - largest supplier of hardwood plywood to US US hardwood plywood imports fell to 173,179m3 in February as imports from most countries declined.

The largest fall was in shipments from China and Russia. While volumes have been falling the value of imports are rising as prices climb. US imports from Vietnam and Cambodia gained after the US introduced antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese hardwood plywood. In terms of volume, Indonesia has replaced China as the largest supplier of hardwood plywood to the US.

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Industry welcomes Victorian Opposition’s commitment to Australian-made paper

T

he peak bodies representing Australian and Victorian forest industries have warmly welcomed the Victorian Liberals and Nationals’ election commitment to use Australian-made paper wherever practical in State Government departments, from mid2019.

“This is an incredibly important commitment, not only because of the recognition of

Victoria’s sustainable forest and paper industries, especially in the Latrobe Valley, but also because it demonstrates the value political parties are willing to place on pulp and paper manufacturing jobs,” said CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) Ross Hampton.

“This is the sort of commitment that should be forthcoming from all State Govern-

ments and indeed the Federal Government,” he added.

“Pulp and paper manufacturing jobs are vital to the Latrobe Valley and this announcement will help secure them into the future,” said CEO of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) Tim Johnston.

“Victoria’s sustainable forest and paper industries are well recognised as major em-

ployers in both regional and metropolitan Victoria, and this is a simple and very practical move to secure those jobs and those industries.

“I thank the Victorian Liberals and Nationals for this announcement, and I look forward to demonstrated bipartisan support for our sustainable forest and paper industries ahead of the Victorian State Election in November,” Mr Johnston said.

$14m sawmill upgrade OneFortyOne’s Wood Products team has been given the OK to start work on a new capital expenditure project worth approximately $14 million for the Jubilee Highway Sawmill.

The project will see the construction and commissioning of an additional 61 sorter bins for the site, all of which will be fabricated and installed by local contractors.

“We were clear from the day we announced our intention to purchase the mill, that while we would not expand its capacity we are committed to investing in the mill and our local team in Mt Gambier,” said OFO’s CEO, Linda Sewell.

“The highly skilled team at the Jubilee Sawmill are well used to managing investment projects of this

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

scale, and this latest project means greater efficiencies on the site and improvements along the entire supply chain.

“We are proud of our track record of supporting domestic processing and continuing to make substantial investments in the Green Triangle,” said Ms Sewell.

Paul Hartung General Manager of the Jubilee Site Sawmill said the investment was a great reinforcement from OneFortyOne of the team at Jubilee so soon after the acquisition.

OneFortyOne has also confirmed there will be no redundancies as a result of the project and estimates there will be more than 50 local contractors working on site during the term of the project.

www.timberbiz.com.au

NEWS

Stirling Machinery poised for another major installation Customer focus is key

S

tirling Machinery’s emergence as a challenger in the solid wood and panel processing machinery space is bearing fruit. It is the machinery arm of the recently rebranded Accurate Group, originally Accurate Australia, a privately owned Australian company of some 17 years’ history that has steadily grown to become a forerunner in the supply of tooling products for the timber milling and manufacturing industries.

Established in 2017, Stirling Machinery has already installed a number of machines for Australian customers. The most recent purchase, a Stirling A-Series ProfiJoint finger jointer for reclaimed, recycled and architectural timber specialists, Ironwood Australia, has been outfitted with a finger shaper and

glue applicator. The unit is currently undergoing performance testing at Stirling’s manufacturer’s facility. This sale represents stage two of three in Ironwood’s dealings with Stirling, after an optimised docking saw was installed earlier this year.

No Stirling machine enters the customer’s premises without their complete satisfaction, one of the hallmarks of the Stirling brand, as the company’s new Technical Sales Consultant, Craig Andrews points out. “It’s the only way to do business. It’s far better to get all our ducks in a row before installation than to have to backtrack and alter specs or deal with problems after the fact.”

Indeed, one of the benefits of purchasing from Stirling Machinery is travelling to the manufacturers’ facilities

with Craig and Stirling’s Managing Director, Craig Honeyman. Ironwood’s Senior Engineer, Sam O’Connor accompanied them to witness the finger jointer being put through its paces.

Chris Swadling, Ironwood’s managing director relishes the opportunity to be involved in a hands-on capacity in the performance testing phase. “Every machine represents a significant investment,” he says.

“We appreciate that Stirling displays this level of respect and consideration for us as customers.

Rather than purchasing blindly, we’re included and consulted every step of the way.”

Stirling’s new Technical Sales Consultant, Craig Andrews, can be contacted directly on enquiries@stirlingmachinery.com.au

Ŷ A Stirling A-Series Profi-Joint finger jointer undergoing performance testing

As a privately owned Australian company, we understand a machine purchase is an important, long-term investment.

That is why we identify your personal requirements and tailor a solution that works for you.

With a comprehensive range of solid wood and panel processing machines we can help take your business to the next level.

If you re considering a new machinery purchase, contact Stirling today.

Freecall 1800 077 862 stirlingmachinery.com.au

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

13

SKYSCRAPER SUMMIT

Tower of wood will be a feature of Skyscraper Summit in Sydney

D

istinguished ple-glazed façade that building not only into an architect Rich- responds to the position- energy-efficient strucard Francis- ing of the sun, the design ture, but one that is also Jones is set to treat del- allows automated heat responsive to its human egates to the insights load and sky glare con- occupants.

His keynote presentahe gained working on trol. Inside, open spaces ‘the tower of wood’, encourage sociable and tion ‘The Human EleSydney’s 37-floor EY productive work envi- ment of Timber Tower Buildings’ will be one Centre, at the Australian ronments.

From its interior to its of many topics centring Smart Skyscrapers Sumexterior, the EY centre on sustainable, moodmit.

Mr Francis-Jones, embodies warmth, sus- boosting design and conDesign Director and tainability, and respon- struction solutions for nominated architect of siveness; qualities that high-rise buildings and Francis-Jones More- together and separately skyscrapers.

The construction inhen Thorp (fjmt), has aid in the creation and designed a number of life-span of an optimal dustry’s growing interest in timber material within highly-awarded build- high-rise building. high-rise ings. Nodesigns tably, the represents EY Cen“The use of timber within the powertre was EY Centre helped transform the aful force at awarded the 2017 building not only into an energy- this year’s Summit H a r r y efficient structure, but one that with a Seidler number of Award for is also responsive to its human key topthe most occupants” ics suroutstandrounding ing comTimber’s sustainable this material, helping mercial architecture in properties are fairly well attendees to fully grasp Australia.

The Australian Smart known – the EY Centre its impact and the most Skyscrapers Summit will evidently has the mate- advanced technologies weave through its agenda rial to thank for a great available to be employed the nexus between sus- deal of its eco-friendli- for it. The presentations will outline its ability to tainable high-rise design ness.

At the Australian act as a counter-measure and elements that serve to improve the wellbeing Smart Skyscrapers Sum- against the negative imof tenants. These themes mit, to be held on 26- pacts high-rise buildings are solidly represented 27 June in Sydney, Mr. can have on our environFrancis-Jones will out- ment, while revealing within the EY Centre.

Responsive wooden line how the use of tim- current global trends and louvres are embedded ber within the EY Cen- advancements in timber within the centre’s tri- tre helped transform the design.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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Wood Protection

Engineered Wood Product Additives Protection solutions for engineered wood products against insects and decay.

Engineered wood products are an essential component of the modern construction industry. LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) and other innovations such as CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) are opening up new possibilities for large scale wood based construction. Lonza offer a comprehensive range of glue line additive insecticides, preservatives and veneer pre-treatments for protection of engineered wood products.

To learn more about the products and services available in the Asia Pacific region contact us, or visit our website, Australia: +61 3 9339 8915 tanalised.au@lonza.com New Zealand: +64 9 276 3646 tanalised.nz@lonza.com Website: www.lonzawoodprotection.com/apac Azotek, Permatek and Glusect are registered trademarks of Lonza or its subsidiaries. Š Lonza 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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FRAME AUSTRALIA

Ŷ Rob De Brincat of Atelier Projects. Ŷ A wide look at Frame.

Ŷ Simon Xiberras.

Timber is reshaping Australian construction landscape

T

he sessions program at Frame 2018 ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ will reveal a host of new developments in timber and engineered wood construction and will highlight major developments that are destined to change the way we build in the future.

“Timber is the new concrete – how timber is reshaping the Australian construction landscape” presentation by Rob De Brincat of Atelier Projects explains how major infrastructure projects have increased the construction cost of traditional concrete structures to record levels in Australia.

“The mass timber 16

construction solution is a smarter way to build due to critical design, supply and construction elements that make timber projects both successful and cost effective, ensuring a move by builders to look more closely at the options now becoming available,” said Rob. Another key factor in construction is outlined in “Delivering mass timber projects - Integrated design the way to success” by Philipp Zumbrunnen of Eurban UK who has championed this design approach for 15 years, demonstrated in nearly 300 projects throughout Europe.

“The concept of integrated design, from an architectural concept to delivering a mass timber structure on site, looks at a building from many different aspects

of the process from start to finish.

“Designing mass timber buildings also needs a strong view on fabrication and instal-

plant producing mass timber CLT and lightweight timber frame buildings.

Strongbuild’s design manager Simon Xiber-

“Mass timber construction solution is a smarter way to build due to critical design, supply and construction elements” lation from the start, and a close relationship with the supplier and installers will save money and time” he said.

A relative newcomer to timber prefabrication is the Strongbuild Group, who have burst onto the construction scene with some huge projects mainly in Sydney, and now have a major prefabrication

ras will present “Building project design and construction using the ECI approach” to outline their success using this collaborative relationship-based procurement model.

“Early contractor involvement (ECI) leverages the combined experience at the earliest opportunity in the project, to draw upon design and construc-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

tion expertise at a point when most value can be added for impact directly upon cost, quality, time and constructability,” said Simon.

His presentation will include recent examples of this approach with large scale residential developments, including affordable housing development ‘The Gardens’ comprised of 6, 7 and 8-storey apartments, and Aveo Norwest 64 luxury apartments 10-storey development, all using CLT mass timber construction.

The conference sessions program will be comprised of speaker presentations on Monday with primary topics of Building Design, Technology, Manufacturing, and Construction.

Tuesday will feature panel sessions based

on building projects currently underway in Sydney and Melbourne with discussions involving the developers, building designers, contractors, timber and mass wood prefabricators, and specialist suppliers involved in each project.

On Tuesday afternoon delegate tours will visit timber building construction sites; prefabrication and panelised manufacturing plants; and recently completed building projects that are outstanding examples of architectural and engineering design in timber structures.

Frame 2018 titled ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ will be held on Monday and Tuesday 18-19 June at Park Hyatt Melbourne, and for details visit the website www.frameaustralia.com

www.timberbiz.com.au

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FRAME AUSTRALIA

New fire station to be built in engineered timber

F

ire has traditionally been regarded as timber’s biggest weakness, but ironically that fear will be trounced at its heart: engineered wood from Hyne Timber allied with the latest technology will be used to build a fire and rescue station.

Hyne Timber will be the first Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturer in Australia to provide Building Information Modelling (BIM) content for GLT in the project - the fire and rescue station and regional headquarters in Maryborough, Queensland.

Hyne Timber’s manager strategic relations, Katie Fowden, said scanning, 3D modelling and topology optimisation were also elements of the technology that will be used by the collective design team. The BIM content for GLT will be in accordance with recently developed AS/NZS BIM standards.

The development will be a key presentation titled ‘Engineered Timber Fire Station: A

Collaborative Journey of Innovation’ in the Technology session at the Frame 2018 conference in Melbourne this month (June).

The proposal was welcomed by the Queensland Government after considering the design under the state’s marketled proposal framework.

The project is led by Hyne Timber in partnership with the University of Queensland Centre

business development manager, Rob Mansell, said this was an important milestone for the design and construction industry as engineered timber was increasingly specified for its structural, visual and environmental benefits.

“Technology is transforming the way buildings are designed and BIM provides insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design,

“Technology is transforming the way buildings are designed and BIM provides insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct and manage buildings” for Future Timber Structures, Hutchinson Builders, X-Lam and Baber Studio.

RevitR software users can now access the Hyne Timber ‘GLT Families’ for designs incorporating Australian-graded, independently certified products for their timber projects while ensuring product specifications are accurate and reliable.

Hyne Timber’s GLT

construct and manage buildings,” he said.

“As momentum grows towards the mandatory adoption of BIM, ensuring our product range provides BIM content is timely.”

Providing BIM content for GLT is an innovation integral to Hyne’s proposal to design and build the new Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Complex in Maryborough,

from locally grown and engineered timber.

The proposal is progressing through ‘Stage 2’, but the company’s BIM content is available to download now and is already being used by the design team.

The principal architect, Kim Baber, said this was an example of the benefits of early contractor involvement.

“For commercial projects, it isn’t simply a case of placing an order of GLT products. We need timber experts on the design team from the start,” he said.

“Working closely from the concept stage means we now have BIM content for the GLT components, something that didn’t previously exist.”

Mr Baber said all product details, from dimensions, mass and volume, down to the colour and texture of GLT, could be brought into the 3D model in a single integrated BIM element.

“This means we can exchange quantitative information with our consultant team, particularly the structural engineer, as well as clients, all from the same

Ŷ Katie Fowden.

model,” he said.

“Commercial projects require service and innovative solutions, and that is exactly what Hyne Timber have provided, enabling improved accuracy when sharing technical building information and saving considerable time.”

Hutchinson Builders design manager, Luke Churchin, said GLT BIM content provided value beyond efficiencies during the design and construction stages.

“As a building company, it is important for us to provide the client with as much detail as possible in relation to the life cycle of the building,” he said.

“The benefits of BIM include the capacity to store data and detail relating to the project such as certification, chain of custody, inventory, warranties, energy consumption, equipment information and periodic maintenance procedures.”

“This can simply be passed on to the end user for their facility management and ongoing building operation,” Mr Churchin said.

Frame 2018 titled ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ will be held on Monday and Tuesday 18-19 June at Park Hyatt, Melbourne. For details, visit the website www.frameaustralia.com

Doggone it ... we deserve it!

There’s a construction boomlet under way in dog-washing facilities at U.S. and Canadian apartment and condominium communities.

Half of U.S. dog owners live in the 25 largest U.S. metro areas, where dog-focused amenities are common at apartment and condominium properties.

Dog ownership has risen 29% in the past decade with

18

singles and renters making up the fastest-growing group of new dog owners.

Dog-washing stations provide renters and condo owners with an on-site amenity that’s a lot more practical than bathing a pup in a ceramic or fiberglass tub intended for humans. Evolution Dog Wash Company, Los Angeles, has installed about 50 such systems in residential buildings in North America.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME AUSTRALIA

Innovative 11-storey extension above existing building

E

ngineered timber will be pushed in an innovative direction with the new Adina Apartment Hotel on Melbourne’s Southbank, where an 11-storey building made mostly of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) will be built on top of an existing six-storey concrete office.

What’s more, tenants in the building below will stay in place working while the CLT building goes up.

“That’s a challenge in itself,” said Tim Davey, national project manager, Hume Partners, which is behind the development.

The new Adina Hotel will be a key focus of a panel session on the second day of the Frame Australia ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ conference (1819 June at Park Hyatt Melbourne).

Hume owns the sixfloor building, which was built in 1988 and is located on City Road, Southbank. It takes up the entire site, so Mr Davey said to demolish it and put up a new building would

have created problems with regulations on setbacks, making demolition not viable.

“Four years ago, Tilling Timber introduced me to CLT, and we immediately saw the potential of the building system for the Southbank extension.”

At the time there were few hotels in the area, so Hume entered into a lease with Adina after tender for a hotel on the site – 220 rooms sitting on top of an existing concrete building.

Additions will include a swimming pool, gym, three new lifts, a new ground floor and hotel entrance lobby, and associated services rooms.

The builder is Atelier Projects, and Mr Davey spoke with a number of tier-2 builders, but they had very little interest in CLT. “In the end, Atelier were the

only people who enthused me and wanted to be involved with CLT, and who had the experience to build the building for us.”

The CLT for Adina will come from KLH in Austria, with some 4500 cubic metres required. “The ships left at the end of August, and we have already started on site - three months in preparatory, demolition and site works,” he said.

“We will start con-

struction of the CLT in early September for the hotel section. It will be completed and opened by August next year – an 11-month build.”

Two floors of concrete will sit on top of the six storeys, making up storeys seven and eight. “The CLT needs a very level and well supported base. There will be nine storeys of CLT on top of that,” Mr Davey said.

“It’s not an inexpen-

sive project. You could do it a lot cheaper in concrete but you would only get four-and-ahalf floors instead of the 10 to 12 we are putting on.”

During construction, tenants have moved out of level six to create an amenities space and an area of separation.

The lifts will have a steel frame from the basement to the 18th floor. Mr Davey said beginning a CLT shaft after the sixth floor

could have created vibration issues. In a completely new building, the lifts could have been made totally of CLT. The stairwells and stairs, however, will be made of CLT. Mr Davey said the Adina hotel should be a catalyst for similar projects when developers saw it happening and working. “I would be disappointed if it didn’t. A lot more developers will take it up,” he said.

Beautiful. Natural.

Sustainable. Australian. responsiblewood.org.au You can be assured that wood carrying the Responsible Wood mark has come from certified Australian forests that are sustainably managed to the highest global standards.

www.timberbiz.com.au

North Bondi Residence

by CPlusC Architectural Workshop Runner up – Excellence in the use of Australian certified timber, Australian Timber Design Awards 2017 Photography: Michael Lassman

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

19

FRAME AUSTRALIA

FRAME 2018 PARTNERS Principal Partner ——

SmartStruct provides collaborative timber building solutions with a comprehensive range of engineered wood systems that not only provide essential environmental advantages but are also quicker to construct, safer and more cost effective.

The design team is made up of Engineers, Building Designers, Builders, Building Surveyors and Frame & Truss Detailers all working together to provide an integrated solution for your project requirements. www.tilling.com.au

Gold Partner ——

The HOMAG Group is a leading manufacturer of modern, high-performance machines, production lines and systems for the construction of prefabricated timber buildings, with a coordinated portfolio for woodworking including solutions for utilising computercontrolled, automated machinery with a range of CAD/CAM-interfacing controls. www.homagaustralia.com

Silver Partners ——

Active Fasteners supply customized fastening systems and automated fastening equipment for frame & truss fabrication and provide new fastening innovations in timber frame and panel construction. BeA provides modular-tool systems that offer solutions from automated packaging to single-unit fabrication to mass production, with customized solutions for prefabricated houses, furniture, automotive, appliances and packaging. activefasteners.com

Airco Brands is a family-owned company

20

and the exclusive provider of Senco products within Australia. With the backing of Senco Europe, Airco offers high-load, automated and semi-automated fastening solutions specifically developed for the manufacturers of frames, trusses and prefabricated panels. www.aircofasteners.com. au

Bronze Partners ——

Bliss & Reels are the exclusive local sales and service representatives for Randek and Uniteam.

Randek are the world’s most experienced provider of equipment and production lines for prefabricated housing/ building manufacture.

This includes both standard and purposeengineered equipment for manufacture of open timber frames, closed wall panels, modular buildings, floor cassettes, and roof trusses. www.blissandreels. com.au

Celebrated as “one of the greatest innovators in the CAD to CAM space,” hsbcad is the indispensable asset that converts your architectural design into a production design.

Offering solutions for Autodesk’s AutoCAD® and Revit® platforms, hsbcad provides total design accuracy, efficiency and the flexibility to define your unique engineering methods for wood and steel construction. It provides the ability to create scalable and flexible 3D manufacturing models with full quantity take offs, interfacing with the industry’s leading CNC machines. www.hsbcad. com

solutions for processing including cutting saws, panel processing and CNC machines, along with the most recent software technologies and robotic developments. www.hundegger.de

TECBEAM joists are a premium Australian engineered composite floor frame system. TECBEAM can often obviate the need for structural steel beams in point load, or long span applications in multi-residential, commercial, low and medium density applications, and has the advantage of ceiling and floor materials being directly fixed to the timber flanges. www. tecbuild.com.au

Exhibition Partners — Australian Framing Automation AFA represents Modular Building Automation (MBA) from the UK for timber framing machinery in Australia and New Zealand, with the range including machinery for timber framing, floor cassettes manufacturing, butterfly tables and panel handling equipment for flexible automation solutions for the off-site building and construction industry. www.ausframe. net.au

Big River Group began in the early 1900s as a family owned timber business. Today, it has advanced and established a position as a major Australian building materials distributor, supplying an extensive range of high quality timber, builders hardware, building supplies and services for the residential, commercial, industrial, building and

construction industries. www.bigrivergroup.com. au

Combilift manufactures an extensive range of forklift trucks for long and bulky materials, pallets, containers and oversized loads. Its range of innovative specialised handling solutions is suitable for offsite timber and engineered wood building sectors with a focus on safety, space saving, efficiency and productivity. www.combilift.com

Essetre was founded in 1979 and began its business by designing and manufacturing woodworking machinery, with attention to kitchen processing.

Today it is an established Company, well-known on the Italian and foreign markets, highly qualified for its specific design and manufacture of multi-purpose working centres for the processing of wood, plastic and light alloys. www.essetre.com/en

Randek are a Swedish company that began working in the industry in the 1940’s to deliver highperformance machines and systems to prefabricated house manufacturers, initially developing manual machines, and later pioneering highly automated production lines. www.randek.com/en

Responsible Wood are committed to protecting and promoting Australia’s unique environments with standards that ensure a forest industry that is

environmentally, socially, culturally and commercially sustainable. We pioneered the development of certification standards for wood and wood products sourced from sustainably managed forests in Australia. www.responsiblewood.org.au

Sponsors ——

The constant desire for innovation and decades of experience with technically complex and architecturally fascinating projects have made of Rubner Holzbau the ideal partner for large wood projects all over Europe. Rubner also produces prefabricated roof panels and walls, cross-laminated wood panels, wood and glass facades, building envelopes and complete wood building solutions. www. holzbau.rubner.com

The SEMA group is the world‘s leading provider of software solutions and additional services in the fields of timber and stair design as well as for sheet metal work. The software adapts perfectly to the individual needs of each customer due to its modular structure and flexible master data. http://www.sema-soft. de

australasian

magazine AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

Housing Industry Association Victoria, the only national industry association for Australian building professionals, represent the interests of the housing industry at regional and national levels. Our extensive membership program supports residential builders, trade contractors, developers, design professionals, kitchen and bathroom specialists, manufacturers and suppliers. https://hia.com.au

Lonza Wood Protection is part of the Lonza Group, a leading Swiss based biotechnology and specialty chemical company. We work in partnership with wood processors and manufacturers throughout the Asia Pacific region to preserve, protect and enhance the durability and resilience of wood products against decay, mould, termites, fire and other hazards. www.lonzawoodprotection.com/apac/

Principal Supporter —

For over 60 years, Simpson Strong-Tie® has focused on creating engineered structural products that help people build safer, stronger buildings economically. Considered

Australasia

Hundegger offers innovation matched with high performance in production of engineered timber frame and mass wood systems, with unique functionality and reliability in their ‘state of the art’

a leader in structural systems research, testing and innovation, Simpson Strong-Tie is recognised for its broad range of connectors, fasteners, anchors and repair, protect and strengthening systems. www.strongtie.com.au

Proud to support the FRAME 2018 Partners

WoodSolutions provides architects, engineers and other building professionals with information about how to use wood products, with a comprehensive website that offers a one-stop, independent source for information and technical details about designing and specifying with timber and engineered wood products. ww.woodsolutions. com.au

www.timberbiz.com.au

BUSINESS PROFILE

Demand for wood veneer specialty cards is on the rise

T

here’s a relatively new business operating in Melbourne with a belief that you “wooden” be able to say it better than with their specialty cards!

GreeniGo, brainchild of Vivek Panchakshari, is using wood veneers for specialty message cards ... and, he says, the cards are becoming more popular by the day.

However, it hasn’t been all clear sailing to get to this stage.

Vivek had a career in IT Consulting for more than eight years but he always believed he could do more than a 9 to 5 corporate job.

After completing post-graduate studies in Business and IT at The University of Melbourne in 2008 he tried setting up businesses but failed in a couple

Ŷ It’s all down to the detail.

22

of ventures like importing roses from Ethiopia to Australia.

In early 2012, he came across a niche product from the USA which was printed on paper thin wood veneer. He then immediately felt the need to introduce it to Australian market as he could see a big potential in eco-friendly products.

In his favour he had previous experience in printing industry as he grew up working in his father’s print and copy business in India. In 2013, he went part time at his day job as he was trying to figure out the right printing technique and machinery required in Australia to print on wood veneers. By early 2014 he went full time into the business and founded GreeniGo - an eco-friendly designer wood cards business with a vision to be an eco-friendly designer

Ŷ Some of the specialist card samples.

stationery and lifestyle products brand in the next 10 years.

“In 2013, we used to import standard products such as wood bookmarks, calendars, coasters, jotters, notebooks, etc,. which were printed overseas by the supplier and were sold in the weekend markets at Federation Square

in Melbourne.

“Soon customers showed interest in printing custom designs such as wedding invites on wood veneers, however, we could not print locally as no printer had printed on this material before and were hesitant to feed commercial printers with

wood veneers!

“This led us to borrow money from overseas and purchase an existing printing business in Melbourne so that we could start offering printing on wood veneer service locally and not rely on overseas supplier for printing needs. We launched our business at Bridal

Expo in mid-2013 and customers loved the look and feel of wood veneer which led to many custom print orders,” said Vivek.

Eco-friendly alternative Early 2014, Vivek decided to enter the gift industry by offering wood greeting cards as an eco-friendly alterna-

Ŷ The design team.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

BUSINESS PROFILE

native option compared to paper cards.

“It was a very successful launch as we got many stockists on board who were willing to purchase our cards in bulk at wholesale rates and sell them at retail prices. Over the next two to three years GreeniGo was promoted via social media and also through graphic designers who were able to get corporate and government clients on board.”

Obviously Vivek was a bit reticent when it came to divulging any detail about the process but he added ... “we have a commercial printer that has been modified to our requirements to print on wood veneers. Printing on this new material wood veneer is a very hard process compared to paper but this fortunately gives us an opportunity to be a leader in the industry”.

Currently, GreeniGo imports wood veneers made from Birch, Cherry, Maple and Oak wood logs in the USA. However, many of their government clients insisted on getting local wood veneer so GreeniGo has worked with a plywood company locally and successfully manufactured printable Hoop Pine veneer.

More local content “We are working on increasing the number of locally sourced wood species for customers to have a wider range to choose from and print their artwork on locally made printable wood veneers,” he said.

When asked whether the cards had been well received so far, Vivek was quick to reply ---

“Definitely YES. “Customers are being more cautious about the environment like never before.

“Wood veneer being 100% bio-degradable and using very less resources compared to paper, has made it more popular for the right reasons. Most importantly wood veneer manufacturing process uses far less chemicals compared to paper. In addition, our customers love the real wood grains compared to plain white paper.”

“Many government clients insisted on getting local wood veneer so GreeniGo has worked with a plywood company locally and successfully manufactured printable Hoop Pine veneer” Vivek said that, at this stage, the manufacturing process of wood veneer takes more time as no other company in Australia has invested in special equipments required to produce wood veneers which are as thin as paper (0.6 mm).

Right equipment “We are currently working with investors to raise capital so that we can get the right equipment to streamline the manufacturing process and to make the product affordable to everyday people. In

www.timberbiz.com.au

addition, printing on these wood veneers can be made more efficient as well by having right systems and processes in place,” he said.

And what of the future ?

“After six years of hard work we are now ready to take the business to next level. Currently, we are speaking to potential investors who can believe in our vision and be a part of our journey.”

With the right investors on board GreeniGo intends to commit to the following plans over the next three to four years: Apply for International Patent and Accelerating Commercialisation Grants Set up manufacturing facility to produce wood veneers and supply to paper merchants locally and overseas.

Or we can also use existing plywood manufacturing company’s facility and set up exclusive license agreement White label printing on Australian wood sheets service to existing 150 + commercial printers around the country so that they will act as job collection and dispatch locations and we will have full control over printing service Offer locally designed, printed Australian Wood Greeting cards to existing Australian designers and Indigenous artists followers/customers Get more stockists on board to offer Australian designed and made wood greeting cards in domestic and overseas markets by attending gift industry trade expos in Australia and overseas

Ŷ Checking to ensure all the parameters are correct.

Ŷ Vivek Panchakshari.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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23

MATERIALS HANDLING

New €50 million global facility takes Combilift to next level

C

elebrating its 20th anniversary this year, forklift manufacturer and material handling solutions provider Combilift has officially opened its new global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Monaghan, Ireland.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar TD said: “Combilift is an incredible home-grown success story. When the company was founded 20 years ago, it had three employees, a brilliant concept, and the ambition to make it a reality.”

Built at a cost of 50 million, the investment in the new 46,500m2 facility will allow Combilift to realise its ambitious growth plans.

Martin McVicar, Managing Director said: “We have employed an additional 230 people since we announced our plans for this factory in 2015 and the combination of this state of the art production plant and the growing skilled workforce will allow us to double production within the next 5 years.”

Incorporating the latest manufacturing processes with a focus on sustainability, the new factory will enable Combilift to double its output in a single shift across all production 24

lines. Four 90 metre moving assembly lines produce a finished truck every 15 minute. There are 60 welding bays, two plasma cutting machines, three paint lines which use sustainable water-based paints and three automatic shot blasters to cater for different sized products.

12,000 pallet locations ensure ample storage space for parts and components. The facility also includes a 50-seat cinema training room, 5,000m² of office space and a dedicated R&D Development and Testing Centre, with a focus on sustainability the facility incorporates a 1Mw Biomass plant fuelled by recycled wood such as pallets and a 185Kw solar plant complementing the 23% of roof space dedicated to skylights allowing the 550 strong workforces to work largely in natural light.

Mass customisation McVicar, attributes the company’s impressive growth and its status as an acknowledged world leader in the material handling sector to mass customisation. “Combilift has set the benchmark for the mass production of customised innovative products. Mass customisation is the new

frontier for both the customer and the manufacturer as customers are increasingly expecting products to be tailored to their requirements.

We listen to and take feedback on board from our customers and dealers to identify solutions that best match their individual specific needs.”

Combilift invests 7% of its annual turnover

ers to see the benefit that its products will bring to their business. “Our engineers proactively design, plan and produce material flow analysis and 3D animations - 150 to 200 per day for our worldwide customers which clearly illustrate the capacity potential as well as the optimum flow of materials on their site,” said McVicar.

Mass customisation is the new frontier, says Combilift boss “Our engineers proactively design, plan and produce solutions in collaboration with our customers by offering material flow analysis and 3D animations” in Research and Development to enhance its customisation capability and to maximise ROI for its customers.

“The flexibility in our new facility means that we can continue to accommodate any request for a customised material handling solution.

We also see ourselves as much more than a forklift manufacturer and are transforming the transport and logistics sector with our innovative, space-spacing products and our services.”

Combilift offers a free logistic and warehouse design service which enables custom-

Growth of Combilift Established by Martin McVicar, Managing Director and Robert in Moffett, Technical Director, in 1998, Combilift developed the world’s first multidirectional all-wheel drive IC engine powered forklift.

In the first year of operation it produced 18 units,17 of which were exported. The company has more than doubled in the last 5 years and now has 40,000 units in operation in over 85 countries.

Combilift’s product portfolio has expanded way beyond its first

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

multidirectional model, according to McVicar.

“Combilift has always focused on a number of niche market segments and has a proven track record of launching one or two new products annually.

In the first 10 years we focussed on the long load material handling sector with the multidirectional range which revolutionised the handling of long materials, allowing customers to handle long products in less space more safely.

We are now heavily involved in warehousing, logistics and manufacturing” Between 2008 and 2018 Combilift diversified its product ranged by developing a number of innovative space saving warehouse and heavy load handling products; the Aisle Master articulated truck and the Straddle Carrier (Combi-SC) respectively,” he said.

Pedestrian products were introduced into the range in the last five years, enabling Combilift to gain a foothold in this growing market.

The Combi-WR, Combi-WR4 and the CombiCS all incorporate Combilift’s unique patented multi-positional tiller arm technology.

“There is a growing demand for pedestrian trucks, driven by safety concerns where customers and/or employees are in the vicinity of operating forklifts,” said McVicar. “It is our intention to significantly expand this range, as can be seen with the launch of the new high lift capacity Combilift Powered Pallet Truck.”

There are no signs of growth slowing with more than 50 truckloads of finished products dispatched from the factory each week, to Combilift’s 85 country strong Global dealer network.

Ŷ Founders Martin McVicar and Robert Moffett.

www.timberbiz.com.au

L I F T I N G I N N O VAT I O N Materials handling for the Frame, Truss and Timber Industry Whether you handle extreme lengths of engineered timber, palletised goods, engineered floor, wall and roof structural panels, Combilift has the space saving and safe solution.

Contact Details: Email: chris.littlewood@combilift.com Phone: 1300 552422

.com

AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS

Australian timbers bring unique feel to Sir John Monash Centre Queensland is represented by Silky Oak, New South Wales by Brushbox, the ACT by Casuarina (River She Oak), Victoria by VicAsh, Tasmania by Huon Pine, the Northern Territory by River Red Gum, South Australia by Blackwood and Western Australia by Jarrah.

By Philip Hopkins

A

ustralians visiting the new Sir John Monash Centre in Villers-Brettoneux in France will immediately feel at home.

The entry point is a mass of Australian timber – Victorian Ash that covers two huge doors 2.4 metres in height.

That is just the starting point. Proceeding further, the dark and sombre entrance gives way to a beautiful, striking sight - a mosaic of Australian timbers in high columns, all in different shades and colours that create a kaleidoscopic effect. There are 48 of these columns, dubbed “chevrons”, almost five metres high.

The Sir John Monash Centre, the brainchild of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and opened on Anzac Day, honours the more than 295,000 Australians who served on the Western Front during the First World War. Australian timber, a quintessentially native product, was deliberately chosen for its beauty to be a key feature of the prestigious building.

As well as the doors and columns, a big Jarrah meeting table, exten-

sive Vic Ash timber wall panels and doors, and a timber plinth supporting a sculpture of Monash himself, are displayed through out the centre.

Outside, Jarrah decking honours monuments relating the histories of Australian army units.

The columns depict chevrons, which have been used by the military for centuries, symbolising rank, length of service or conduct.

Australia’s official war historian, Charles Bean, referred to chevrons denoting years of service in the Australian army. Thus the chevron, a V-shaped line or stripe, became a powerful motif in the centre.

The chevron columns consist of many sets of eight different triangleshaped native timbers, each representing a state and territory.

Queensland is represented by Silky Oak, New South Wales by Brushbox, the ACT

by Casuarina (River She Oak), Victoria by VicAsh, Tasmania by Huon Pine, the Northern Territory by River Red Gum, South Australia by Blackwood and Western Australia by Jarrah.

Finest craftsman The timber work is by one of Australia’s finest

Ŷ Victorian Ash timber is widely used throughout the centre.

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craftsmen, Grant Rollinson from Enigma Design, based at the hamlet of Tharwa outside Canberra.

Grant is an acclaimed furniture maker whose work features in Parliament House (Canberra), St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta (Sydney) and the High Court of Australia (Canberra). He has been involved with timber for almost 40 years.

Grant effectively became the project manager and had to organise a team to do the work.

“I’d been doing this for 30 years but on a smaller scale. This was bigger!” he said.

With the Australian War Memorial the client and Cox Architecture determining the broad design, the first meeting to discuss the project took place in July 2016.

“I was given the timber required for building. The question was, ‘How much can you do?’ We could do 30 per cent in-house. I realised I needed the good team of contractors I’d been working with for past 30 years,” said Grant.

Good with computers An immediate need was an industrial designer good with computers.

That was John Burchill from JB Design.

“We went through all the concepts of what was presented, what would work and what wouldn’t – and came up with solutions.”

A good timber supply was needed. “I needed somebody who could machine as well, as there was a lot of fabricating involved. First choice was Monaro Timber’s Shaun Hayward – personal friend for years, a craftsman and furniture maker before he went into the timber industry,” said Grant.

“With the contacts he had, we were able to get the Vic Ash because there were packs of it.

We also needed almost a cubic metre of the special species for the triangles.

He could source those as well. He has the staff to machine the timber and dress it all, even widen up some panels for me to make sure we could fit in the time frame.”

Then there was Advanced Detail Joinery, who did the work involving a computer-controlled overhead router that formed patterns and other work on the chevrons and main doors.

All the contractors were based in the 2620 postcode, a 100-kilometre wide area around Canberra. It also made sense to get a consistent

Ŷ One of the opened Vic Ash-veneered entry doors.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

quality for the upholstery, so Peter Smart, Smart Upholstery, who had worked on Parliament and the Lodge, was brought on board.

Can do attitude “I knew they could come in on time and on budget. We had a ‘can do’ attitude. The building had to be finished.

The deadline was Anzac Day,” said Grant.

Unexpected extra work came when the company that was to do the main entry doors pulled out in February last year. “The entry doors required bronzed work outside and on the kicks. I needed a good metal worker – the first choice was Stephen Honan, director of HDM Metals in Hume, which does commercial and large-scale work. Stephen was also an industrial designer – this was right down his alley,” said Grant. Bronze, a metal with a strong army tradition, became an important motif in the centre.

“Basically I had a really good team never more than four days late than any expected delivery – but there was a two-week window anyway.”

Prefabrication

For the builders, site work and fit-out contractors in France, the priority was to get all the elements they needed on site. “We did as much pre-fab as we could here - we produced the panels, dressed the timbers but some cutting needed to be done on site to see exactly how it fitted,” he said.

Early on, a few of the chevron timbers had to be changed to ensure there was enough contrast. The distinctive Casuarina, for example, had flecks on an orangered shade.

“We wanted a variety of colours, a jigsaw look. We wanted people to look at a column and identify each one quite easily without having to look hard. It’s nice to be able to identify each one. It gives visitors from Australia a sense of home – it’s a long way away,” Grant said.

Little holes had also to be bored into some of the triangles. “It was an acoustic requirement by the engineer. It had to happen – the same with panelling – but only around the top. Three different shapes of triangle in eight different species, and acoustic perforated – it became tricky.”

The team had to redesign the way the chev-

Ŷ The heavy Vic Ash double-door entry to the Sir John Monash Centre.

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AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS

Ŷ The underside of the meeting table showing the triangle-shaped plinths (minus table top).

rons were hung on the wall. “We turned it into a space frame so each triangle could be individually hung so they could move and allow ease of adjustment,” he said. “If you have a problem with one of these, it’s nothing to lift them all off again and take one out and put on again.”

There was also a worry about brooms and vacuum cleaners hitting the bottom of the column. “We designed an angle, a thin bronze line, so that when hung, you can clean without chip-

ping all the timber,” he said.

Other architectural requirement was that with voids at the top, it should not be possible to see the frame. “We had blackcoated perforated metal trays made to cover the frame behind the void,” he said.

Live ordinances at work site The Sir John Monash Centre is under ground, seven metres under the existing memorial. Grant said the process was delayed for six months

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Ŷ A model of the Jarrah, Blackout and Vic Ash meeting table.

because in doing a mine sweep, they found 140 live ordinances from World War I and II. “They had to be defused and removed. It’s quite common - this is the battlefield of the Somme,” said Grant.

The meeting table, with Jarrah on top, is a beauty - three metres by 1200mm, seats eight people, and with also some Vic Ash and Blackbutt, weighs in at about 210 kilograms.

A requirement was for the power to be concealed but accessible for

all on the table. With the power outlet in the floor, the solution was to conceal it within a plinth or pedestal that functioned as a traditional leg. A small power board can pop up and be retracted through the table top at will.

The triangular plinth dovetails with the triangle theme through out the complex. “It was nice to tie that in,” said Grant. “You can stand in the foyer and a triangle glass window enables you to see the top of the tower.”

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

Ŷ The completed meeting table with coasters and power board imbedded in the table top.

The supplementary big entry doors needed a workable solution. At 2.4 metres high and 1.2 metres wide, each was a heavy unit. “You could not have a solid timber door and expect it to remain flat with different temperatures in and out,” said Grant.

The original concept was also to have bronze bolts contained within the Vic Ash, but he was also worried about the Australian timber’s tendency to split.

With help from Convergence Design, inter-

pretive designers from Camberwell, 3mm veneers either side stood a good chance of doing the trick.

The solution was to have a steel frame with a 30mm thick Vic Ash veneer inside and outside, creating solid face panels. Each door weighs 210 kilograms, again with bronze capping on the edges.

Fire issue Then there was the Continued on Page 28

27

AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS

Ŷ The various timber states’ coasters stacked.

Ŷ A close-up of a chevron set showing the various timbers used.

Ŷ The mosaic of timber chevrons that greets visitors to the centre.

Australian timbers bring unique feel to Sir John Monash Centre Continued from Page 27

fire issue. “The initial specification was solid Vic Ash fire doors, but Vic Ash burns very well.

We decided to use an approved French fire door and then put veneers on it,” said Grant. However this still needed to be tested; the building had to meet Australian and French building codes.

Problems also arose with the Vic Ash wall panelling. “Almost 105 sheets had to be hand cut. To get around the movement problems with solid timber, we decided to cut Vic Ash into 3mm veneers - widen them up and glue them down, then they could be sanded back to about 2.5mm,” said Grant.

“If you keep it under 2.5 with a veneer, you’ve still got enough there to detail V-joints. With ran-

dom laid leaves as well, you get the solid timber look but don’t get the movement problems that shrinkage can bring, and the cracking and warping of solid timber, especially when on the wall panel where there is no air behind it and a different climate in front of it.”

The wall panels’ veneers were glued both sides of 6mm substrata MDF. Similar veneer issues occurred in the half a dozen internal doors and six or seven fire doors.

The patterns on the panels were mixed to create a solid timber look. They also contained acoustic holes on one half of the top panel, solid top edge. “There is not an oversupply, not overbearing – it’s a nice light touch,” he said. If there was a fire, Grant

Ŷ Rivets stacked in the Tharwa workshop (with friend)

28

said the panels kicked open and a venting system was behind.

Despite the prevalence of Vic Ash wall panels, Grant said they were not overwhelming. “Zinc panels are at eye level. The Vic Ash is above 2.5 metres, so it does not feel enclosed,” he said.

A last-minute job was to accommodate a bust of Sir John Monash himself. The solution was a sleek, smooth plinth of Vic Ash, again to tie in with the building.

The world leaders who were to be at the official opening also had to go away with a corporate gift. It was not thought ‘cool’ for them to be given akubras.

Piece of the building as memento Grant’s solution: he

used timber offcuts from the chevrons to make coasters and trivets - odds and shapes made from timber.

“They got a piece of the building – from the chevrons,” he said. In total, 150 trivets and 80 coaster sets of the eight timbers were made.

“They had a custom Made in Australia sticker to show they were not made in China,” he quipped.

Shipments of timber were sent to France in dribs and drabs – one or two a month, about 19 shipments of various sizes in total. “We had allowed in logistics for eight weeks on water, but builders brought the project forward by almost three months, so they needed the stuff earlier,” said Grant.

“We turned to air

Ŷ The Sir John Monash bust on a Vic Ash plinth.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

freight. Air Force Hercules were going to France, but they were too busy carting stuff for the submarines.

They could not fit us in.” Commercial air freight saved the day.

Almost two years’ of work came to an end when the last shipment went to France in April, arriving a couple of weeks before the opening.

All up, Grant estimated they sent at least 23 tonnes of wood products to France – a total of 1032 chevrons, furniture, wall panels and doors. There had been 65 items on the contact that Enigma Design signed, which was later supplemented by a further 18 – “not little ones either, but doors and tables”, he said.

The Sir John Monash Centre is not a traditional museum, but an immersive experience with 480 display screens and a mobile app to share the experience of ordinary Australians who fought on the Western Front. Old World War I planes from New Zealand were used to create footage. “It’s an emotional presentation, very well done,” said Grant.

At the official opening, the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, looking at the chevron display, casually asked whether a particular timber was Casuarina.

Grant, impressed with his knowledge, nodded.

“I just love timber,” Mr Turnbull said, moving on.

The Sir John Monash Centre: sjmc.gov.au

Ŷ Outdoor Jarrah bench with army division history.

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AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS

THE TIMELINE FOR THE ATDA PROGRAM IS: 6 July Submissions close

23 July People’s Choice Award voting opens

16-20 July Judging

Ŷ Stand-alone Structures (2017 winner) Dynamics in Impermanence. NLarkin Design. Photo by Ben Guthrie australasian

magazine

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

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Proud to support Australia's premium timber design awards

17 August People’s Choice Award Voting closes

18 October Ŷ Multi-Residential (2017 winner) ETZ Townhouses. Fieldwork. Photo by Peter Clarke

National timber excellence in the spotlight 19th Australian Timber Design Awards The Australian Timber Design Awards is a national design competition created to promote and encourage outstanding timber design in the built environment professions. Established in 2000, the awards are distinguished by a heritage of innovation and achievement.

The aim of the awards is to develop a timber design ethos by encouraging and showcasing outstanding timber design in a range of applications.

A broad choice of entry categories demonstrates the flexibility of timber and allows projects to be judged against similar entries.

The Australian Timber Design Awards is open to builders, designers, architects, engineers, landscapers and anyone else involved in designing or building structures that feature timber.

To recognise the younger people in our industry, a separate section of the residential category is available

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

to students and entrants aged 30 or under.

Timber is a beautiful, strong and environmentally friendly material.

The Australian Timber Design Awards encourage entries that showcase these properties.

Categories recognise outstanding use of timber in residential buildings and public or commercial buildings.

All participating entries will be judged on outstanding timber use, appearance, workmanship, structure and innovation. Judges will be looking, for context-suitable use of timber. Wellconsidered design and construction with timber will distinguish an entry.

With such a broad range of categories on offer, there is scope for recognition of a variety of applications. Each entry category is judged independently. This is an important feature of the Australian Timber Design Awards: a winning project may excel in a range of distinct areas.

Awards Night, Sydney

Timber Design Categories s Residential Class 1- New Buildings s Residential Class 1- Alteration or Addition s Multi-residential - including apartments, hotels and aged care s Public or Commercial Buildings s Interior Fitout Residential s Interior Fitout Commercial s Landscape s Stand alone structures s Furniture or Joinery s Australian Designed International Projects

Merit Categories s Sustainability s Rising Star s Small Budget Projects

Timber Products Categories s Australian Certified Timber s Engineered Timber Products s Recycled Timber s Sliced Timber Veneers And PreFinished Timber Veneers s Timber Cladding s Timber Flooring s Timber Panels s Timber Veneers s Timber Windows And Doors 29

HIA AWARDS

Outstanding quality of workmanship recognised in prestige awards

H

unter builder Construct Central Coast has taken out the top accolade winning the HIA-CSR Australian Home of the Year at the 2018 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards.

This year’s award winning projects were unveiled before hundreds of industry leaders at the prestigious awards ceremony held as the final night at the 2018 HIA National Conference in Singapore.

The HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards are the ultimate platform to showcase the talents of the nation’s top builders and designers. Winners are selected from state-based finalists, with awards in 21 separate categories.

The HIA-CSR Australian Home of the Year is the highest honour in

the residential building industry and was presented to Hunter builder Construct Central Coast.

The home also won the award for Australian Custom Built Home.

White and light inside and out, the 2018 Australian Home exudes space, comfort, and quiet luxury. The judges found this home to be a true reflection of good design and construction.

“The contributes to the calm and welcoming feel throughout the home,” commented the judges.

Drunken render “The range of interesting materials and finishes combine to great effect, including drunken render, eucalypt lata sticks and tallow wood sourced specifically for the project.”

Other award winners from across Australia in

include: Palazzo Homes f r o m We s t e r n Australia won Australian Ŷ Jim Brookes Australian Apprentice - Simon Russell, ACT and Southern NSW Apartment of the Year, partnered by house/Villa of the Year, ACT & Southern NSW an impressive gourmet Toyota Fleet, for fault- partnered by Holcim, for won Australian Special- kitchen and spacious less quality and work- an ultra-modern semi- ised Housing, partnered open-plan living with manship, and meticu- detached duplex that by Merlin Garage Door magnificent 3.5 metre lous presentation of the makes a bold statement Openers. The luxury built-in fireplace.

MyStyle Homes apartment with marble from the street with home was built to the meticulous attention to highest standard with (QLD) from North features throughout. full accessibility for the Queensland won AusMirvac Projects from detail.

Individual Builders client and provisions for tralian Display Home, NSW won Australian Apartment Complex, from Victoria won Aus- future needs, including a partnered by ActronAir, for a 9.3 star-rated home partnered by Lawn Solu- tralian Townhouse/Villa separate carers wing.

3.5 metre built-in fire- with smart technoltions Australia. The new Development, partnered ogy, providing low enfive-building complex by Brickworks Build- place Averna Homes from ergy consumption with also preserved a herit- ing Products. The two age cottage and pavilion townhouses in the de- Western Australia won touches of luxury.

Cordwell Lane from from 1860 and 1880, as velopment are designed Australian Spec Home, well as integrating the to capture endless views partnered by Stratco Tasmania won Australexisting trees into the and were constructed on Australia. The home ian Renovation/Addifeatures stunning views tion Project, partnered a sloping block. design.

Pichelmann Custom of the Perth skyline and by TRUECORE steel.

Creative Structures from South Australia Building Services and boasts an impressive Truly remarkable workwon Australian Town- DNA Architects from interior encompassing manship can be seen

Ŷ Display Home - MyStyle Homes (Qld) North Queensland

30

Ŷ Australian Home of the Year - Construct Central Coast, Hunter

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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HIA AWARDS

throughout this renovation project - a sympathetic restoration of the historic 1830s Captain Kelly’s Cottage on Bruny Island.

Gremmo Homes from NSW won Australian Outdoor Project, partnered by James Hardie Australia for an impressive outdoor area with three separate entertaining areas and careful choice of materials.

Dechellis Homes from South Australia won Australian Project Home, partnered by Liberty Steel Reinforcing.

The lofty ceilings both upstairs and down in this home enhances the space and elegance.

Magically transformed

Minosa from NSW won Australian Bathroom Design, partnered

by Caroma. The winning bathroom is a peaceful oasis magically transformed with a sophisticated and clever design.

The modern black and white bathroom glows with warmth and light.

Sublime Architectural Interiors from Queensland won Australian Bathroom of the Year, partnered by Caroma.

The dramatic ensuite contains the best of fixtures and fittings with seamless porcelain wall cladding complementing the natural metal, stone and timber.

Riverstone Custom Homes from Western Australia won Australian

Kitchen Design, partnered by HIA Insurance Services for a warm, modern kitchen that forms the heart of the home and links beautifully to the surrounding areas.

Impact Kitchens from Tasmania won Australian Kitchen of the Year, partnered by HIA Insurance Services for a bold, modern kitchen with a stunning black velvet finish complimented by mirror splashbacks, polished concrete floors and timber highlights in Tasmanian oak tones.

Simon Russell from ACT & Southern NSW won Jim Brookes Australian Apprentice, partnered by Stratco Australia. Simon, who now

has his Certificate III in Carpentry, was looking for a lifestyle change when he became a mature-age apprentice.

Eden Brae Homes from NSW won Australian Professional Major Builder, partnered by Companion Systems. A strong culture of innovation and commitment to identifying and managing the challenges facing customers makes Eden Brae Homes a standout.

Bold Living from Queensland won Australian Professional Medium Builder/Renovator, partnered by Companion Systems.

This growing familyoperated business has a strong repeat client base and a commitment

to social responsibility through their own foundation.

Logico Homes from NSW won Australian Professional Small Builder /Renovator, partnered by Companion Systems, for being a small business that takes pride in providing personal service to customers.

Susie Martin from South Australia’s Aaron Martin Constructions won Australian Business Partner, partnered

by B&D Doors. Susie is a proactive business manager who uses her creativity, astute business sense and passion for housing to ensure the business exceeded its early goals.

HIA Managing Director Shane Goodwin said the HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards recognise the best in the Australian residential building industry.

“HIA is committed to recognising the outstanding achievements of our members. Each year the entries are of the highest calibre, reflecting the exceptional standard HIA members place on workmanship, innovation and excellence in construction.

“Congratulations to our winners and finalists; having achieved one of the highest accolades and being recognised before industry peers,” Mr Goodwin said.

Ŷ Kitchen Design - Riverstone Custom Homes, West Australia

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

31

SAWLINES

Getting more from your Hundegger Saw

S

ince the launch of the Hundegger TURBO-Drive Saw into the Australasian market its immediate success has been based on some fundamental factors. Ease of use and its class leading cutting speed - both combined delivering unrivalled production capacity and efficiency.

Being able to cut components from short infeed lengths down to 1000mm and able to process several jobs at once ensures class leading timber optimisation.

Hundegger Australasia Pty Ltd has now sold more than 25 TURBODrive saws since its introduction about two years ago.

There are now Hundegger TURBO-Drive saws operating in Frame and Truss fabrication plants and timber wholesalers and distributers in most states of Australia and in many cases, there have been repeat orders for these machines – with multiple installation at single sites or across several sites.

So why the success of the TURBO-Drive?

It’s fast – able to cut components at a rate exceeding 3000 items per shift. It can reach timber positioning speeds up to 180m/min and the CNC Servo controlled saw can perform a single, double or quadruple 32

component saw cut in under a second for a full saw cycle. Being able to cut components this quickly means much greater utilisation of resources in any plant.

The further advantage of the TURBO-Drive saw is that is fitted with a combi-unit that works on three axis, and a powerful high RPM 7.5kW motor that can perform multiple mitre profiles further speeding up production. Where single piece production on a saw without the combiunit could take up to 24 saw cuts to produce 4 webs, the Hundegger TURBO-Drive can do the same with only two saw cuts, and fitted with the double-mitre tool, dramatically increases production.

Not only can it import and process files and jobs from all the major software suppliers, but the Hundegger software – CAMBIUM (included in all TURBO-Drive machines) is a powerful component creator.

CAMBIUM allows you to take further advantage of the combi-unit, fitting it with a range of tools, allowing it to perform a myriad of extra tasks. Even profile work to contour ends on components, drill, trench, create service openings in engineered products like LVL and I-beams, or stair components.

Stair stringers, (profiled

of morticed) stair treads with tenons, slots and holes in beams for hardware – all can be produced on the Hundegger TURBO-Drive using the powerful Hundegger CAMBIUM Software.

A further advantage of the Hundegger CAMBIUM software is that it can simulate all your jobs and optimise the nestings into the best use of available timber.

Further, it can give a real-time 3D graphical representation of each saw-cut, drill hole or other process as a simulation - again prior to cutting a single piece of timber. A powerful tool when creating new jobs or special components.”

Fitted with either multiple HP Inkjet printer heads, marking or a label printer (or all three), all parts can be clearly identified as they are produced.

The new Hundegger TRUSS UI Touch Screen, also means that operation of the Hundegger TURBO-Drive is straightforward. The operator can simply access all jobs that need to be run on an uncluttered screen, clearly see all information about infeed components and stack heights and let the machine get on with what it does best – high quality, efficient production.

The Hundegger TURBO-Drive – get more from your saw.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

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Innovation, Strength and Dependability.

Innovation.

Koppers Performance Chemicals has dedicated research and development facilities around the world that combine to provide innovative treated timber solutions. Innovation extends to the most powerful treatment plant control system that can handle multiple treatment types and new generation multicomponent preservative systems.

Strength.

We don’t just provide quality timber preservation solutions, we back it with engineering knowledge and capability, highly trained and experienced customer representatives and market development services.

Dependability.

Koppers Performance Chemicals has its own production facilities in Australia and in New Zealand that ensure that products are delivered in time to service customers around Australia. Our state of the art production facilities and a company wide focus on safety aim to deliver quality products safely at all times. Our friendly staff are on-hand to assist.

For more information and to discuss your treatment plant needs, contact Nick Livanes on 0408660434 or visit www.kopperspc.com.au KoppersŽ is a registered trademarks of Koppers Inc. or its subsidiaries. Š 2017 Koppers Performance Chemicals Australia Pty Ltd.

ASSOCIATIONS

A Case of Camber and Gravity

By Josh Wallace Managing Director (Vicbeam) Deputy Chairman GLTAA Chairman, Marketing Committee (GLTAA)

L

eaving the Autumn chill of Melbourne, it was a pleasant to arrive in Brisbane for the recent GLTAA meeting. The dinner and meeting was attended by representatives of Australian manufacturers as well as Associate members from New Zealand and Europe. The GLTAA has some exciting initiatives ‘on the boil’ at present with announcements pending.

It was agreed that future meetings be expanded to facilitate increased input from associate members as well as the provision of a specific forum for addressing manufacturing challenges. The next meeting will be held in Melbourne in September.

One of the pleasures of networking in the context of an industry association is the exchange of anecdotes with people working in similar fields – if the anecdote is shared over a good meal and a fine drop – it’s all the sweeter, though I hasten to add – no less accurate!

A familiar story relayed on such occasions and one all manufacturers have their own versions of now involves one potential ramification of supplying precambered beams to the market.

A little background first; Glulam beams can be supplied by manufacturers as either ‘cam34

bered’ or ‘straight’. The industry standard camber is a 600m radius which provides a slight curve in the beam which is mostly eliminated once the load is applied. A good ‘carpenter’s eye’ will easily pick the topside of a beam, however a 600m radius is very gradual. As an example, the mm rise at the chord midpoint to the underside of the beam is in theory, only 2.2mm on a 3.3m long beam, 8.1mm on a 6.0m long beam and 29.6mm on a 12.0m beam. Notwithstanding the likelihood of most carpenters installing beam correctly, GLTAA accredited manufacturers mark the topside of the beam with a sticker or inked pattern.

My version So… to my version of the manufacturers common story about a cambered beam. The Hardwood Glulam beam had been supplied at a size of 480x85 with a length of 7.2 metres. It was supplied cambered which at this length should have given a rise at the midpoint of 10-11mm.

Called to a site meeting, I beheld the beam now installed and spanning an open living space in a beautiful house that was now rapidly progressing to lockup stage.

An inspection had revealed that the beam was ‘sagging’. Engineers had raced to double check the size, span and relevant loads, but everything suggested that the beam was well within its capacity.

Representatives of the builder, the carpenter who installed the beam, the wholesaler through whom the beam was supplied and now the manufacturer were all present.

I was quickly informed of the costs involved in replacing a failing beam in this situation and was apprised of how grateful the builder would be if I “came to the party”.

The first step involved a string line, a step ladder and a tape measure. Sure

Ŷ At the GLTAA dinner in Brisbane in April.

enough, the beam looked to be deflecting about 15mm.

The possibilities included a) an incorrect size had been specified given the loads that were to be applied. Engineers had ruled that out, beam capacity in theory was fine. b) something went very wrong in manufacturing with the timber selected or during adhesive application.

However, the checks against our production records had already been done and I was confident manufacturing was not the issue. An inspection of the glue lines and laminates confirmed this. This only left one other obvious possibility c) The beam had been installed upside down... a somewhat a difficult possibility to raise in the presence a very defensive carpenter and his two supervisors.

Sceptical

Ŷ Professor Bob Milner in full flight at the GLTAA meeting.

We were all assured that the beam had been installed correctly. Although the sticker could not now be seen or accessed, the carpenter declared that it was certainly on the beam, and furthermore he had sighted the beam through and installed it ‘hump up’.

I’ll admit I was sceptical. If the beam had been installed correctly and was now deflecting 15mm, it would mean the load applied had moved the beam 25mm! Time to get everyone out of the house!

One of the ends of the beam remained accessible, but it had been neatly cut. I asked if the beam offcut was available. The length supplied versus the length installed indicated a healthy 500mm offcut should be lying around somewhere. It was - in the builder’s car!

He had already snagged it; “to make a chopping block for the wife”.

Justification

Ŷ Graph representing a 600m Radius Camber relevant to certain lengths.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

Oh but I really wanted to see this “chopping block”!

It was retrieved and to www.timberbiz.com.au

ASSOCIATIONS

The 5 safety steps to take when a supervisor is absent pervision. For example the NSW Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act requires constant supervision and instruction. .

Absence is no excuse for a lack of supervision.

A PCBU’s overriding obligation is to ensure adequate supervision for work that may pose risks to your workers.

It is no excuse to say your supervisor was away (if an incident occurs). You are expected to make arrangements to deal with foreseeable events such as that.

Business should consider the following five steps when faced with a supervisors absence.

Step 1: Determine the expected duration of the supervisor’s absence If the supervisor is only likely to be away for a short period (e.g. a day or two), you may have more options to cover the absence. If the supervisor will be absent for an extended period (e.g. a week or more), you may need to consider hiring a replacement on a temporary basis.

Step 2: Determine whether the absence of supervision could lead to an increased risk to workers’ health and safety The amount and type of supervision you need to provide depends on the level of risk associated with the job, and the skills, knowledge and experience of

your workforce.

Riskier work will require greater supervision, and it may be safer to cease the work for the duration of the supervisor’s absence.

Step 3: If the absence will increase the risk, how much and what type of supervision is required to ensure the best safety outcome?

You will need to consider whether an appropriate person in your workplace can replace the supervisor in their absence.

Often a more senior worker in the area will be able to ‘step up’ to fill in the role for a short period. If no suitable replacement is available, consider bringing a temporary supervisor into the business.

Step 4: Determine whether it is reasonably practicable to provide that level of supervision It will be reasonably practicable to bring in a temporary supervisor so long as the cost of supervision is not grossly disproportionate to the level of risk in the work being performed.

If there is a workplace incident, these are the types of questions that the safety regulator will focus on when it considers whether sufficient supervision was provided.

Step 5: Determine whether the work can be rearranged or reallocated to minimise

the requirement for supervision If it is not reasonably practicable to provide the required supervision for the task, you must consider whether you can: cease the work; or reorganise to ensure the risky tasks are not performed without supervision.

As an example we use fictitious company ABCDE Manufacturing to illustrate how to put these steps in place: This company has three departments and one supervisor per department. One supervisor is sick and will miss 1 to 2 days of work. While the other two supervisors are able to check in periodically on the sick supervisor’s department, this is not enough supervision for some of the tasks performed. So, the department of the sick supervisor is instructed to leave those tasks that have an increased risk until the supervisor returns and to only perform the ‘safe tasks’ that have been identified.

For particular advice on issues of Workplace Health and Safety, members of TABMA can contact the WH&S and IR Line by calling 1800 822 621. For non-members wishing to find out how to access this service and our other services please visit our website www.tabma.com.au or call TABMA on 02 9277 3100.

ured vertically, meaning that when a beam is laid up laminate by laminate in the press, the laminates bow over the camber stick forming the gradual 600m radial arc.

This also means that as the required pressure is slowly applied, a certain amount of glue is squeezed out and beads run down the end grain coagulating into goblets of glue which harden in position.

A group of us stood back. The glue runs told the story. Either gravity had been defied in my factory that day and I could now expect the men in black to swoop in or… the beam had indeed been installed upside down and the topside sticker surreptitiously removed after the fact. It was a sweet moment… I ducked outside “to make a phone call” leaving the car-

penter to discuss with his supervisors the new reality of the situation which no longer needed to involve the manufacturer.

So, look out for those ‘topside stickers’ or ink patterns! Manufacturers under the GLTAA’s quality accreditation scheme will also have the GLTAA logo clearly marked on the topside of the beam providing extra reassurance.

By Colin Fitzpatrick Chief Executive Officer Timber & Building Materials Association (Aust.) Ltd A supervisor plays a crucial role in maintaining workplace health and safety (WHS) standards as well as minimising the risk of hazards in the workplace. However, what should you do when your designated supervisor is absent?

And furthermore, is your business legally vulnerable?

From a WHS point of view - supervision does not mean the constant surveillance of your workers’ work activities.

It means general direction, coordination and oversight. However, you should also consider any other legislation that may require more levels of su-

my delight, whilst one end had been cleanly cut with a power saw, the other end was untouched and still had hardened glue on the end from the factory floor. Manoeuvring the offcut in position, it was able to be lined up exactly with the end of the beam in situ - laminate for laminate, grain to grain, knot to knot… a perfect match.

Gravity did the rest.

Our presses are config-

www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

SUPPORTERS & SPONSORS

John Cook & Sons

For information visit:

www.tabma.com.au

Ŷ Glue runs on ends of beams from factory.

35

ASSOCIATIONS

FTMA goes on the road to ensure national representation

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer FTMA Australia he first two weeks of May were spent travelling throughout NSW visiting a total of 37 fabricator members and non-members in the lead up to the first FTMA Members Focus Forum at the Panthers Leagues Club.

We understand that people are time poor and the road trips are a great way of discussing the key issues affecting each individual business. Responses such as the timber shortage, employee attendance and culture as well as builders bullying through slow payments and back charges are common discussions with fabricators.

On these road trips we sometimes have fabricators say, ‘we are not going to join so you are wasting your time visiting’. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as if we are truly going to represent the Australian frame and truss industry, it is important we speak to as many people as we can in the industry. Just because you are not a member, does not mean you haven’t anything to contribute to the national

T

36

industry.

The road trip resulted in new members including; Tradesmart NSW (Young), HiTek Frame & Truss (Dubbo), Truss Frame (Tamworth), Oxley Frame & Truss (Mossvale) and GEM Frame & Truss (Penrith).

We are also pleased to welcome on board One Forty One Wood Products as a new member as well.

New members receive their Members USB containing thousands of dollars of resources readily available for the business to download and use.

The first FTMA Members Focus Forum was low in numbers but provided great input from all who attended. Presentations were provided on key issues such as; Managing your telecommunication needs with Central Connect, Crisis & Risk Management for your business, Update on the Mid-Rise MIG, Family Transitioning Program, Creditor Watch development of FTMA Connect for members, Timber Systems Designer Training, Taking Advantage of AusIndustry Services and a lively informative discussion on Timber Shortage.

New members Wayne & Danielle Brady, who were attending their first FTMA forum, were excited by the discussions and information provided to them that they can introduce in to their business as well as learning from other fabricators.

Networking of course is an FTMA speciality and following the forum we had networking drinks before a casual dinner where FTMA Chair, Jamie Dahlsen, provided an entertaining presentation on his recent trip to Ireland for the launch of the CombiLift new factory.

This was a highlight for many with Jamie providing a great photo slide show, video and even an Irish Jig to finish off the presentation.

The following day the FTMA board held their meeting at the new premises of our Silver Sponsor, Meyer Timber, who laid out the welcome mat and provided the board with a great tour of their new facilities.

We thank everyone from NSW who took the time to meet with us, attended the forum and were part of the board meeting.

Website development for FTMA members Websites, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are fast becoming key social media platforms that can help your business. I don’t know about you, but I am always turning to my daughter for assistance as I try and rack my brain over the best ways to use these platforms.

Luckily for you, Nikita now works with FTMA Australia and she is offering a new Website Development tool for members at extremely discounted prices.

Ŷ Shelena Serrano (Vekta Automation) with new member Danielle Brady (Westview Frames & Trusses).

Ŷ FTMA Chair, Jamie Dahlsen (Dahlsens Building Centres) and George Dolezal from Silver Sponsor Meyer Timber.

Ŷ Christine Flanagan (Calco Trusses), Shane Black (AKD Softwoods) and Nikita Bourke (Westruss).

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

ASSOCIATIONS

Timber Veneer Association sets the standard veneers and other overlays and is titled Decorative overlaid wood panels. There is a cross-reference to AS/NZS 1859 Parts 1 and 2 for details of particleboard and MDF respectively, covering such matters as formaldehyde limits, moisture resistance and so on.

So far as timber veneers are concerned, Section 6 of AS/NZS 1859.3 deals with veneer thickness and moisture content, and provides grade limits for face veneers and backing veneers.

Backing veneers are generally of lower quality than face veneers, although this is at the discretion of the customer. Backing veneers may be of the same species as the face veneer, or of a different species, again with the agreement of the customer.

It is important that wood panels have a backing veneer as well as a face veneer, even if the back is not seen. This is because the panel has to be ‘balanced’ so that one

side is not able to gain or lose moisture more than the other. Failure to balance the panel, with veneer both sides, can lead to warping.

While AS/NZS 1839, Parts 1, 2 and 3 deal with the quality of veneers and the substrates to which they are bonded, TVAA members go an extra step and also monitor the quality of the bond itself.

The Association has a Quality Assurance Recommendation Program to check the quality of the glue bond (AFRDI 145).

The testing regime was developed by the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute (Furntech) and participating TVAA members have received training in testing techniques from Furntech.

The names of members familiar with the Glue Bond Test are listed on the TVAA website at www.timberveneer.asn.au. Choose ‘Specifying and Technical’ and go to ‘Quality Assurance’ for a list of company names.

using their own images and information at the low cost of $1500 (GST Inclusive) plus hosting costs (Domain $100 pa

and hosting $50 pa) This can be expanded to suit your business with a 5-page website costing only $1800 (GST Inclusive) plus hosting costs (outlined above).

Nikita uses WordPress and the websites are easy to manage, but don’t worry Nikita can also offer in-house training for key people at a negotiated low price.

Whether you want to create a new website, update or change a current website or look at other social media platforms, Nikita can help with creation, implementation and training.

If you are interested in utilising these services, please complete the

By Peter Llewellyn Technical Representative, Timber Veneer Association of Australia The Timber Veneer Association is sometimes asked if there is an Australian Standard for veneered products.

Clearly, timber veneers have to be bonded to a substrate so they can be installed in a building, and the relevant Australian Standard takes this into account.

The Standard for the veneer industry is titled Reconstituted woodbased panels – Specifications. It is published

by Standards Australia and issued as AS/NZS 1859 in three parts.

Part 3 of AS/NZS 1839 relates to wood

Nikita has developed a basic three-page website template that she will customise to best reflect their business,

Ŷ Jared Fry (Riverstone Frame & Truss) with Greg Dobson (Custombuilt Frame & Truss).

www.timberbiz.com.au

Ŷ The building by Brooking Design is the John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School.

Ŷ Hickory photo by APR Detailed Joinery Pty. Ltd.

Website Booking form and return to nikita@ ftma.com.au Workplace Surveillance Policy An FTMA member recently raised an enquiry about workplace surveillance. In NSW and the ACT there is specific legislation on surveillance in the workplace and both statutes impose strict procedures that employers are required to comply with.

For example, employers are required by law to give employees 14 days’ notice that the employer undertakes surveillance in the workplace and surveillance is prohibited in changerooms, toilets, showers and, in the

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

ACT, also prayer rooms, if applicable.

In Victoria, while there is no prescribed requirement for employers to provide notice to employees about workplace surveillance, in 2007 the legislation in Victoria was amended to make it an offence to install surveillance in certain areas of the workplace, such as toilets, washrooms, changerooms or a lactation room.

In consultation with our Industrial Relations experts at TTIA, FTMA now has a Workplace Surveillance Policy for members to utilise. This policy can be found on FTMA’s website in the members only section.

Whilst this policy is based on the NSW legislation, it is good practice for members in other states or territories to use this policy as a template because providing notice to an employee about workplace surveillance can be useful when it comes to managing WHS compliance and employee incidents.

Members are welcome to adopt the generic policy which can be found on the Members Only section of FTMA News or they can contact the experts at TTIA on 02 9264 0011 or via email at ttia@ttia.asn.au to engage their services to custom the policy to suit your business.

37

ASSOCIATIONS

Single Touch Payroll, a closer look at compliance by ATO

Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer Timber Trade Industrial Association (TTIA)

A

significant change is about to be implemented affecting the way payrolls are processed.

The Federal Government has introduced Single Touch Payroll (STP) to give the Australian Tax Office (ATO) better real time visibility over the accuracy and timeliness of organisations’ payroll processing and payments for ATO compliance assessment purposes.

STP requires employers to report salary or wages, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and super information directly to the ATO at the same time they pay their employees. To re38

port, employers must use Standard Business Reporting (SBR) enabled software to electronically report this payroll and superannuation information or use a payroll service provider with this capability. The information will be reported to the ATO in real-time (each pay cycle) and made available to employees through myGov, allowing the ATO and employees to track their year to date earnings and remittances in real time. This will require employees to set up an on-line myGov account.

Under the enacted STP legislation, employers with 20 employees or more, based on a headcount of their payroll as at 1 April 2018, must commence reporting using STP from 1 July 2018 unless they qualify for a deferral or exemption (see below).

For employers with 19 or less employees, STP reporting will be optional until 1 July 2019. It will be mandatory for employers with 19 or less employees from that date, subject to legislation being passed in Parliament.

The following employees are to be included in the headcount: s full-time employees

s part-time employees s casual employees who are on your payroll on 1 April 2018 and worked any time during March 2018 s employees based overseas s any employee absent or on leave (paid or unpaid) s seasonal employees (staff who are engaged short term to meet a regular peak workload, for example, harvest workers).

Not to be included in the headcount are: s any employees who ceased work before 1 April 2018 s casual employees who did not work in March 2018 (If they subsequently work again for the employer and are paid on or after 1 July 2018, those payments will have to be reported under STP) s independent contractors s staff provided by a third-party labour hire organisation s company directors – unless remuneration is paid through payroll or superannuation payments made in respect of them s office holders s religious practitioners.

Before the compulsory 1 July 2018 start date, employers with 20 employees or more

will need to ensure their payroll system is STP enabled to be compliant with the new law. This may require upgrading or changing payroll software or payroll providers.

The ATO advises that it may defer the start date for employers who will not be ready for the 1 July 2018 start date in certain limited circumstances, for example where their software is not ready. It is shortly to publish more information about exemptions and deferrals, including how to apply for an exemption or deferral. Software and payroll service providers are to advise employers using their products or services about how best to transition to SBR, and where a deferral has been allowed by the ATO. There is no change to

employer payroll cycles, and no change to due dates for remittance of PAYG withholding to the ATO and payment of SG contributions to super funds. STP is for reporting only, PAYG and superannuation payments are to be made separately; there is no change to the Superstream regime.

STP compliant employers may not have to provide annual payment summaries, except in relation to those payments not reported via STP (some payments cannot be reported through STP, e.g. lump sum superannuation payments, or payments generally not made through payroll).

However, employers will have to complete a finalisation declaration.

A further change is that TFN declarations and choice of super fund can be completed online

by new employees and automatically reported to the ATO. It is optional for the employer to offer this service and optional for the employee to use the service (the existing paper forms will remain available).

The ATO (www.ato. gov.au) have provided TTIA with a link to assist employers with their STP obligations and transitioning to the new reporting requirements - new reporting requirements Employers in the industry are reminded that TTIA operates an industrial relations enquiry service assisting Members on rates of pay and award interpretation. This service is provided by in-house staff and is unique to the industry. The timber industry Hotline is (02) 9264 0011.

SUPPORTERS & SPONSORS

For information visit: www.ttia.asn.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER June 2018

www.timberbiz.com.au

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