Building innovations winter issue

INSIDE

WINTER 2013

Naylor Love Construction - 12-page liftout

Equine industry specialist looks to the future Magnum Industries launched Magnaclad three years ago to the equine industry and is enjoying ongoing success. It is now the preferred panelling product when building equine facilities.

The acceptance by tradesmen and industry heavy weights like Placemaker’s amongst others has seen Magnaclad introduced into the building and construction industry.

Magnaclad is also under review with WDHB and keeps ticking all the boxes.

“It was originally designed as a nonchewable, indestructible, 100%waterproof wall lining,” says Mark Brady of Magnum Industries.

“It truly has proved to be exactly what we had hoped it to be in terms of its performance.

Magnum Industries is currently in the process of appointing a North Island distributor.

“We see great opportunity for the product in the South Island through our newly formed relationships with Farm Build, Total Span and Equintessentenial.”

Over the last twelve months, Magnum Industries have supplied and installed many stables throughout the South Island.

Another great feature of Magnaclad is its ability to receive additives like anti-fungal/ anti-bacterial and anti-graffiti - unlike any other interior wall linings.

Magnaclad has the benefit of being a continuously run sheet product enabling the customer to purchase sheets up to 4200 long x 1200 wide. Aluminium extruded mouldings are currently under development and soon to be released.

The team at Magnum Industries are extremely excited and eager to support Magnaclad in the market place. Magnaclad comes with a 30-year warranty.

Another innovative product Magnum Industries sells as the sole agent in New

HotTop Horserail Fencing has proved to be a popular product.

Zealand is HotTop Fencing. Manufactured in America with a fantastic range, Brady says that HotTop Fencing is doing for fencing what Magnaclad is doing for stable construction.

“You get the aesthetics of the post and rail without the maintenance, great for lifestyle blocks, farming, and waterway identification, to name a few. It is so safe and comes with a 30-year warranty.”

Magnum is currently in talks with Transit New Zealand to have HotTop approved within the roading industry as a high visibility barrier.

Installation has proven to be a significant labour saver. Prices are comparable to traditional post and rail fencing.

Magnum Industries has three significant stable builds currently underway; one in Auckland, the other two in Cambridge, along with several fencing projects.

Though Magnum Industries is based in the Waikato, the products it sells are sent all over the world.

“We have two horse walkers in production, going to the Royal Cavalry in Oman.

MAGNACLAD

“It is an exciting and evolving industry to be part of and the great thing for us is that there is always new innovation happening,” says Brady.

The company carries a huge array of stable products, from feeding systems to manure forks and everything in between and the comprehensive brochure available on its website gives full descriptions of everything it sells.

To have questions answered or for more information, Magnum Industries free calling number is a good option.

171 Ellis Street, Frankton, Hamilton E enquiries@magnum.co.nz P 07 847 5566 F 07 847 5621

Magnaclad is the latest innovative product to be added to the Magnum Industries range and has been specifically developed for use in stables, partitions and all interior linings.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS • 2400 x 1200 sheet size • Other sizes available on request max 4200 x 1200 (min quantity requirements) • 10mm thick • Range of colours available • 100% waterproof • High Density Polyethylene • Interior applications only • Indestructible • Moisture, stain and odour resistant • Environmentally friendly made from recycled material • Anti Bacterial/Anti Fungal additives can be added. Great for DHB’s, Vet Clinics, Dairy Industry and Sterile areas

FREEPHONE 0800 66 55 66

South Island Agent FarmBuild 0800 327628

www.magnum.co.nz

Ensuring you get the right framing Timber framing is still by far the preferred framing material for most builders and DIY persons in New Zealand, comprising almost 90% of houses built.

But timber framing can vary in density, stiffness and strength which are important factors in houses and commercial buildings when exposed to high winds and earthquakes.

This means that it’s important to choose the right timber framing to ensure safety and that the structure will stand the test of time, says Paul Carpenter, from Graderight (NZ) Ltd. Graderight externally audits a number of sawmills throughout New Zealand for the purpose of checking that the timber produced is up to and within grade specification.

Carpenter says two species dominate the New Zealand market – Radiata pine, which comprises about 90% of our manmade plantation resource, and Douglas fir (sometimes called Oregon), which comprises about 5% of the plantation resource.

Both are exotic species originating from the North American continent and they both grow well in New Zealand.

Framing timber used to be just visually graded but since late 2004 it also has to be tested for stiffness and strength by the producers.

Carpenter says that most framing is machine stress graded as well to ensure the stiffness of every piece is acceptable and fit for purpose.

“This testing process is called structural grade verification and all producers are monitored and audited by one of three auditing agencies,” he says.

Grade Right (NZ) Ltd is the only independent grade auditing agency and Carpenter says it has the most rigorous monitoring and auditing process, supervising over half of the producers of grade verified timber in New Zealand.

“We have proven performance in third party monitoring and auditing of wood quality and graded timber across a range of small to large sites across New Zealand,” says Carpenter.

“For consumers this means that when they choose Grade Verified timber they know that it’s fit for purpose and consistent in quality.”

Carpenter says the most common structural timber grade sold in New Zealand today is SG8.

Grade Verified SG8 replaced the traditional No. 1 framing that was used for house framing in New Zealand for the past 50 years.

“SG8 is tested for stiffness and strength.

As an example, when testing a piece of 90x45mm SG8 a load of over 333 kilograms or a third of a tonne is applied to the edge to

“For consumers this means that when they choose Grade Verified timber they know that it’s fit for purpose and consistent in quality.”

It is important to choose the right timber framing to ensure safety and that the structure will stand the test of time.

ensure the timber is stiff and strong.

“SG8 is used for general house framing, sub-floor timbers, wall framing and even some roof framing.

“A higher grade, SG10, is used for trusses as well.”

SG8 has an average stiffness of 8GigaPascals (GPa) while SG10 has an average stiffness of 10GPa hence the names of these grades.

These timbers are typically kiln dried to an average moisture content of 16% and preservative treated to Hazard Class H1.2 or H3.2 for house framing or possibly H4 or H5 for in-ground use.

Carpenter says that when ordering timber

although purchasers need to know the size, grade, end-use/Hazard Class and lengths that they want they should also make sure it has the Grade Verified brand.

This ensures that they are purchasing a timber they can trust as timber marked with the Grade Verified brand complies with standards NZS 3603:2004 timber structures (amendment 3) and NZS 3622: 2004 verification of timber properties.

Go to www.graderight.co.nz to see the list of Grade Verified timber producers and the grades and sizes they are approved for. Contact us at: 07 349-1608, info@graderight.co.nz

Grade Verified and Treat Right branded timber – stiff, strong and durable!

While timber is still the preferred building material in use in NZ, it is important that you buy timber that you can have 100% confidence in.

Did you know that only timber branded with the Grade Verified and Treat Right trademarks go through the most rigorous testing monitoring and auditing process. This process ensures that the timber products you buy are stiff, strong and durable enough to meet the highest demands of NZ best builders and DIY persons. Grade Right (NZ) Ltd is responsible for monitoring and auditing over half of the producers of Stress Graded framing timber in NZ and also supervises the preservative treatment of an increasing percentage of treated timber products also.

See the list of licensed producers approved to use the Grade Verified brand (including their approved Stress Graded products) and Treat Right brands at our website www.graderight.co.nz.

Producers of timber products using the Grade Verified and Treat Right brands are monitored and audited most thoroughly of all producers simply to provide you the customer with 100% confidence in the timber products you are buying.

If you are unsure about the quality of any timber products you buy, please feel free to contact us at Grade Right (NZ) Ltd. We can help you with grade, moisture content and general quality issues.

Ph. 07-3491608 or info@graderight.co.nz www.graderight.co.nz or find us at 49 Sala St, Scion (formerly Forest Research) Campus, Rotorua.

Contents

Building Innovations NZ | Winter

112 Wrights Road, Addington PO Box 37 346, Christchurch www.waterfordpress.co.nz PUBLISHER James Lynch

7

Phone: 03 983 5500 Email: james@waterfordpress.co.nz

EDITOR

Nick Gormack Phone: 03 983 5559 Email: nickg@waterfordpress.co.nz

JOURNALISTS

Jo Bailey, Karen Phelps, Kelly Deeks

Strength of Steel

Fortis Construction has led the project to repair and refurbish the 22-storey Pacific Tower in Chch.

12 Spanish Style

Harbourside Homes has just completed this stunning beachfront residence in Auckland.

ART DEPARTMENT

Sadhna Clark, Brendon Wellwood, Angela Whyte, Liki Udam, Anton Gray, Sarah McQuilkin Phone: 03 983 5560 Email: art@waterfordpress.co.nz

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CUSTOMER SERVICES

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Ann-Marie Frentz

Phone: 03 983 5554 Email: annmarie@waterfordpress.co.nz

GENERAL MANAGER Rex Lynch

Perfect Precision

Absolute attention to detail is the hallmark of Christchurch’s award-winning H&R Garlick Builders.

Thoroughly Modern

Dwell Homes has spent the last two years developing the concept of high-end modernist residences.

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ISSN 2324-1195

25 Theatre Reborn

The refurbishment of Auckland’s ASB Theatre has given the premier venue a new lease of life.

31 Timber Time

New prefabricated technology brings timber into the commercial and industrial design age.

Christchurch Rebuild - News

Britten’s inner city vision set to live on Jo Bailey The Christchurch earthquakes have destroyed many of the city’s stand-out buildings.

However Cathedral Junction, a concept envisioned by the late inventor and entrepreneur John Britten will live on.

Britten’s untimely passing from cancer several years ago meant his beloved project stalled for a period of nine years when the development site became known as ‘little Bosnia’ and the ‘bomb-site’.

After an extensive marketing campaign to dispose of the property by the Britten estate there were no takers.

Ernest Duval eventually took up the challenging derelict site and undertook an architectural re-interpretation whilst maintaining the theme and spirit of the original development. He remains the chairman of the Body Corporate and says repair work at the unique precinct is “well underway” and it should re-open to the public soon.

“The development is a continuation of John Britten’s original vision, which was influenced by art nouveau but in a New Zealand way,” says Duval.

“I think people will be wowed by its New Zealand eco-theme and some of the decorative elements that reflect the desire John had for things to be handmade and handcrafted.”

Features include inlaid bronze tuatara and nikau fern motifs, a new glass atrium with barley twist columns, polished concrete floors, and a 12-metre wooden public seat made to Britten’s ‘Serpentine’ design that has been made and will be installed between the tram tracks on Worcester Street for public seating.

Duval says Cathedral Junction is in stark contrast to the “McShopping mall” type developments in the suburbs.

“It’s an earthy, slightly quirky development that will be unique compared to some of the large corporate-style projects that are being mooted for other parts of the city.”

Incorporated in the precinct are the Quest Serviced Apartments, the luxury boutique hotel ‘Off the Square’, and retail and hospitality spaces.

With the Rendezvous Hotel re-opening in the adjacent Pacific Tower high rise (owned by Duval); and the historic New Regent St block of shops back in business across the road, Duval believes the area will soon become a vibrant central city precinct.

The Cathedral Junction development includes apartments, a luxury boutique hotel and retail and hospitality spaces.

“We are lucky the area is still relatively intact with the new Press building, Novotel Hotel and Old Government Buildings also surviving the earthquakes.

“The city needs pockets like this with critical mass.”

Duval has Britten’s original sketches for the Cathedral Junction development and is serious about delivering on their vision.

“Whenever one of the designers or builders wants to make a change we give them the original John Britten images so they can view them and better understand the vision before putting their modern take on them.

“The inspiration remains the same but there is scope for some modification so that the development remains commercially viable.”

Duval has a lot of admiration for Britten, whom he describes as a “unique New Zealander”.

“John’s world-record-breaking achievement with the Britten motorcycle was phenomenal.

In 20 years time the older generation will

Specialising in Insurance Accommodation

still remember his design influence, but the younger generation may not. Completing the development is another way of ensuring the memory of a truly inventive and unique New Zealander remains.”

Duval believes cities are defined by their architecture and that certain buildings are extremely “important to our sense of

place, our connection with the past and our identity”.

“After losing so much of the city we need buildings that are symbols of who we are and anchor us. I believe we are custodians of Cathedral Junction for future generations - to retain and improve it whilst remaining true to the original inspiration.”

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Building Innovations NZ 5

Christchurch Rebuild - News

Southland firms keen to become involved Jo Bailey There is strong interest from Southland businesses in the Collaborate Canterbury project, says Peter Townsend, chief executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.

Townsend says there was “a really good response” to a recent Collaborate Canterbury seminar, held in Invercargill.

“It was attended by around 60 Southland business people who were keen to learn about the opportunities that exist in Canterbury and the benefits of becoming part of the project.”

Around 210 of the 600 companies that have already listed on the Collaborate Canterbury website are from Southland, so on a per-capita basis, the region has got off to a “fantastic start,” he says.

The Collaborate Canterbury project encourages companies across New Zealand keen to play an active part in the rebuild,

to team up with Canterbury businesses, to create scale and build on existing marketplace contracts and relationships.

Once registered on the project’s website, the businesses outside the region can be matched with Canterbury businesses looking for additional skill, resource or labour.

These could be set up as supply agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, outsourcing, acquisitions or sub-contractors.

Patience was one of the key messages Townsend delivered to Southland businesses at the Invercargill seminar.

“It is going to take time, but the fact is a $40 billion rebuild is starting to happen and is going to go on for many years.

“Southland companies that want to be engaged should be planning now for how they will manage this.

“When the rebuild does take off, we want companies to be ready and to have explored all the possible models to enable them to provide services and resources.”

Townsend says Southland business-people

in the housing and construction sectors made up the majority of the audience at the seminar.

However there is “growing interest” from service sector businesses such as accountancy and law firms and technology professionals.

“The rebuild will eventually have an impact on most businesses so anyone that wants to claim a bit of the prize should be thinking quite proactively about how to do that.”

He says that for Southland businesses this could include maintaining close links with Venture Southland, being proactive on the Collaborate Canterbury website and building their own connections in the Canterbury region until the rebuild works take off.

Venture Southland has set up a Southland Supply Initiative database that lists members’ background information, contact details and capabilities.

All registered businesses are automatically linked to the Collaborate Canterbury website.

Although Townsend was delighted with interest in the initiative from outside Canterbury, he says the lack of engagement

by Christchurch-based companies in the project so far was a “critical issue”.

“I don’t believe people fully appreciate the enormity and scale of what we’re heading into,” says Townsend.

“The rebuild is way beyond the capability of the Christchurch market which is why we need to do some forward thinking about where we’re going to be 12 months from now,” says Townsend.

“If we don’t ‘resource up’ the recovery is simply going to take much longer,” he says.

“It has to be good for everybody if companies from outside the region help to build scale and accelerate the rebuild.

“However businesses need to start planning now while the rebuild is still in its infancy.

“If they leave it too long to form these sorts of collaborative relationships they might miss the boat.”

Hassle-free service Supply of construction materials is expected to become more difficult as the Christchurch rebuild progresses. However Rangiora firm, Select Reinforcing is determined to continue bucking this trend by offering hassle-free steel cutting and bending services and quick turnaround times.

General manager Hayden Yates says the reinforcing steel and mesh specialist’s point of difference is its “much shorter” turnaround time, from estimating and detailing jobs, to orders being made and delivered – all without compromising on quality.

“We can do an estimate within 48 hours and upon confirmation can deliver the job to the customer very quickly, often in as little as two or three working days for a standard residential house.”

Yates says other suppliers can often take up to two weeks for estimating and two weeks for an order to be delivered.

“We understand that our products are often only a small component of their overall job, so any delays can hold up their progress, costing them time and money.”

Select Reinforcing custom-manufactures a range of quality products for residential and medium-sized commercial and industrial projects, including reinforcing mesh for concrete, reinforcing rods, mesh chairs, reinforcing cast moulds and tie wire.

Customers can also stop in at its Rangiora yard to pick up standard steel and mesh supplies as required.

The family-owned company is also a specialist in the manufacture of “street wear” such as manhole ladders and sump covers. “We believe we are already the fastest and most competitively priced when it comes to the delivery of reinforcing steel and mesh to the local construction industry.

It is an edge we plan to maintain as the rebuild gets into gear.”

Free staff shout on us !

Select Reinforcing also has an experienced Quantity Surveyor/Estimator, Nestorio Navarro (IPENZ, NZIQS) on its team who offers “exceptional accuracy and expertise in estimating and detailing”, and can assist with advice on reinforcing requirements for Council approved plans.

Feedback from clients is that the company’s expertise and short lead times on the delivery of its quality products are “really helpful”, says Yates.

“Most of our customers are builders who work within tight time-frames.

COMPLETE REINFORCING NEEDS DELIVERY TO SITE

Mesh for concrete Reinforcing Rods Ductile/Standard mesh

FREE QUOTE/TENDER ON ANY JOB BIG OR SMALL

Reinforcing for cast moulds Tie wire

Mesh chairs Fabrication in factory Welding

FREE STAFF SHOUT ON US! Terms and Conditions

Mention this Building Innovations article when you send in your job for estimating and upon delivery of your order we will shout your staff onsite to the value of $100.

Terms and conditions: One ‘shout’ available per customer throughout the duration of the promotion.

Promotion is available to existing and new customers for orders over $1000.

The “shout” must be advised at the time of placing your order. Customer can choose their time and preference of shout to the value of $100. Promotion valid until September 31, 2013.

- Valid on orders over $1000.

- One “shout” per customer throughout the promotion period.

- “Shout” will be delivered to site after delivery of the order.

- Available to all existing and new customers.

- Customer can choose time, date and type of “shout.”

Promo ends 30 September 2013

3 Ryans Place (off Flaxton Rd), Southbrook, Rangiora Email selectreinforcing@xtra.co.nz

03 313 0433 www.selectreinforcing.co.nz

• No drilling or rivets required • Install in 20 seconds or less • Never rusts • Gutter outlet drop sizes 65mm, 80mm, 90mm • Available in all plumbing and roofing outlets nationwide 6 Building Innovations NZ

Christchurch Rebuild - Fortis Construction

Pacific Tower shows the strength of steel He says these have been replaced with new bolt-able links, instead of the original type of links that were welded into the superstructure. “This will make the replacement of the links a much simpler and cheaper exercise should damage occur following another major earthquake.”

The “repair methodology” of the team charged with completing the structural and cosmetic repairs to the Pacific Tower has seen considerable architectural improvements made to the building to improve its resilience and “de-risk” stakeholders against expensive repairs in a future event.

“Without spending a lot more money we have been able to make numerous small changes that add resilience to the building.

“These include replacing fire-rated Gib board that cracked in the earthquakes with separate individual fire-rated panels featuring covered fire-rated slip joints that would allow the panels to move slightly and independently if there was another earthquake.”

Tonks says the fact Pacific Tower remained “upstanding and resolute” following the disaster makes a good case for the use of better engineering and materials in the Christchurch rebuild.

“Concrete has traditionally dominated the Christchurch building scene due to a plentiful local supply of aggregate. However the quakes have shown us we can’t afford to have a throwaway city, and repair or rebuild concrete buildings every time there is a disaster.”

In addition to steel’s proven seismic performance, strength and resilience, other benefits include faster erection speeds, reduced foundation costs, and a lighter superstructure post construction.

“The last couple of years have shown us that high-rise steel buildings can be made to withstand the force of some of the strongest earthquakes we’ve ever experienced.

“This makes steel the logical, reliable choice for the city’s rebuild.”

Jo Bailey Guests at the recently re-opened Rendezvous Hotel have some of the best views in Christchurch, says Mark Tonks, project manager of Fortis Construction.

“I would argue it’s the best hotel in the city right now,” says Tonks.

“Not only have the rooms been returned to a brand new standard, but guests are going to witness the rebirth of the city from the landmark building, which could remain the tallest in Christchurch forever.”

Fortis Construction led the two year project to repair and refurbish the 22-storey Pacific Tower on Gloucester Street which houses the 171 room hotel. It also has luxury apartments on the upper floors that are currently for sale for between $850,000 and $2.5 million.

The performance of the slender structuralsteel framed building was put under a great deal of scrutiny following the earthquakes and came through “very well”, says Tonks.

“The building’s earthquake performance demonstrates the resilience and economic value of steel-framed buildings.

“Pound for pound steel ductile material is so much stronger than the high-mass non-ductile concrete column and beams traditionally used for high-rise construction.

You only have to look at the state of the city to see which performed better.”

Completed in 2010, the Pacific Tower comprises eccentrically braced steel frames cast integrally with composite metal deck slabs. Other features include car-stackers, cranked braces and ‘super’ moment-resisting frames at ground floor level.

The eccentrically braced frames are connected by active links, designed to absorb any seismic pressure and tension in the event of an earthquake, and be replaced if damaged.

Tonks says 41 of the building’s 130 links were replaced during the building repairs, although only four links fractured completely following the February 22 earthquake.

“Most were still within safe strength levels.

However we decided to replace many of the weakened links so they were back to the same level as before the quakes.”

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Fortis Construction led the two year project to repair and refurbish the 22-storey Pacific Tower in central Christchurch.

Fortis Construction

Southern QA Ltd | e. info@sqal.co.nz | p. 03 381 1670

03 374 2285 www.fortisconstruction.co.nz

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Building Innovations NZ 7

Christchurch Rebuild - Blue Group

Focused on delivering healthy homes Kelly Deeks Building “healthy homes” for New Zealanders is the aim of nationwide construction company Blue Group.

With offices located in Tauranga and Christchurch, Blue Group comprises five independently owned and operated, construction-related companies all with a vision to build a greener, more energyefficient, and healthier New Zealand.

The group’s founding company Blue Steel Buildings was started in 2008.

The design-and-build company specialised in the construction of residential steel frame and commercial portal steel frame buildings.

Today Blue Group also includes Blue Building Solutions, Blue Construction Services, Blue Electrical Services, and Blue Painting Solutions.

Blue Group has been active in Christchurch as part of the Earthquake Commission (EQC) Winter Heating Programme, and together with Laser Plumbing has installed more than 400 fireplaces and undertaken associated building works in earthquake-damaged homes.

Blue Construction Services is an approved contractor for Fletchers EQR undertaking remedial works and Hawkins Canterbury Recovery Project for building new homes and will continue to support the rebuilding of Christchurch.

Blue Group general manager Tim Dorrington says one of its main objective is to create “healthy homes”.

“New Zealand has an alarmingly high rate of asthma and respiratory diseases, which has

Blue Group specialises in building healthy energy-efficient homes. been connected to poor housing design.

“While the focus for New Zealand housing design for many years has been based around weather-tightness, this can actually create condensation problems, from which mould is formed and the airborne spores will soon penetrate from the roof void and walls into a home.”

Dorrington is also currently working alongside the New Zealand Metal Roofing Manufacturer’s (NZMRM) ventilation committee - a group of selected industry

experts - to improve the current failings in the present building code.

“The industry experts are now all aware of the connection between the current focus on weather-tightness being a major contributor to the huge volume of asthma sufferers in New Zealand. I believe we are on the way to achieving our goal of passively ventilated homes becoming compulsory as they have been for years in many parts of the world.

“Through the continued perseverance from the NZMRM committee, we are slowly getting

the message through to the guys at the top who are the only ones who can change it.”

He says as a specific research and development company, Blue Building Solutions has been working on this problem for the past two years, and is “finally getting the message across”. “We now offer a range of products which can be implemented into any house design, which will eliminate condensation and prevent asthma.”

Blue Group’s range of new ‘Healthy Homes’, from lower and middle range through

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Proud to support Blue Group NZ Phone/Fax: 07 573 8249 salestepuke@laserplumbing.co.nz

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Read More Online VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.waterfordpress.co.nz FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SEE OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS

8 Building Innovations NZ

Christchurch Rebuild - Blue Group / Inform Builders

Inform Builders keeps expanding its horizons Kelly Deeks

Blue Group’s range of new ‘Healthy Homes’, from lower and middle range through to executive homes, can be built with either steel or timber frames. to executive homes, can be built with either steel or timber frames.

Dorrington says all Blue Group homes feature passive ventilation systems to eliminate condensation, mould, and consequential asthma and respiratory problems.

“These systems are calculated, designed and installed free of charge no matter which house design is chosen. As a company we

are more interested in building a reputation of intelligent construction and healthy homes than solely focusing on sales and margins”.

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Christchurch residential construction company Inform Builders is keeping extremely busy with rebuild work in Canterbury.

Inform Builders was founded seven years ago by Nick Jarvis who started out building spec homes around Canterbury.

Jarvis says since the earthquakes, the company has expanded its horizons, still building spec homes, but also completing earthquake repairs and rebuilds, and taking on new home builds for clients.

Jarvis has also increased the company’s capabilities in the past year purchasing a truck and digger and establishing Inform Contracting.

“Things were getting so busy and I didn’t like to let my clients down,” says Jarvis.

“With our own digger we can get in and do our own earthworks without having to rely on another contractor.

“Now we are completing all types of excavation from the foundation dig outs, to the driveways, to the retaining walls and the landscaping.”

With more administration work to do, Jarvis has a team of four staff working on the tools while he directs the business.

Inform Builders offers a design-andbuild service, from existing plans or a concept, with a professional team, including a qualified architect, guiding

clients through the design process. It is currently completing four three-bedroom units on Hereford Street, which will be used as rental properties.

The Hereford Street units are built on TC2 land, which had to be excavated to 800ml deep then filled in with gravel, before rib raft foundations were laid.

Inform Contracting completed most of the site works after Weir Construction did the early work with a larger digger.

Jarvis has had considerable experience in building for the rental market and knows what landlords require.

“We use basic colour schemes, the kitchens have basic ovens and dishwashers that can be easily replaced if necessary,” he says.

“We put single showers and vanities in the bathrooms, and a large space of vinyl flooring through the entranceways. There is a single garage with internal access and lots of storage.”

With the extremely busy housing market in Christchurch, Jarvis says he is looking to add more staff.

However he says he will cap the company’s growth at six in order to retain the “high-quality workmanship and personalised service” his clients have come to rely on.

Inform Builders 021 337 837 Nick@informbuilders.co.nz

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www.shearmac.co.nz Building Innovations NZ 9

Residential - Dominator Gate and Garage Door Centre

Dominator has all the options covered Kelly Deeks Leading New Zealand garage door brand, Dominator says its Bromley Christchurch branch is now offering -a one-stop-shop service- combining gates, fencing, and garage doors - to achieve a matching or custom designed package to enhance the look and security of both residential and commercial properties.

Gates and Fences Dominator Gate and Garage Door Centre sales and marketing manager Danni Platt says Dominator Bromley is the only branch in Christchurch providing gates and gate opening systems, with a manufacturing team on site creating gates for driveways, walkways, and other security gates.

“Whether made from tubular steel, wrought iron, laminated steel, sectional door panels, architectural panels, or timber cladding, our gates are available in single swing, double swing, sliding, or cantilevered options,” says Platt. “A lot of people are looking for the minimalist look and want their garage door, gate, and fence to match up.

“With our own manufacturing facility we are able to manufacture gates out of the same material as the garage door, and we can liaise with the fencing contractor to get the fences manufactured in the same material as well.”

The NatureSteel range combines the beauty of timber with the strength of steel.

10 Building Innovations NZ

Diverse Garage Door Range Dominator offers a range of garage door

solutions, from steel to timber, including insulated and non-insulated options. The company’s diverse range includes NatureSteel, which combines the warmth and beauty of a timber door with the practicality and strength of steel. NatureSteel door panels are created from a natural looking wood grain effect paint finish that is baked on to ensure years of durability and no need for re-staining or re-painting.

Insulated Garage Doors Dominator is also now offering its four most popular sectional garage door styles in an ‘Insulated Series’, enabling home owners to regain the use of their garage.

“More and more people are using their garages for something other than storing their car, whether it’s the laundry, the games room, or for some people even a bedroom,” Platt says.

“An insulated garage door keeps the garage warmer in Winter; it keeps condensation down; and, it makes the space more liveable.

For internal access garages, our 40mm graphite infused insulation has an R-Value of 1.25, a rating over four times that of a standard clear double glazed aluminium joinery window, so the garage door is no longer the point of weakness in an insulated home.”

Dominator has used a graphite-infused expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation product to insulate its sectional garage doors, which absorbs infrared energy and reflects heat, providing about 20% better insulating performance than standard EPS.

Dominator Gate and Garage Door Centre

Painting services in demand Long-standing South Island painting and decorating company Brown and Syme Holdings, now twice as big as it was before the Christchurch earthquakes, is currently busy helping displaced Christchurch businesses to get settled into new permanent premises.

Established in 1936, Brown and Syme is an expert in interior and exterior decorating for residential, commercial, and public buildings.

The company started in Christchurch as Alfred Brown & Co (Painters) and in 1949, R M Syme Ltd (Painters) was established.

In 1989, a son and grandson of the original owners Colin Brown and Steve Syme, merged the two companies and Brown & Syme Holdings.

Dominator Gate and Garage Doors offers a wide range of products.

Automatic Openers Dominator can provide and install automatic openers to most garage doors, even older models. Experienced technicians are able to service existing garage doors and openers, and after-sales service is available on all new Dominator garage doors and gates.

Reliability Dominator Gate and Garage Door Centre has been operating for over nineteen years and is the largest Dominator dealer in Christ-church, employing eleven staff and have on board an additional four contract installers. Dominator Bromley has the ability to meet the demand of the Christchurch rebuild with ease.

BUILDERS

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Quality Dominator’s garage doors are individually manufactured using quality components, thicker gauged steel, high grade timber, and they can be powder coated in colours outside of the Coloursteel range.

Dominator Gate and Garage Door Centre 03 379 9662 www.garagedoorcentre.co.nz admin@dominatordoors.co.nz

• Design/build new homes • Additions • Landscape planning

Peter Mason joined Brown and Syme as a director in 1993. He had been apprenticed to Alfred Brown & Co as a painter in 1973 and after serving his time, was promoted to supervisor and contracts manager.

Mason became a shareholder in Brown and Syme with the retirement of Steve Syme, and eventually he took over the Brown and Syme business.

a business partner looking after the Tasman region. Haynes has extensive experience in the paint industry having worked as the branch manager and sales representative for Resene for 10 years.

Today Brown and Syme employs close to 40 staff in Christchurch, and another 10 in Nelson.

Immediately following the Christchurch earthquakes, the company was quick to double its staff in order to assist with the huge amount of repairs and relocations needed to get businesses back up and running.

Brown and Syme repainted the earthquake damaged Les Mills Gym on Cashel Street which at the time was located in the Red Zone, to enable it to re-open on time.

The company also painted and freshened up several of the old Telecom Exchange buildings to be used by displaced Telecom staff.

The company has been called on its expertise for many historic buildings and private houses including the Rangi Ruru Girls School administration building, which was severely damaged during the earthquakes and had to be completely gutted and refit.

In 2005, he was joined by Bruce Hodges, an employee for many years, who had worked his way through the ranks from an apprentice to a supervisor.

Working with Fletcher Construction, Brown and Syme extensively repainted the historic Otahuna Lodge at Tai Tapu.

Brown and Syme Painters & Decorators expanded to Nelson in the late 1990s, and in 2003, Richard Haynes became

In February it was damaged again and the company was called in to re-repair the building.

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Building Innovations NZ 11

Residential - Harbourside Homes

This Torbay home, designed by Architectural Room, is designed to maximise views in its spectacular setting.

Spanish-style home in unique setting Karen Phelps One of the latest projects completed by Harbourside Homes was challenging due to the sloping nature of the site located right opposite the beach in Rock Isle Road, Torbay, Auckland.

“The key was to maximise the views while creating level entry to the courtyards,” explains Kevin Watkins from Harbourside Homes.

The Spanish-style home, designed by Architectural Room, comprises 455 square metres with 50 square metres of concrete deck area flowing out from the living area and office.

The project, which took 12 months to construct, has a number of distinctive features including a massive ten metre high garage door, curved stone stairwell wall with turret and bell house style atrium entry tower.

Expansive stonework grounds the lower level, with the embellished plaster walls and clay tiled roof reminiscent of the traditional Spanish estates of Europe.

A feature reflection pond in the north court acts as a skylight to the lower entry foyer and uses natural light to create an ever-changing water reflection on the rear wall of this space.

The interior also features a curved stair case crafted from American Oak timber.

The project is typical of the distinctive and high quality homes being created by Harbourside Homes.

The Auckland-based company was started around 20 years ago by Watkins and Keith Oldbury who completed their apprenticeships together and then decided to join forces.

The pair have been building new residential homes and both minor and major renovation projects ever since as well as building spec homes. They started with one apprentice and now have a team of 12 highly skilled builders who offer a vast level of hands-on practical knowledge and experience.

Harbourside Homes manage building projects from conception to completion.

Watkins and Oldbury partner with either the client’s team or can recommend a team of architects or draughtsman depending on requirements.

“We don’t mass produce houses off standard plans,” says Watkins.

“We design, personalise and build homes that suit peoples lifestyles, whether it be senior living, family, lifestyle, apartment, farmhouse or a batch.

“With our expertise we can design and create any kind of intricate or simple space and landscape to suit the client’s specific needs.

“From overseeing design, sourcing material, lodging consent to recruiting sub trades and the final product we take care of everything.”

The pair say their key point of difference is that they are both on the tools and oversee every job.

“We know that for some, building a new home is a daunting prospect. Our team aims to make it as easy as possible for our clients to get exactly what they want. We take a personal hands on approach and focus on attention to detail,” says Watkins.

“We do what we say we will and communicate with clients every step of the way. Agreed timelines are closely monitored, and any changes to the original plan are

documented with our clients consent>” Quality is a priority. Watkins and Oldbury are Licensed Building Practitioners and members of the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand.

Harbourside Homes has a good team of subtrades which it has used for many years.

Premium products sourced from Harbourside Homes’ partners are matched with high quality craftsmanship and attention to detail to ensure a superior finish.

“We only use and recommend materials that not only enhance the design but deliver a durable, long lasting finish,” says Watkins.

“All products are used to ensure the highest standard to match the construction. Our company has earned an enviable reputation for consistent client satisfaction throughout the Auckland and North Shore region for over 20 years. The standard of customer service we offer is virtually incomparable within the industry and our absolute attention-to-detail guarantees the best results possible and homes that last a lifetime.”

Harbourside Homes 09 478 7477 www.harboursidehomes.co.nz

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12 Building Innovations NZ

Harbourside Homes is committed to delivering the best in quality finishings.

Eldorado Stone delivers look of Tuscany A taste of the Mediterranean has arrived in New Zealand.

The latest home built by Harbourside Homes showcases the traditional look of a Tuscan villa using a unique product supplied

by Hard as Rocks.

Bevan Warner from Hard as Rocks Auckland worked with Harbourside Homes and the owners to deliver the amazing look of old world stone without compromise.

“Hard as Rocks Ltd is proud to be New Zealand’s exclusive supplier of Eldorado Stone the most realistic architectural manmade stone available on the market today,” says Warner.

“Whether it be a rustic chimney, a contemporary feature wall, a grand English manor or even the entry pillars of your gateway, Hard as Rocks can provide a product to give you the look and feel of real stone without the weight and cost associated with the real thing.”

Hard as Rocks has a huge range of stone profiles and colour choices from around the world to give the timeless beauty of stonework to a new build, renovation or landscaping project.

“Most Kiwis love the look of traditional South Island schist and river rock.”

Hard as Rocks is New Zealand’s bestselling supplier of these profiles but can also offer the unique look of other stone choices from around the world including Hawaiian lava stone, European castle stone or English country rubble.

“As each stone is an individual piece (not a panel system) you can also mix stone profiles and colours and even change the grout colours to give a truly unique look to suit your project,” says Warner.

The Hillstone Molano profile was selected for the Harbourside Homes construction.

The architectural versatility of using veneer was showcased in a variety of ways demonstrating the ability of Eldorado Stone.

Eldorado Stone was used as part of an an external 8m high round turret and as a feature surround over a garage door.

It was used as part of an eye catching internal sweeping stairwell, an external 8m high round turret and as a feature surround over a large garage door recess to portray the depth of a substantial stone basement.

Hard as Rocks has nationwide franchised distributors and maintains building code compliance and quality control by only using its own licensed applicators.

They are trained not only in waterproofing

and stone application but also in detailing to guarantee a professional finish.

Hard as Rocks is a BRANZ appraised installation system over timber framing using 20mm cavity battens and BGC fibre cement board.

“The product is a simple way for architects and home owners to get the look of stone without the costs of real stone as no footings or steel lintels are required,” says Warner.

Eldorado Stone can also be applied over concrete blocks or some brick installations and even some existing claddings for a renovation or feature wall addition.

Eldorado Stone has been around since 1969 and is the world’s biggest selling stone veneer.

“Architects and home-owners worldwide specify Eldorado Stone with confidence as the product has truly stood the test of time.”

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Residential - H&R Garlick Builders

Building to the highest standards S

etting the bar sky-high isn’t a problem for Richard Garlick, who leads by example in all he does.

Whether this is setting the tone for his construction company, H&R Garlick Builders, or spending his precious leisure time restoring vintage cars, he displays the same patience for detail and perfection.

“Build it right, stand by it and be proud of it,” says Richard, whose family business has enjoyed an excellent reputation in Canterbury since his father started the building company in 1954.

Growing up in the business means that Richard – a trade-qualified joiner and carpenter – not only has years of experience under his tool- belt, but also has seen the business go from strength-to-strength.

And it’s no wonder. Richard and his wife Dianna, who also plays an integral part in shaping the multi-award winning business, are both fully involved in all aspects of the company.

But being so “hands-on” is only part of what sets H&R Garlick apart from other good building companies in the region.

Their point of difference is in the real quality of their building work.

Richard Garlick is a craftsman in the true sense of the word. He is creative, he loves to make things, he loves tinkering.

His car-restoration hobby involves doing all the remodelling himself, right down to engineering the smallest parts.

This artistry is reflected in his building work. The high standard he sets for himself

Manufacturers of hand crafted kitchens, bathrooms & timber joinery

A trade-qualified joiner and carpenter, Richard Garlick not only has years of experience under his tool-belt, but also has seen the business go from strength-to-strength. he also demands from every single member of his build team - carpenters and apprentices as well as subcontractors - all handpicked for their high level of skill and commitment to the H&R Garlick brand of distinctive quality.

The team works with the most talented architects, but where other builders may be satisfied to simply follow the plans, Richard

and his builders are able to improve on the plan’s details.

They have the skill to not only enhance what is there, but also to invent what is not, to suggest alternatives and to find a better way to do something seemingly ordinary.

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14 Building Innovations NZ

• To page 16

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Residential - H&R Garlick Builders

Scaling the heights: many of H&R Garlick’s award-winning houses have been hill homes, which present the perfect opportunity for diversity and innovative designs.

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Residential- H&R Garlick Builders

H&R Garlick - building to the highest standards • From page 14 “We pride ourselves on being inventive thinkers and problem solvers,” says Richard, who says he relishes the opportunity to get stuck in and explore the detail..

“The challenge is in the detail and in making it all not just work, but work perfectly.

“Turning hurdles into special features and then ensuring an impeccable standard is what we love most.”

Having the chance to build something different, something difficult, is also the reason H&R Garlick specialises in hill sites.

Notoriously difficult, building on a hill often presents unforeseen challenges. It is a risk not every builder has the knowledge and experience to tackle, but it is something H&R Garlick does exceptionally well.

Many of the company’s award-winning houses have been hill homes, which present the perfect opportunity for diversity, innovative designs and the careful forethought only really excellent builders can provide.

There is also a great sense of satisfaction involved in building on the hills.

“The houses aren’t tucked away behind a fence, they are visible and on display. We can proudly see what we have built.”

It is important to Richard and Dianna, as well as more advantageous for their clients, to get involved as early as possible in the building process. This way they can provide guidance through the building process, stepby-step, to ensure every new-home experience is both stress-free and enjoyable.

“We like our clients to know who we are.

Communication is so important.”

Always striving for excellence in every home they build, their clients experience a seamless process when they choose to build with H&R Garlick.

“We like our clients to know who we are.

We like to get to know them and we want them to get to know us. Communication is so important. We are good listeners.”

This approach sets the company apart from its competitors. Clients are happy. Not just with the results, but with the entire experience.

In fact, everyone is happy, says Richard.

“Our clients get a home they can enjoy for a lifetime and we get to build the sort of fantastic houses we love to build.”

With this dedication to skilled handwork, quality and precision, there is no doubt that the uniquely designed homes H&R Garlick constructs today will be the beautiful old, enduring homes of the future.

H&R Garlick Builders 03 337 3081 www.hrghomebuilders.co.nz

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16 Building Innovations NZ

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Residential - H&R Garlick Builders

Delivering excellence: “The challenge is in the detail and in making it all not just work, but work perfectly”.

Masonry firm delivers the best in quality Scottish Masonry leaves no stone unturned to make its projects look like a million dollars.

Stonemason Andrew Murdoch trained and completed his apprenticeship in Edinburgh, Scotland, carrying out repairs and renovations to the city’s old stone heritage buildings, including the famous Edinburgh Castle.

Andrew arrived in NZ in1996 and set up Scottish Masonry, which completes stone cladding and re-cladding for new houses and repair and renovation projects, stone repairs, and stone sealing.

He says stone cladding, whether schist, basalt, or New Zealand favourites Oamaru stone and Hinuera stone, has a natural beauty and timeless appeal.

“A lot more people are choosing to have stone on the outside of their houses now,” he says.

“It performs well, is durable, and it looks fantastic.”

He says its not just the stone cladding itself that gives a house the unique natural look, but the finishing touches and special features Scottish Masonry is able to add that can really make a house stand out and be different from every other house on the street.

“We can put in a lot of special features such as lintels, key stones, and arches,” he says.

“We are very versatile and have no problem dealing with the client’s specific requests.

No one likes to be the same as everyone else.”

Since the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, Scottish Masonry has been working closely with local home building company H&R Garlick Builders, on earthquake repairs to stone cladding and new builds.

Two projects have recently been completed, both using Oamaru stone cladding.

STONEMASONS Specialising in Oamaru Cladding

One is a new build at a residential subdivision just out of Christchurch in Swannanoa.

“The owner is really pleased with the result,” Andrew says.

“The features and finishing on it make it different from anything else. It’s a beautiful house, and in my opinion the best house in the subdivision.”

Another project with H&R Garlick Builders took Scottish Masonry to Quarry Hill Terrace at Halswell, where a house previously clad in Oamaru stone needed to be reclad.

“The old cladding suffered damage in the February earthquake.”

“Due in part to additional fixings, the new job will be much stronger than the last one.”

Ph: 03 981 8557 / Mob: 021 068 6853 Email: andrew.murdoch@clear.net.nz / junemurdoch@clear.net.nz

Building Innovations NZ 17

Residential - Lockwood Tararua

Innovative designs key to brand success Sue Russell The old saying “if you want a job done well, give it to a busy person” is certainly true when it comes to Dannevirke builder Hamish Illsley, Lockwood’s franchise owner for the Tararua district.

Illsley has cemented himself an enviable reputation in the residential building industry and while he has had the Lockwood franchise for over 20 years, he cut his teeth with Lockwood back in the mid 1970’s working for the former franchise owner who held the franchise for 26 years.

Dannevirke has a population of about 8000 people and is surrounded by mainly dairying on its west and sheep and beef farms to the east.

H T Illsley Building and Joinery concentrates most of its residential work in the area surrounding the town.

Illsley says one of the key reasons people stay with Lockwood is that their designs are innovative.

“The Lockwood Company has been around for more than 60 years and is a market leader because it is constantly evolving new designs and features,” he says.

“It has kept pace with the changing demands of home owners.

Lockwood Tararua HT Illsley Building and Joinery 06 374 6335 hamishillsley@xtra.co.nz

“Lockwood homes are environmentally friendly, designed and built to withstand earthquakes and cyclones and powerful winds.”

Hamish says while the tougher economic times affecting the rural sector, coupled with the drought in the southern Hawkes Bay have affected the amount of building work going on in the region, farmers still provide him with about 75% of his work.

“It’s an innovative product as well as being something a bit different.

“People come to talk to us about building Lockwood because they have seen it somewhere, or have stayed in one, grew up in a Lockwood home, friends have one, or they have one as a holiday home and they have just fallen in love with the product itself.”

He says the other key drivers are the benefits of the high insulation that comes from using an environmentally green product as well as its longevity.

With such a long association with Lockwood design, he has seen the trend away from the more traditional Lockwood look.

The average build takes about three months to complete through to carpet and drapes and with the business’s joinery division on hand and Illsley can build-in tailor made joinery to meet the clients specific specifications.

He says most of his work comes from repeat builds and he has been established so long in the region that he is now building Lockwoods for the children of his earlier clients, something he finds very satisfying.

“We just do the job well. I know at times decisions are driven by price but there are more important things than price when it comes to building a home,” Illsley says.

High on Hamish’s list of requisite qualities playing into being a successful builder are ‘trust’ and ‘flexibility’.

He makes a point of telling clients at the start of a building project that there is room to make changes, understanding that decisionmaking is an organic process when it comes to something as important as a home.

He says this allows clients to feel part of the build.

“Customers have got to feel comfortable knowing the build is going to go ahead well and this involves really strong interaction throughout the construction process.”

Illsley has recently stepped down as the executive of Manawatu Registered Master Builders, after serving seven years, so that he can further pursue his community commitments. He says one of the benefits of belonging “is that it gives the builder a benchmark of where they are in the industry in terms of their finished projects”.

He says belonging to Registered Master Builders also provides opportunities for “valuable learning on running the professional side of the business”, something which he says he found “really helpful” when he first joined the organisation.

Hamish and his wife and business partner live in a design-and-build Lockwood home called “Illsvilla” designed by in-house designer James Parrot.

The house is a villa style which has been designed to reflect the rural environment within the Tararua franchise area and is nestled in beautifully amongst half an acre of gardens.

“It is good to show our clients the features of our home in the early stages of their planning and thinking about design.

“It is also good to be able to speak from both the builder’s and home-owner’s perspective which is something we really value.”

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18 Building Innovations NZ

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READ eBooks at shop.trendsideas.co.nz Building Innovations NZ 19

Residential - Dwell Homes

Stylish homes for contemporary living Kelly Deeks Architectural design and build company Dwell Homes is now showcasing its unique approach to house design and construction with a brand new showhome open in Christchurch.

Established in New Zealand in 2005 by director Bryan Doull, Dwell Homes consists of a small team of committed professionals, designers, graduates and support staff.

Doull was born and educated in

Edinburgh and has extensive international experience as an architect and developer.

Over the past 25 years he has enjoyed outstanding results in the UK, Bermuda, Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

With a design pedigree spanning three continents and two decades, Dwell Homes has spent the last two years developing the concept of high-end modernist residences.

“The result is a distinctive range of architecturally designed, fully flexible houses that can be built quickly and cost effectively,” Doull says.

“We deliver innovative design solutions which demonstrate a capacity to push conventional boundaries.”

He says Dwell Homes brings a modern approach to house design and construction to the market.

“From design brief through to completion, we create high quality, system built modern homes offering contemporary design to a broader audience, by using more costeffective construction methods.”

Dwell Homes works in collaboration with architectural practice bdDesign to bring to

clients a full architectural custom design service, dedicated to creating innovative, contemporary design.

Also in collaboration with bdDesign, Dwell Homes has developed a range of 18 standard plans, offering contemporary living for the next generation.

The QUBE range offers six modular designs allowing for a number of configurations depending on the brief, the budget and the site.

The houses vary in size from 265sqm to 290sqm in floor space and vary in shape

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Residential - Dwell Homes

Dwell Homes has spent the last two years developing the concept of high-end modernist residences.

“The flexibility of the QUBE range allows the design to sit well in almost any environment from generously sized suburban sections to expansive lifestyle blocks.” with rectangular, L-shaped, and staggered pavilions consisting of one, two or three bedrooms.

“The flexibility of the Qube range allows the design to sit well in almost any environment from generously sized suburban sections to expansive lifestyle blocks,” Doull says. “We can tailor the module configuration, floor plan, materials and details to maximise site views and accommodate specific requirements.”

All of the houses have been designed with the main focus on natural light, and each timber clad pavilion has been cleverly designed with spacious open plan living areas and excellent external flow to a number of expansive timber decks.

The new showhome is from Dwell Homes’ Mod range of designs. Integrating with the outside areas and courtyards, the Mod 3 design comprises a bedroom wing and a separate lounge linked by an innovative, architecturally designed kitchen/dining area with feature monolithic stone bench.

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The design offers full-height glazed walls and a palette of natural colours and materials including cedar, concrete and stone.

The open fire, generous glazing and polished concrete floors with infloor heating ensure year-round energy-efficiency.

Doull says the showhome’s opening weekend was a terrific success.

“We’ve had people turning up and staying for two hours because they wanted to be there. It’s a very different home both externally and internally, and in particular the kitchen has blown everyone away.”

The Dwell Homes showhome is at 784 Weedons Ross Road, West Melton, and can be viewed every weekend from 12 to 4pm, and during the week by appointment.

Dwell Homes 03 377 6632 www.dwellhomes.co.nz

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Building Innovations NZ 21

Residential & Commercial - Gleeson Builders

Success in education sector well earned Karen Phelps When he finished school Cary Gleeson was training to be a chef. The restaurant where he was training happened to be next door to a building site.

As he watched the build progress he thought being a builder looked like a “pretty cool job”. So he ditched his chef training and started a building apprenticeship.

That was nearly 30 years ago and today Cary runs Auckland based Gleeson Builders, a company which he started around 15 years ago. The company completes projects Auckland wide and further afield as required.

Cary says business has been good.

Initially he was on the tools himself but now mainly works strategically on the business and employs nine staff.

Business has grown based on the company’s sound reputation, he says.

“I’ve never had a single contract or dealing with anyone go sour.

“We focus on looking after our customers and being easy to deal with. I employ a great team and we get a lot of repeat customers.”

Gleeson Builders completes private higher end residential work (new home builds and alterations) but Ministry of Education contracts form the mainstay of the business.

Gleeson says the key factors in this type of work are the ability to price competitively, stick to a budget and finish on time.

“We are very good at tendering. I give a comprehensive price, the complete turnkey package with no hidden extras.”

Projects can range from simple to complex.

At the more challenging end of the scale, mid-last year Gleeson Builders completed the conversion of an existing hall at Redoubt Road School, which involved removing the roof from the building and converting it to a performing arts centre complete with mezzanine floor.

“The roof had to be removed leaving the steelwork in place. We then extended up off this frame to create another half level for the mezzanine floor. In this project it was vital to get all the angles perfect so the audience could see the stage, lighting etc,” he says.

Gleeson Builders does a wide variety of work in the education sector.

“Obviously working in an educational environment safety is a key priority in projects such as these along with great organization and planning.

“When completing educational projects we might not be able to have deliveries at certain times of the day depending on class schedules and things like power changes have to be done after hours. We also have to be very flexible and accommodating. Our staff all have to be police vetted and incredibly trustworthy.

“Of course these are all great skills to have on any build and something our residential clients benefit from also.”

When completing residential projects Gleeson Builders either works in with the client’s own architect or can provide a turnkey service from design to finish, even helping with the selection of a section to build on.

All of Gleeson Builders’ staff, apart from apprentices, are licensed building practitioners.

Gleeson is also a gold member of Certified

Builders and his business is platinum level – both the highest levels of accreditation available.

At present Gleeson Builders is constructing a new library, computer suite and 1200 square metre car park for Churchill Park School.

With just one access point to the school logistically it is set to be a challenging build.

“Gleeson Builders continues to grow and things are in place for the company to keep expanding, especially as the building industry takes off again.”

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Health and Safety

Increasing demand for safety net systems New Zealand fall arrest safety netting company, Safety Nets NZ Ltd, is taking exponential growth in business during the past six months in its stride.

General manager Craig Daly, says there are several reasons why business has gone from strength to strength.

“With the new working safely at height guidelines becoming embedded in the building industry by the Department of Labour, residential builders especially are now seeing their application as an effective way to achieve high safety standards on house builds,” says Daly.

“We are being approached not only in regard to the installation of a specific safety net system , but also to provide professional expertise and to deliver a fall arrest a solution that minimises time and cost implications on their projects.”

The company was established in 2008 and concentrated on providing a fall arrest system for group home building companies, such as GJ Gardner Homes which set high standards around safety for their builders.

“When safety netting is in place, it means that builders/roofers are able to move freely, without need for harnesses etc, while standing trusses and installing the roof.

“It also means that works can continue

unhindered below the nets , unlike with other soft fall protection systems like fall bags.”

All the company’s riggers are fully qualified, something Daly says guarantees top-quality work to their builder clients.

“We import our nets from Spain. They’re top-quality and are manufactured to meet stringent European standards.”

While Safety Nets NZ Ltd has concentrated in servicing the North Island building industry the company recently opened a branch in Christchurch and is picking up more and more work.

Daly says the company’s philosophy to always deliver quality service is something he says will never be compromised.

“Our whole objective is to be as professional and effective as we possibly can and to work with builders to solve their problems.

“We understand that once a build is underway any delays ripple-down through the project.”

“That’s why we ensure we attend when required, install the nets to meet stringent health and safety standards, and sign the job off as efficiently and quickly as possible, leaving the builders to continue working at height safely.”

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Advantages of using Safety Nets NZ on house construction projects • Provide collective , passive fall arrest solution i.e. no reliance of worker action – e.g. securing harnesses.

• Installed and certified by our fully qualified, professional team of riggers.

• Minimises impacts on builders works , permitting works to also continue in the house BELOW the nets whilst they remain in place – unlike other means of soft fall protection systems that are available.

• Is quickly installed and removed, having little, if any, impact on project timeline.

• Is extremely cost effective and adds very little to overall cost of house build.

• Enables truss installation , roof construction, installation of exterior linings etc. to be undertaken unimpeded.

• Range of net sizes available mean that any size room can be protected.

• Specially designed and developed brackets are secured to the face of the top plate to ease net installation, and enable builders works to continue.

• Nets are fitted as close as possible to the working level, thereby minimising fall distance into net. Fall distances much less than with other alternative means of soft fall protection.

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Building Innovations NZ 23

Commercial - ASB Theatre Redevelopment

Auckland theatre’s new lease of life Karen Phelps From a design and construction perspective Auckland’s ASB Theatre in the Aotea Centre has always been a venue fraught with challenges.

Originally designed and constructed in the late 1980s at that time the Aotea Centre project was dogged by procurement, construction and public controversy issues during its fast tracked delivery.

The combination of these factors saw the project eventually well over budget and late on completion.

Fast forward to 2006 when the feasibility study for the theatre refurbishment project kicked off and according to Archoffice director Brendan Rawson the problems the new design team faced originated as a result of the attempts to control costs when the building and theatre was originally built.

This affected acoustics, sight lines, services and access. Significantly, the theatre was too wide and not high enough for good acoustics, the air conditioning system was not working efficiently and there was no smoke detection or extract technology in place meaning the theatre did not meet modern regulatory requirements.

Due to the unexpected design and construction changes when the theatre was originally built the archived record of the plans did not match the finished result in many areas, just one example of the

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difficulties facing the design and construction teams undertaking the new refurbishment.

Rawson says that there were a number of aspects of the project that required architectural thinking and engineering design outside the square both in the design stages and during construction.

He says one of the biggest challenges was the need to work the building programme around prearranged bookings for shows.

“The project could not be completed in a single construction sequence and there were only a couple of very small windows of opportunity to carry out the work on site.

“Due to the high interdependence between the various work streams the challenge was to divide the scope of work between the two stages so that the work could be completed on time to meet the next show booking and that the theatre was left in the most presentable format for the period between the stages.”

Alun Larsen, project manager for Hawkins Construction, says that work streams had to run in parallel and in stage one this included working on the walls, ceiling and floor at the same time.

Contractors had to work for 24 hour period for half of the project to meet the tight time frames.

Access was another key challenge. All materials had to be loaded in through the truck dock to the rear of the building.

To get materials to the workface they had to be brought across the stage meaning that

Ensuring fire safety Fire Protection Inspection Services Limited (FPIS) is an IANZ-accredited independent inspection body that has been providing a comprehensive Nationwide Fire Safety Systems Inspection service to New Zealand for almost 25 years.

FPIS was established in 1989 to cover the services previously provided by the Insurance Council and the Fire Service.

Its mission statement is “Committed to Improving Fire Safety Standards in New Zealand.”

IANZ accreditation requires an audited quality system in place and high levels of competency from NZQA qualified inspectors who must also show that they undergo continuous professional development.

FPIS General Manager Geoff Cardale and his nationwide team strive to achieve their mission and believe that there are many benefits associated with an FPIS certificate or letter of compliance.

There are several benefits from an FPIS inspection. Building owners, building managers, insurers, and contractors can be assured that their fire protection systems have been inspected for compliance with the New Zealand Building Code and the appropriate standards.

The New Zealand Fire Service will be assured that the systems are correctly installed prior to connection to monitoring equipment and that those systems already connected are being maintained by the contractors to remain compliant.

Fire sprinkler system certification by a Sprinkler System Certifier (SSC) means the system has been correctly designed, installed and will perform as intended.

FPIS works on behalf of the SSC to verify the compliance required for initial certification.

FPIS also undertakes annual and biennial fire sprinkler inspections which give an independent review of the system to verify it has remained in compliance to perform to the standard to which it was installed.

With branches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, the nationwide services offered by FPIS include the inspection and testing of fire sprinkler and alarm systems, hydrants and riser, flow switch and isolating valves, some elements of Passive systems and backflow prevention systems.

FPIS can also test the water supply to a site prior to site development to measure and advise the adequacy of the water supply for the sprinkler system.

The longevity of the service to the Industry has enabled the buildup of a considerable web database of information of more than 5000 sites it has inspected over the years and that is updated daily and can be accessed over the worldwide web.

The database gives the insurance companies and contractors the opportunity to search for inspection details and the status of fire protection systems.

“They can see if their system has been completed and monitor the progress of the report,” says Cardale.

Commercial - ASB Theatre Redevelopment

“The Aotea Centre and ASB Theatre has been returned to where it should be and is now realising its full potential as a premier theatre in New Zealand.”

the whole stage had to be supported to take the extra loading that was to be placed on it and also covered in a protective layer of plywood.

“One of the key considerations during the build was the ability to keep the rest of the facility operational. To this end we looked at different construction and demolition methodologies to reduce both sound and vibration through the structure,” says Larsen.

The project was undertaken from the ground up. Stage one of the project involved construction of the new stalls area, wall panelling, lighting as well as part of the acoustic requirements and building services.

The concrete and steel floor was replaced to give better sight lines for the audience, to ensure it complied with disabled access requirements and allowed the air conditioning to be separated from the seats when it had previously been integrated.

This gave the venue more flexibility as seats could then be removed if required to create a larger space.

Hawkins had to complete the stall floor at the same time as installing the new acoustic reflectors in the ceiling where each panel weighed up to 12 tonnes.

This necessitated a complex scaffolding

system which allowed for installation above and construction below plus a lift operated with four electric winches hung from a supporting structure at the top of the fly tower to lift the panels in place.

Stage two of the project involved installing the smoke extractor and HVAC requirements in a new plant room located on the top of the building. The circle floor and seating was also replaced with a new plenum and new wood panelling installed in this area with new entrances to the entire venue.

Rawson says that décor was also a challenging aspect of the project requiring a new twist on the traditional theatre look.

Birch ply from Denmark was the material of choice which accentuated the red New Zealand wool seating selected. Due to acoustic considerations parquet flooring was installed throughout the stalls and circle floors to replace the existing carpet.

Despite the many challenges along the way the project was completed on time and on budget, something Rawson takes great pride in.

“The Aotea Centre and ASB Theatre has been returned to where it should be and is now realising its full potential as a premier theatre in New Zealand.”

Archoffice

Hawkins Construction Auckland

09 360 2812

09 918 8100

www.archoffice.co.nz

www.hawkinsconstruction.co.nz

Top: solid timber geometric diamonds are a feature of the wall panelling; above: birch ply from Denmark accentuates the red New Zealand wool seating.s

Panels work perfectly It was a design and engineering feat that required significant thinking outside the square. To meet the tight programme and sequencing of works in the ASB Theatre project the interior finishes and design had to be matched to the programme delivery. This meant minimising on-site time.

So when it came to the wall panelling components a new way to manufacture and install them had to be developed to avoid having to cut panels on site.

Manufactured by Greenmount Manufacturing and designed by Archoffice, a series of repetitive, off-site fabricated, modular new wall panelling components with interlocking hidden edge joints were created that could be mass produced off site then installed over the existing substrates.

The board from the panels was birch ply imported from Finland. According to Graham Russell, director of Greenmount Manufacturing, typically panels such as these are manufactured in full sheets of 2.4m x 1.2m but the ASB Theatre panels had to be configured as 1200mm x 400mm which meant significantly more panels to be erected and fitted together.

To complicate matters further each panel had to be machined to interlock perfectly together and also made specific to their location in the theatre.

“The panels had to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. There was absolutely no tolerance for error and the panels had to be CNC machined perfectly and precisely. We had to be highly coordinated between our drawing office, factory and site,” says Russell.

The solid timber geometric diamonds between the staggered panels were designed to break up the large wall sizes for scale.

They were also decorative in that they reflected the light during performances to allow the theatre to sparkle.

At the rear, in the stalls circle and balcony, the wall panelling system was changed for slotted versions to add acoustic absorption to these surfaces meaning 10mm angled slots had to be routed into these panels.

The system was also used for the new balcony reflectors and ceiling panels and reflectors. All ceiling panels had a white wash finish and an intumescent fire retardant coating applied.

Greenmount Manufacturing offers a variety of services including manufacturing products for kitchen, retail, commercial and campervan interiors as well as laser scanning and 5 axis machining which enables the manufacture of detailed 3D items quickly and easily.

The company has a long history of working with Hawkins Construction. The two companies had previously worked together on the Auckland Art Gallery with Greenmount Manufacturing completing the back of house joinery and fittings.

“Generally we have a solution for most requirements no matter how challenging,” says Russell.

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“I think the ASB Theatre project ably demonstrates our capabilities – it doesn’t get much trickier than this.”

Building Innovations NZ 25

Commercial - Retail and Hospitality

Buildings designed for maximum impact Jo Bailey Architecture and design play a key role in the success of businesses in the retail or hospitality sector, says Simon Adnitt, associate director of Walker Group Architects.

“The form, function and fit-out of a building should not only reflect the core values of a company, but also affirm its place and exposure in the market, and enrich the experience of the customer.”

He says it is important to reflect on and understand the client’s principles and goals at the outset of the design process, and take into consideration any constraints presented by the site.

“One of the biggest challenges of commercial design can be to balance aesthetics with maximising the site so it achieves the highest return for its developers.

Economics is a big driver.

“We look at things like the gross floor area to employee ratio inside the building, and the amount of space taken up by car-parking and outdoor landscaping.”

Adnitt says these sorts of constraints are common in the commercial market, particularly when dealing with multi-use buildings in urban settings, but arise far less frequently in the residential market.

One of the biggest challenges of commercial design can be to balance aesthetics with maximising the site....”

“We have a lot more room to move when it comes to residential sites - to be able to position a building to make the most of the sun and views.”

Function is another key consideration in the commercial market - particularly for the retail and hospitality sectors, he says.

“We look at all the practicalities of the interior first. Flow of staff is important, particularly for businesses with a kitchen, bar or service area. A lot of planning goes into making the work or functional space operate as efficiently and effectively as possible before we even start to develop the theme of the architecture.”

He says the interior themes for commercial buildings are “individual and varied” and unique to each project.

“They are generally driven by the clients who often have pretty strong ideas. It’s our job to develop these ideas into a theme and carry it through.”

Auckland-based Walker Group Architects has a branch in Queenstown where Adnitt is based, and several specialist business units - Cinema; Retail; Community; Interior; Urban Design and Landscapes; and Residential Architecture.

The Group’s experience extends to a wide variety of commercial projects throughout New Zealand and offshore, predominantly in the Pacific, Australia, China and India.

These include mixed use developments, shopping malls, cinemas, apartments, offices, houses and master planning. ”Our broad service base includes everything from design to feasibility studies, planning submissions, contract documentation and administration, quality control and peer reviews,” he says.

Walker Group Architects has been accepted into the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

Award winning style Walker Group Architects’ award-winning Queenstown branch continues to work on several high-profile residential and commercial projects.

In 2011 and 2012 the branch won the Southern region Master Builders House of the Year Awards in the over $2 million category, for luxury homes designed by associate director Simon Adnitt. The neighbouring properties on Crown Terrace overlooking the Wakitipu Basin.

The latest winner is a luxury 550sqm, five bedroom, split level home clad in schist and cedar, designed to make the most of the stunning views from the five hectare property.

“The client has an active lifestyle, so the brief was for a family home that could be enjoyed year-round. It also needed to be suitably appointed for the high-end rental market,” says Simon Adnitt.

buildings in the complex covering 23,000 sqm within the next six months.

“We are pleased to see this project finally getting underway. As principal architect we are also charged with coordinating the other consultants and project team, and working with another design consultant on the retail design concepts.”

Walker Group Architects is a long-standing Auckland-based company founded in 1932 that today has two principals and four associate directors.

The company has operated in the Queenstown market for almost a decade, with Adnitt permanently based in the resort town for the last eight years. He continues to work on a wide variety of residential, retail and commercial projects in the region with all the benefits of being part of the larger Auckland-based group with around 30 staff and the latest technology.

In 2011, the neighbouring property, also designed by Adnitt, took out both the regional and national Master Builders award in the over $2million category which was “very satisfying,” he says. Both homes were built by AJ Saville Builders.

“With our CAD system and BIM servers it doesn’t matter where we are located. The technology allows multiple people to work on the same project at the same time. It’s a real advantage.”

In the commercial market, Walker Group Architects is principal architect to the Five Mile project, the $55 million shopping centre near Queenstown Airport, now coming to fruition after years of planning delays.

Walker Group Architects has also established separate, specialist business units under its umbrella - Cinema, Retail, Community, Interior, Urban Design and Landscapes and Residential Architecture.

Auckland developer Tony Gapes was awarded a resource consent for Five Mile in August last year, with Naylor Love due to start construction of the seven large

“Teams are shared across all the business units which provide our clients with access to the very best staff targeted to their unique needs, whatever their project,” he says.

26 Building Innovations NZ

Walker Group Architects recently designed this shopping mall in India.

Beachheads programme, which enables it to use the New Zealand Fern Mark, an indication it is a successful exporter that has reached standards of excellence.

“Being part of this programme has helped us to access the upper end of the Indian market, where we have just finished working on a $1 billion shopping mall with 1.1 million square feet of lettable space.”

“It is our largest project in India to date.”

Earlier this year the company launched

an overseas business branding - WG-ST Ltd - a joint venture between Walker Group and Stephenson & Turner Architects and Engineers to grow the work Walkers has been doing in India.

“This partnership came about due to our involvement in the Beachheads programme, and further extends our range of project types, incorporating expertise with a large emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability,” says Adnitt.

Commercial - Coresteel Buildings

Modular steel structure brings benefits Karen Phelps The benefits of modular buildings constructed with cold formed steel are taking the construction industry in New Zealand by storm.

By using proven design technology and a flexible portal system New Zealand company Coresteel Buildings can produce modular buildings made from cold formed steel of virtually any size and shape.

The company offers both a range of preengineered modular buildings as well as a full design and build service.

Coresteel buildings are suitable for a wide variety of applications including commercial, industrial and rural.

Coresteel’s national manager, Haemish Reid, says modular building systems are the way of the future.

“They guarantee efficiencies with both design and delivery and they ensure a more cost-effective project.

“These days building owners are looking for someone who can offer a ‘turnkey project’ that will save them time and money, from designing to manufacturing and installing.

Coresteel can offer the whole package.”

By using the latest software technology such buildings can be designed with greater efficiency resulting in faster erection and significant cost savings.

Coresteel manages projects from design and engineering through to manufacturing and construction, ensuring efficiencies in design and delivery that guarantee a faster build.

Reid says one of Coresteel’s key points of difference is its “unique bracketless portal system”.

“The construction of Coresteel portal frames use no obtrusive knee or apex braces as the connections are manufactured as part of the column and rafter, with the members simply bolted together to form the portal frame,” he says.

The Pacific Motor Group commercial premises in Whangarei, were designed and built by Coresteel Northland.

The purlins, girts and windposts are connected using a total of six different brackets to form the building structure, with all these connections standardised to limit tool changes and extra product requirements on site.

Reid says the simplicity of design results in a number of benefits including better raw material utilisation, and improved manufacturing, transport and construction times.

One recent example of the benefits of Coresteel’s modular structure is the Pacific Motor Group commercial premises

These days building owners are looking for someone who can offer a ‘turnkey project’ that will save them time and money, from designing to manufacturing and installing...”

in Whangarei, designed and built by the Coresteel Northland team owned by Wayne Hill and James Senescall.

Featuring a 46 metre span ceiling, unispan floor, separate workshop, undercover car parking and separate Ford and Mazda showrooms, the Pacific Motor Group build includes almost 3500sqm of Dimond DP955 on the roof.

Design components including aesthetic cold formed curving, a six metre cantilever over a creek, nested purlins and even a two bedroom internal apartment.

Reid says architects also love the simplicity of the Coresteel system.

“The software we use allows us to provide architects with accurate structural costs for feasibility studies in just a matter of hours.”

Reid says the Coresteel system also allows for reduced professional fees for clients.

“For example the Pacific Motor Group premises took just 24 weeks to construct,

including stormwater attenuation and car parking, which brought significant cost savings,” he says. “The typical cost of professional fees, including engineering and architectural fees, can be anywhere between 10%-15% of the total building cost.”

In comparison, the Pacific Motor Group only attracted 4 percent of the total building cost, with Coresteel’s cold form system also saving the building owners more than $500,000. Coresteel Buildings is a New Zealand owned and operated company with 22 locally owned distributors.

Coresteel Buildings Phone 022 0433 621 haemish.reid@coresteel.co.nz www.coresteel.co.nz

T

Electrical & Fire Equipment Installation Services Licensed & IQP Registered

P

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Email jimmy@atlascranes.co.nz

Electrical Contracting | Commercial Specialist | Design and Build PROUD TO COMPLETE PROJECTS FOR CORESTEEL BUILDING LTD

Ph: 09 430 0498 Email: attina@xtra.co.nz

Professional

Reliable

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New Zealand’s Leading Supplier of : Roofing | Cladding | Rainwater Systems | Purlins

0800 DIMOND

www.dimond.co.nz

Building Innovations NZ 27

Commercial

Siroflex Adhesive: saving time, solving problems Siroflex Grip & Grab Adhesive is saving time and solving problems for builders, joiners and installers due to its extremely high initial grab by eliminating the need for secondary support on the majority of applications.

A trade strength cartridge adhesive based on the MS polymer technology, Siroflex Grip & Grab has an initial bond strength DOUBLE that of most other grab adhesives.

Siroflex provides one solution for hundreds of uses and applications. It can be used in exterior and interior applications even on damp surfaces.

Siroflex can be used on a vast range of substrate types including aluminium, steel, timber, glass, copper, stainless steel, stone, granite, marble, concrete, plaster board, polystyrene, epoxy, polycarbonate, polyester panels and most plastics.

The ability of Siroflex to bond combined materials, such as wood to concrete or stainless steel to stone, is incredible and the product retains some elasticity when fully cured to allow for expansion and contraction between different surfaces.

Siroflex is solvent free and odourless making it both safe and a pleasure to use.

Siroflex Grip & Grab can be applied with a standard cartridge gun and comes in handy 290ml cartridges which have a V grooved nozzle to ensure the correct amount of adhesive is applied.

GRABS FASTER!

Here’s what some satisfied users are saying about Siroflex Grip & Grab:

SIROFLEX

“Siroflex Grip and Grab is excellent. We used it for adhering an alubond panel to a raw concrete wall that was damp and it worked really, really well.

GRIP & GRAB ADHESIVE Siroflex Grip & Grab Adhesive has an incredibly high initial grab eliminating the need for secondary support on the majority of applications saving time on site.

“These were large panels 6m up – we had allowed one and a half days to install.

“By using Siroflex we cut the install time down to just half a day. Some of the time savings came about through not having to clamp the panels.”

High Initial Grab Outperforms standard grab adhesives by 200% Bonds and fixes virtually all Substrates

“We’ve used other better known brands in the past and Siroflex performs much better and quicker than them, saving us time and money. I’m recommending Siroflex to others.”

Bonds to damp surfaces Retains some elasticity Odourless and Solvent free Easily applied with a standard cartridge gun

“Siroflex works like a charm. We have used it on 6m plywood horizontal curves on counters.”

Available in 290 ml Cartridges - 12 per box

“Siroflex saved time on this as we would normally have to pin these.”

“We have also used it on decorative vertical battens onto glass where it saved time and money as we did not have to use doublesided tape or silicone.”

Siroflex is distributed in New Zealand

by BaxGroup. For more information visit www.baxgroup.co.nz or contact sales@baxgroup.co.nz

Check out www.baxgroup.co.nz to see a video of Siroflex in action.

Phone 09 279 2145 0800 229 476

Innovative Product Solutions sales@baxgroup.co.nz

Hot Water Heat Pumps has all the answers Hot Water Heat Pumps Limited has established a reputation as a ‘solution provider’ for commercial applications of heat pump water heaters. Recognising that commercial clients often have very specific requirements, the company specialises in solutions to sometimes complex problems.

A recent example of the company’s work in this area was a customer in South Auckland where the requirement was for an energy efficient solution capable of both heating and cooling of separate tanks.

Typically this would require two separate units (one for heating and another for cooling) but Hot Water Heat Pumps designed a single unit capable of fulfilling both requirements and capable of switching from water to air source. This decreased the overall capital cost of the unit, and significantly improved the efficiency.

“We pride ourselves on being a solution provider, something that is especially valued by our commercial clients,” says Kevin Trigg.

“We can easily manufacture bespoke equipment of specific sizes to fit unusual requirements while keeping energy efficiency and longevity in mind.”

The company’s reputation to deliver both off the shelf and customised solutions is because of its long history of more than 30 years and the technical know-how to support their products.

28 Building Innovations NZ

This also means that parts are available locally and the company can offer quick turnaround to minimise potential downtime which is critical for a commercial end user.

Hot Water Heat Pumps can service all brands of heat pump water heaters throughout the country assuring customers of excellent after sales service giving true peace of mind.

Quality and performance is a major focus.

To minimise downtime for commercial clients Hot Water Heat Pumps only uses the highest quality parts sourced from trusted suppliers like Copeland, Zeal and Saginomiya and many other known quality brands.

LOWER YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION and save $$$ Save over a third of your hot water energy usage.* Hot Water Heat Pumps Ltd manufacture heat pumps in New Zealand for: • Swimming Pool & Spa Heating

“As the costs of electricity and gas continues to rise it has made heat pump water heaters even more attractive and a great investment for commercial businesses,” says Trigg.

• Indoor Pool Ventilation

“For example using a heat pump to heat water can result in 300% more efficiency over standard resistance elements. This means that for every $1 spent by a commercial business on electricity to operate the heat pump the result could be $3 worth of hot water.”

• Water Chilling

Hot Water Heat Pumps manufactures the largest range of heat pump water heaters available in New Zealand.

Hot Water Heat Pumps phone 09 8389444, 0800 33 66 33 email info@waterheating.co.nz www.waterheating.co.nz

• Underfloor Heating • Domestic Hot Water Heating

*Application dependent.

Contact us for more information on

0800 33 66 33 P.O. Box 21 586 Henderson, Auckland Ph: 09 838 9444 Fax: 09 838 6223 E-mail: info@waterheating.co.nz

we can help.

www.waterheating.co.nz

Commercial

Steelmasters: one-stop-shop for fastening supplies If you can imagine it Steelmasters can probably manufacture it – and quickly.

Steelmasters Auckland Ltd manufactures and distributes arguably New Zealand’s largest range of metal fasteners. The company is also the only commercial bolt and nut manufacturer in New Zealand.

The range of bolts and nuts manufactured in-house or sourced from quality assured sources makes it the one-stop-shop for metal fasteners. The company supplies all head styles and finishes including mild steel hex head, cup head and coach screws that are high tensile and high strength with a choice of both G304 and G316 stainless steels.

Threads offered are ISO metric both coarse and fine, UNC, UNF, SAE, UN8, BSW and BSF in diameters from 2.5mm to 64mm.

Steelmasters manufactures and stocks a wide range of holding down bolts including rag, L and U styles, sag and tie rods, turnbuckles, pipe and trailer U bolts, eye bolts and screw eyes, building brackets, pole house bolts, straps, braces, threaded rod and washers.

Screws stocked include wood screws, chipboard screws, self-drilling and selftapping screws, cladding fasteners and machine screws. A full range of masonry anchors including such diverse products as expansion sleeve anchors, tru-bolts and chemical anchors fit well with the company’s standard holding down bolts. Most are also available in stainless steel.

Steelmasters is a privately owned New Zealand company founded in 1973. The

company initially manufactured special bolts and fittings, for the construction industry.

This expertise in custom threading led to the expansion of manufacturing into standard commercial bolts and nuts by both the hot and cold forging processes.

Steelmasters is part of the Steelmasters Group which includes six Boltmasters branches in Australia and four Steelmasters branches in New Zealand in Palmerston North, Whangarei and Napier with company head office and bulk store in Penrose, Auckland. Customers include most major manufacturers and construction companies.

The company also supplies products to the general public.

Having in-house zinc plating and hot dip galvanising gives Steelmasters a competitive edge. These coatings divisions, while initially set up to process the company’s own production, also offer these quality assured services to other manufacturers who need the assurance of ISO.9002 certification.

The company places great emphasis on producing high quality products and ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction to generate repeat business. In order to achieve this one of the main objectives is to maintain a properly managed quality system and provide objective evidence that these systems are functioning correctly.

As a one-stop shop for fastenings Steelmasters’ unique offering of ISO 9002 quality assurance, comprehensive stock, manufacturing ability and in-house corrosion control cannot be surpassed.

Bolts, Nuts, Washers Screws & Rivets in all grades & materials • Mild Steel, High Tensile & Stainless Bolts & Nuts • Washers • Screws • Cladding Fasteners • Rivets • Tie & Sag Rods • Tumbuckles & Stubs 79 O’Rorke Rd, Penrose, Auckland PH 09 579 8196 FAX 09 579 1392 email: sales@steelmasters.co.nz

• Rag Bolts • Threaded rod • Building Brackets • EYE Bolts • Anchor Bolts • L & U Bolts • Custom Threading

7 Finlayson St, Whangarei PH 09 430 6407 FAX 09 430 4023 email: whangarei@steelmasters.co.nz

www.steelmasters.co.nz - Online Ordering Now Available We meet our deadlines, so you can meet yours!!!

Building Innovations NZ 29

Earthquake Foundations - Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand

Concrete performs well under pressure Jo Bailey The concrete industry is working with designers and administrators to develop foundation solutions suited to the requirements of the Christchurch rebuild, says Rob Gaimster, chief executive of the Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ).

“A key objective for the industry is to make the benefits of concrete foundations as accessible as possible to those rebuilding across all green zone technical categories in Christchurch.”

He says guidance documents released by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for repairing and rebuilding houses affected by the earthquakes include a number of concrete foundation solutions, both slab-on-ground and pile, all of which offer a “tremendous degree of assurance” for those rebuilding in the city.

“The NZ Building Code now also stipulates that all new concrete slabs must be reinforced with seismic grade ductile steel and tied to the perimeter foundation, which offers further reassurance and enhanced performance,” he says.

Although Christchurch green zone land has now been categorised TC1, TC2 or TC3 based on the potential for future land damage from liquefaction, engineering advice is still generally required to decide the most appropriate foundation solution for each site.

TC1 landowners have many options

when it comes to concrete foundation systems, including standard slab-on-ground foundations.

More sophisticated systems also suited to TC1 applications include beam-and-grid slabs that incorporate beams cut into the ground; and waffle slabs that provide a lighter and stiffer slab. Waffle slabs are also referred to as ‘floating’ or ‘raft’ foundations because they sit on the ground, rather than in it.

For TC2 land, MBIE guidance documents recommend four ‘enhanced foundation slab’ options plus a deep pile option, with the piles to reach down to non-liquefiable soil.

All of these options should be able to cope with minor land deformation. The fourth option is a waffle slab design.

Specific Engineering Design (SED) foundation solutions sourced from a qualified engineer are also an option for TC2 land, while being a requirement for all foundation options for TC3 land; these solutions can include deep piles or raft slabs.

Allied Concrete has released a version of their READY SuperSlab for TC2 land, while Firth Industries offer RibRaft® EQ (TC2).

Firth has also recently launched the RibRaft® TC3 foundation system, which comprises of upper and lower slabs that can be jacked apart following an earthquake that causes settlement, allowing the house to be re-levelled quickly and easily.

Gaimster says that overall, appropriately located and designed concrete floor slabs performed well during the Canterbury earthquakes.

Concrete floor slabs performed well during the Canterbury earthquakes.

“Most of the damaged floor slabs were poorly designed and located in liquefied areas, where damage occurred across an entire property, rather than just the foundation and floor system.”

He says BRANZ research has confirmed that concrete slabs remain the preferred flooring option for new homes in New Zealand, with a current market share of around 90 percent in Canterbury.

“There have been major developments in concrete over the last 20 years that have extended its design potential, while still retaining its unbeatable durability. Designers and their clients have also become more familiar with the principles of passive solar design, and the greater energy efficiency offered by a concrete floor’s thermal mass.”

By using concrete’s high mass together with the heat of the sun or solar energy, more comfortable living conditions can be achieved

with reduced reliance on space heating or cooling – with a subsequent reduction in energy demands.

In addition to helping reduce a home’s heating and cooling requirements, other benefits of concrete floors include fire resistance, sound control, value-for-money and the availability of a wide range of attractive finishes.

“Whether you are building your first home or rebuilding a city, the essential starting point is to lay a foundation that will stand the tests of time and nature.

“From a performance, safety, design or financial perspective, concrete floors and foundations deliver where it counts for every possible type of homeowner.

“However, as with any building material and structure, the key is always to ensure that design and construction are fit for purpose and for the site on which it is being used.”

Big rise in demand for floating foundation systems There has been a significant rise in the use of floating foundation systems since the earthquakes, says Craig Dunn, director of Solid Bearing, a Christchurch company specialising in concrete foundations and floor slabs.

solution designed for TC3 land owners, particularly those that have fallen into the “too hard or too expensive” basket.

“The disaster highlighted the importance of well-constructed, quality foundations. This has resulted in a big increase in demand for floating systems which stood up really well to the earthquakes.”

Solid Bearing’s team of specialists continues to build conventional and piled foundations too.

However Dunn says constructing floating foundation systems for residential projects now accounts for around 75 percent of the company’s business.

Solid Bearing works with innovative floating concrete foundation systems such as Firth’s RibRaft and Allied’s Super Slab, that sit on the ground and not in it, enhancing seismic strength. These systems are suited to virtually any site which is another big plus, says Dunn.

“Foundation work has become so site specific and there are many places you can’t put down conventional foundations now.

However the floating systems can be built almost anywhere.”

On TC1 land a RibRaft foundation is similar in cost to a standard foundation and in some cases more cost effective given the time and labour cost savings, he says.

“It’s a bit more labour intensive on TC2 and TC3 land, however is still a cost effective option for these land classifications, delivering the strength and safety people are looking for post-earthquake.”

Solid Bearing is also working with Firth’s new RibRaft® TC3 flooring system, a

30 Building Innovations NZ

“It’s great to be able to offer a viable option to people in this situation.”

He expects Solid Bearing to continue to grow as the rebuild gathers momentum and more building companies sub-contract out their foundation and flooring works.

“A lot of builders used to do these works themselves but are seeing the benefits of bringing in specialists like us to provide a quality, and usually quicker and more cost effective job.”

Since 2001 Solid Bearing has offered an “expert, competitively priced, specialist concrete foundation and construction service,” he says.

“Well-constructed foundations are essential to the quality of every building project.

“Our expert staff uses the latest technology and works diligently to ensure an exceptional end result for our clients producing a solid foundation and smooth flooring finish ready for the next stage of development.”

Concrete foundation and floor slab specialists.

199 Springs Road, Hornby, Christchurch Craig 0275 350 113 | Ph 03 349 9149 | Fax 03 349 9184 Email office@solidbearing.co.nz | www.solidbearing.co.nz

Building Technologies - EXPAN

Opening up the possibilities of timber Kelly Deeks With the development of the EXPAN prefabricated construction system there is finally is a flexible, durable, design-friendly and eco-conscious timber construction system available for long-span and multi-storey buildings, The innovative EXPAN system has been developed after five years of research and a collaboration between commercial and academic partners.

It brings timber into the commercial and industrial design age with totally prefabricated technology which cleverly embeds posttensioned tendons into timber to lock the system together.

EXPAN chief executive Robert Finch says the cost-effective and time-efficient system opens new doors in design and construction of commercial and industrial buildings.

“EXPAN brings all the strength and endurance of steel to the lightweight elegance and flexibility of timber.

“With EXPAN, you can use engineered timber framing to create wide open spaces and building layouts with flexibility like nothing before, without the need for closely spaced columns or walls,” he says.

“The EXPAN range includes revolutionary timber frame, wall and floor systems, and quick-connect portal frames.”

The organisation behind EXPAN is the Structural Timber Innovation Company Ltd (STIC), a research consortium developing and commercialising new technologies that will enable structural timber to compete more effectively in the building and construction market. In the past five years of research and development forming the foundation

“EXPAN brings all the strength and endurance of steel to the lightweight flexibility of timber.”

New timber technologies were used in the construction of the NMIT building. of EXPAN, a suite of engineered timber technologies have been developed and 10 commercial buildings constructed using these technologies.

The first was the new arts and media building at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), built in 2011.

“The success of the project proved that with innovative design, multi-storey timber construction is a viable option that can compete with traditional steel and concrete construction,” says Finch.

“We’re doing what concrete and steel have always done in big commercial buildings, but timber has always struggled big time because we couldn’t get long enough spans.

“Now we can match with timber any design with concrete and steel.”

Timber has long been a favourite construction product for its warmth and visually appealing aesthetic.

Its low carbon footprint is becoming more and more significant to building owners, with sequestered carbon stored in the timber

products off setting the carbon emissions associated with a timber building’s concrete foundations and steel roof.

The EXPAN prefabricated construction system results in a much lighter building than concrete construction, an important factor in post earthquake construction in Christchurch where difficult soil conditions and construction sites that are prone to liquefaction are common.

“Engineered timber is about a fifth the weight of concrete, and a building fully completed with the EXPAN system might be 40% the weight of a reinforced concrete building,” says Finch.

“Foundations can be simpler and lower cost, and a building would probably have half as many piles as it would if it was in concrete,” he says.

“That’s a critical benefit for many sites in the rebuild of Christchurch.”

The prefabricated beams and columns makes for a very quick erection of the building, for example the NMIT arts and media building was estimated to be completed about four weeks earlier than standard construction methods.

“Any saving on construction time is good, as it means the owner can get tenants in earlier and start getting a return on their investment.”

The Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) building showcases the innovative design that is possible with multi-storey timber construction.

Building Innovations NZ 31

Sustainability

CSUN now available in NZ CSUN high-tech solar modules are now available in New Zealand.

The NASDAQ-listed leading manufacturer of solar cells and modules for reliable green power generation is being represented in New Zealand by Power Technology and managing director Ray Littin says the CSUN brand brings a number of key advantages to the New Zealand market.

“CSUN offers a high efficiency solution and passes comprehensive salt mist corrosion testing, which is very important in the New Zealand market,” says Littin.

“The modules are certified to high wind standards and snow loadings. But the biggest advantage of all is that they perform well even in weak sun conditions. In fact the CSUN modules have the world’s highest cell conversion efficiency.”

Littin says the CSUN units represent excellent value for money and have a 25 year rated life. CSUN has technical centres located worldwide with support in New Zealand provided by the experts at Power Technology.

Power Technology takes pride in being a leader in New Zealand of solar electric technology.

Products supplied by the company can convert solar energy from the sun to provide enough power to supplement a power system or even to replace it entirely taking a home or building off the grid.

Whether the solar electric system contributes to the power needs of the home

or building or supplies them completely depends on the number of solar panels installed and the size of the equipment selected.

Power Technology has been in the remote area power business for nearly 30 years. The company has established itself as a leader in electronic components, power devices, UPS, batteries and renewable solar power energy.

Power Technology distributes a number of brands of OEM panels and modules including Schott Solar Power Products, Wagner & Co Solartechnik solar, Auria solar modules, ChinaSol and CSUN. The company also complements this range with inverters

by Kaco, Selectronic SP Pro and EnaSolar for on grid and off grid installations. Also supplied are solar system controllers and battery backup support.

Power Technology has also been developing its own solutions. Soon to be released is a new mounting system for small panels, which will enable solar panels to be installed in what have until now been difficult locations such as fence posts, ends of sheds and where the pitch of a roof proves problematic.

“There is nothing else like this product on the market and it will enable panels to be installed in previously difficult locations making solar technology even more accessible in a wider range of applications.”

Power Technology supplies products to installers and electrical dealers throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.

SOLAR POWER System Kits Solar System Installers, Specifiers, Electricians, System Integrators, Designers Call us for your clients’ Solar Power System Kits - Residential, Industrial, Marine, OEM, Commercial and Rural - even Custom-made Panels - Stand Alone Off-grid and Grid-Tied Systems 1W to1MW plus.

Power Technology - a leader in Solar Energy for home, farm and business. High quality systems from ground arrays to rooftop power generation.

Turn Key Solar Power Generation - Solar Controllers, Inverters and Energy Management, Ground and Roof Array Mounting.

Power Technology PO Box 104009, Auckland 0654, NZ / Ph +64 9 836 6744 / Email sales@powertech.co.nz / www.powertech.co.nz

For more information visit www.powertech. co.nz

Eco Sac - innovative rainwater storage Rainwater Conservation Storage Systems that make good economic and ecological sense.

eco sac® - Innovative Rainwater Storage System for Under Decks and Under Homes

Eco Sac is a rainwater tank with a difference.

It’s superior design means that it is virtually imperceptible, hidden away under decks or floors making it much more discrete than traditional rainwater tanks.

Apart from aesthetic benefits, placing the Eco Sac rainwater tank under a house or deck brings many advantages.

The Eco Sac can harvest all of the rain that falls on the roof by diverting the downpipes to a common in-flow pipe which goes into the side of the Eco Sac. This means that more rainwater can be collected much faster than in a traditional rainwater tank. Because Eco Sac fills from the side this means that less height clearance is needed than with top-fill bladder systems. In fact you only need 600mm in total.

The Eco Sac system has been designed for easy installation and maintenance. The inlet/ outlet pipes are supported in a fixed position by a metal mounting plate which is screwed into the frame and acts as a support brace for the pipework.

Toll Free 0800 4 NEW WATER Phone: 06 857 8772 www.newwater.co.nz

32 Building Innovations NZ

This means that there is no movement and no risk of leakage or strain on the fittings.

This is a unique and patented feature of the Eco Sac which sets it apart from other brands and, importantly, ensures a static plumbing system. There are absolutely no ‘o’ rings to keep lubricated so maintenance is minimal.

The bladder tanks, which range from 2500-8000 litres in size, are made from a superior PVC material which enables potable rainwater storage to Australian Standards.

Multiple bladder tanks can be installed either side-by-side or end-to-end for almost unlimited rainwater storage.

Eco Sacs are especially advantageous in metered water situations and in regions that are prone to drought. With increasing water usage costs in many cities pay back can be rapid.

Water collected by the Eco Sac can be used around the house for tasks such as watering gardens, flushing toilets, filling washing machines and swimming pools.

Eco Sacs can also be fitted with pumps, filters and diverters so the water can be made safe for human consumption.

New Water NZ supplies and installs Eco Sac as well as other rain water collection and storage systems throughout New Zealand.

The Eco Sac comes with a 10-year warranty for both materials and workmanship as long as it is installed by a trade professional in accordance with the installation instructions.

New Water N.Z Ltd, 28 Church Street, Waipawa 4210, Central Hawkes Bay, phone toll free 0800 4 NEW WATER, www.newwater.co.nz

Weathertightness

Managing legal risks of leaky home repairs The fifth article in the series Weathertight Remediation - An introduction for Builders, looks at managing the legal risks associated with this work.

The main risk you face in undertaking leaky home repairs is that if further leaks develop later on down the track, the home owner will file a claim against you.

Leaky home projects where the owner wants a cheap patch-up job done without a building consent are high risk and you should stay well clear of them.

You want to undertake low risk projects where a reputable building surveyor has done a thorough investigation and prepared a report on the causes of the leaks, an architect has prepared plans and specifications for the repair work and a building consent has been obtained.

Although the risk of future leaks is much lower in these projects, there will inevitably be occasions where even a consented repair job won’t turn out to be watertight in the long run.

It therefore only makes good sense to protect yourself.

There are five main ways of doing that.

• 1. Your first protection is limitation periods; the law imposes time limits within which people must commence legal proceedings.

For claims based on something that happened on or before December 31 2010, if

a claimant is going to bring a claim based on an alleged breach of contract, he has six years from the date when he says the relevant term of the contract was breached.

For claims based on negligence (i.e. carelessness which caused someone loss that was reasonably foreseeable), the claimant has six -years from the date on which the loss or defect became reasonably discoverable.

For claims that are based on acts or omissions after December 31, 2010, where the claimant is seeking a payment of money, the limitation period is six years from the relevant act or omission. But even after the six years have expired, if the claimant discovers (or should have discovered) that he has a claim, he has a further three years from then to file his claim.

However, where the claim relates to building work, no claim can be brought more than 10 years after the act or omission upon which the claim is based.

• The third way of protecting yourself is to have an insurance policy that covers you against the risk and consequences of your own errors and omissions (mistakes).

The first relevant insurance policy is known as a guarantee (or surety) that is offered for example by members of the Certified Builders Association and Registered Master Builders Federation.

These products protect the owner rather than the builder and most do not cover weathertightness work; a ‘WaterTight Warranty’ is however now available.

The second relevant insurance policy is known as Errors & Omissions (“E&O”) cover or “professional indemnity”.

Unlike the surety products, this protects the builder rather than the owner.

It covers you where you or your employees, contractors, subcontractors or suppliers have made a mistake, or put faulty components or materials into the building.

• Secondly, you can protect yourself against liability to the current owners by inserting special clauses in your building contract, which clearly define your scope of work.

The special clauses should provide that you are only hired to do the work shown in the plans and specifications, not to comment on them, nor to point out any potential defects either in the repair work or in the rest of the house that is not affected by the repairs.

• The fourth way of protecting yourself is by way of limited liability companies and trusts.

The whole idea of a limited liability company is to protect your personal assets from business risks.

However you cannot abuse the privilege of limited liability; you cannot for example keep liquidating your company and replacing it with a new one for each leaky home job you undertake.

A limited liability company offers no protection against claims brought against you personally if you had “hands on” involvement in the remediation work (i.e.: you worked onsite or issued instructions about how to do the remedial work).

The necessary safeguard in such a situation (which is typical in small owner-operator

.... your trust has to be genuine and it obviously pays to create your trust when everything is rosy, rather than when the creditors are breathing down your neck.”

Hand-held device in demand A new hand-held four-in-one moisture meter has been in “hot global demand” since it was launched late last year, says Rob McGregor of New Zealand Moisture Meters.

“The Protimeter MMS2 moisture meter has taken the world by storm for its ability to provide full building moisture diagnostics from a single device. It ticks all the boxes for a wide range of building industry professionals including surveyors, inspectors, architects, builders, floor laying contractors and insurance assessors.”

The “robust, intuitive and fully functional” MMS2 is able to assess building moisture levels during new build and refurbishing activities, and can also assist in the diagnosis of moisture-related problems in existing buildings, particularly during fire and flood restoration works, he says.

“Some of our main users are guys doing flood restoration work in homes following a serious washing machine overflow, or a burst water pipe.

“After the contractors rip up the old floor covering and dry the floor with their big dehumidifiers, they need a tool to reveal the extent of the damage, measure the concrete humidity and monitor the drying process.”

The ability to log, store and report data is another “plus” of the MMS2 moisture meter, especially for insurance assessments, says McGregor.

“It is also ideal for building professionals carrying out pre-purchase house inspections to assess the home’s weather tightness and environmental health.”

The MMS2 can measure surface moisture and moisture below a surface, as well as acting as a hygrometer to measure ambient air humidity. The addition of an infra-red thermometer allows the MMS2 to calculate the difference between dew point and surface temperature, as well as a range of other important psychometric parameters.

McGregor has owned Christchurch-based New Zealand Moisture Meters since 1995.

“I purchased the business from Max Cheshire who imported mainly grain moisture meters for the farming industry when he started the business in the 1960s.”

The company still services this market today, and offers a wide range of other moisture meter products to professionals in the building, flood restoration, insurance assessment and geotechnical fields.

“That fact that we specialise in moisture meters gives us an edge over other companies who only sell these products as a sideline. I don’t know of anyone else that can offer the same level of specialist knowledge, backup, and calibration and repair services that we do.”

New Zealand Moisture Meters has the national agency for the Protimeter MMS2 moisture meter.

The technology has been developed by global giant General Electric (GE) that bought out Protimeter around 10 years ago. ”The MMS2 really is such a versatile machine, with so much capability in one simple hand-held device. We’re delighted to be able to offer it to the New Zealand market.”

businesses) can be provided by a trust. When you put an asset (such as your house) into trust and you become a trustee, you hold that particular asset as a custodian or guardian for the people who really own it , namely the beneficiaries.

For that reason, your own creditors can’t touch that asset, unless they can prove your trust is a sham, or you put your assets into trust for the purpose of defeating your creditors.

So your trust has to be genuine and it obviously pays to create your trust when everything is rosy, rather than when the creditors are breathing down your neck • The fifth and possibly the cheapest and most effective way to avoid future liability for leaks, is to be thorough in your work rather than economical.

These are the types of projects where overkill is more appropriate than economising.

Hopefully you will be able to factor that degree of thoroughness into your pricing.

This article was provided by Geoff Hardy and Gagan Tangri of Madison Hardy, a commercial law firm specialising in construction law. It is not intended as legal advice. For further information please phone (09) 970 9569 or e-mail info@ madisonhardy.com.

The final article in this series - based on the workshop run by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Building and Housing group that has been running at centres around New Zealand - will focus will discuss health and safety in the context of remediation projects.

What you can’t see matters most.

The new Protimeter MMS2 represents the next generation in moisture meters. The MMS2 is easy to use, multi functional, and allows full building moisture diagnosis.

• Integrated pin moisture measurement • Non-invasive moisture detection • Surface IR temperature with built-in laser pointer • Fast response relative humidity and temperature • Colour screen with easy-to-use menu interface

NZ Moisture Meters 0800 213 343 www.moisturemeters.co.nz e. rob@moisturemeters.co.nz

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Building Innovations NZ 33

$2000 Grants for BCITO Apprentices and Employees The BCITO is very pleased to provide extra detail around the government’s recently released Reboot scheme. This will hopefully give our industry a much needed lift!

Whats the deal?

The first $10,000 new apprentices who sign up for training after 6 March 2013 will be eligible to apply for a Government grant to help pay for tools and off-job training costs.

Employers will receive a grant equal to that of the apprentice, for as many apprentices that are signed up.

This deal is only available through Industry Training Organisations, such as the BCITO. It is not available through polytechnics or any other training providers.

Given the 10,000 grants are across all industries in NZ, it is impossible to say how long they will be available for.

How much is it?

The grant will either be $1000 or $2000 depending on the trade it is in. BCITO level 4 apprenticeships which attract the $2000 grant include carpentry, tiling, masonry, brick and block laying, concreting and plastering.

How can you claim a grant?

Apprentices will need to be in a registered training agreement for 90 days before

applying for a grant. This means the earliest that new apprentices can apply is 4 June 2013. Employers will apply for their grant alongside their apprentice.

Success will depend on whether an applicant meets the conditions set by Government. As a general rule, if the apprentice doesn’t qualify for a grant, neither will the employer.

After the 90 day period has lapsed, apprentices and employers will need to visit TEC.govt.nz for instructions on how to claim the funding. This will involve filling out an application form and sending it in. The BCITO will also notify eligible apprentices and their employers via mail when the time comes. We will try our best to get funding for as many eligible people as possible!

Rules Please note that this is a government initiative and is not being run by the BCITO. Therefore the BCITO cannot guarantee grants for anyone. Full terms and conditions are available on the Tertiary Education Commission’s website – TEC.govt.nz.

From the TEC website To be eligible for the Re-Boot subsidy apprentices will: • Have signed a new industry training agreement commencing on or after 6 March 2013; and • Have been actively training for at least 90 days; and be either: - An apprentice/trainee enrolled in a programme of study of at least 120 credits at Level 4 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF);

OR - A Modern Apprentice enrolled in a programme of study at Levels 3 or 4 on the NZQF (for 2013 only);

• Not be in employment subsidised by a Ministry of Social Development (MSD) wage subsidy or other government funding; and • Have not already received, or have applied for, other government funding for tools and equipment.

For more information or to sign up an apprentice, please call the BCITO on 0800 422 486 or speak with your BCITO Training Advisor.

Infrastructure / Civil Construction

Gearing up begins for Waterview Connection Karen Phelps

Graham Darlow, former chairman and current member of the Waterview Connection Project Alliance Board at the handover of the tunnel boring machine in China .

SH16 upgrade underway NZ Transport Agency’s $220m upgrade of the Northwestern Motorway (State Highway 16) causeway in west Auckland will have a significant positive impact for people driving in Auckland and for those driving through the city when completed.

But the overall project, of which it is part, will present significant challenges, says Tommy Parker, NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland.

“This is a massive amount of work and the challenge for the NZTA is to coordinate all these projects and have them completed by the time we plan to have traffic using the tunnels at Waterview at the end of 2016,” he says.

The causeway upgrade, which officially kicked off on May 24, is one of six connected infrastructure projects to join the Northwestern and Southwestern (SH20) motorways as part of the Western Ring Route road of national significance to improve both city and North Island regional transport connections.

The 4.8km-long causeway upgrade project will raise and widen the existing six-lane causeway and add extra lanes between the Great North Road (Waterview) and Te Atatu interchanges.

This will prevent flooding on the motorway during extreme high tides and weather conditions.

“The upgrade will improve travel times for commuters, freight and also bus users,” says Parker.

“We’re also aiming to keep the motorway open and flowing during peak times as we construct the project over the next three-and-a-half years.

36 Building Innovations NZ

“By raising the causeway 1.5 metres to prevent flooding onto the lanes we’ll create a safer and more reliable route for all road users. The result will be a more level surface, protected from the nearby marine reserve.”

Other key features of the causeway upgrade project include widening the motorway between the Whau River Bridge near Te Atatu and the Great North Road Interchange to four lanes citybound and four/five lanes westbound.

Bus shoulder lanes will be extended and facilities improved for walkers and cyclists on the Northwestern shared path alongside the motorway.

The project team will be using special measures to reduce the impact on the Motu Manawa Pollen Island marine reserve beside the causeway.

Data gathered from trials last year will be used during construction to monitor effects on birdlife and the environment.

The other projects that will link the two motorways are the already completed Maioro Street interchange upgrade (SH20) and the Waterview Connection (SH20/16) and Lincoln Rd interchange upgrade (SH16), both of which are currently under construction.

The Te Atatu Rd interchange upgrade is under tender and expressions of interest are being sought for the St Lukes interchange upgrade (S16).

The causeway upgrade project is being constructed by the Causeway Alliance comprised of the NZTA, AECOM, Coffey, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors and Sinclair Knight Merz. It is scheduled to be completed in late 2016.

The world’s tenth largest tunnel boring machine is on its way to New Zealand to start work on the NZ Transport Agency’s (NZTA) Waterview Connection project in Auckland.

The machine, which was designed, built and tested over 14 months by German company Herrenknecht, has been specifically designed for the unique ground conditions on the Waterview project.

It will be used to construct the project’s twin 2.5km-long tunnels, each wide enough for three lanes of traffic To gain some appreciation of the massive size of the machine, its circular cutting head is more than 14 metres wide (the equivalent of a building three storeys high) and the machine is almost 100m long.

The 12 metre-long shield will arrive in New Zealand in eight pieces, collectively weighing 2300 tonnes.

“The size of this project and the size of the tunnel boring machine are both on a scale the likes of which we have never seen before in New Zealand,” says the NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland, Tommy Parker.

“Since mid-2012 we have been preparing a trench that will not only form the southern tunnel approach, but will also provide the TBM’s launch pad,” says Parker.

“This requires us to excavate to a depth of 30 metres, initially, drilling and blasting through a 15m-thick layer of very hard volcanic rock.”

The machine is due to arrive in Auckland in July before being reassembled at the project’s southern tunnel portal to begin tunnelling in October.

The tunnel boring machine will have a top speed of 80mm a minute, or 0.0005km/h, and

approximately 800,000 cubic metres of earth will be removed from both tunnels – enough to full 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

It is expected to take a year to complete the first tunnel, emerging beyond Great North Road in Waterview, where work is already underway to prepare for its arrival and turnaround for the return journey.

The $1.4 billion Waterview Connection is the biggest transport construction project in New Zealand’s history.

The project is part of the Western Ring Route road of national significance and will join SH20 (Southwestern Motorway) and SH16 (Northwestern Motorway) to complete a 47kmlong motorway alternative to SH1 and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The Western Ring Route is part of the NZTA’s roads of national significance programme (RoNS), which represents one of New Zealand’s biggest-ever infrastructure investments.

When completed, the seven RoNS routes will reduce congestion and increase efficiency in and around New Zealand’s five largest metropolitan areas.

Parker says that when completed in 2017, the Waterview Connection project will help unlock Auckland’s potential for economic growth and will also have considerable benefits for its Northland and Waikato/Bay of Plenty neighbours.

“Easing pressure on the city’s existing motorway network will have flow-on effects that will encourage business growth, tourism and jobs.

“For the first time there will be a direct motorway link between Auckland International Airport and the CBD. “The network will become more resilient – two motorway links through Auckland reduce the risk of any disruption to traffic bringing the city to a standstill.”

“For the first time there will be a direct motorway link between Auckland International Airport and the CBD.”

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Contact the stabilizing specialists for expert advice Ph (09) 426 3419 info@hiways.co.nz www.hiways.co.nz

Infrastructure / Civil Construction

Firm stamps its mark With more than 42 years experience in enhancing the visual aspect of its clients’ businesses and projects, Auckland’s Ross Roadmarkers has maintained continued growth over that time, driven by its commitment to both refine and increase its specialised service to its customers.

Established in 1972, the company has been owned and managed by the Ross family for two generations. It is now the largest independent pavement marking company in Auckland.

to other operators, and some have gone to museums,” he says.

“The mark 1 version was very different from what we are using today.

“The technology has totally changed and the resulting line marking machine is much more advanced and very efficient to operate Ross Roadmarkers operated from a North Shore base for 39 years, and in October 2008 the operation moved to Onehunga.

George Ross started the business based on a handshake and quality service, and built up a successful pavement marking company.

Continuous growth saw the Ross Roadmarkers team move to a larger premises at Mt Wellington in November 2011.

Embracing new ideas and kiwi ingenuity for an ever changing market, current company director Robert Ross implemented ISO accreditation, and has placed a high emphasis on ensuring all staff are fully Compliant in MOTSAM, L1 & 2 traffic control, line marking systems, and health and safety practices. He has also designed and built plant and equipment to suit the needs of the company.

“The transition to the ‘other side’ has been very positive, placing us on the doorstep of several large Auckland infrastructure projects.”

“My experience of the industry and what is needed for the operators of these machines, is extensive. I have designed and built line marking machines with an emphasis on the operator,” he says.

“My 13 designed machines are ergonomic and practical, and meet all the demands of the line marking industry.”

“The latter machines I’ve got working at Ross Roadmarkers now, some have been sold

These projects include the Hobsonville state highway 18 link, and the Papakura interchange project, both in conjunction with HEB Construction.

Ross Roadmarkers also supports Fletcher Construction in many of its infrastructure projects around Auckland, including the completed Victoria Park tunnel project, and will soon begin work on New Zealand’s largest ever and most complex roading project, Auckland’s Waterview Connection, with the Well-Connected consortium.

Ross Roadmarkers 09 573 5777 Info@rossroadmarkers.co.nz www.Rossroadmarkers.co.nz

Glen Carrie Sales Manager

PO Box 31-356, Milford Auckland, New Zealand

Office 09 573-5777 Fax 09 573-5778 Mobile 021 731 885 www.rossroadmarkers.co.nz

Email: glen@rossroadmarkers.co.nz

Building Innovations NZ 37

Business

Asset managers face challenging times Anthony Byett Two issues persist with asset managers: they continue to experience difficulty getting stake-holder ‘buy-in’; and asset management is considered ‘not sexy’. This is about to change.

In a narrow sense, asset management is about monitoring and managing the things we own. This approach tends to conjure notions of data availability and efficient operation, probably the source of the ‘not sexy’ perspective.

In a wider sense though, asset management is akin to management in general: we establish goals, set objectives and then work to effectively and efficiently deliver on target.

It is about adding value to people’s lives, with the major difference being that this valueadd revolves around long-life assets.

First, it needs to be acknowledged that these assets, and the services provided, are of high value. Take Local Government.

From an accounting point of view, Statistics New Zealand report local government infrastructure assets totalled $72 billion at June 2011. The annual income allocated to roading, transportation, water, wastewater and solid waste at the time was around $3 billion. The Auditor-General reports plans for total capital expenditure (including non-

infrastructure assets) of $37b in the 10 years to June 2022 amongst local authorities (excluding Christchurch.) These are big numbers.

However, value typically exceeds cost.

Many infrastructure projects are pivotal to development within a region.

When networks are established, the wider benefit to a region is often well in excess of any capital expenditure, as stated in impact assessment studies.

From a national perspective the incremental gains to the private sector are more modest, but the OECD reports that international research shows societal gains do exceed the initial infrastructure investment and that these impacts accrue over a long time.

The flip side of the high value is the high cost. Herein lies the opportunity and the challenge to management: how to reduce this cost, while preserving value?

Clearly there are many ways: get the size right, defer expenditure, apply new technology, influence demand, to name a few.

The relevant verbs here are measure and decide.

Before exploring this further, it is important to also acknowledge the complex nature of the decisions required.

The investments are in long-life assets.

The public may be good at knowing what

“When networks are established, the wider benefit to a region is often well in excess of any capital expenditure....”

TM

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they want today but we are not so good at specifying our needs longer-term.

The assets are typically interconnected rather than stand-alone, so coordination is important. There are high fixed costs that make the determination of price difficult at the margin, a decision in turn that becomes entangled with the ability of people to pay and the ability of people and businesses to relocate. There is the potential for high transaction costs if with do not agree on a system of pricing and allocation. There is the lack of competition that would normally spur the quest for improvement.

All of which begs the question: what’s not exciting about asset management? Presumably the frustration amongst the asset management community is that the weighty data gathering is not being translated into action. The inference: more focus on decisions, please.

It just so happens that forces are mounting that will require tough decisions. The Government has laid down the gauntlet, so to speak, in the form of the Local Government 2002 Amendment Act 2012 with more emphasis on “good-quality local infrastructure” and “cost-effective” performance.

Also, funding will increasingly become a constraint as individual authorities accumulate debt, there will be more assets coming up for renewal, and many areas face a declining working age population.

The infrastructure renewal challenge is global. A wave of public investment in the 1960s and 1970s produced amazing results, and we owe much today to that prescience.

But these assets, e.g. roads, bridges, dams, are nearing their use-by date.

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38 Building Innovations NZ

financial impact by gathering revenue today (to match depreciation) but gaps remain.

The falling population will be especially challenging to those trying to maintain the current level of service.

The recent 20-year ‘medium projection’ by Statistics New Zealand put the population of 23 out of 67 territories at below their 2011 levels; the 15 to 64 year old population is projected to decline in all but 11 territories.

A key decision for many local authorities when it comes to renewing assets will be the appropriate level of service.

This will require a deep understanding of the community’s sometimes-competing needs.

The decision may be to lower the utility of the asset e.g. a narrower or unsealed road.

The decision may be to accept a larger risk of service interruption e.g. a wider tolerance of water restrictions at times. There is also likely to be a role for demand management, employing both the new technology available to meter usage and the incentives created by block and/or differential charging.

That’s not to say deferred expenditure, sweating the asset, will lose favour.

It makes good sense to check the condition of assets, thus preventing expensive failures and in many cases delaying the replacement of an asset that is functioning well in spite of its age..

The point is: decisions will have to be made. The response to the squeeze between the funding available and the expenditure possible is likely to be many dimensional.

Much information exists at present. Even more will be required, especially around needs.

How it is used is for us to decide.

Anthony Byett is a senior economist at MWH Global.

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Feature

Company Index Archoffice Auckland 09 360 2812

Dominator Doors Christchurch 03 379 9662

H&R Garlick Builders Christchurch 03 337 3081

BCITO Wellington 04 381-6581

Dwell Homes Christchurch 03 377 6632

Hawkins Construction Auckland 09 918 8100

Blue Group NZ Christchurch 021 158 5854

Fortis Construction Christchurch 03 374 2286

HT Illsley Building Dannevirke 06 374 6338

Coresteel Building Whangarei 09 438 1562

Gleeson Building Auckland 09 575 2484

Inform Builders Christchurch 021 337 837

CCANZ Wellington 04 915 0383

Harbourside Homes Auckland 09 478 7477

Walker Architects Queenstown 021 466 710

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