Construction Engineering Australia V1.06 - December 2015

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DECEMBER 2015

V1.06

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Industry News

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Publisher and Managing Editor Anthony T Schmidt Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Mobile: 0414 788 900 Email: ats@epcgroup.com Deputy Editor Rex Pannell Mobile: 0433 300 106 Email: rex@epcgroup.com National Advertising Sales Manager Yuri Mamistvalov Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Mobile: 0419 339 865 Email: yuri@epcgroup.com Advertising Sales - SA Jodie Chester - G Advertising Mobile: 0439 749 993 Email: jodie@gadvertising.com.au Advertising Sales - WA Licia Salomone - OKeeffe Media Mobile: 0412 080 600 Email: licia@okm.com.au Graphic Design Annette Epifanidis Mobile: 0416 087 412

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CIRCULATION 15105 Registered by Australia Post Publication No. 100001889

ISSN 2204-7247

December 2015 Volume 1 Number 6

10 Civenex 2016 12 Cover Feature: ACRS

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16 Product Focus 18

Special Report: Art of Engineering

22 Outdoor Assets

16

24 Major Projects 28 Project Spotlight 30 Eco Focus 32 New Products 34 Construction Technology

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36 National Precast Feature

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About the Cover

With Australia's rapidly expanding Free Trade environment, matters relating to product conformity and certification to Australian Standards is perhaps now more important than ever before. This is particularly true for construction steels which form an integral part of the building or structure in which they are being used. ACRS provides a fully independent assessment and certification for both Australian and internationally sourced construction steels to ensure they conform to AS/NZS Standards.

Turn to Page 12 for the full story.

EDITORS COLUMN

Finding the Balance between Development and Heritage Protection

Change is difficult... And the longer something has been in existence or remained the same, the more difficult it is to change.

Granted, some people find change more difficult than others, but for most, preserving the ‘status quo’ is much easier than ‘rocking the boat’.

This is particularly true when it comes to new construction and development.

Notwithstanding the issues associated with new construction in environmentally and/or culturally sensitive areas such as foreshores, parklands and other greenfield sites, resistance to new construction and development - or for that matter, change in general - is also a major challenge facing many of the smaller, formally semi-rural communities on the fringes of our major capital cities.

Whilst these communities often have a long and rich history as towns, villages or hamlets in their own right, for many, the ‘glory days’ have well and truly passed.

Indeed, for many of these communities their location - both in relation to busy transport arterials servicing the nearby major cities, and the ever-expanding outer suburbs of these cities - has rendered them little more than a mere shadow of their former existence.

High levels of passing traffic (including a high percentage of heavy vehicles) can result in significant damage to road infrastructure, while the ever-encroaching outer suburbs, which often incorporate major shopping centres and recreation 2

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

facilities, can, and do, have disastrous consequences for local traders in many of these towns.

The result: money being earned by many of the people in the town, never gets spent in the town; the local economy collapses; shops and other facilities close; local unemployment rises; buildings fall into disrepair; and the former township starts to resemble a ghost town.

Unfortunately, more often than not, this is when the really serious issues arise, viz: a division between those who wish build and develop / redevelop the town and those who are completely opposed to the idea - preferring instead to keep the town as a “...nice, quiet, little country town like it used to be”.

This may read as a sightly ‘glib’ statement, but believe me, it is not intended to be. I have seen disagreements such as these divide regions, towns and even families.

Worse still, I have seen first-hand a number of seemingly innocuous development plans degenerate into legal wrangles involving Heritage Protection Orders, appeals, law suits and counter-suits for losses and perhaps worse of all, the permanent loss of literally tens of millions of dollars of investment for some communities.

Now, I’m not saying that we should declare ‘open season’ on any and all buildings and structures for the sake of a dollar, but I am saying that we cannot continue the way things are.

Put simply, the viability and longevity of these towns and regions must not be

allowed to suffer at the hands of out-dated planning practices or, dare I say, a utopian view of historic country villages that remain unaffected by surrounding development and an ever-changing world. After all, it is impossible for any location to exist in isolation.

Remaining stagnant (in terms of development or growth) is, in all seriousness, a certain death sentence for any town - no matter how resilient.

While I don’t profess to have all the answers or, for that matter, a ‘magic, one size fits all solution’, I do believe that these are issues that need to be addressed with the utmost urgency.

The time has come for us to all work together seriously and in good faith to find a solution to this most serious of issues - lest we find our major capitals surrounded by the dilapidated remains of ‘former’ townships.

Anthony T Schmidt Managing Editor

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ASI safety award winner Brookfield Multiplex has been awarded the highly coveted Site Award as part of the Australian Steel Institute’s (ASI) annual National Health & Safety Excellence Awards for the redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney at 161 Sussex Street in Sydney’s CBD. The Site Award is given for maintaining the quality of health and safety of personnel on worksites.

Brookfield Multiplex applied its ‘Safer by Design and Planning Strategy’, which includes extensive safety and planning initiatives, to the 161 Sussex Street redevelopment project to complete construction works with minimal disruption to the operational hotel and 80,000 vehicles that use the Western Distributor Freeway daily.

“Our continuous efforts to develop and implement safety initiatives give clients an advanced level of certainty. Our aim is to completely eliminate risk rather than just manage it and in winning this award we have proven that our team emanates a mature and disciplined safety culture,” said David Ghannoum New South Wales Regional Managing Director at Brookfield Multiplex.

The 161 Sussex Street redevelopment includes the refurbishment of an existing hotel which remains fully operational during construction, the erection of a new 3,450 square metre convention centre and 25 storey hotel and commercial office tower.

Key safety initiatives delivered throughout the project include the identification and control of critical risks prior to the commencement of construction and the highly refined design and prefabrication solutions implemented by Brookfield Multiplex to maximise the amount of work completed on deck and minimise the risk of falls.

The Convention Centre ‘saw tooth’ roof at 161 Sussex Street was originally designed to involve an eight metre high steel truss and a layered roof system to cater to the high acoustic rating of the function rooms below. Brookfield Multiplex identified the risks associated with working at such heights and collaborated with structural engineers and architects to create a design that required minimal work at heights and could be assembled on the precast deck.

In addition to this design, Brookfield Multiplex also recommended that all trusses were constructed to a standardised weight so that a single jig could be used for all lifts.

The redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney at 161 Sussex Street in Sydney’s CBD

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

Safe Work Australia releases workplace vibration guidance material The effects of vibration in workplaces can be permanently disabling.

Safe Work Australia has released guidance material to help manage the risk of vibration-related injury or illness.

Over the past 14 years there were approximately 5,260 workers’ compensation claims for injuries or illness attributed to exposure to vibration.

Australian workers are exposed to vibration in a range of industries including mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, trades, transport and utilities, costing $134 million in workers’ compensation payments over the past 14 years.

“Safe Work Australia has released guidance material and technical information about managing the risks associated with vibrating plant to increase awareness and help workplaces manage this hazard,” says Michelle Baxter, Safe Work Australia’s Chief Executive Officer.

Safe Work Australia’s guidance material on exposure to vibration in workplaces includes general guides and information sheets for workers and those managing workers who are, or may be exposed to vibration. There are also guides to help work health and safety professionals measure and assess vibration in workplaces.

There are two main types of vibration, hand-arm vibration (HAV) and whole-body vibration (WBV). Exposure to vibration normally occurs while operating powered hand held or hand guided machinery such as angle grinders, drills, jackhammers and chainsaws or while travelling in vehicles.

The effects of HAV can impact a worker’s long-term health and may include white finger, carpel tunnel syndrome, occupational overuse syndrome, sensory nerve damage and muscle and joint damage in the hands and arms.

The longer a worker is exposed to WBV, the greater the risk of causing or worsening health effects and musculoskeletal disorders such as lower back pain, motion sickness, bone damage, heart stomach and digestive conditions, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic changes, impairment of vision or balance and reproductive organ damage.

The Workplace vibration guidance material available from the Safe Work Australia website includes: • Guide to measuring and assessing workplace exposure to handarm vibration • Guide to measuring and assessing workplace exposure to wholebody vibration • Guide to managing the risks of exposure to hand-arm vibration in workplaces • Guide to managing the risks of exposure to whole-body vibration in workplaces • Information sheet: hand-arm vibration, and • Information sheet: whole-body vibration.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Victorian Government Strengthens Market-Led Proposals Guideline A revised guideline providing greater transparency and incentive for industry to bring innovative ideas to the Victorian Government was recently launched by Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas.

Speaking at the 15th Annual PPP Summit in Sydney during November, the Treasurer said that the Market-led Proposals Guideline gives certainty of process to private sector parties approaching the Government with new ideas, while at the same time rewarding innovation.

The Guideline includes a strengthened five-stage process for Market-led Proposals to ensure Government only pursues proposals that offer something unique.

Proposals must also deliver on Government priorities, provide benefits to the community, and provide value to Victorians.

The new Guideline provides the private sector with a clearer sense of the types of projects the Government is most interested in by identifying priority areas where government is welcoming private sector proposals. These improvements will reduce the costs for the private sector by providing greater clarity on our priorities and requirements.

New opportunities for innovative ideas to be submitted without the need for a full proposal have also been introduced.

While these ideas are developed at the private sector’s cost, there are new provisions that allow for payments, where appropriate, for proposals that contain genuine intellectual property.

Under the guideline, and the newly formed Infrastructure Victoria will also be able to provide advice on proposals.

“This guideline sends a strong signal that we are open for business and interested in hearing from the private sector about their ideas for projects that will benefit all Victorians," the Treasurer said.

“We currently have a number of proposals following these guidelines. These include proposals for a new Victoria Police Centre and the development of the Western Distributor, with both proposals at stage three, while the CityLink-Tulla Widening is an example of a project that has been realised under the guideline," he added.

The revisions to the Guideline also address recommendations made by the Victorian Auditor-General in August 2015 to improve the Guideline and assessment process.

Students Excel in Housing Design Competition Twelve students from The University of Western Australia (UWA) are part of teams that came first, second and third in the State Government’s inaugural Affordable Housing Design Competition.

The competition called on university students across Western Australia to put their design skills to the test, working in small groups to create innovative, affordable housing concept proposals for a study site in Fremantle.

Through the competition, students had the opportunity to collaborate with students from other tertiary institutions and gain real-life experience working in an interdisciplinary team.

Melissa Soh, 22, of Inglewood, who is studying a Master of Architecture degree in UWA’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape

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Construction Engineering Australia - December October 2015 2015

and Visual Arts was part of the winning team that also comprised of three other UWA students and two students from Curtin University.

She said the project was rewarding and she was able to gain experience working with students from different disciplines.

“For our submission, we focused on building a design concept to convert an existing social housing complex in Fremantle into affordable, diverse housing to target a wide range of people,” Ms Soh said.

“We designed a unique development which respected the suburban aspects of Fremantle, but also acknowledged the site conditions on High Street to make the complex a landmark for Fremantle.”

Ms Soh said her team were excited to have achieved first place in the competition.

“We worked collaboratively together and it was great to work with people from different faculties and disciplines,” she said.

“It has provided us with realistic practical knowledge that can be applied in our chosen fields after we finish university.”

Western Australian Housing Minister Colin Holt said the competition provided tertiary students with the opportunity to practise their talents and work as teams on real-world projects.

“Students did well to focus on innovative designs that would maximise sustainability, reduce building and living costs, and provide a healthy and attractive place to live,” Mr Holt said.

“There was so much diversity in their chosen materials - from shipping containers and modular construction, to concrete tilt-up panels - and the reuse of materials from the buildings currently on site.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Sydney street light retrofit completed The City of Sydney has completed a major program to install energy efficient LEDs in street and park lights across its entire local area, reducing energy use by 40 per cent and improving visibility at night.

Over 6,150 conventional street and park lights have been replaced with energy efficient LEDs over the past three years, saving nearly $800,000 a year in electricity bills and maintenance costs while cutting emissions.

The City’s principal engineer, Paul Gowans, said the $7 million project was a joint venture with GE and UGL Limited (UGL).

“The City of Sydney prides itself on innovation and leading the way in slashing carbon emissions,” Mr Gowans said.

“LEDs are more reliable than conventional lights and our residents have told us that they feel safer in public places lit by LED lighting.”

LED lamps emit a bright white light, and are longer lasting and significantly

more energy efficient compared to incandescent light bulbs created in the 19th century.

Public lighting accounts for a third of the City of Sydney’s annual electricity use and 30 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions. The new LEDs reduce emissions by 2,861 tonnes each year, the equivalent of taking 940 cars off the road.

In Victoria, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will provide financing of up to $30 million for the City of Melbourne to make street lights more energy efficient and reduce emissions across council and community facilities.

The upgraded street lights will use 56 per cent less power than existing lights – a move that will cut energy bills for the City of Melbourne by $1.1 million a year and reduce emissions by 110,000 tonnes over the next decade.

The $30 million will be spent in the following way:

• $14.8 million on replacing public lighting with energy efficient LED bulbs; • $10 million proposed for the Sustainable Melbourne Fund (SMF) to finance Environmental Upgrade Agreements.

Subject to State Government regulatory approval, this money will be used to expand the SMF’s work to retrofit commercial property; • $800,000 to complete the installation of 300kw of rooftop solar panels on council and community facilities; • $4.4 million on other sustainability initiatives based on the outcomes of a five year council emission reduction plan.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Lord Mayors push case for capital cities Australia’s capital city Lord Mayors travelled to Canberra in midOctober to discuss with political leaders how cities could work with the Federal Government to benefit Australia.

The Lord Mayors – who comprise the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM) met with Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Cities and the Built Environment, Jamie Briggs, and other federal representatives.

CCCLM Chair, Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese, welcomed the creation of the Cities Ministry and recognised the priority that the government and opposition placed on cities as major drivers of the economy.

“Australia’s capital cities are home to more than two thirds of our people and account for two thirds of our economic output, but immediate action is required to ensure the future liveability and prosperity of cities and the nation,” Lord Mayor Haese said.

“As the appointment of Australia’s first ever Minister for Cities attests, in our rapidly changing global economy, cities are more important than ever.”

“We are an eclectic group of Lord Mayors, we come from very different

Green Army helping natural disaster recovery efforts

The Green Army is working in communities affected by natural disaster and severe storm damage, carrying out work that will improve the local environment.

Forty-four projects under the Natural Disaster Recovery Round have been approved to commence over the next two years.

The projects focus on recovery efforts across 16 local government areas in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

They will assist with vital environmental clean-up and rehabilitation works through re-establishing native vegetation, protecting threatened species and restoring aquatic ecosystems.

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

places, from different backgrounds and have different political affiliations, but we agree on one thing – cities really do matter to Australia.

“The cities are now a trillion dollar economy and they need to be protected. Australian cities need help to do better.

Commuting times have increased by 20 per cent over the last decade, costing around $10 billion every year in lost productivity.”

To assist in making the case for cities, particularly investment in city economies, infrastructure and climate change resilience, the Lord Mayors have launched a new website – Cities Matter.

Our aim is to forge a common agenda – a plan of action for 21st century capital cities in one of the most urbanised nations in the world and we are asking politicians from all sides to join the conversation, along with experts, researchers and community and business leaders,” Lord Mayor Haese said.

For more information, visit: www.citiesmatter.com.au In Port Stephens, Green Army teams will be involved in erosion control that will restore vegetation to extensively damaged areas and build resilience to future natural disaster events.

Flood debris and invasive weeds will be removed from the Kooragang Ramsar wetland in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales which will restore habitat in the sensitive riparian zones.

At Mary River in Queensland, teams will work to reduce sediment and debris entering the catchment through revegetation and embankment rehabilitation.

The Green Army is a Federal Government initiative with more than $700 million budgeted over four years. Over 700 projects have been announced since it was launched and more that 400 of them have already been rolled out.

They include restoring native vegetation, heritage restoration, protecting animal habitats and regenerating wetlands in urban, rural and remote areas.

A full list of approved Natural Disaster Recovery round projects is available at: www.australia.gov.au/greenarmy

Scheme to foster energy efficient buildings New laws which came into effect early in November make it easier for Victorian businesses to upgrade their buildings to be more energy efficient and sustainable.

Under the Environmental Upgrade Agreements, businesses can borrow money through an approved lender to pay for environmental upgrades to their building – improvements such as solar panels, double glazing and energy efficient lighting.

Their local council will then collect the repayments through the rates system and pass them on to the lender.

The arrangement allows building owners and tenants to pay back the loan at a low rate, while benefiting from the lower costs of a more energy efficient building.

Previously only the City of Melbourne offered the council-based financing mechanism, but it is now available to all Victorian councils under the Local Government Legislation Amendment (Environmental Upgrade Agreements) Bill 2015, which came into effect on 1 November.

The Victorian Government is developing an Energy and Efficiency Productivity Strategy, which will establish a work program aimed at improving energy affordability, creating jobs, encouraging investment in new energy technologies and building a sustainable economy.

The government is also strengthening the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 million tonnes over the next five years.

The scheme supports more than 2,000 Victorian jobs and has helped thousands of households and businesses reduce their exposure to energy costs.

More information about Environmental Upgrade Agreements is available from the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources website: www.ecodev.vic.gov.au.

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CIVENEX2016

New home for CIVENEX 2016

Australia's premier infrastructure industry Expo moves to Hawkesbury Show Grounds, Richmond Australia's premier infrastructure industry Expo, CIVENEX, will be held on May 18-19 2016 at its new home, the Hawkesbury Show Grounds at Richmond on the northwestern perimeter of Sydney CIVENEX has been the 'go to' Expo for the past 61 years - not just for suppliers and buyers along the infrastructure chain in New South Wales, but right across Australia.

Exhibitor's showcase offerings of all sizes, from the largest earthmoving equipment down to computer software.

If your business or employer is involved in Civil Construction, Outdoor Design, Plant and Machinery, Materials Handling, Software, Communications, Supply & Hire, Technical Services, Water Issues, Waste Management, Fleet, Maintenance, Road and Drainage, you cannot afford to miss CIVENEX 2016.

It is a must for any business supplying Australian Local Government, Federal, State and Territory Public Works and major contractors.

CIVENEX is run by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia-NSW Division (IPWEA-NSW), which has a 108 year history of leadership in infrastructure development.

The IPWEA-NSW Chief Executive Officer, John Roydhouse, said CIVENEX is a time machine tour of the future of infrastructure in Australia.

"In this modern world where "Innovate or Die" is the business motto and we have seen star performers slip away through lack of innovation, many companies use CIVENEX to roll out their latest models and ideas to keep ahead of the game," Mr Roydhouse said.

"Conversely, some purchasers, delay longer term purchasing decisions where possible until after attending CIVENEX to assess the latest in fresh off-the-drawing board options.

No one wants to outlay money on technology about to be superseded!"

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

CIVENEX also allows individuals to stay at the front line by offering the last information on courses available to enhance skills and knowledge.

Mr Roydhouse said that whether you are running the survey team that maps out a green-fields site for development or you are the landscaper or outdoor furniture supplier that beautifies the finished site - or sit anywhere in-between along the infrastructure chain - CIVENEX is the place to sell or buy, or to plan your future sales and purchases.

At CIVENEX you will see the very latest technology, adaptation and initiatives built into the equipment of materials you plan to buy. It pays to see' what's new' on the market since the last CIVENEX to ensure you are outlaying dollars effectively. Every year, CIVENEX shows off innovations in materials transport and handling equipment and the latest developments in the construction and surfacing of freeways as well as water and waste related items.

It is at CIVENEX where business-tobusiness negotiations take place and where deals are done. It is where industry meets the government bodies that generate infrastructure and where PrivatePublic Partnerships have their genesis.

Every year CIVENEX generates millions of dollars in sales both during and after the Expo for the 200 companies that exhibit to the 4,000 attendees from across Australia and overseas.

An innovation this year is the Infrastructure Seminar program which will include speakers on such diverse topics as where infrastructure is heading, changes in heavy vehicles loading principles and how to deal with government without ending up before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Organisations interested in booking sites, either indoor or outdoor, at CIVENEX 2016 should Scott Leighton on: Scott.Leighton@ ipwea.org

TRANSPORT AND ACCOMMODATION The change of venue to Hawkesbury Show Grounds allows greater transport and accommodation options for both exhibitors and visitors.

The Hawkesbury area offers a variety of levels of overnight accommodation for the growing number of participants from interstate and overseas as CIVENEX grows in stature, plus the option of public transport, including the nearby Clarendon Station.

A transit bus service will take participants between the site and motels and public transport.

CIVENEX 2016 offers free entry for registered visitors and plenty of free parking.

You can save time and pre register on line at: www.civenex.com.au and follow the link.

Where business gets done.

18 &19 may 2016

live auction and business hub

exciting new venue: hawkesbury showground

Come and see what all the talk is about.

CIVENEX 2016 is Australia’s premier infrastructure expo.

As a visitor, you’ll see live demonstrations and the latest innovations in earthmoving, equipment hire, recycling, machine automation, parks and gardens care, new technologies and so much more.

As an exhibitor, you’ll be marketing your products to decision-makers and experts in their fields.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at CIVENEX 2016, please contact CIVENEX Event Manager: • Email: civenex@ipwea.org • Ph: 02 8267 3005

www.civenex.com

COVER FEATURE

LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD The importance of expert, independent third party product certification in a rapidly expanding free trade environment With Australia's rapidly expanding Free Trade environment - including new 2015 FTA's with Japan (which came into force in January), Korea and China (both of which come into force in December 2015) and, of course, the extensive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement matters relating to product conformity and certification to Australian Standards is perhaps now more important than ever before.

This is particularly true for construction steels. After all, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to return a steel bracket holding up a picture that doesn't meet Australian standards, but what do you do if the steel holding up your building doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t?

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

COVER FEATURE

N

otwithstanding the potential issues that can result from using nonconforming building products including structural failure and serious health and safety ramifications - in these days of widespread litigation and strict ‘chain of responsibility’ legislation, using materials that don't conform with all of the relevant Standards can spell disaster for engineers, specifiers, suppliers, builders and contractors in more ways than one.

Unfortunately, one of the major problems associated with the selection and use of materials that conform with all relevant Standards is that of identification. Or, more specifically, who and what to believe.

In some cases, even though the materials have been specified and ordered to an Australian Standard, the materials that arrive are non-conforming.

Importantly, whether this non-conformance is an intentional act of deception or 'counterfeiting' on behalf of the materials supplier, the builder or the contractor; or simply a matter of non-conformance through lack of correct process or an innocent misunderstanding of what constitutes conformance with Australian Standards, is effectively a moot point. Using non-conforming building materials carries a high risk of 'built-in' failure - and the results can be disastrous.

INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION Providing Confidence in Product Conformity The only way to be truly sure that the materials being used conform fully with the appropriate Australian Standards and are fit for purpose, is through independent, expert, third party validation and certification.

In Australia, for construction steels including reinforcing steels, structural steels and prestressing steels - this certification is provided by the ACRS scheme (Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels Ltd).

ACRS provides a fully independent assessment and certification for both Australian

and internationally sourced construction steels.

By using ACRS certified construction steels, builders and contractors can be confident that they are getting the AS/NZS compliant materials that they ordered, and engineers and building certifiers can be confident that steel meets the requirements of the Building Code and associated Standards.

Speaking about the importance of independent product certification, ACRS Executive Director, Philip Sanders, commented: "With the building products being used on construction sites now sourced globally, the importance of independent technical validation of materials conformance, and awareness of consequences of failure of these materials, has never been greater."

“In today’s environment, it is simply not enough to think that just because a product has been ordered to an Australian or New Zealand Standard that the delivered product will automatically conform with that Standard," he said.

“Increasingly, this is not the case: The product may meet the standard; it may be supplied with documents for “an equivalent standard” (but which standard and is it really equivalent?) or; it may not meet any standard at all. So how do you know what you have?”

"Alarmingly, in recent times we've also noted increasing notification of construction steels stated as having been manufactured to overseas standards and grades, but being supplied as “equivalent” to steel grades referenced in an Australian Standard," Philip Sanders continued. "In ACRS experience, documents provided for such materials are often not sufficient to make effective determination of such claims. Often the claim relates solely to strength of materials and not to other critical performance measures, such as ductility, required under Australian Standards."

"Certifiers, builders and customers should ask for and then check the proof of compliance for the product. That check should include the independent, expert third party certificate and supporting documents,” he said.

Having confidence that all buildings and structures are being designed, specified and built using materials that conform with the relevant Australian Standards and Building Codes - irrespective of their country of origin - is of critical importance. After all, it doesn't matter how well a building or civil structure is built if a higher risk of structural failure is 'built in' by using non-conforming building products.

LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD for Steel Manufacturers and Processors Often sold at a significant discount to market rates, non-conforming construction steels are not only a major safety concern, they also pose a serious threat to future business viability for manufacturers and processors of steels that do conform with the Standards.

ACRS certification helps to protect steel manufacturers and processors that are doing the right thing by 'levelling the playing field'.

What are your tags really telling you?

Your products may arrive with tags, but what do they really tell you?

While at first glance the example on the left may appear to tell you all you need to know (there’s even a reference to an Australian Standard) it’s missing some CRITICAL information, including the manufacturer and point of origin. The example ACRS tag on the right provides all of the information needed and, most importantly, the validity of the certificate number and other information can be checked and verified online quickly and easily at www.steelcertification.com.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

13

COVER FEATURE

As an independent third party scheme, ACRS certification eliminates the issues that can be associated with construction steels being misrepresented (either inadvertently or intentionally) as conformant with all appropriate Standards when they are not.

This, in turn, helps to eliminate what can be a significant cost / competitive advantage for those attempting to sell non-conforming products into the market at a reduced rate.

Philip Sanders, explained: "As is the case with all manufacturing and product processing activities, manufacturing and processing steel the right way - using

the correct source materials, production methods and processing techniques required to produce a product that is AS/ NZS Standards compliant - carries a range of costs."

"By making sure that everyone is 'playing by the same rulebook', ACRS independent third party certification eliminates the opportunity for any manufacturer or processor to cut costs by cutting corners.

Most importantly, it also eliminates the opportunity for them to claim that their products conform with all relevant Australian and New Zealand Standards if they do not."

"Importantly, ACRS certification is not about creating a barrier to trade - quite the opposite in fact," Philip Sanders added. "It's about making sure that those who are doing the right thing aren't put at a competitive disadvantage by having to compete with inferior quality non-conforming products that are not 'fit for purpose' and are being sold at a reduced rate."

As well as being the subject of a current Senate Enquiry, the issues associated with non-conforming products in the building industry were also the subject of a major report by the Australian Industry Group, entitled: 'The quest for a level playing field

The ACRS 'Chain of Certification' Construction steels manufactured to AS/NZS Standards can be rendered non-conforming by poor transformation, through such processes as cutting, bending and welding. Certification systems that only assess the mill of manufacture, do not provide for validated performance to Standards of the as-delivered product.

In steel reinforcing materials, the ACRS scheme, through its certification of steel reinforcement (“rebar”) processors and the mills of manufacture, provides a rigorous mechanism for “bookending” the manufacture

14

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

and transformation. This 'chain of certification' provides a vital link between the steel manufacturer and the construction site.

For any steel to be ACRS certified, it must be produced by an ACRS Certified supplier. Any break in the ‘chain of certification’ of the mill and the processor means the steel delivered to site is not ACRS certifies.

For steel reinforcement, ACRS certifies BOTH the steel mill that manufactures the steel AND the steel reinforcement processor and mesh supplier.

Verification of the outputs of both these supply

streams is essential for any steel reinforcing materials claiming to conform with the Standards.

With structural steels, ACRS certifies the steel mill of manufacture, who must actively demonstrate traceability of their supply to the steel distributor. ACRS is working with Steelwork Certification Australia to develop “end-to-end” certification from mill to site that will provide confidence in fabricated structural steels from the purchase of verified steel from ACRS certified mills right through to delivery of the finished fabricated steel to the project site.

COVER FEATURE

- The non-conforming building products dilemma'.

Published in November 2013, the report found that: "...businesses supplying products to the building and construction sector are concerned at what they see as increasing competition from products that do not conform to Australian standards and regulatory requirements."

It went on to state that: "...non-conforming product affects importers, manufacturers and fabricators. Immediate business impacts of this uneven playing field are usually in the form of eroded margins and reduced revenues."

Alarmingly, the report also found that majority of respondents to the Australian Government Department of Industry and Science sponsored survey on which the report is based, believe their market is penetrated by non-conforming product, and that despite Australia's extensive regulations and Standards in the building and construction sector, "...the lack of independent verification and visible regulatory authority is making the conformance framework ineffective and unfair.

The end result is undermined confidence in the regulatory system."

Lindsay Le Compte, General Manager of Construction and Infrastructure at the Australian Industry Group and Chair of the Construction Product Alliance, said that third party accreditation schemes are an important component of industry’s capacity to manage construction risk.

“Safety in design and fitness for purpose are key issues for building professionals and constructors to ensure that buildings are safe for use and meet the specifications contained in relevant standards."

"Third party accreditation of construction products is an important tool available to the industry to satisfy itself as to product conformance," Mr Le Compte said.

WHAT IS YOUR DOCUMENTATION REALLY TELLING YOU? One of the most common issues facing users of non-ACRS certified steels, is that of

being able to match the source-identity of the delivered material (e.g. manufacturers’ marks) with the documentation supplied so they can validate materials conformity.

In addition to factory production control audits and independent testing, the ACRS scheme provides regular review and analysis of all products manufactured and supplied by the certified manufacturer to the Australian Standard. This makes matching material to conformity documentation simple and effective for the customer and any verifier.

Another commonly encountered issue is that of mixed supply (sometimes called “shandying”) where conforming supply is declared but either only a portion of the product supplied is sourced from a compliant supplier (and some sourced from a non-compliant supplier), or alternatively, the material is sourced from a supplier but the product delivered does not consistently meet the Standard.

By providing effective continuous review of both the manufacturer and the fabricator/ processor, ACRS certification plays a major role in reducing these risks.

AREN'T TEST CERTIFICATES THE SAME THING? Test Certificates, ARE NOT the same as ACRS independent certification. Test certificates from the supplier are simply a “snapshot” of the manufacturer’s own test results of the material on the certificate, not its regular supply. ACRS certification demonstrates independently that the supplier manufactures consistently to the Standards stated on the certificate. Unless you are going to check and validate every single test certificate against every delivery, you should check the ACRS certificates for the manufacturer and supplier instead.

For further information about the validity of certification for any materials being supplied into your project, please visit the ACRS website: www.steelcertification.com, or contact ACRS, Phone: (02) 9965 7216.

How do I specify ACRS certified steels?

The easiest way to manage and minimise the risk of non-conforming construction steels, is to specify ACRS certified steels.

SUGGESTED WORDING FOR STEEL VERIFIED

BY ACRS AS MEETING LONG-TERM QUALITY LEVELS TO AS/NZS 4671, OR AS/NZS 4672: Steel reinforcing and steel prestressing materials for concrete shall comply with AS/ NZS 4671 or AS/NZS 4672, respectively. Where applicable, materials shall be cut and bent in accordance with the requirements of the "Material and Structural Requirements for Reinforcing Steel" clauses AS 3600 and AS 5100.5, or the "Reinforcement" Clauses of NZS 3109.

Acceptable manufacturers and processors of steel reinforcing and prestressing materials must hold a valid certificate of approval issued by the Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels Ltd (ACRS), or other product certification system as shall be demonstrated to be directly equivalent to ACRS and approved as such in writing by the specifier.

Evidence of compliance with this clause must be obtained when contract bids are received.

SUGGESTED WORDING FOR STRUCTURAL STEELS VERIFIED BY ACRS AS MEETING MINIMUM REQUIRED TESTING LEVELS TO AS/ NZS 1163, AS/NZS 1594, AS/NZS 3678, AS/NZS 3679.1, OR AS/NZS 3679.2 Structural steels shall comply with AS/NZS 1163, AS/NZS 1594, AS/NZS 3678, AS/NZS 3679.1 or AS/NZS 3679.2, as appropriate.

Acceptable manufacturers of structural steel must hold a valid certificate of approval issued by the Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels Ltd (ACRS), or other product certification system as shall be demonstrated to be directly equivalent to ACRS and approved as such in writing by the specifier.

Evidence of compliance with this clause must be obtained when contract bids are received.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

15

PRODUCT FOCUS Pictured left: Tsurumi KTZ series submersibles have been designed to efficiently handle cementitious liquids.

BATCH WATER PUMPS

TSURUMI CUTS CONCRETE COSTS

Tsurumi Pump is the world’s leading manufacturer of submersible pumps with an annual manufacturing capability of over 1.4 million pumps. With over ninety years’ experience they have developed a comprehensive range of robust, super-efficient pumps for the concrete batch plant applications.

Australian Pump Industries is the sole Australian distributor for Tsurumi.

Since 2012, the company has more than doubled Tsurumi’s market share in Australia by working with head office to cut prices and increase awareness of the brand without compromising on Japanese quality.

“We are currently helping many batch plant operators cut operating costs by offering submersibles specifically designed to work in the toughest operating conditions,” said Aussie Pumps product manager, Neil Bennett. “Tsurumi’s key ‘no-compromise’ features deliver life-cycle costs below the industry average. They last longer, perform better and carry a three year warranty,’ he said.

The KTZ range of Tsurumi dewatering and slurry pumps was developed in response demand from North America and Japanese markets for super tough pumps for batch plant applications.

Tsurumi designed the KTZ series to efficiently pump cementitious laden liquids. The pumps incorporate wear resistant hi chrome iron impellers that enable solids in suspension to pass smoothly through the pump.

The KTZ series offers capacities of up to 2,400 litres per minute flow, and heads as high as 48 metres. The complete series includes discharge bores from 50mm (2”), all the way through to 150mm (6”).

The series is also fitted with 3 phase, heavy duty 2 pole high efficiency motors with thermal and amperage protection against dry running or overloading. The 4 pole motors mean the pumps are running at sedate 1450 rpm affording a considerably longer service life.

The Tsurumi KTZ pump range features a high capacity semi open style impeller to enable a combination of flow and pressure, even in the toughest conditions. The impeller is made from high chrome cast iron for wear resistance, and the suction cover, designed for a long, trouble free life, is made from ductile cast iron. The shaft seal is a double design, silicon carbide, whilst the pump shaft is 420 grade stainless steel.

“The pumps also have a top discharge so that water passing through cools the motor,” said Bennett. “This means that these pumps can operator in a minimum of 190mm of water. The heavy duty KTZ series is expected to be of real interest to concrete batch plants, particularly for recycling cementitious water from stirrer pits and flush pits,” said Bennett.

Mr Bennett commented that he is already seeing an almost cult following from existing batch plant users including some of the biggest names in the industry.

KEY COMMON FEATURES Tsurumi have built their reputation by incorporating no-compromise features into all their entire submersible pump range.

Features include a double mechanical seal with both top and bottom silicon carbide seal faces running in an oil filled chamber. Isolating the seal faces from the pumped medium extends seal life by minimising abrasion.

The oil chamber also features a unique “Oil Lifter” developed to enhance seal performance. The unique design of the chamber forces lubricant over the seal faces regardless of the oil level. The lubrication cools the seal faces, providing longer life, and reducing wear.

The anti-wicking cable block on the cable entry is another major Tsurumi breakthrough in dewatering pump design. The block prevents water incursion due to capillary wicking should the power cable be damaged or the end submerged. Tsurumi claim this eliminates around 40-50% of submersible pump failures, again delivering lower operating costs and significantly improving reliability.

All pumps incorporate thermal protection for the motor against overheating from dry running or over current. This automatically resets when the motor cools to a safe operation temperature.

Tsurumi Pump back up all their submersible pumps in Australia with a three year warranty against faulty material or workmanship.

“Tsurumi Pump is a fantastic company to work with; they really listen to what we need in Australia. We are currently working together on providing 1000 volt pumps for the mining industry, and have recently delivered some significant cost savings to users on 316 stainless steel and dewatering pumps,” said Bennett.

For further information on the full range of Tsurumi submersible pumps and a handy batch plant selection guide, contact Neil Bennett at Aussie Pumps on: 02 8865 3500 or visit: www.aussiepumps.com.au 16

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE

The art of Engineering Anthony Ogle, Manager Asset Systems, City of Ryde told to the IPWEA-NSW Conference that if engineers don't fill infrastructure's art vacuum, graffitists will.

Why do today's public works engineers not include decoration or art in what we build? This question was posed to the 2015 the Conference of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia - NSW by Anthony Ogle, the Manager of Asset Systems at the City of Ryde in New South Wales.

"The projects we deliver might perform the primary function, but they are not delivering the aesthetic required, and the graffiti vandals are telling us that quite clearly," Mr Ogle stated.

He reminded the Conference that the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons served no structural or functional purpose, but were there just so the bridge looked right.

A leadlight end panel treatment takes bus shelter art to the next level for the City of Ryde in suburban Sydney

18

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

"Bradfield, as the chief engineer for NSW Public Works insisted that for the extra 2.5% of project cost, we had to have them. In New York, the Metro Transit Authority has provided fabulous mosaics throughout the subway, and even stained glass in many stations, while the entrances to the Paris Metro feature art nouveau ironwork as well as stained glass . In London, recent Tube upgrades include mosaics."

Mr Ogle found the answer was that we must put art and culture into our infrastructure.

"We should find and work through the challenges as part of managing street furniture, and to encourage its inclusion in the scope of every infrastructure project in Sydney. " "I studied art at school, but the system would not allow me to do art and the sciences, so my choice took me to engineering. But the passion didn’t die. My office is an eclectic gallery, a reminder to all who enter that the work we do is part of our, and the community’s, greater lives, where art and literature is important," he told the IPWEA Conference, which along with the associations CIVENEX Expo to be held on May 18-19 next at the Hawkesbury Showground, are principle events each year for people involved in upgrading Australia's infrastructure.

"There are occasional examples of good decoration on infrastructure, such as the sound walls on the highway at Sutherland , but far too often it's a token effort. Similarly, private development has some art and decoration, but it is rarely embedded or embraced."

"Many Councils have some murals. Blue Mountains Council once painted murals on a large number of bus shelters and water towers as an anti graffiti measure, but paint is superficial and doesn’t last, so I commissioned a photographic register to preserve the wonderful images."

"When the opportunity at Ashfield arose to refurbish the pedestrian railway tunnel, I attempted to persuade the co-ordinator to have various artists or groups make them to a theme in a range of art & craft techniques rather than just murals. A virtual outdoor gallery. Seemingly it was all too hard, as it ended up being done by one primary school with most of the surface just painted around the “naïve” images."

"For us to become like the great cities of Paris, London and New York, art needs to become the standard rather than the exception."

Mr Ogle said that when he got funds at Ryde that he had some discretion with, he determined to try again with street furniture as the “canvas”.

"That’s when I discovered all the issues I faced, and that without a motivated and determined sponsor, and the ability to work through

SPECIAL FEATURE

and find the solutions, art and literature will never get a foothold in the scope of infrastructure projects."

"Although there are examples around Sydney, for us to become like the great cities of Paris, London and New York, art needs to become the standard rather than the exception."

"And considering this adds to the cultural infrastructure of our communities, I resolved that literature is equally important as the visual, and decided to increase the profile of poetry and the written word."

FIGHTING VANDALISM "If that doesn’t encourage anyone, consider the rapidly expanding problem of the etching (scratch and acid) of glass on bus shelters.

The contracts require graffiti removal and replacing of damaged glass but etching as vandalism wasn’t envisaged.

Leave it and it increases like graffiti, keep replacing the glass and the economics of the shelters collapses. The advertising income is not enough to cover the costs. And how much etching is the threshold for replacement?

Covering glass with art is cheaper than a single replacement, and drastically reduces the incidence of damage.

The street furniture and methods used at Ryde were:• Covering the glass of bus shelters with vinyl and contra-vision film • Printing into the safety glass for new bus shelters in the glass manufacture • Covers on the base of streetlight poles • Mosaics on risers of stairs • Leadlight panel on a bus shelter

WHY, OR IS IT, HARD? Funding: Getting separate funds for “art” is not for engineers, and in Local Government is a low priority. Embed the art as decoration, and it’s part of the scope, and thus included in the overall main budget.

Habits: A human characteristic, possibly greater in engineers, is a bias to focus on a smaller number of but larger value projects. In an overworked life, hard, small or difficult things get low priority.

Another characteristic is reductionism, taking out things that make projects difficult or slow them down, with a priority to complete and deliver.

Mr Ogle said that as Ryde City has 220 shelters, the amount of sourcing and designing individual art and written works for a roll out is a challenge, then of course, there is the need to obtain the copyright.

Top and above: Artistic decorations on infrastructure such as sound walls in Sutherland in suburban Sydney

"Good help is hard to find. Arts co-ordinators often are not particularly practical or results oriented people. The priority of others rarely aligns to projects managed by engineers."

Pricing Art: As art and literature don’t have a technical specification, it is hard to procure them in the ways we are used to for compliance with our policies. It takes approaches, such as artists included as nominated suppliers.

Risk Aversion - Opinion & Aesthetics: Probably the biggest barrier of all is a fear of criticism of the selection of the content, especially in my case, where I deliberately pushed the envelope to test what vandals would leave alone and what the public would tacitly accept, or react to. Like many things, this can be handled by an agreed process before starting that includes recognition of authority to make the choices, and mechanisms to handle challenges.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE "The first thing he found, which was surprising, was that the public didn’t react. Silence! Clear evidence of broad tacit acceptance.

Many staff didn’t even notice until I pointed to the installations.

When people became aware, they expressed a liking. However, in the preparation I did get a few challenges on content from staff, concerned it was outside what was our normal approach," Mr Ogle said.

He noted that for the vinyl coatings, a clear layer over the printed layer was needed for graffiti removal so as to not take off the ink.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

19

SPECIAL FEATURE

"Although images look good on solid film, contra-vision is better for passive surveillance and where its outside residences. On end panels, black and white, with a higher amount of clear area to see oncoming buses and pedestrians is needed. Film has an expected life of over 5 years, but does risk picking at the edges if not applied right. And the vandals still scratch it where there are larger clear areas, and not the glass on the outside!"

Mr Ogle said that for the new shelters, there are many firms that can print images in safety glass manufacture, it’s not hard nor expensive.

"In sourcing and selecting images, I found some I thought suited exploration of usage, but got no responses from the artists when I sought copyright approval. Most content so far is from the public domain or provided by me.'

"Covers for the base of the multi-function street lighting poles proved challenging, as I sight techniques such as etching. It was very hard to get design and fabrication of the covers as add-ons to existing pole. Issues such as access electricals, security against theft and dimension variability for different pole suppliers were a challenge. In trialling, firms willing to etch wanted the panels flat and rolled after, yet I had the panels pre-fabricated. Also, the twometre length exceeded the facilities of most etchers."

"Using a nominated supplier process for a leadlight panel allowed consultation between me and the shelter fabricator to work out how to readily and safely incorporate that panel. And who would accept the inherent risks of this technique exposed to public use?"

CraCking under pressure?

Problems such as cracking caused by reactive soils and subsidence can be extremely expensive… especially if it’s your fault!

DOn’T leT IT haPPen TO yOu.

This bus shelter treatment incorporates, pictures, poetry and quotes .

"As for my hope of enamel and other craft methods, it seems no one does it anymore on anything larger than jewellery. The plan is to “sponsor” a course or prize at a college. That will require artful procurement!" Mr Ogle said.

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

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23/08/15 1:09 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE Below and Left: Colourful, interesting and practical - and significantly less vandalism. These bus shelter treatments are delivering a range of benefits councils and commuters alike.

WHERE FROM HERE ?

"Like many Councils, Ryde's contract for the advertising shelters is due for expiry in the next few years. In the next contract, the intent is to make the art and decoration a mandatory part of the scope.

By having several years of experience, the contract pricing can reliably factor in the risks and requirement over the long life of the infrastructure."

"The original tender was joint with several Councils. I hope they will again and take a similar approach to the art as it can become an inspiration and model for Local Government that could include other projects, and other levels of government and agencies.

Possibly, City Rail may decorate stations with mosaics and leadlight as New York has and motorway sound and tunnel walls be decorated to cheer our driving experience. "

CONCLUSION "Many of the challenges we have been avoiding are phantoms, perceived risks due to a reluctance to deal with people and processes. The projects we deliver might perform the primary function, but they do not deliver required aesthetics. Graffiti vandals shout that clearly. Engineers provide solutions, and there is a solution; show leadership and put art and culture into our infrastructure!" Mr Ogle said.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

21

OUTDOOR ASSETS

TAKING IT

OUTSIDE

Aussie Outdoor Design going from strength-to-strength

Building on the success of the first installations in metropolitan Sydney, Aussie Outdoor Design continues to go from strengthto-strength, thanks to its fully-integrated outdoor sports, fitness and recreation solutions.

Combining the latest in multi-sport courts, outdoor surfacing technology and state-ofthe-art outdoor gym equipment, these fullyintegrated outdoor facilities are proving to be a massive hit with councils, developers and residents alike.

Jason Day, Business Manager with Aussie Outdoor Design, explained: "Now we have a couple of these facilities installed and operational, councils and developers are able to come and see how they look and function in a 'real world' environment."

"Most importantly, they're also getting to see just how popular these facilities are with the public. From young children and school kids, through to families and seniors, these new facilities are attracting people of all ages and abilities," Jason added. "They really 22

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

have become a centre of activity for the community."

With an ever-increasing emphasis being placed on participation in healthy outdoor activities, many councils and developers are looking for recreation solutions that combine fun and exercise in a safe, inclusive environment. Hardly surprisingly then, that these new outdoor facilities are proving to be so popular - although it's fair to say the response has been bigger than expected!

"To be honest, we're staggered by the response to these new facilities," Jason Day said.

"While we felt certain that we were 'on a winner' in terms of having a world-class outdoor recreation and fitness solution that could meet the needs of councils, property developers and schools, the response to the new facilities has surpassed even our highest expectations."

"In fact, we've already started work on two new installations in NSW and the ACT and we're working with a number of other councils on developing specific plans and designs to meet their needs," he added.

Not surprisingly, the company's 'bespoke' approach to design and delivery is also proving extremely popular.

Rather than trying to deliver a 'one size fits all solution' the Aussie Outdoor Design team design and develop specific facilities to meet their clients' needs.

"By designing each installation on a case-by-case basis, our clients are able to select individual components - including equipment, shade structures, sports court design, flooring solutions and landscaping - to suit the location. This not only enables them to take into account the geographic constraints of the site, but also to design for demographics, cultural considerations, other nearby facilities and expected levels of patronage," Jason Day concluded.

For further information on the full range of Aussie Outdoor Design's products and services, please call: 1300 887 025 or visit: www.aussieoutdoordesign.com.au

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MAJOR PROJECTS

Sydney’s Green Square growing at record rates

Booming residential developments at Green Square have the inner city urban renewal area on track to grow to more than six times the size of Barangaroo.

New City of Sydney data reveals apartments, shops and workspaces built or planned for Green Square will cover 4.1 million square metres, around six times the 680,000 square metres of development currently built or proposed for Barangaroo.

And the estimated number of residents who will live in Green Square by 2030 has also increased from 54,000 to 61,000. With a population density of 22,000 people per square kilometre, Green Square will be 50 percent more densely settled than Pyrmont, currently Australia’s most densely settled area.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was investing more than $540 million on new facilities for the Green Square community.

“We are determined to do high density well, to make Green Square an exciting place for all members of the community,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Urban development’s critical because Sydney can’t keep developing its food basin – doing high-density living well means convenient access to employment, improved infrastructure, quality open 24

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

space, easy access to local shops, a rich cultural life and buildings guided by the principles of design excellence.”

“It’s a process we’ve put into action at the City because we know places that are good for people to live are also good places to work and do business.”

“This new data on Green Square’s rapid evolution illustrates the community’s confidence in what is one of the biggest urban renewal projects in the country.”

Figures compiled by City of Sydney researchers estimate the investment in new apartments, shops and commercial developments in Green Square has grown to $13 billion, up from $8 billion at which the project was valued in 2009.

The total cost of building new roads, drains, utilities, community facilities and other infrastructure at Green Square has been calculated at $1.3 billion and is being paid by developers, the City of Sydney and the NSW and Federal governments. That figure does not include the cost of new schools, light rail or affordable housing.

The increased population comes mainly from the City of Sydney’s design excellence

process, which gives developers 10 percent bonus floor space on projects that meet strict standards, to improve design of buildings and public areas.

Spread over 278 hectares of former industrial land between the city and the airport, Green Square will eventually have 30,500 new dwellings, including 10,000 now under assessment or construction.

Jointly developed by the City of Sydney and the NSW Government, Green Square is forecast to provide 21,000 permanent jobs in commercial and retail areas, many of which will be in the new Green Square Town Centre now under construction.

The Lord Mayor said the figures highlighted the urgent need for new schools and transport to service the area.

“The NSW Government has still not allocated any funding or revealed where the local primary and high schools will be located for the tens of thousands of new residents in Green Square.”

“And with worsening traffic congestion there’s an urgent need for mass transit, which is why I am pleased the Transport Minister has recognised that a light rail line

MAJOR PROJECTS

is needed to accommodate the massive growth in Green Square.”

“The City’s already invested $40 million to secure most of a transport corridor and we are now working with Transport NSW to assess funding models, look at route options and undertake other work required to progress the development of a new network.”

“People know Barangaroo is big because they can see the size of the buildings taking shape there on the harbour, but there’s less understanding of Green Square. I’m sure people will be surprised to hear Green Square will have six times more floor space than Barangaroo.”

“Developers know many people want to live and work in such a great location and they can see the great public facilities we are providing including the library, aquatic centre, the parks and the community and creative facilities.”

“We are doing everything we can to ensure Green Square is a great place to live for our existing residents and the new people moving in.”

Green Square snapshot Green Square Urban renewal area 278 hectares Green Square Town Centre -14 hectares Total cost of Green Square urban renewal area construction - $13 billion Average of 22,000 people per square kilometre - highest in Australia Land for new public infrastructure: • 51.6 hectares (18.5 per cent of site) • roads 34 hectares • open space 14.7 hectares • community facilities 2.8 hectares Total infrastructure costs - $1.3 billion Gross realisation value (value of all properties including land and infrastructure) - $25 billion City’s contribution $540 million over next ten years. Additional $400 million from developers paid as part of voluntary planning agreements negotiated by City. A further $400 million to come from future developer contributions.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT The Sydney Markets carpark where the ramp upgrade was undertaken by RKR Engineering, as designed by Griffiths Engineers for Sydney Markets using Hercules slip joint technology.

SYDNEY MARKETS RAMP UPGRADE An answer to challenges posed by increasing loads on Australia’s carparks As multi-level carparks around Australia age, while traffic volumes through them continue to rise, engineering upgrades are increasingly required to maintain their optimum capacity and designed degrees of freedom with high levels of safety.

Entire generations of such carparks have grown up over the past 70 years, with the steeply increasing rate of private car ownership since the 1950s making the structures an increasingly valuable asset for a host of private businesses and public facilities dependent upon high rates of utilisation.

One such business is Sydney Markets – which sells an estimated $3 billion worth of fresh fruit and vegetables annually – where structural engineering specialists, Griffiths Engineers Pty Ltd and project engineering & steel fabricator RKR Engineering were contracted by Sydney Markets to upgrade a ramp to provide extra stability and longevity, using a custom-fabricated slip joint from Hercules Engineering.

An engineering assessment identified that the strain placed on the ramp from expansion and contraction – due to temperature, and vehicular momentum from more than 300,000 vehicles that it handles each year – was overstressing the corbel and causing a structural concern.

“The solution we recommended and installed has reinstated the building’s ability for lateral translation in this area, which had seized and was causing damage to the structure. Similar methodologies can be adopted in numerous circumstances in similar structures,” said Josh Griffiths, Structural Engineer, of Griffiths Engineers, whose firm 28

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is involved in diverse structural engineering work.

The solution to the challenges at Sydney Markets involved a custom-engineered Hercules slip joint, produced to the specifications arising from Griffiths Engineers’ report on the issue.

The joint, which runs the full width of the ramp, utilises two layers of stainless steel, Grade 304, 0.55mm thick and 200mm wide, with graphite grease applied between layers.

Grade 304 stainless steel was specified to prevent corrosion or seizure over time which were problems with the original joint.

The new joint is configured to allow the two layers of concrete to move fractional amounts separately, to allow for applied external forces and movements and prevent the concrete from cracking.

For installation, the supported slab was jacked up to allow the original slip joint to be removed and the new bearing to be installed properly.

Special attention was paid to long-term lubrication of the joint. A problem identified with the original slip joint was a sticky tar-like black substance, which may originally have been a grease product containing an aluminium complex thickener soap, which is nowadays known to harden and set over time. The graphite grease used in the specified Hercules joint does not contain an aluminium complex thickener, but rather uses a lithium/calcium soap, which is known to be stable over the long term.

The original joint comprised two sheets of galvanised iron, which, with large amounts of corrosion, had bound together and prevented lateral movements (induced from concrete shrinkage, thermal changes and vehicular momentum from braking and accelerating).

“This restraint had overstressed and cracked the corbel, which had been identified as an emerging structural concern.

On top of the corbel failure from a seized joint, calculations showed that the corbel itself was moderately overstressed, so basic strengthening works were carried out simultaneously with the slip joint replacement,” said Griffiths.

The issues observed with the corbel are not uncommon and clearly indicate that close attention needs to be paid to the long term effects of shrinkage, movements and slip joint deterioration.

“The Hercules joint will not corrode or seize like the original and has reinstated the ramp’s intended articulation. With the new joint installed, cracks repaired and the corbel strengthened, the useful life of this ramp has been extended and it will now be able to articulate more freely.”

“By applying technical analysis, proven methods and using quality products, we’ve achieved an optimum result, with the benefit that the useful life of the asset has been increased,” he said. “The project was completed successfully.”

Hercules Engineering Manager David Booty says gradual slip joint failure and emerging issues such as those encountered at Sydney Markets are increasingly common as buildings age and owners seek cost-efficient solutions.

The result is a high quality, long-life and cost-efficient solution to a challenge of a type that can only become more and more common as ageing carpark structures are called upon to handle greater and greater loads.

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ECO FOCUS

Australian first for green infrastructure It will be easier to for local governments to understand the economic value of urban greening, with the launch at Victoria University of Australia’s first Economic Framework for Green Infrastructure.

The economic framework provides a method to help local governments around the country understand and develop business cases for urban greening in order to help them make better investment decisions for the future.

The framework has been developed by four Melbourne councils – the City of Melbourne, City of Banyule, City of Kingston and City of Moonee Valley – and Victoria University in partnership with the State Government.

“This framework will support better decision making and smarter investment for local government,” said the Chair of the City of Melbourne’s Environment Portfolio, Cr Arron Wood.

“We know that green is fundamentally good for our cities, but we have to make the business case stack up.

“Traditionally greenery in the cities and towns has been regarded as something that is good to have but not essential,” Cr Wood said.

“The Cities of Melbourne, Banyule, Kingston and Moonee Valley see urban greenery as a critical infrastructure that supports the liveability of cities and the health and wellbeing of communities, and refer to it as green infrastructure.”

Cr Wood said the framework: • identifies the key steps needed to value green infrastructure; • outlines a full-life-cycle management process to assist day-to-day decision making; and • provides an explanation of the economic methods and approaches to assist practitioners in the area of valuing green infrastructure.

The Victorian Government provided $250,000 for the development of the economic framework.

Chancellor of Victoria University, George Pappas, said green infrastructure could help to preserve and enhance Melbourne’s liveability.

“Melbourne keeps winning awards for being the world’s most liveable city, and why?

“Our green infrastructure plays a big part.

We have well established ways of putting together business cases for roads and drains, but not for green infrastructure such as urban forests and water recycling,” Mr Pappas said.

“If we want to improve our liveability in a hotter, more changeable climate, we need to invest in green infrastructure projects, both big and small.

“The framework will help councils build better business cases for doing so.”

Hunter Valley suburb may be built ‘off-grid’ A new residential development north of Sydney could set a precedent with the possibility of the entire community being built off the power grid.

Huntlee will be the first new town in the Hunter Valley in 50 years and will house 20,000 residents in 7,500 homes.

Brookfield Energy Australia (Brookfield) is examining the business case for Huntlee, developed by LWP Property Group, to forgo grid connection and be powered by renewable energy, battery storage and enabling technologies.

As renewable energy and battery storage become cheaper, the case for building new suburbs independent to the grid will become stronger.

It would be the first time in Australia that a new suburb near existing infrastructure relied solely on renewable energy and enabling technologies, if Brookfield successfully makes the case and the developer decides to go ahead with the option.

The Federal Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, is providing $440,000 support towards the $1.1 million work to examine the benefits and barriers to energy independent suburbs.

Developing a plan for a ‘hotter’ Brisbane In a Queensland first, more than 100 stakeholders converged on Brisbane on 25 November to take part in the largest collaborative workshop on adapting the city’s community to the impacts of global warming.

Increased average temperatures, more extremely hot days, more intense storms and increased sea level and tidal surges would change Brisbane's living conditions, according to Minister for Environment, Steven Miles.

Dr Miles said the South East Queensland Climate Change Adaptation Workshop explored a range of sustainable adaptation options.

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“We know that even if we limit climate change to two degrees the impact on our lives will be dramatic and will require careful planning to ensure we can continue to enjoy what we love about living in Brisbane.”

The workshop brought together many participants across industry, the environment, community, health, local and state governments from the region, as well as global experts in social change.

“They recognised the shared role governments, business and communities play in reducing the state’s climate-related risks and increasing opportunities.

“As a government, we need to plan wisely, invest sensibly and operate flexibly to ensure the state is minimising its climate risk. Our economy depends heavily on our primary producers, secure infrastructure, and a healthy environment,” Dr Miles said.

“We need to find innovative and shared ways to ensure our regions and sectors are able to take on climate impacts such as risks to infrastructure from sea level rise, health impacts to vulnerable people and shifting job opportunities from changes in our domestic and international markets.”

FIVE (5) STAR CONCRETE PERFORMANCE IS PROVIDED TOGETHER WITH GOOD PROCESSING AND Efflorein® Mark 2 Efflorein® Mark 2 performance enhancing powder admixture for cement based materials from Ability Building Colours, together with the provision of proper moist curing, can take concrete and mortar performance to a new level.

Wisely specified and used in ALL cement based materials, including any grade or class of premixed concrete, mortar or grout mixes, Efflorein® Mark 2 unequivocally delivers a range of performance improvements. These include: • waterproofing to eliminate permeability to aggressive water solutions including sulphate and chloride solutions that attack and adversely affect concrete and other cement based materials • ensures the durability AND water-tightness of concrete the ability to STOP water permeating through - totally!

• controls the problem of 'frosty' white efflorescence and eliminates enigmas associated with salt bloom • improves compressive strength, fluid consistency and finishability using 20% less mix water than the typical amount used • increases the intensity of colour and colour saturation of integrally coloured concrete mixes obtained with Ability's abilox® permanent mineral oxide powder colours IN SHORT: Patented Efflorein® Mark 2 provides the highest end of performance in cement bound materials

FOR CEMENT BASED MATERIALS Waterproofs and Controls Efflorescence

NEW PRODUCTS

BASF LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING MASTEREASE® CONCRETE ADMIXTURE RANGE BASF has launched a new range of admixtures under the Master® Builders Solutions brand that brings significant improvement to the rheological properties of concrete.

The MasterEase® admixture range is based on a novel and patentprotected polymer technology, which helps to reduce plastic viscosity in concrete by up to 30 percent. This reduction in viscosity levels substantially reduces the pumping pressure required, making placing and finishing concrete easier, faster and more economical.

“Innovation is what drives our business. With our new products we want to meet our customers’ needs, master construction challenges and contribute to their success. This is the driver behind MasterEase,” said Angus Peruzzo, Head of Construction, Australia and New Zealand, BASF. “Ease stands for ease of mixing, pumping, placing, levelling and finishing of concrete. After pioneering concrete technology with market leading products like MasterGlenium® and Master X- Seed®, we are proud to present another groundbreaking innovation from Master Builders Solutions to the concrete industry,” said John Brooks, Marketing Manager, Admixture Systems, BASF Australia and New Zealand.

FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE WITH IMPROVED WORKABILITY RETENTION Both concrete producers and users benefit in many ways from the new technology: MasterEase® products are flexible and can be adapted to challenging situations such as temperature variations.

“The high level of rheology and long workability are added value for the contractors in terms of concrete durability,” explained John Brooks.

“The concrete is easy to place, trowel and pump. Utilizing this concrete saves time and cost in every single construction project. It improves the utilization of the transportation fleet and equipment and reduces the wear of mixers, pumps and pipelines.”

In addition, the possibility to reduce mixing water even further without impacting the concrete rheology, opens new possibilities for improvement in concrete mix designs: Less water in concrete mixes means higher performance and better durability.

The new technology is particularly suitable for concrete mixes which are optimized for advanced engineering properties and sustainability.

High-strength concrete with low water/cement ratios, as well as mixes with higher levels of secondary cementitious materials, reduce the CO2 footprint and are easier to produce and place. This helps engineers and investors to improve sustainability ratings of their projects.

For further information on the innovative BASF products for the construction industry, please visit: www.master-builders- solutions. basf.com.au 32

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

ABOUT BASF’S CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS DIVISION BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemicals solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures: Our comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair & protection systems, performance grouts, performance flooring systems, tile fixing systems, expansion control systems and wood protection solutions.

The Construction Chemicals division’s about 5,400 employees form a global community of construction experts. To solve our customers’ specific construction challenges from conception through to completion of a project, we combine our know-how across areas of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies, as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make our customers more successful and drive sustainable construction.

The division operates production sites and sales centres in more than 50 countries and achieved sales of about €2.1 billion in 2014.

ABOUT BASF At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years.

Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life.

We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year.

BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available at: www.basf.com

Can you take the risk that you might be using non-compliant steel?

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Demand the ACRS Certificates of Product Compliance.

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CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPER CONSTRUCTS LIFT SHAFTS IN 40 MINUTES AS PART OF GROWING SPEED BUILDING TREND Speed is critical in today’s residential development market, spurring a willingness to try new building materials and methods. In multi-level buildings the core, consisting of lift and fire stair shafts, is critical to the integrity of a building’s structure and can take a long time to complete. For developers and builders, the core construction is one of the most time and cost intensive parts of the development and holds up floor construction.

Looking for a way to speed up the core construction on its latest project, Alliance Project Group, which is currently building 273 prestigious apartments on Sydney’s lower north shore, has for the first time put the innovative Dincel Construction System to the test. While high rise building developers have tried to overcome the issues of core construction by adopting a jump-form system, which enables the core to be constructed at least two levels ahead of the floor construction to address time delays, jumpform systems are extremely expensive to purchase, install and operate.

The Dincel Construction System is an Australian designed and manufactured 34

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permanent polymer formwork solution that is gaining momentum in the construction industry for its ability to deliver incredible building speeds and cost savings. The benefits are evident when building core construction elements such as lift shafts and fire stairs, which can be reduced from several days to literally minutes.

Alliance Project Group, has been amazed at the speed, cost saving, manual handling and installation benefits that the product has delivered. The development, featuring five buildings having up to ten storeys each (including 3 levels of basements), each consisting of two lift shafts and a fire stair shaft, is being built at record pace with the additional benefits of better build quality and greater safety and compliance.

According to Matt Huttary, Project Manager at Alliance Project Group, “It took our team 40 minutes to install each lift shaft and 20 minutes to install a fire stair shaft using the Dincel Construction System with vertical and horizontal bars. The overall savings are nothing short of astonishing – we were able to install the total core construction

incorporating two lift shafts and a fire stair in just 100 minutes instead of four days!

"Concrete was then simply poured into the formwork profiles simultaneously with the floor slabs, which delivered yet another speed advantage and all without the need for expensive cranes, jump-form systems or skilled labour,” added Huttary Alliance Project Group is now a loyal convert to the system and will use it in future projects for core construction, blade columns, internal and external walls, basement walls, water/sewage tanks and stormwater pits.

Dincel polymer formwork produces waterproof concrete walls and can be used as a loadbearing wall system that reduces floor slabs to 150mm thick using mesh slab reinforcement which adds further construction speed and economies. There is nothing faster than reinforcing floor slabs with mainly mesh reinforcement. Australian invented, manufactured and internationally patented, Dincel walls and columns are constructed at a lower cost, in less time and with lower skills than traditional masonry or concrete.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING? The product is a lightweight, hollow form which, when filled with ready mixed concrete, produces a load bearing, fire resistant, concrete structural element. A reinforced Dincel wall has also been tested by the University of Technology Sydney to resist an earthquake up to a Magnitude 9 on the Richter scale and is an ideal solution for rebuilding structural walls for single and multi-residential dwellings in flood prone regions.

The system is connected by hand using Dincel’s unique patented ‘snap together’ claw-like joints and the forms can be used for walls of any height at the rate of three forms per lineal meter which are installed without the need for cranes or other lifting equipment.

For more information about Dincel Construction System call +61 2 9670 1633 or visit www.dincel.com.au

SAVE A MINIMUM 20% ON MATERIALS UP TO 50% ON BUILDING TIME Dincel is the secret to faster and more economical apartment construction • Lightweight panels and floor slabs are installed simultaneously by one trade only without any interruptions.

• Provides a faster and cheaper result for FLOOR SLABS when compared to slabs with reinforcing bars and post-tensioning • Reduces building’s floor height (minimum 50mm saving at each floor) • Increases sellable floor space (less wall thickness).

For more information call 1300Dincel or visit www.dincel.com.au

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

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NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDER At National Precast we are deeply saddened to learn of a tragic incident in late November in Perth WA, where two workers were killed by a falling concrete panel. Our sincere condolences are extended to the families and friends of the two young men who were killed. The incident serves as a prudent opportunity to remind EVERYONE in the construction industry of the risks associated with the handling of ANY heavy elements during construction, and to remind them of their obligations in that regard.

PRELIMINARY INCIDENT SUMMARY Whilst a thorough formal investigation is being carried out by WorkSafe WA, we understand that the project, Foundation Housing in West Perth, was being constructed by Jaxon Construction.

We believe that three panels had been loaded on each side of an A-frame truck and transported to site. It is alleged that restraint chains on the panels were removed to allow unloading and three of the panels were lifted off the truck from the high side only. During unloading, the truck appears to have been on a slight lean towards the footpath, due to the camber of the road. As the third panel was lifted from the high side, initial reports of the incident suggest that the unbalanced load caused the three panels on the low side of the truck to overturn.

Fortunately, two of the falling panels appear to have collided with a steel column to arrest their fall, however the third single panel missed the column and fell to the ground, crushing the two workers who were sitting near the truck on a concrete kerb on the footpath, eating their lunch.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS This terrible tragedy highlights the need for everyone in the construction industry to be reminded of the requirements of the various Australian Standards and Codes of Practice that govern the industry, particularly as those within the industry are so often handling heavy elements.

In particular, we would like to remind anyone involved with precast construction of the following requirements within AS 3850-2015 Prefabricated Concrete Elements and the National Code of Practice for Precast, Tilt-up and Concrete Elements in Building Construction (NCoP), which may be relevant to this incident: 36

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

• All work related to erection should be handled by the erection design engineer (NCoP, Clause 1.3).

• The builder, in association with the erector, the prefabricator and the erection design engineer, should prepare plans for the erection sequence and bracing layout (NCoP, Clause 2.4.8).

• the person with control should develop or obtain documentation in relation to concrete element construction work (NCoP, Clause 2.4.4).

• The erection documentation prepared by the engineer should cover every aspect of the erection process, including the: * erection sequence * orientation (position relative to each other) of the concrete elements (NCoP, Clause 4.1.6) • Only persons directly involved (including supervisors and engineers) with the lifting of concrete elements should be allowed access to an area where lifting is taking place (NCoP, Clause 7.4).

• Where a footpath, road or other access way is located in an exclusion zone, all members of the public and all traffic should be prevented from passing through the zone while concrete element construction work is being undertaken, until the concrete elements are fully secured with braces and other restraints (NCoP, Clause 7.4).

• Particular attention should be given when loading, separating, supporting and protecting the elements so as to prevent damage and permit safe unloading (AS 3850.2:2015, Clause C4.1.2).

• During unloading, the delivery vehicle shall be on firm ground and, if necessary, blocked to prevent tipping when partially unloaded.

Where the unloading sequence could lead to instability of load, elements shall be individually restrained and the loading configuration shall be checked to ensure that removing individual elements does not result in instability of the load and/or the vehicle (AS 3850.2:2015, Clause 4.1.3 ).

• Where the site is not level, unloading should be commenced from the low side, once again taking care to prevent tipping when partially unloaded (AS 3850.2:2015, Clause C4.1.3).

• Vehicle stability during unloading shall be considered prior to restraints being removed (AS 3850.2:2015, Clause 4.1.3).

KEY RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING The National Code of Practice for Precast, Tilt-up and Concrete Elements in Building Construction can be downloaded here: http:// www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/ Publications/Documents/245/CodeOfPractice_ andConcreteElementsBuildingConstruction_2008_ PDF.pdf AS 3850.1:2015 General requirements (Part 1 of AS 3850-2015) can be purchased here: http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details. aspx?ProductID=1819302&also=1#also AS 3850.2:2015 Building construction (Part 2 of AS 3850-2015) can be purchased here: http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details. aspx?ProductID=1819303 Erection design engineering: Lifting: https:// www.nationalprecast.com.au/resources/designerection-design-engineering-lifting VicRoads Guide to restraining concrete panels and beams: contact National Precast at info@ nationalprecast.com.au to request a copy.

National Transport Commission & RTA NSW Load Restraint Guide can be downloaded here: http:// www.ntc.gov.au/Media/Reports/%28E62BE2864870-ED95-1914-1A70F3250782%29.pdf As the investigation continues, we will keep Members informed as we learn more.

Sarah Bachmann CEO

NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

LANDMARK CONSTRUCTION Carnarvon Police and Justice Complex Precast Manufacturer: Delta Corporation Builder: Emco Building Engineer: Prichard Francis Architect: Cox, Howlett & Baily Woodland Client: Wa Department Of The Attorney General – Building Management Works Carnarvon is a remote coastal town 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia and now boasts a new $52.5 million dollar Police and Justice Complex. It includes a police station, courthouse and community corrections office.

LOCAL DESIGN INFLUENCE Carnarvon’s local community heavily influenced the design of the new Complex. Consultation involved a community reference group, two Gascoyne Aboriginal Groups, the judiciary, the Attorney General’s Department, WA Police and the Department of Corrective Services. The final design is a true reflection of local views and design ideas and the result is a state of the art facility with architectural significance.

It also includes design features to improve the security of both staff and clients.

PRECAST PERFECT FOR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT Whilst a high quality finish was paramount for the Complex, also high on the priorities list were strength and speed of construction. Being a coastal setting, the Complex had to consider the climatic demands of the region - it had to meet structural cyclonic requirements. As well, durability and low maintenance were also important requirements.

For all of these reasons, precast concrete was chosen for this project and used for the primary building façade. Perth-based National Precast member Delta Corporation was contracted to supply the precast.

ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY The various panels have high quality architectural finishes, coloured and sandblasted for a striking appearance for this imposing structure. Form liners were used on some of the panels for an impressive textured finish.

“There’s no precast concrete manufacturer in Carnarvon or the north west of the state capable of producing the finishes required for the project. It was challenging enough for Delta, even with our years of experience, but the result is really quite stunning“ said Delta’s Jason Walsh.

The company also supplied an assortment of beams, columns, sills, window surrounds and reveals for this project, as well as 69 Deltacore

hollowcore floor panels for more than 550m2 of flooring.

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES According to Mr Walsh, the project’s remote location added complexity to the job. “The challenge for us was the logistics of transporting the panels that distance without damage to the high quality finishes. We achieved this with minimal damage.” The panel sizes were limited to appropriate transport dimensions for such a long journey. The longest was 13.30 metres and the widest was 3.80 metres.

As well as the location, the builder says the project was testing due to its overall complexity.

The builder, engineers, architects and precaster however, all worked together to construct this architecturally significant project within budget.

The finished Complex has a character unique to the region and is designed for the conditions of the coast. It officially opened in April 2015.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

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NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

FLEXIBLE TEACHING WITH PRECAST Curtin University – Bentley Campus Precast Manufacturer: Delta Corporation Architect: GHD Woodhead International Engineer: Prichard Francis Head Contractor: Georgiou Group Pty Ltd Client: Curtin University A new state of the art university building in Perth is showcasing the flexibility and versatility of precast concrete. The five-storey Building 410 at Curtin University’s Bentley Campus has presented design, manufacture and logistical challenges, but thanks to the early involvement of Perth-based National Precast member Delta Corporation, the build was simplified without compromising the design intent.

An extensive range of customised precast elements have been manufactured by the 38

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

company for the project which includes flooring, architectural and structural wall panels, columns and stairs. The building required space for collaborative, interactive and flexible learning with both formal and informal spaces for students. The structure is primarily precast and pushed concrete design to its limit to achieve the architectural design intent.

Delta’s Executive Director Matt Perrella says early engagement was vital. “We worked very closely with the architect at the initial design phase to review some of the more complex elements because they were very difficult to manufacture as they were designed. Because of our initial involvement, we were asked to develop the precast further,” Mr Perrella said.

The external façade of the building features curved precast wall panels, manufactured using a full coloured concrete. The panels were then honed to expose the black and white matrix. The curved vertical fins of the precast wall panels help provide shade, thereby reducing cooling costs and results in a building which is industry- leading in its sustainability attributes, achieving a 5-star rating.

PRECAST FLOORING CREATING FLEXIBLE, OPEN SPACES The flooring in the new building was an important feature to enable a flexible use of the teaching and learning space. Deltacore, Delta’s own hollowcore flooring planks, offered the ideal solution. The DC400 planks with 14.5 metre spans allowed large, open spaces. Mr Perrella says manufacturing the planks was a challenge, but achievable. “In fact, they were some of the largest planks that we’ve produced in Deltacore.

That posed a few problems, which we managed to overcome. The main thing they wanted in the building was very clear open spans without intermediate columns”. In all there were more

than 230 floor planks, weighing a total of 1200 tonnes. But, the delivery took just 10 crane days and 58 trailer loads.

The precaster worked closely with the builder to ensure product manufacture and delivery according to a coordinated timeline and sequence. Tight time frames were met for a speedy construction. As well, the predominant use of precast reduced onsite safety risks and delivered a high quality finish.

Building 410 is due to open at the start of 2016. It will be an integral part of Curtin University’s future and supports its vision to be an international leader in education and research.

Watch the video!

Simply scan the QR below or Google ‘National Precast Australia YouTube’ to view a new video about this project. Watch the project’s progress and hear from the project team.

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

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NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

park. A huge1874m2 of parking space was created below ground level, which took up the entire block. This required long 16.5 metre spans of hollowcore flooring. The precaster’s site supervisor, Balint Djeri says the manufacture of such long spans was straightforward.

“The challenges came with the transport and installation, but they were easily overcome.

Getting to the site, we had to use extendable trucks, and that meant restrictions on the time of day we could travel. Installing that length of span, we also needed a larger crane to be able to handle the load,” Mr Djeri said.

ARCHITECTURAL WALL PANELS TO TOP IT OFF

MELBOURNE OFFICE TOWER SHOWS OFF PRECAST’S VERSATILITY Forster Road Mount Waverley

The exterior walls of the Forster Road project have various patterns cast into the precast.

Squares, diamonds and rectangles in the panels, as well as a stacked effect, give the tower a unique and striking edge.

Precast was the obvious choice for the building. According to Mr Djeri, traditional construction using in situ concrete would have taken 12 to 18 months. The use of precast shaved about nine months from the project. “Not only did we save the client time, but money as well.

As soon as the precast walling and flooring was installed, other trades were able to begin fitting out. Trades like electricians and plumbers were able to complete their work straight away,” Mr Djeri said.

“The other saving was with onsite labour.

Because so much of the work is done offsite in a safe factory environment, fewer people are needed on site. As well, there’s less risk that can otherwise be associated with being on a building site, like bad weather, the potential of industrial unrest and safety issues.”

MAKING THE BUILDER’S JOB EASIER

Precast Manufacturer: Hollow Core Concrete Architect: Malcolm Elliot Architects Engineer: Consentino Group Client: Lettieri Group A striking multi-storey office tower in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley highlights the versatility of precast concrete. This is a project where all aspects of precast were utilised from precast balconies, to stairs, structural walls, architectural walls, columns, pre-stressed beams, conventional beams, hollowcore floor planks, lift shafts and stairs.

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

The building consists of four levels of hollowcore flooring with architectural precast walls on the perimeter, as well as stairs and a lift shaft core at the centre. The entire site was excavated and an underground car park created with the use of precast columns, beams, balconies, stairs, landings and hollow core planks.

Local precaster and National Precast member Hollow Core Concrete was an integral part of the Forster Road project, offering an holistic service. The company was responsible for design, manufacture and installation of the precast elements. The project was easily managed from Hollow Core’s Laverton factory.

PRECAST DOWN UNDER One of the more unusual features of the project’s construction was the large underground car

The builder-developer of the office tower has been impressed with the flexibility and versatility of using precast and Hollow Core’s Managing Director Peter Healy is also pleased with the result.

“Having one precast supplier made the scheduling and construction low stress for the client. Doing our job properly, makes the builder’s job much easier”, he said.

EXCELLENCE IN PRECAST

Delta has been leading the way in the manufacture of precast concrete in Western Australia since 1966.

From civil, residential and streetscape projects, through to large-scale commercial projects - including many of Western Australia's highest profile projects - Delta's reputation for quality manufacturing, product consistency and on-time performance is second-to-none.

• Precast & prestressed structural building components

Delta Precast Facility Herne Hill, WA

PRECASTER MEMBER

columns beams architectural wall panels architectural finishes (including polishing)

• Deltacore floor planks & wall panels • TeeRoff bridge beams

www.deltacorp.com.au

Phone: +61 8 9296 5000 Email: deltacorp@deltacorp.com.au

NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW

Precast Manufactuter Delta Corporation

Perth-based precast manufacturer Delta Corporation is set to celebrate a significant milestone. The National Precast member will mark 50 years in business in 2016, a testament to its reputation in the construction industry.

Delta was founded by Giovanni Perrella, an Italian immigrant seeking a better life for his family. In 1961 the enterprising Giovanni, with the help of his sons, started making concrete slabs on his property part time. Just five years later he founded Delta Corporation, as a family company, at its current location at Herne Hill in Perth’s outer eastern suburbs. The focus then turned to paving, landscape products and high quality architectural precast concrete work.

A pivotal part of the company’s development came in 1980, when Delta became a wholly own subsidiary of Perth-based publicly owned listed company Schaffer Corporation. Over the subsequent decades, Delta has expanded its product offering. Manufacturing primarily for the Western Australian construction market, Delta now produces a wide range of precast products for commercial, civil, residential and streetscape projects. The family values of the company continue with two of Giovanni’s sons, Matt and Gino Perrella, still an integral part of Delta. Executive Director Matt Perrella says an experienced and focussed management team with strong leadership is has been the key to the company’s success. “We’ve always stuck to our core business and ensured we provide quality product and service to our clients”.

PRECAST CONCRETE FOR CIVIL PROJECTS Delta produces a range of precast and prestressed components which include precast retaining walls, L-shape walls, tunnel roof panels, Tee Roff bridge beams, deck planks, parapet panels and various marine beams elements. deck slabs and station structures. Many of these have been supplied to civil projects throughout Western Australia including from bridge projects, to rail systems, energy resource projects and major government infrastructure works. Recently, Delta has played a significant role in supplying precast for the important Gateway WA project, which is Western Australia’s largest ever infrastructure project. As well, the company’s unique Deltacore hollowcore wall and floor range of products have been used in civil projects such as retaining walls and tunnel roof structures. According to Delta’s General Manager, Jason Walsh, the biggest challenge over the years has been the boom bust fluctuations of the construction industry. “In order to survive the lean times we have had to diversify our product offering and are able to manufacture products ranging from large structural elements such as bridge beams all the way through to small kerbing units, streetscape furniture and highly architectural precast elements.”

“In order to survive the lean times we have had to diversify our product offering and are able to manufacture products ranging from large structural elements such as bridge beams all the way through to small kerbing units, streetscape furniture and highly architectural precast elements.”

DELTA’S SUCCESS

Matt Perrella, Executive Director, Delta Corporation

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

Delta has provided precast solutions for a variety of commercial projects including multi-storey office buildings, residential developments, offices and car parks. The company’s suite of residential precast products includes Deltacore hollowcore walls and floors, stairs, balconies, single layer and sandwich panel walls. Builders and developers are recognising the savings in construction time by using precast, which translates to significant time and cost savings when compared with traditional construction methods.

From single floor homes, to two-storey dwellings to multi storey apartments buildings and renovations, Delta has worked on it all in the residential market. For Delta was heavily involved in the St James Estate, Northbridge, Delta which won the International Millennium FIABCI Prix D'Excellence Award - Residential Category.

Delta has also built a reputation for innovation and quality in streetscape and high end architectural projects. Its collection of products includes bollards, planters, seats and benches, bins, steps, estate walls and screen walls. through to architecturally finished fascia panels for cladding high rise buildings.

Powering a Sustainable Future

Did you know you can access the latest issue of Construction Engineering Australia via Informit?

Jason Walsh, General Manager, Delta Corporation

Using modern moulding techniques, a range of surface finishes and textures, Delta works with landscape architects to find the best design solutions. “Any projects that pose challenges but are completed well, are always exciting and satisfying,” Mr Perrella said. “It’s also satisfying when we are part of a team involving a builder, architect, engineer and suppliers, working towards a common goal”.

BUILDING ON A REPUTATION Over almost 50 years, Delta has built a reputation for being one of the leading precast concrete manufacturers in the country and has supplied its products to a majority of the high profile projects in Perth. These projects include Central Park Office Tower, Commonwealth and Family Law Courts, Galleria shopping centre at Morley, Garden City shopping centre, Mounts Bay Village, WACA grandstands and light towers, and the Subiaco grandstand. Perth City Link Rail Tunnel, Perth to Bunbury Highway Bridges, Panorama Apartments, Perth Convention & Entertainment Centre, Saint Mary’s Cathedral and the Fiona Stanley Hospital.

At the core of Delta’s success are its people. “Our management team, including supervisors, are long term employees of the company with a wealth of experience. The loyalty of service ranges from 10 to 46 years. Our most important asset is our team. We work well together which has resulted in a positive company culture,” Mr Perrella said. The Delta team is highly skilled and its management is innovative and dedicated to supplying the best building solutions at the highest quality.

The leadership of Schaffer Corporation is also integral. Schaffer has a long heritage in Western Australia and credits its longevity to a close-knit group of employees, staff and directors all working in the best interest of the company, its shareholders and the community. Together with Delta, they are looking at a bright future.

The Informit Engineering Collection is an ever expanding resource covering aspects of construction engineering – urban management and planning, civil engineering and construction, environmental management, planning issues and traffic management. The database offers an extensive variety of resources including journals, trade publications, reports and conference proceedings.

The Collection guarantees quality through partnerships with peak professional bodies including Engineers Australia and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, as well as Content Providers including EPC Media Group.

The Informit Engineering Collection delivers hard to find content designed to complete and complement all your municipal engineering requirements.

Other key titles published by EPC Media include: Highway Engineering Australia Waste + Water Management Australia

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PUBLISHING

Research for your global future

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

43

precast... the publications

All you need to

make precast easy

A Little Book of Concrete

his book highlights the many benefits that sustainable, factory-made precast T concrete can offer the architect, the designer, the engineer, the builder, the client, the financier, the insurer and the environmentalist.

Hardcopy: PDF:

AU$ 23.12 Free download from our website

Precast Concrete Handbook

n essential resource for any architect, designer, engineer or builder involved in a A precast concrete project, this is the definitive Australian text covering the design, manufacture and installation of precast reinforced and prestressed concrete. The 460 page Handbook covers: • History and application • Design of joints • Products and processes • Thermal and acoustic properties • Materials and material properties • Architectural elements • Tolerances • Handling, transport and erection, and • Analysis and design of buildings • Contractual Issues.

• Design of elements • Connections and fixings Hardcopy: CD: Student Edition CD:

AU$ AU$ AU$

200.28 200.28 77.00

Details for Buildings

eveloped for architects, designers and draftsmen, this publication contains over D 50 of the typical details used by National Precast members. Design, erect and build notes are included for each detail. The publication covers details for: • Joints and openings • Panel to structural steel • Panels to flooring • Hollowcore panels, and • Panel to panel • Sandwich panels.

Hardcopy: PDF: Individual DWG: DWG Full Set: DWG Set 1 – Single Layer Panels: Joints and Openings: DWG Set 2 – Single Layer Panels: Panels to Flooring: DWG Set 3: - Single Layer Panels: Panel to Panel: DWG Set 4: - Single Layer Panels: Panel to Structural Steel: DWG Set 5: - Hollowcore Panels: DWG Set 6: - Sandwich Panels:

To get hold of these publications and lots more visit www.nationalprecast.com.au

AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$ AU$

119.76 107.78 11.26 253.35 97.28 105.62 105.62 43.91 125.66 86.70

making precast easy

Recommended Practice: Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels

This publication is ideal for architects, designers, engineers and builders. It has been developed in response to the increased popularity of insulated sandwich panels, as they have become recognised for their superior thermal, acoustic and fire performance. The publication covers: • • • • •

Benefits of sandwich panels Thermal and acoustic performance Case studies Finishes Structural design and detailing

• • • •

Fire ratings Waterproofing Manufacture, and Handling, erection and installation.

Hardcopy: PDF:

AU$ AU$

91.02 81.92

Recommended Practice – Design, manufacture and installation of Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC)

I deal for architects, designers, engineers and builders who are involved in a GRC project, this Recommended Practice provides a comprehensive explanation of lightweight GRC. Popular in civil and landscaping applications, GRC also offers a versatile solution for architectural projects. Reinforced with alkali resistant fibres, GRC achieves a strong yet lightweight result that can be formed in thin elements, in any shape, texture or colour. The publication covers: • • • • • •

Materials for GRC • GRC manufacture Curing • Physical properties • Design requirements and procedures • Contractual considerations Hardcopy:

Establishment and quality control of characteristic strength Handling, erection and installation Surface finishes, and Vibration-cast GRC. AU$

82.47

Amazing Architecture – Explore the possibilities of precast concrete

erfect for architects and designers, Amazing Architecture highlights the almost infinite P array of shapes, colours and textures available in precast concrete, showcasing its flexibility and versatility through a series of practical and innovative case studies.

Hardcopy: PDF:

AU$ 10.94 Free download from our website

Minimising Investment Risk – Why precast delivers on investment

uited to developers and clients, Mitigating Investment Risk details precast’s significant benefits in S terms of cost, construction speed, durability, versatility, build quality, maintenance and sustainability and highlights these benefits through a series of practical and innovative case studies.

Hardcopy: PDF:

AU$ 10.94 Free download from our website

Mitigating Construction Risk – How precast concrete reduces cost and improves safety

eveloped for builders, Mitigating Construction Risk details the significant cost, safety, D construction speed, build quality and sustainability benefits that are offered by precast concrete.

The benefits are highlighted through a series of practical and innovative case studies.

AU$ 10.94 Hardcopy: PDF: Free download from our website

To get hold of these publications and lots more visit www.nationalprecast.com.au

making precast easy

NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

PRECAST FLOORS OFFER SUSTAINABLE DFMA SOLUTION Sustainable development that utilises Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) methodology surely is the ultimate goal if we are going to realise productivity improvements in construction in this country.

We already know that sustainable development is that which does the right thing for the environment, the economy and society.

DfMA on the other hand, is a component of lean manufacturing and is the combination of two methodologies – Design for Manufacture,

or the design for ease of manufacture, and Design for Assembly, or the design of the product for ease of assembly. DfMA provides guidance to the design team. It involves identifying, quantifying and eliminating waste and inefficiency to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs and to quantify improvements.

Perhaps coaxed into using precast concrete flooring partly for climatic reasons, foreign shores have recognised the sustainability, design, performance and cost benefits offered

by precast floors as a superior solution to insitu concrete flooring. The benefits, especially when part of a total precast design, are unrivalled. Yet Australia lags behind the rest of the world with its uptake.

Precast flooring’s efficient off-site manufacturing process, coupled with on-site benefits during construction and ongoing lifecycle benefits for building owners and occupiers deliver truly sustainable results and fit neatly into the DfMA scenario.

FLOORING: THE CHOICES Beam-and-infill flooring is often referred to as Ultrafloor. This system comprises inverted prestressed T-section beams of up to 250mm depth capable of spanning up to 12m which are in-filled with fibre cement or metal infill sheets and topped with concrete. The soffit can be left exposed or covered to include and conceal services.

Bubbledeck flooring comprises reinforced slabs where recycled plastic bubbles replace concrete, providing another lightweight flooring solution with up to 35% reduction in dead weight. Floor thicknesses of between 230 and 450mm can span up to 15m. The soffit can also be left exposed with a clear span appearance.

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

In recent times hollowcore has also incorporated innovative energy efficient heating and cooling solutions like TermoDeckTM, to maximise the thermal mass benefits of the planks.

Hollowcore flooring is prestressed, precast concrete planks, generally 1200mm wide and between 100 and 400mm thick, which have hollow cores along their length. Hollowcore can be topped with concrete or left untopped, depending on application. It provides lighter weights, spans up to 18m, and services can be run along the cores inside the floors.

Lattice girder flooring – more often known as Transfloor, Humeslab or Austral Deck – is generally available in widths of up to 2500mm and spans up to 10m. Acting as permanent formwork, the partial precast concrete slabs with projecting steel ‘lattice girders’ are topped with concrete. To reduce the amount of concrete and to minimise final slab weight, polystyrene void formers can be used.

All of these flooring solutions are available from National Precast members.

NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

De-materialisation is one very significant sustainability advantage of precast floors that is often over-looked. Not only do precast floors use less materials – in this case concrete and steel, but lower slab weights also mean that less materials are used in the supporting structure and foundations. Savings of up to 50% can be realised and that deserves serious assessment.

Precast floors are also structurally efficient.

Longer spans and fewer columns and load bearing walls maximises design flexibility, resulting in large, column-free areas and maximised lettable space.

In terms of embedded energy, the manufacturing process for precast flooring system production typically uses less energy than that required for structural steel frame systems or insitu concrete flooring. Like other highly evolved manufacturing sectors, precast flooring manufacture is designed to safely and efficiently produce high quality, long life products in the shortest possible time frames. Adoption of lean production methods together with re-useable steel casting beds results in a superior finished product with minimal production waste. It is estimated that efficient off-site manufacturing processes produce only 2% waste materials, of which 95% can be recycled. That’s a big reduction in waste reduction compared with other construction methods.

On site, using precast flooring as part of the DfMA process means fast erection, with minimal or no propping required and providing an immediate working platform for follow-on trades. That means obvious cost savings for the project as well as less noise and debris. Because dimensionally exact elements are delivered from local manufacturers to the construction site, there is minimal waste. There are financial benefits in terms of savings in costly rubbish disposal.

Post construction, the high quality and thermal mass of precast floors are capable of delivering further benefits for building owners, particularly when energy efficient systems such as TermoDeck™ are incorporated into the design.

Superior durability compared with alternatives provide a superior long term investment offering low maintenance and structures that can simply be refitted rather than demolished – the ultimate recycling!

Graphic concrete used in Westfield Garden City project (precast by Austral Precast)

graphic concrete™

TAKING AUSTRALIA BY STORM

All of a sudden, the world of architectural precast just got more exciting.

A new technology being offered by National Precast Industry Partner Reid™ allows patterns and images to be set in concrete, in almost any application. The technology, known as graphic concrete™, opens new opportunities for architects and designers, where patterns, text, or even photos can be “etched” onto precast concrete surfaces. graphic concrete™ works by applying the specified pattern or artwork to the face of concrete element at the panel fabrication stage in a precast factory. A special retarder membrane is placed within the casting mould and the result is a permanent pattern which is “etched” onto the face of the panel by utilising the contrast between the exposed fine aggregate finish and the smooth textures.

Whilst the technology works well with conventional “grey” concrete mixes, the impact

and effect of the pattern or image can be further enhanced by specifying cement pigments or oxides, as well as by nominating the colour and size of the aggregate. The specification of fine aggregates enhances the level of contrast achieved by saturating the exposed areas of the pattern with fines.

Designers and architects can select a pattern or image from an existing range of patterns or they can design their own. The membrane has a maximum printable area of 3200mm wide and can be supplied at any length.

The membrane can therefore be both efficiently and effectively used in the production of precast panels to a maximum width of 3200mm.

It is also possible to cast wider precast concrete panels by joining membranes together.

To find out more about graphic concrete, contact National Precast or take a look at Reid’s website, www.reid.com.au

Graphic concrete used for Frederick Irwin Anglican School Chapel WA (precast concrete

by Delta Corporation)

Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

47

NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE

NATIONAL PRECAST UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE National Precast has a new website – it’s tailored to users, easy-to-use, feature packed and boasts a stylish modern design.

According to National Precast’s CEO Sarah Bachmann “the design brief was simple. We needed a site that was easy to navigate and full of the resources that people need when working with precast.”

To achieve this goal, the site has what are effectively 5 sub homepages for ‘Architects & Designers’, Engineers, Builders & Developers, Precasters, and Academics & Students. Each of these sections provides the sites most useful links, resources and tools for that particular group.

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Construction Engineering Australia - December 2015

The new website makes a strong statement about the Associations commitment to the growth of the Australian precast industry. By providing high quality, easily accessible resources and tools, supporting everyone from first time users through to experienced veterans, the Association has made significant step forward. By removing informational barriers that may have previously put people off using precast, the whole process of working with precast has been simplified and streamlined.

“The Industry has experienced significant growth over the past few years and as the national industry association it was vital that we adapted the website to make resources available

to support this growth,” explains Ms Bachmann.

“We are particularly excited about the potential of our new Tender Service and what it can offer both builders and precast manufacturers,” she said. The service significantly simplifies the process of locating a proven and trustworthy precast manufacturer, by tapping into the Association’s nation-wide network of accredited precast manufacturers.

The new site features tools such as: an R-value Calculator, a Technical Enquiry service, Case Studies, Fact Sheets, Publications, a Tender Service, and a Find-A-Precaster tool.

Visit www.nationalprecast.com.au to see the changes!

OUR EXPERIENCE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS Echo Precast Engineering is an internationally reputed manufacturer of machines and equipment for the production of pre-stressed concrete products.

Our know-how and engineering services are recognized worldwide as top class quality.

Echo Precast Engineering N.V. Centrum-Zuid 1533 - 3530 Houthalen (BE) Tel +32 11 60 0800 Fax +32 11 52 2093 www.echoprecast.com