Australasian Timber - May 2016

MAY 2016

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NEWS

Timber Design Awards media partner announced

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EADING FORESTS and timber products publisher Ryan Media has been appointed a supporting sponsor and media partner for the Australian Timber Design Awards.

Australasian Timber Magazine published by Ryan Media, which circulates in Australia and New Zealand, will provide a package of timber design marketing and media services promoting the Awards and showcasing category winners and their designs to the industry and end users.

Ros Hunter, Timber Development Association Office Administrator

said the partnership with Ryan Media would further enhance the status of the Awards.

“We believe this agreement will increase timber design awareness to building industry professionals, plus improve sponsor exposure and support,” she said.

Australasian Timber will publish regular Awards winner’s designs to promote timber as the preferred sustainable, aesthetic, design orientated and cost effective building material.

Hartley Higgins, publisher of Australasian Timber, said the magazine would increase timber

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INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

design coverage by having a closer supporting and promotional involvement with the Awards.

“This will involve publishing regular timber design stories each edition in a publishing schedule of eight editions annually,” he said.

“The design content will be scheduled around the Awards for a given year to focus on category winners, plus additional stories to better promote the Awards and highlight timber design in construction,” he added.

Ros said that ongoing support by the sponsors of the Awards was vital and additional media coverage would

further cement their involvement.

“Sponsors appreciate additional benefits to participate with the Awards and this will add value to their sponsorship commitment,” she said.

Ryan Media also publishes Australian Forests and Timber News and online enewsletter Daily Timber News. For further details contact Ros Hunter 02 8920 0446 See this edition’s Timber Design Awards feature (pages 19-20) which highlights Moloney Architects.

Labor backs Benalla saw mill expansion

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HE VICTORIAN Government will contribute to the $900,000 investment in a major expansion project for Ryan and McNulty Saw Millers in Benalla, securing existing employment and creating seven new jobs.

Details of the funding were announced by Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, who said the continued re-investment in local forestry industries was key to securing sustainable economic growth in the region.

Ms Symes said the forestry industry was a key employer in the region and generated $6billion of sales and service income annually for Victoria, much of which remained in the local community.

Ms Symes said with the support of the Victorian Government through a Regional Jobs Fund grant, Ryan and McNulty will improve and modernise their manufacturing facility.

The project includes: Installing new IT systems that will support certification for export markets including USA Installing a new gas main to support increased kiln production capacity Installing an automated docking line to improve business sustainability and competitiveness Improving energy efficiency and reducing the cost of production.

“High performing businesses like Ryan and McNulty underpin jobs growth, exports and economic competitiveness in country Victoria,” Ms Symes said.

“The timber processing and manufacturing industry is a key employer for people living in north east Victoria and investing in the competitive and sustainable future of Ryan and McNulty Saw Millers is a great outcome for my home town of Benalla.

“Through the Victorian Government’s $500 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, we are supporting projects like Ryan and McNulty in Benalla that will build critical infrastructure, create jobs, invest in communities and support new and emerging industries.

“Improving the growth and productivity of local businesses is key to securing a positive future for our country communities.”

Ryan and McNulty was established in 1942 and remains a key employer in Benalla with 45 employees. The investment will allow the specialty hardwood timber producer to increase their production capacity, while maintaining competitive operating costs.

Victoria’s august forestry and timber body, VAFI, said it was great to see investment being made in the future of the industry and was glad the Victorian Government was backing an industry so important to the State.

¢ J aclyn Symes (Member for Northern Victoria) inspects timber stocks

australasian

Publisher and Chief Executive: Advertising: J on Bryden Subscriptions: Hartley Higgins j.bryden@ryanmediapl.com.au subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Suite 103, 486 Whitehorse Road, Melbourne: (03) 9888 4834 Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127, Accounts: Timber classified: phone (03) 9888 4822 Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555 j.bryden@ryanmediapl.com.au INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED General Manager: Melbourne: (03) 9888 4834 Postal Address: Peter Muscet 630 Regency Road, Broadview, Production: Luke Westle Editorial: John Hudswell FRONT PAGE PHOTO: Simpson Strong-Tie Connector South Australia 5083 j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Laboratory, Pleasanton, California. Read more about this in the Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Frame Australia feature pages in this issue.

Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Out of office: (08) 7127 6370 Conditions: The opinions expressed in Australasian Timber Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated.

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

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

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magazine Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

May Vol.24, No.3 Established 1977 www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

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NEWS

Whole-of-industry approach for AUSTimber2020

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ITH AN estimated $100 million worth of forestry equipment on display, an internationally-recognised in-forest site and perfect weather, everything jelled to ensure the success of AUSTimber2016 near Traralgon. In fact, more than 7500 people attended the event.

According to Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA -owners of the event) chairman Ian Reid, the sights have now been set on making the 2020 event even bigger and better.

He described this year’s Traralgonbased event as a foundation builder ... “what happened this year puts us in good stead for the 2020 event”.

The in-forest site gained rave reviews but, for those in the Showgrounds Producers site it was a slightly different take. Several expressed dissatisfaction, some were extremely positive.

“Our team invested considerable time and effort in building the manufacturing/processing component of the event and believe we made some progress with AUSTimber2016 but we still have some way to go when it comes to the secondary and tertiary sectors embracing the opportunity this event offers,” said AUSTimber Events GM Laurie Martin.

International News Briefs Explore the Chinese market

“Given the enthusiastic support from Latrobe City for the event and the wood products industry in general, planning for an expanded AUSTimber2020 is already under way,” said Ian. “There is fantastic support from local government throughout Gippsland for the expansion of tertiary industry in the region based on wood fibre. The region is looking beyond primary production of wood fibre and processing it into commodity products by embracing the opportunity for more advanced manufacturing particularly in the area of prefabricated construction.

“As is the case in most wood fibre producing areas around Australia, there are real opportunities for the development of enterprises to produce timber components for construction in major cities as well as the export market. What the industry needs now is for entrepreneurs to seize these opportunities and equip themselves with the right technologies to capitalise on this potential,” Ian said.

At this extremely early stage “it looks like there will be a one-site policy for 2020 plus associated changes and that,” says Ian, “can only prove highly beneficial for all in the industry. We want to portray the whole industry in a positive light,” he said.

Belarusian woodworking companies should put more efforts into exploring the Chinese market. Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko gave the relevant instructions at the session of the board of the Belarusian timber, woodworking, pulp and paper industry concern Bellesbumprom. He said that without expanding the target markets, without looking for new buyers it would be quite difficult for the woodworking companies to increase sales. It is necessary to take a closer look at absolutely new markets for timber products and find reserves there.. It is a huge market.

Australian Anti-Dumping Commission initiates investigation

Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission is investigating the possible dumping of A4 copy paper from Brazil, China, Indonesia and Thailand, after receiving an application from Australian Paper Ltd. Australian Paper, which is owned

by Japan-based Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd., claims the imports caused material injury to the Australian industry. The period under investigation is January 1- December 31, 2015. The investigation aims to determine if dumping and subsidization occurred.

Timber stats show massive rises

The import and export trade volume of China’s timber and wood products increased to USD74.64 billion in 2015 from USD35.07 billion in 2006; wood consumption rose to 550 million m3 in 2015 from 337 million m3 in 2006 -up by 60% .

Skill levels dwindling away

North America is in the midst of the largest exodus of skilled labor in its history, according to current research, within manufacturing and industrial America, the talent areas that will be hardest hit by retirements are skilled tradespeople and production/operating technicians. A report by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, shows that within the next decade 3.4 million skilled trades and production manufacturing jobs in the United States will need to be filled, yet it is estimated that 63% of these jobs will not be filled because of a talent shortage. In short, manufacturing and our ability to remain on the competitive edge in the United States could suffer due to two million unfilled jobs.

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After the record year for sales in 2015, in which the HOMAG Group achieved sales of over one billion euro for the first time in the company’s 55 year history, the success story continued at the HOLZ-HANDWERK trade fair with a record number of incoming orders. Participation in the trade fair as the largest exhibitor has paid off again for the HOMAG Group. Most visitors were from Germany, with around 30% of visitors coming from 46 other countries. Orders could be submitted directly at this craftsman’s trade fair and in this aspect we had a record result,” says Alexander Prokisch, head of marketing.

TTF changes guidance on Marine Plywood

The Timber Trade Federation has announced new Guidance for members on sales of Marine Plywood in the UK. Following a meeting of the Governing Board of the TTF it was confirmed that: As of June 1st 2016, all sales in the UK by TTF Members of non-independent third party Quality Assured Marine Plywood will cease. The decision has been ratified by the Governing Board and will form part of the new TTF Code of Conduct for panel product traders.

This means that only those products supported by Independent Third Party Quality Assurance can be sold as ‘Marine Plywood’. “We need to provide the market with the assurance and evidence it requires, that products sold by TTF members are fit for purpose and appropriate for the buyers needs,” said David Hopkins, Managing Director of the TTF.

Lifetime guarantee

South India’s interior solutions major Trojan Plywood has launched a unique Life Time Guarantee Card’ for all its plywood products. Announcing the guarantee card MAK Group of companies Chairman Mohammed Arabi K said the scheme offers replacement of plywood products with lifetime limited guarantee. MAK Group markets a range of plywood under the brand name of Trojan Plywood, which has manufacturing facilities at Mangalore, Coimbatore an Myanmar.

New FPInnovations’ initiative

Serge Constantineau has been appointed Research Manager of FPInnovations’ SM2 Initiative which will oversee research and development of advanced manufacturing technologies that have the potential to impact the global forest sector. These technologies are expected to maximize the usage of fibre currently being harvested and enable the creation of innovative bioproducts from the sub-product material produced during the manufacturing process.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

www.timberbiz.com.au

NEWS

Insurance lagging behind wood innovation

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Canadian insurance expert is calling for his industry to take a second look at wood.

Jeff McLellan, a vice-president with BLF Canada Insurance Services Inc., recently addressed the 2016 International Wood Symposium in Vancouver about the sluggish response of the insurance industry to new wood technologies.

While new materials such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and glulam are changing the nature of wood construction, insurance companies are not keeping up, McLellan said.

“Reinsurers drive the bus on this, and they say ‘wood’s wood’,” McLellan said. Wood has specific properties and a history that make it an easy target for advocacy groups from other industries, he added.

“But how many massive wood fires have actually happened?” he queried.

McLellan stated that when fire does occur, awareness of the material does increase, but “if you go three to four years without a fire, underwriters get comfortable.” The wood industry,” McLellan said, “ is doing the ‘heavy lifting’ of educating the public regarding new wood technologies.

“They’re the ones getting the info out and getting people engaged,” he said.

But people often haven’t had good experiences with new materials and technologies and developers tend to work with those they’ve worked with in the past.

“As with most things it’s education and experience that’s the solution,” he added.

The Australian perspective From an Australian perspective, formal discussions between the proponents of wood building systems and the insurance industry is very much in the early stages.

“Taller timber buildings are a relatively new initiative in Australia so there is always the potential that insurance companies will take a conservative approach,” said Ric Sinclair, managing director of Forest and Wood Products Australia Limited.

“We have had some one-on-one meetings with insurance companies but we haven’t yet organised a broader industry roundtable.”

Mr Sinclair noted that under the recent changes to the National Construction Code, mid-rise timber buildings will actually have a lower fire risk than traditional concrete and steel buildings due to the inclusion of sprinklers.

“Our aim is to address all real or perceived impediments to the use of wood in construction, so we’ll explore whether insurance costs for timber buildings can be reduced through better engagement with the insurance industry.”

Wood construction also offers advantages over other materials beyond sustainability, McLellan said.

“One thing CLT can deliver here is much faster delivery to market, especially when combined with prefab,” he said, adding much less noise pollution is produced during construction of wood projects. Other countries, he noted, are ahead of Canada both in terms of adoption of wood technologies and insuring wood projects.

Collaboration between the insurance industry and construction in the United Kingdom resulted in a document called Joint Code which addressed fire

protection on construction sites.

“I believe this document helped drive down incidents. It’s an example of the insurance industry being proactive.

But in North America, I don’t see it,” McLellan said.

“Engineered timber is already considered conventional in some countries. It’s definitely an option designers would consider in Germany or Switzerland,” McLellan said.

While the United States has not yet invested in advanced wood construction, “they have the potential to leapfrog us. We have a lot invested in this discussion as a country, but the U.S. construction industry is more

Helping to make informed decisions on choice of materials THE AUSTRALIAN timber industry has announced an update of its Australian Wood Products Life Cycle Inventory Database which is used to prepare Green Star compliant Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

This multi-stakeholder project sponsored by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) is part of the timber industry’s goal to enable built environment professionals to make informed decisions about the materials they choose.

The global sustainability consultancy thinkstep and Stephen Mitchell Associates have received funding to review and refresh the 10-year-old data.

Representatives from Australian Solar Timber, the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia and Hyne Timber will oversee the project.

In July 2015, five EPDs were registered with the Australasian EPD Programme and uploaded to the WoodSolutions website. “They are very successfully telling the ‘better than carbon neutral’ story for Australian softwood, hardwood, particleboard, MDF and plywood”, said Dr Chris Lafferty, R&D Manager of FWPA. “There have already been more than 1,100 downloads of the independently verified documents.”

Under the Australasian EPD Program rules, data used in EPDs cannot be older than 10 years. “At the moment, most of the information goes back to the 2005/06 production year and needs to be formally reviewed. Over 60 Australian timber product facilities have agreed to support this project and provide access to their manufacturing data,” Chris said.

“Our goal is to minimise the burden for these manufacturers”, says thinkstep’s Managing Director Barbara Nebel, “therefore we reviewed the information collected as part of the original CSRIO project almost a decade ago and identified hot spots where data needs to be updated and analysed.

To streamline this process, a mixture of software assisted and on-site data gathering will be used.”

“Over the last 10 years, there have been large improvements in efficiency which we are keen to capture as part of this update”, explains Stephen Mitchell from Stephen Mitchell Associates. “Each EPD needs to cover a minimum level of total production volume otherwise it risks being withdrawn. It is therefore crucial that we get a high level of industry support for this project across the softwood, hardwood, particleboard, MDF and plywood industries”.

Australian timber product manufacturers who also would like to be listed as contributors on the Green Star compliant EPDs should contact steve@ smassociates.com.au for further details. www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

ready for change than the Canadian construction industry,” he said.

McLellan pointed to projects such as the 18-storey Brock Commons student residence made primarily of wood as a sign of progress, and said there are other possible applications of wood construction.

“B.C. social housing has an amazing opportunity to be leaders in this space,” he said. “And if it’s not needed, it can be deconstructed and moved. You can’t do that with other material, but it can be done with CLT and glulam.” Source: Journal of Commerce.

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HE COMMERCIALISATION of the Low Odour Timberlink Green LOSP outdoor product will be presented as a case study example of successful innovation in the timber products market in Australia, at the upcoming Wood Innovations conference to be held in late May / early June in both Melbourne and Rotorua.

The launch of Low Odour Timberlink Green occurred about a year ago, in July 2015 and was a world first. It is a great example of an innovative product enhancement that was possible due to both listening to customer feedback and working collaboratively with a partner supplier. Its development was initiated by Timberlink after customers complained about the smell when stocking LOSP treated timber.

Customers appreciated the dimensional stability and appearance of LOSP timber but the solvent odour was an ongoing concern. Based on this concern Timberlink Australia commenced working very closely with Arch Wood Protection to explore solutions. The project took some 12 months from identification of the market issue to successful product launch.

The development process required dedicated effort by the Arch technical team including formulation work, efficacy testing, compatibility testing and numerous treatment trials to optimise the treatment process.

Full scale commercial production at Timberlink’s Bell Bay plant commenced in July 2015. Needless to say, in terms of timing, this innovation was a relatively speedy one but it remains today still a unique product innovation in the Australian market.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

The Low Odour innovation highlights increasingly important relationships for Timberlink – its strategic partnerships in chemical supply and channel partners.

This initiative is a great example of where the industry can collaborate more to enhance the preferences for timber products ongoing in the outdoor market in Australia and New Zealand.

“Almost 50% of all softwood products in the Australian market today is treated in some way, this has grown from only 20% ten years ago. The area of timber preservatives and treatments to enhance timber’s performance is an increasing area of focus for most softwood sawmillers,” commented Dr Trevor Innes, Timberlink’s General Manager of Technical & Environment.

Dr Innes alongside Arch’s GM Marketing Peter Carruthers for Asia Pacific region will present at the conference. Their presentation will detail the joint success of this innovation, based on Arch’s chemical development expertise and Timberlink’s expertise in applying the chemical to timber and then marketing this new innovative outdoor timber product to its customers in Australia.

“Delivering an improvement like this requires a surprising volume of technical and validation work. We have been very fortunate to partner with Timberlink and benefit from their commitment, operational expertise and strength in the market,” said Mr Carruthers.

Low Odour is an example of how listening to customers and developing collaborative partnerships results in true innovations and helps ensure our industry will grow well into the future. www.timberbiz.com.au

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

7

FRAME

New building systems at Frame 2016

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REFABRICATION OF timber frames for residential construction is changing with the rise of closed panel frames and mass timber systems for low-rise and mid-rise developments, now emerging as the future for timber building systems.

Faster construction times, lower costs, higher quality, improved workplace safety and productivity are just some of the benefits from moving to production of completed panels off-site to dramatically reduce on-site activities.

Developers and builders are turning to these prefab construction methods to significantly reduce work times amidst a labour shortage in the building sector, which is encouraging development of highly automated prefabrication plants to meet rising demand.

This new trend in construction will attract an all-time high number of delegates to the Frame Australia Conference and Exhibition being held on Monday 23 May at Park Hyatt Melbourne The conference theme “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” speaker sessions will cover timber building systems in housing and multi-residential construction, with presentations by architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered timber and prefabrication.

Presentations will include cost comparisons for timber framed apartment buildings compared to a traditional concrete frame structure, and analysis of the construction costs differences and savings.

Among the new prefabrication plants to be discussed will be CSR Velocity’s production-line manufactured housing with fully closed floor, wall and roof systems, with internal walls and windows, doors and external cladding, plumbing and electrical systems ready for connection on site.

International speakers will provide an update on global trends in timber building construction, including how architectural data can be used to share digital information in a 3D model ready for pre-fabrication by CNC equipment with seamless digital data.

For details visit www.frameaustralia.com

Global equipment giants at Frame 2016 THE WORLD’S top companies in manufacturing equipment for prefabrication of timber frames and trusses will present the latest global developments in technology and automation for production of closed panel floors, walls and roofs at the Frame Australia 2016 conference.

Global brands include Hundegger, HOMAG/Weinmann, Randek, Uniteam, Modular Building Automation, and will have company leaders speaking in the sessions, along with exhibition displays at the event.

In Europe, prefab and modular systems of construction are a welldeveloped market, with productionline manufactured housing ranging from 25% to over 50% of residential construction in many countries.

Whilst local builders previously considered these methods too expensive, financial outcomes of residential developments are now heavily influenced by length of time for construction, and reductions can deliver large savings in direct and indirect costs.

Recent project cost analysis by builder/developers confirm reduced time on site offsets the increased cost of production-line prefabrication, and provides savings up to 25% on a large development.

This scenario has created strong interest to follow the European trend and introduce greater levels of prefabrication in construction, 8

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utilising manufacturing equipment readily available as the solution to commencing this next stage of development in prefabricated timber building systems.

The topic will be a major focus at the Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition being held on Monday 23 May at Park Hyatt Melbourne, with the theme “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood”.

Charlie Hutchings of Principal Sponsor Hundegger Australasia, a high-tech global machinery manufacturer, said “the prefabrication industry is presently moving ahead with software and digital technologies driving the timber building design and manufacturing process.

“We are currently providing numerous innovative solutions for automated processing of open and closed panel prefabrication as well as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in Australasia”.

Now in its 18th year, Frame Australia speaker sessions will cover timber building systems in housing and multi-residential construction, with presentations by architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered timber and prefabrication.

For more information visit www.frameaustralia.com

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME

Research and development ensures connectivity FOR 60 years, Simpson Strong-Tie has been manufacturing connectors, fasteners and other construction products for customers around the globe.

It all started in 1956 when the company’s founder, Barclay Simpson, developed his first timber connector for a customer who needed to make a roof connection.

Today, Simpson Strong-Tie is a world leader in structural product solutions that help make structures safer and stronger.

Research and development is one of the company’s core values.

“We have several accredited test facilities, giving us the capability to test the smallest products to the largest systems. The work we do in our labs gives us a better understanding of how structures perform, improves product development and increases building safety,” said Jeremy Gilstrap, head of Engineering for Simpson Strong-Tie US. “Many of our products are code listed and recognized for helping structures resist high winds, hurricanes and seismic forces while reducing the cost of construction.”

The Tyrell Gilb Research Lab located outside of San Francisco is the hub of the company’s research and development activities.

“The lab’s highly specialized equipment allows us to test a structure’s ability to resist earthquakes, high winds and other natural disasters. Full-scale structural components are tested using the lab’s seismic shake table and cyclic/static test frame. The shake table re-creates ground motion, moving back and forth horizontally at the foundation level. The vertical and horizontal cyclic/static rigs apply force laterally to the top of a wall structure and can test wall sections up to five-stories high.

“Together, this type of testing provides an accurate measurement of a structure’s resistance capabilities.

The testing performed at this lab and our other labs enable us to advance structural design technology, which improves building safety and ultimately helps save lives,” Jeremy said.

In addition to its labs, the company has offices and distribution centers worldwide and plants in North America, Europe and Asia that manufacture a range of products, including timber connectors, fasteners, concrete anchors and fastening systems.

“Simpson Strong-Tie Australia was opened in 2004, initially offering customers our range of Quik Drive® auto-feed screw driving systems and collated fasteners.

A metric range of concrete fixings was added in 2011.

In 2016, a metric offering of timber connectors was launched to help support single-family and multifamily timber-frame construction.

“In keeping with the company’s core values, all of the products that are sold in Australia and New Zealand are supported with load data based on extensive testing.

For the Australian connector catalogue, these tests were performed using local Radiata Pine as opposed to U.S. timber,” he said.

“The reason the company has such a strong focus on engineering, testing and innovation is because we know that it can make the difference in whether a structure is able to withstand damage caused from a natural disaster. All timber-framed buildings need to be designed to resist shearwall overturning and roof-uplift forces.

“For one- and two-storey structures, structural connectors (straps, hurricane ties and holdowns) have been the traditional answer. The introduction of timberframe multi-storey construction in Australia has meant rethinking the way these types of buildings are built,” said Jeremy.

Simpson Strong-Tie has developed and thoroughly tested product solutions for light-frame mid-rise construction in the U.S. and Canada. These system solutions are designed to tie the timber together more efficiently and have been used in construction projects for decades.

Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong-Rod™ continuous rod tiedown systems are designed to restrain both lateral and uplift loads, while maintaining reasonable costs on material and labor. Our continuous rod tiedown systems include the Anchor Tiedown System for shearwall overturning restraint (Strong-Rod™ ATS) and the Uplift Restraint System for roofs (StrongRod™ URS).

Strong-Rod ATS solutions address the many design www.timberbiz.com.au

¢ D ublin, California, USA – Mid-rise residential structure utilising Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong-Rod™ Systems.

¢ S impson Strong-Tie Connector Laboratory, Pleasanton, California.

¢ M id-rise residential housing utilising Strong-Rod™ Anchor Tiedown System (ATS)

¢ Strong-Rod™ Anchor Tiedown System (ATS).

factors that need to be considered to ensure proper performance against shearwall overturning, such as rod elongation, wood shrinkage, construction settling, shrinkage compensating device deflection, incremental loads, cumulative tension loads, and anchorage. StrongRod ATS is typically used in structures that need to withstand seismic forces.

Strong-Rod URS solutions address the many design factors that need to be considered to ensure proper performance against roof uplift, such as rod elongation, wood shrinkage, rod-run spacing, wood top-plate design (connection to roof framing, reinforcement at splices, bending and rotation restraint), and anchorage.

This system is generally used in structures that need to resist high winds.

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“In addition to developing new products to solve our customers’ construction challenges and to make buildings safer, Simpson Strong-Tie is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. When Barclay started the company 60 years ago, he believed the customer always comes first. In everything that we do, we’re working hard to understand our customers’ needs and build relationships based on trust, integrity and respect,” said Jeremy.

“It is an exciting time for the business, and we believe we have much to offer the construction industry to assist in building safer and stronger structures. We look forward to working with you. To learn more about us, visit strongtie.com.au”.

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FRAME

Weinig Opticut S 90 saw, Alpine’s advantage From Phillip Ashley

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HE MANUFACTURE of frames for housing would appear to the lay-person to be a simple task. Simply cut the wood to length and join them together in a frame. Of course nothing is really as simple as it looks and the wall frame and truss industry is a classic example. The industry uses sophisticated software programs to design frames to Australian Standards; engineered gang-nail joining and assembly systems and more recently, computer controlled sawing machines. One brand of machine is making a big impact on Australia’s third-largest (MiTek) wall frame and truss manufacturer.

Alpine Truss Pty. Ltd. recently installed their second Weinig Opticut S 90 saw at their Wangaratta factory and Managing Director George Prothero cannot speak highly enough of it.

“It more than meets our requirements; it adds to our advantage; it makes us money; it’s the best wall frame saw in the world” are just some of the superlatives he extols on the new Weinig. It’s fair to say George is sold on Weinig’s world-leading experience in handling and processing solid wood. “Weinig is a quality, solid product; not half done,” says George.

George bought Alpine’s first wall frame saw at auction sight unseen. He knew about the technology and was convinced the company needed one to keep growing its wall frame division. George likes to invest in equipment and got a great buy on a Dimter S 90 optimising saw, now rebranded as Weinig.

His factory manager asked what it could do and George replied “I don’t know, but I hear they’re good and I know we need one.” There was some negativity with the factory staff at first but they were soon amazed at what it could do, in particular the accuracy, speed and operator safety.

The Dimter is 10 years old but George says he will never sell it. It was in really good condition when Alpine bought it and still is. “We were still growing so we decided to buy a new one,” says George. The new Weinig S 90 cost six times as much as the second-hand Dimter “but it has a much higher feed rate and it’s just such a smart saw,” he adds.

“We’ve been using it now for six months and I still enjoy going out there and watching it,” he says. One of George’s criteria was safety and the Weinig S 90 offers him peace of mind.

Alpine, like many other fabricators, used to cut frame members using pull-saws; dangerous machines at the best of times. Alpine replaced these with pop-up saws because of the safety issue. With this technology three houses a day were possible with a lot of waste and “manpower.” With well over 2,000 cubic metres of 90X35 plus 90X45 and LVL being processed every month something had to change. Enter the Dimter machine boosting production to eight houses a day and recently the new Weinig S 90 producing 14 houses in an eight-hour shift. George says the machine is not at full capacity but this is due to the factory layout and not the machine.

Weinig offered lots of different options for the new machine. Alpine wanted a machine similar to the Dimter but longer to suit lengths better suited to optimising.

Alpine optioned an automatic feeding table; a high-speed printer that prints part details on every piece; and an automatic sorting table to speed up the collection of the parts at the end.

The S 90 isn’t the fastest machine in the world; the Weinig Opticut 450 Quantum holds that record at 540 cuts a minute but George says: “We’d have trouble feeding the S 90 to its full potential.”

Alpine put all the pieces for a frame onto the automatic feed but only one piece at a time is fed through the machine because every wall frame is different.

It’s possible to pack-feed the machine and pallet manufacturers find this very profitable.

George says: “We like the brains in the saw; the ability to run through a total job and pick out portions of the job to get the best cut from what we put into it. The saw makes us money by the fact it’s not making offcuts.

Other machines can have an offcut on every component but the Weinig only has an offcut on the last component in the job.” Evidence from the machine’s computer confirms that in the six months it’s been working, the machine has only produced a stingy 518 metres of waste 10

¢ S teve Bowman.

¢ A lpine Truss.

but even this includes hundreds of 200mm pieces that are used in the frames.

The Weinig S 90 has an intuitive controller and alterations to the program can be made in seconds. “It’s flexible, easy to use and training took only a few hours,” says operator Steve Bowman. “There’s hardly any maintenance and I find myself discovering new ways of working the computer to get more out of the machine.

This is a mass production factory but I can still interrupt the machine to get a special or some re-work done.” He loves it.

Alpine is a MiTek licensed fabricator. Trusses are manufactured using MiTek machines and Alpine will install a new saw next month. Weinig currently does not produce a truss saw. Alpine’s wall frames are manufactured with Weinig machines and George says if Weinig made a truss saw for mitres and angles on the same principles as the S 90 they would have the best saw in the world!

Alpine Truss has been in business for 14 years. They employ over 90 people with over 120 years combined experience in the truss industry. Alpine’s wall frames are engineered by in-house designers and manufactured to all relevant Australian Standards using the latest MiTek 20/20 software. The program minimises errors and enables cutting information to be downloaded to the machines. Weinig were asked to modify their machine software to accept the 20/20 code and they did this without a problem.

Alpine’s wall and truss frame components are manufactured from structural graded pine sourced from sustainable timber plantations. The Weinig is an important part of their best practice waste and recycling policies, producing almost no waste. The S 90 measures each board and scans for marked defects. The computer works out the best cutting pattern from the supplied program, considering the length of each piece. The small amount of waste is recycled into particle-board. “We’re not the cheapest fabricator but we have a great reputation for quality and service and the Weinig S 90 helps us maintain that edge,” says George.

“With the Weinig we can offer a 10-day lead time for our customers, some of our competitors are out to 6-8 weeks!”

The construction industry is currently on a high but reports for the December quarter of 2015 suggest that Australia’s record construction boom may already have peaked. The Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that from February 2015 to February 2016 the total approved dwellings fell by 10.5%. Like so many

¢ Weinig high output.

¢ Weinig S 90.

others, George hears that housing prices will crash in Melbourne and that there’s an oversupply but concedes that “we’re still building a lot of houses and I don’t know why but things will have to slow down. We can’t keep going at this level.”

Whatever happens in the near future companies offering quality, on-time product at competitive prices will be the ones doing business.

“We have lots of competition so we need to keep up with technology to stay ahead,” says George.

Alpine believes in technology and invests when the market is down; not when it’s up because then it’s too late. It’s smart thinking as an industry leader. With the right software; staff; materials and the Weinig S 90, Alpine Truss will remain a leader in the industry whatever tomorrow brings.

¢ Weinig high speed inkjet printer.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME

Timber construction projects now under way

T

HE TALLEST timber apartment building in the world was built

by Lend Lease in Melbourne’s Docklands four years ago, and since then plans for prefabricated timber and wood construction has flourished with currently over 20 residential projects in mid-rise 4 to 8 levels either in planning or under construction around Australia.

This major expansion in building activity will attract an all-time high number of delegates to the Frame Australia Conference and Exhibition being held on Monday 23 May at Park Hyatt Melbourne The conference theme “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” speaker sessions will cover the huge potential for timber building systems in multi-residential construction, with presentations by architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered timber and prefabrication.

Demonstrating the remarkable rise in popularity of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) for tall building construction, the Macarthur Gardens residential project in Campbelltown NSW will be Australia’s largest CLT project comprised of 6, 7 and 8 storey apartment buildings.

The project’s builder is NSW based Strongbuild, and Adam Strong, Managing Director and Partner will speak on this and other projects, along with their recent installation of a fully automated manufacturing facility for prefabrication of residential buildings utilising lightweight timber and CLT construction for mid and high-rise

developments.

Another recent development involves Mirvac, one of Australia’s leading property developers, turning to prefab construction methods to dramatically reduce work times amidst a labour shortage in the building sector, supplied by the CSR Velocity plant at Ingleburn in Sydney.

Ray Thompson, General Manager of Innovation & Market Development at CSR Building Products will present on CSR Velocity’s production-line manufactured housing with fully closed floor, wall and roof systems, with internal walls and windows, doors and external cladding, plumbing and electrical systems ready for site connection to meet Mirvac’s needs.

Conference director Kevin Ezard said: “Estimates of market share for prefabricated timber systems for housing and apartment construction range from 10% to 15% in the next decade, which is a significant opportunity for the design and construction sectors to not only achieve building project benefits, but also improved sustainability.”

For more details on the conference and on-line delegate registration visit www.frameaustralia.com

¢ S tora Enso CLT construction (Photo: Stora Enso) and Agrop

International trends in timber construction AN EXPERT group of international speakers from Europe, UK, Canada and USA along with local architects, engineers and builders will present at the conference “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” on May 23 at Park Hyatt Melbourne.

The conference will focus on rapidly emerging interest in the latest timber building systems for housing and multi-residential construction, which has become a global trend and assisted in Australia by changes to the National Construction Code allowing residential timber buildings up to 25 metres from May 1.

Now in its 18th year, the Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition is anticipating record delegate attendance due to the high level of construction currently underway with low-rise and midrise developments built in timber framing and/or Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) up to 8 storeys.

Sessions will cover timber building systems in housing and multi-residential construction, with presentations by architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered timber and prefabrication.

www.timberbiz.com.au

A group of world leaders representing the major global names in manufacturing equipment and software will present the latest technology in digital data and automation in timber prefabrication, including robotics for assembling components and systems for production-line housing and apartment buildings.

Some national property developers and builders have already encouraged the introduction of new manufacturing plants for timber prefabrication to supply panelised wall and floor systems, utilising high levels of automation to ensure output levels are achieved.

Conference presentations include cost comparisons for timber framed apartment buildings compared to a traditional concrete frame structure, and analysis of the construction costs differences and savings.

Speakers will also outline the benefits from off-site construction which include reduced onsite activities to achieve faster construction times, lower costs, better quality, improved workplace safety, and higher productivity.

For event information visit www. frameaustralia.com

Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

A display booth at Frame Australia offers a unique opportunity to access new markets for timber in construction.

Booths are still available – but hurry book now!!

• Unprecedented opportunity from building code change to increase sales of timber and building materials • Developers and builders can achieve up to 25% cost saving by using faster timber construction systems • Building designers enthusiasm to utilise more timber in creative designs with improved sustainability • A unique event to engage with delegates in building design, residential construction, timber and prefabrication For Exhibitor/Sponsor information visit the website www.frameaustralia.com

Principal Supporter

or contact Kevin Ezard kevin@frameaustralia.com mobile 0419 538 638

Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition Monday 23 May, Park Hyatt Melbourne MAY 2016

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REGISTER NOW ON-LINE AT THE FRAME WEBSITE

FRAME

Principal Supporter

www.frameaustralia.com

FRAME sponsors and exhibitors

Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition Monday 23 May, Park Hyatt Melbourne

Australian Framing Automation

Two key standards at heart of AFS scheme

T

HE Australian Forest Certification Scheme sets out the specifications and procedures that ensure the highest standards of management, transparency and accountability in Australia’s forest sector.

Two Australian standards sit at the heart of the scheme – the Australian standard for sustainable forest management (AS 4708) and the Australian standard for Chain of Custody of forest products (AS 4707).

AS 4708 reassures consumers of certified wood and paper products that the forests from which those products originate are independently audited and verified as well managed.

Obtaining certification demonstrates that management practices meet requirements for best practice in sustainable forest management Chain of custody certification against Australian standard AS 4707 tracks certified material from the forest to the final product and ensures the wood contained in the product or product line originates from certified forests and controlled sources.

Internationally, the AFS certification scheme is endorsed by PEFC, the world’s largest sustainable forest certification scheme.

Simpson Strong-tie Australia Homag - Weinmann

As part of the German HOMAG Group, WEINMANN portfolio includes machines for beam processing, production of wall elements, roof and floor elements and the processing of large-scale board materials and handling, storage systems and providing solutions for cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Since the foundation in the year 1985, WEINMANN has evolved into the leading manufacturer of machines and production lines for timber construction. Today, businesses ranging from independent carpenters to large prefabricated housing manufacturers all over the world work with WEINMANN systems. In addition to high accuracy and speed when it comes to developing machines, the ultimate flexibility of the machines and lines has always been the WEINMANN engineers’ focal point.

Through the modularity of the machines and production line concepts, enterprises can opt for starting with a basic version, which subsequently can be upgraded or expanded at any time – depending on the market demands. Therefore, it can be responded quickly to changing market requirements and growth of the enterprise.

Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood Frame Australia offers delegates insight into the future for timber in construction and new markets emerging.

• The future is timber construction systems – built faster, cheaper, and higher than ever before.

• Global and local experts discuss timber buildings up to 8 storeys from National Code changes from May this year.

• Automated plants now producing completed floors, walls and roofs for dwelling completion in just days.

• Visit displays of new timber and wood systems, latest digital technologies, innovative manufacturing, and more.

Find out how timber building construction is creating supply opportunities for timber and prefabrication.

REGISTER NOW ON-LINE AT THE FRAME WEBSITE

Principal Supporter

www.frameaustralia.com

Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition Monday 23 May, Park Hyatt Melbourne 12

Simpson Strong-Tie has been manufacturing construction products for over 50 years in the USA and Europe. Simpson StrongTie in Australia has been selling the QuikDrive® collated screw products in Australia since 2003 and has been influential in converting from the nailing to screwing subfloors to eliminate squeaking floors and to strengthen the floor diaphragm.

The introduction of a large range of Decking screws that do not require predrilling has been the greatest success within the business over this time. Simpson Strong-Tie has just released a complete line of Timber Connectors to the Australian market that will continue to assist in building safer, stronger structures.

This range of Timber Connectors are engineered for the timber construction industry with a complete list of load tables for all structural products. This testing has been done with local timber to the local constructions industry codes. This range of products is just the start with many more products still to be released.

The Australian Framing Automation Pty. Ltd. (AFA) is an Australian company that represents Modular Building Automation (MBA) from the UK and their timber framing machinery products in both Australia and New Zealand.

With the MBA timber framing machinery, AFA brings flexible, top quality automation solutions for the off-site building industry. The absolute highlight is the MBA Mobi-One, a complete all-in-one assembly machine for timber frame panel walls that performs framing, cladding, routing, membrane application, batten fixing and outfeed operations. It is simple to operate and an excellent value for money. At this year’s FRAME Australia conference, Martin Smith, Managing Director of MBA and a leading framing automation industry figure worldwide, will present on “Automated production of panelised floors and walls in prefabricated timber framing plants” to highlight the numerous benefits of off-site construction and the automated process. Contact us: 02 4735 1011 or www.ausframe.com.au.

Bliss & Reels BLISS & REELS are an Australian company, established in 1948, which is specialised in supply, commissioning and service of production machinery.

The company is an established supplier to the local prefabrication industry. And is the exclusive local representative, for Randek, Uniteam, and LAP Laser.

RANDEK are a globally experienced provider of equipment and production lines for prefabricated housing/building manufacture. This includes both standard and purpose-engineered equipment for manufacture of open timber frames, closed wall panels, modular buildings, floor cassettes, and roof trusses.

UNITEAM are a leading supplier of precision 3/4/5 axis CNC machining centres with integrated materials handling systems. This includes machinery for processing of structural timber beams or panels made from solid or laminated timber (CLT, LVL and Glulam). And also CNC machines for production of furniture, doors, windows and stairs.

Stora Enso Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper on global markets. Our customers include publishers, retailers, brand owners, print and board producers, printing houses, merchants, converters and joineries and construction companies.

Our aim is to replace fossil based materials by innovating and developing new products and services based on wood and other renewable materials. We believe that everything that’s made with fossil fuels today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Our focus is on fibre-based packaging, plantation-based pulp, innovation in biomaterials, and sustainable building solutions.

We use and develop our expertise in renewable materials to meet the needs of our customers and many of today’s global raw material challenges. Our products provide a climate-friendly alternative to many products made from non-renewable materials, and have a smaller carbon footprint.

Being responsible – doing good for the people and the planet – underpins our thinking and our approach in every aspect of business.

LAP LASER design and manufacture laser projection systems to improve the speed and accuracy of manual production of prefabricated building elements such as roof trusses, wall panels, and floor cassettes.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME

Hyne Timber

Australasia

Hundegger As the industry leader in CNC timber processing machinery with more than 4500 machines operating throughout 43 countries worldwide, Hundegger strives constantly to innovate the safest, fastest, most flexible and accurate machinery possible with reliability being paramount to our design.

In the last 10 years we have strived hard to set the standard within the frame and truss industry and successfully installed more than 80 machines throughout Australia and New Zealand. To support this we have established a dedicated local service centre, spare parts stores and training programs to service our growing client base.

With a range of machinery to suit every need we offer fast component cutting machines such as our SpeedCut and Turbo DRIVE right through to our latest PBA for CLT and Glulam panel processing as well as our ultra flexible Robot DRIVE and K2i machinery for flexible carpentry applications. With this swag of machinery to offer we are confident we can always find the right solution for our customers needs.

Rothoblaas Rothoblaas was founded in 1991 in the Italian alpine region Alto Adige, distributing woodworking machines.

For over 20 years the company has been focusing on the needs of the market developing solutions able to help the timber construction to evolve.

Therefore, the machine dealer added the manufacturing of screws to its portfolio. The introduction of the HBS screw onto the market in 2004, was a true revolution because thanks to its mechanical properties it became possible to fix wooden elements of significant depths. This was just the beginning of a long-lasting evolution.

Nowadays Rothoblaas offers a wide range of solutions to wood professionals: www.timberbiz.com.au

• F astenings as structural screws, concealed joints and all other fastenings for carpenters.

• Waterproofing and airtightness systems as specific accessories for sealing and ventilation.

• Soundproofing systems as a range of products for structural acoustic insulation.

• Fall Protection Systems as life lines, anchoring points and personal protection equipment.

Our aim has always been to bring innovation into the wood construction sector through continuous research and development of our products and services. This gives Rothoblaas the necessary know-how about how professionals work and enables us to offer solutions, that are perfectly suited to our customers’ requirements.

Active Fasteners Active Fasteners & BeA (Germany) present high production automated (Autotech) fastening systems to Timber Frame Construction & Truss builders.

BeA works closely with all European machinery builders and are held in very high regard.

Large magazines, cassette feed and remote filling stations ensure reloading is extremely efficient. The tools are fast - up to 10 shots per second!

Very accurate fastener placing and electronic fastener controls are only some of added features available.

Active Fasteners & BeA have developed many favourable results for previously unresolved fastening problems in Australia and New Zealand.

Not all of our applications are the same as Europe!

Fasteners include staples up to 200mmm and Nails up to 220mm – with many different shanks , finishes and points.

A full range of high production hand tools (suitable for factory use) are also available.

Evolving with Timber Frame Construction – special construction Screws , Wood connectors and Screwdrivers are also an integral feature of our range. www.

ActiveFasteners.com

For six generations, the Hyne name has been famous for timber.

Values of integrity, dependability and accountability underpin our business as we continue to innovate and deliver a range of the highest quality products.

Today we have more than 36 years’ experience successfully designing and fabricating glue-laminated products for a diverse range of structural and aesthetic requirements. This experience ensures that we can deliver the most efficient timber structures with pre-fabrication and connection design that benefits both the design and construction phases.

As a material, ‘Glulam’ is beautiful, versatile and suitable for residential, commercial and large-scale industrial applications. Its’ intricate structure is surprisingly efficient and makes light work of long spans and critical loads, while leveraging the natural aesthetic of wood.

Visit www.hyne.com.au or contact our technical support team who can offer practical design and specification advice at any stage of the project.

hsbCAD HSBCAD is a leading 3D CAD/ CAM software solution provider and an indispensable asset for the offsite construction industry. The company develops applications for Autodesk’s AutoCAD® and Revit® platforms.

Interfacing directly with the renowned Autodesk environment and with AutoCAD base functionality provides familiarity and maximum flexibility. hsbcad truly enables a smooth transition from design to production. hsbCAD’s products offer architects, engineers and manufacturers the ability to create a scalable 3D manufacturing model with full quantity take off. The flexible software can be adapted to individual requirements. hsbCAD’s custom solution delivers the highest value design solutions while meeting your unique and discerning needs. With our teams collective experience we can work in sync with your team to design customized solutions. In addition to its headquarters in Belgium, hsbcad has offices in 7 European countries, North and South America, Japan and coming soon, Australia! Visit us at: www.hsbcad.com . Contact hsbCAD representative, Anthony Montesano, for more information: am@hsbcadna.com

cadwork CADWORK is a unique 3D BIM package capable of producing full documentation of your projects including BOM, panel drawings, on-site assembly, data for CNC equipment and more. Use any kind of wood products including heavy timber, glulam, LVL, CLT… for your commercial and residential constructions. Build wall, floor, and roof panels according to your building system with all details needed like electrical, plumbing, HVAC and hardware from well-known suppliers.

CADWORK whole-house software is your solution including stairs and kitchen cabinets. It is also a champion of communication with interfaces with truss software, engineering software as well as architectural packages like Archicad. We look forward to meeting you at Frame 2016 to discuss the benefits of using the CADWORK software.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

Tecbeam TECBEAM® is a high performance engineered beam, providing exceptional load carrying capacity, large spans, and construction efficiency, and is a major component of the Tilling SmartStruct floor cassette system.

Tilling SmartStruct Design and supply for a range of engineered timber construction systems that are fast to build and cost effective, in mass timber such as LVL, CLT and other building systems including Tecbeam®.

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FRAME

Truss & frame manufacturing technologies

T

IMBER TRUSS and frame prefabrication technology is rapidly advancing with continuous digital data chains from designer to fabricator, enabling lower cost production with greater accuracy and higher product quality.

The Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition on Monday, 23 May, will feature global expert Laurent Decosterd, President of Cadwork Canada presenting on this topic at the Park Hyatt Melbourne venue.

Laurent’s presentation will cover how digital fabrication software can share information to create a 3D model for numerically controlled manufacturing equipment, which presents new opportunities in the digital design and production of timber buildings.

The conference theme “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” speaker sessions will cover timber building systems in multi-residential construction, with presentations by architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered timber and prefabrication.

Exceptional innovations in new technology, equipment and production systems for pre-cutting components and panels for lightweight timber construction being introduced into Australia will be presented by Charlie Hutchings of Principal Sponsor Hundegger Australasia, as well as systems for processing CLT and engineered wood products.

Plant productivity improvements from automated production will be explained by Ola Svensson, Managing Director of Randek Sweden, with higher output levels combined with consistent quality and the opportunity to produce complex components without highly skilled workers.

And visiting again will be Hansbert Ott, Managing Director of HOMAG/Weinmann Germany to present on the latest developments in timber construction and prefabrication systems, with manufacturing equipment to achieve efficient prefabrication systems for commercial and multi-storey buildings.

Conference director Kevin Ezard said:“Global

¢ Hundegger K3

suppliers have encouraged progress in technology within Australian timber truss and frame prefabrication plants, which has created a very competitive and efficient industry to enable supply of new systems for timber buildings.

“The Frame event plays a pivotal role in bringing together the complete supply chain of timber and prefabrication with building design and construction

to develop communication and relationships for future business opportunities,” he concluded.

For more details on the conference and on-line delegate registration visit www.frameaustralia.com

¢ H undegger Fertighaus

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME

CT scanning of timber to increase product value

C

T SCANNING of whole tree logs to identify knots, cracks and rot can increase the value of the sawn products by at least 10% according to Microtec, one of the world leaders in wood scanning.

Computed tomography, CT, is nowadays invaluable to diagnostic imaging in medicine and has also been introduced to many areas of industry.

CT is a proven research tool to detect undesired board features in wood. When medical scanners were used in a research project in a sawmill, the output value of the sawn timber products increased dramatically. Industrial realisation was, however, hampered by the slow speed of the process.

Now, though that has all changed. A high speed X-ray based online scanning machine was built due to the findings of professor Alexander Katsevich, University of Central Florida, USA, and CTO at iTomography Corporation, Houston, USA, and Federico Giudiceandrea, CEO at Microtec, Brixen, Italy.

Their work was so meritorious they have been awarded the 2016 Marcus Wallenberg Prize of SEK 2 million for the discovery. The non-destructive scanning of round wood has made online optimization of log usage in the sawmilling process possible. Knots, resin pockets, tree rings, cracks and rot can be identified before the timber is sawn. The wood density can also be determined.

"The introduction of this new technology marks the beginning of a

new era for the sawmill industry. The groundbreaking research and innovative implementation have opened new horizons, facilitating further optimization of the sawing process," says Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of the board of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize.

Computed tomography, CT, is an imaging technology that produces three-dimensional, 3D, representations of objects, based on multiple scans of the object from different directions with penetrating X-ray radiation.

In most modern industrial and medical CT scanners the X-ray is emitted from the source in a cone-beam geometry, and the images will be reconstructed when the object is moved through the beam.

Either the object or the detector is turning in spirals through the process.

The algorithms, or data calculations, to obtain the 3D-pictures are approximate in their nature but reliable for small cone angles. Wider cone angles result however in blurring images.

The breakthrough by Katsevich was to find an exact analytical reconstruction algorithm, which is known today as Katsevich’s Algorithm. The algorithm was subsequently further refined not only to solve the cone-beam problem but also to be better suited for situations where fast movement of tree logs is necessary.

Giudiceandrea , in collaboration with Katsevich, implemented the Katsevich Algorithm with the applications of CT scanning and. was ultimately successful in building a prototype, which no one thought would be possible. It has

¢ F rederico. Giudiceandrea with Professor Gunilla Jönson, charmain of the Selection Committee, and Kaj Rosén, executive secretary of the Marcus Wallenberg foundation. Photo: Johan Gunséus.

¢ Katsevich and Giudiceandrea - problem solved

been further developed and marketed worldwide. Wood industries in the US, Chile, Germany and France have invested in CT scanners to make the most of the round wood resource.

The log scanner has a band speed of 120 meters per minute to keep pace with modern sawing lines. In modern sawmills where 3D scanning of the log is used an approximate of 10 to 15 percent

increase in value of the output can be derived. A potential increase of 20 to 25 percent is possible if all the advantages of having access to the internal features of the timber are realized.

An investment in this kind of equipment is likely to have a payback time of not much more than a year for an average-sized sawmill.

World leading wood scanning solutions.

CT Log features ⤬ 360° computed tomography ⤬ 3D log reconstruction ⤬ Virtual grading & sawing ⤬ True value optimization ⤬ Impressive ROI

Brixen

Venezia

www.timberbiz.com.au

Linz

Vancouver

Look inside logs. For the first time, size and position of wood defects can be accurately described in all three dimensions. Using the internal defects, CT Log evaluates appearance, quality and strength before the breakdown of the log. Sawing and bucking is continuously optimized based on the highest quality and resale value.

More world leading scanning solutions at www.microtec.eu

Melbourne

microtec.eu

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

15

FRAME

FRAME 2016 CONFERENCE – SESSIONS PROGRAM “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” Session 1 - Timber and wood in building construction (Topics for all delegates) Session Chair: John Simon, Chairman, Forest & Wood Products Australia “Conference Opening Address” Senator Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator For South Australia

Session 3A - Engineering & management of timber building construction (Design & Building topics) Session Chair: TBC “Engineering solutions for timber and wood midrise and high-rise building construction” Barry Young, Director, Taylor Thomson Whitting (TTW)

“Shaping Design for Timber-Real Creative Solutions” Dylan Brady, Conductor, Decibel Architecture

“Design of structural connections for mid-rise lightweight timber framed buildings” Joe Polder, Territory Manager-Orange County California, Simpson Strong-Tie North America

“Trends and opportunities in prefabricated building system developments” Ray Thompson, General Manager – Innovation & Market Development, CSR Building Products

“The planning process required for design, supply and construction of timber buildings” Jarrod Kerrins, Project/Production Manager, Timberbuilt Solutions.

Discussion forum with speakers and panel members Craig Muse, Development Director, Frasers Property Australia, and Vice President, Housing Industry Association Victoria Panel member Australian Institute of Architects

Discussion forum with speakers and panel members Stuart Jones, Director Building Structures, ARCADIS Engineers Panel member, ARUP Melbourne

Morning break Session 2A - New developments in taller timber buildings (Design & Building topics) Session Chair: Tim Johnston, CEO, Victorian Association of Forest Industries “How high can we go? A review of current and new NCC timber building height increases to apply in May” Andrew Dunn, CEO, Timber Development Association (NSW)

Session 3B - Prefabricated panel systems production and supply (Timber & Prefab topics) Session Chair: Perry Forsythe, Professor of Construction Management, Faculty of Design Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney ‘Automated production of panelised floors and walls in prefabricated timber framing plants’ Martin Smith, Managing Director, Modular Building Automation, UK / NL

“Cost comparisons and design considerations for an 8 storey timber apartment building” Richard Smith, Associate Director, MBM Consultancy

“Developments in production, supply and installation process for prefab panel systems” Hansbert Ott, Managing Director, HOMAG / Weinmann, Germany

“Initiatives for designers and builders to assist the specification of timber construction systems” Eileen Newbury, Marketing & Communications Manager, Forest & Wood Products Australia

“The future is 3D software for CAD/CAM digital fabrication in timber frame and mass timber construction” Laurent Decosterd, President, Cadwork Canada.

Discussion forum with speakers and panel members Robert Nestic, Structural Engineer, Timber Imagineering Jack Haber, Development & Project Manager, Haber Associates

Discussion forum with speakers and panel members

Session 2B - Manufacturing technologies and plant automation (Timber & Prefab topics) Session Chair: Jack Bowen, Chairman, Wood Products Victoria “New concepts and international technologies emerging in prefabrication plants” Charlie Hutchings, Managing Director, Hundegger Australasia “Plant productivity improvements from automation to increase output, quality and lower costs” Ola Svensson, Managing Director, Randek AB, Sweden “Panelised construction system benefits for mid and high-rise residential developments” Adam Strong, Managing Director / Partner, Strongbuild.

Discussion forum with speakers and panel members Giampi Lavarda, Uniteam CNC, Italy Panel member timber prefabricator

Afternoon break Session 4 - The future for timber building systems (Topics for all delegates) Session Chair: Warren McGregor, Chief Executive Officer, PrefabAUS “Future supply of timber and engineered wood products to Australian markets” Erkki Valikangas, Head of Overseas Business Development, Stora Enso Building Solutions Australia.

“Creative architectural design with timber in sustainable buildings for the future” Geoff Croker, Principal, Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Architects (FJMT Studio) “Think differently and find innovative solutions for multi-residential timber construction” Rob Pradolin, Consultant Discussion forum with speakers and panel members Sean O’Malley, Research & Technical Manager, Planet Ark

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PEAKERS FROM Europe, Canada, USA and local experts will present at the Frame Australia 2016 Conference and Exhibition with delegate attendance expected to be an all-time record high in 18 years of the event.

The conference theme “Building construction with prefabricated timber and engineered wood” speaker sessions will include the rapidly emerging potential for timber building systems in multi-residential construction.

To be held on Monday 23 May at Park Hyatt Melbourne, presenters will include architects, engineers, developers and builders, along with speakers on engineered wood and manufacturing for prefabricated and panelised dwellings.

The conference commences with Dylan Brady of Decibel Architecture who has demonstrated outstanding innovation and fresh thinking in creative timber design, and will present a number of projects harnessing the power of technology, craft and materials.

Program highlights include the new CSR Velocity plant for manufacture of production-line housing with fully completed floor, wall and roof systems for Mirvac, ready for assembly on site in days instead of months, presented

by Ray Thompson, General Manager Innovation & Market Development for CSR Building Products.

One presentation will outline details of a fully automated panelised manufacturing plant for residential buildings currently being installed by NSW builder Strongbuild for both lightweight and mass timber mid and high-rise developments, including Australia’s largest CLT timber apartment project to be built later this year.

Delegates will look into the future with 3D software for CAD/CAM digital fabrication in timber frame and mass timber construction by Laurent Decosterd, President of Cadwork Canada, who will show how software can share digital information in order to create a 3D model ready for pre-fabrication, and be also used for site installation.

With the large number of speakers at the 2016 conference, sessions will be held in parallel for building design and construction topics, and for timber prefabrication topics to enable a one day event.

Conference director Kevin Ezard said “Our Principal Supporter for 2016 will again be WoodSolutions in their role of providing technical advice and assistance to designers and builders considering the construction benefits from timber building systems”.

Kevin concluded “Frame plays a pivotal role in bringing together the complete supply chain of timber and prefabrication with building design and construction to develop communication and relationships for future business opportunities”.

For details visit the website www.frameaustralia.com or contact Kevin Ezard at kevin@frameaustralia.com

Conference Closing Hospitality

Lunch break

16

Frame 2016 speaker highlights

MAY 2016

www.timberbiz.com.au

FRAME

Responsibly sourced wood plays major role in helping to tackle climate change

P

LANET ARK Environmental Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation with a vision of a world where people live in balance with nature. Established in 1992, Planet ark is one of Australia’s leading environmental behaviour change organisations with a focus on working collaboratively and positively.

Embodied carbon emissions in the construction sector account for nearly 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Over and above operational processes like energy and transport, it is increasingly important to consider the embodied carbon emissions in building materials used in the sector.

The Planet Ark ‘Make It Wood’ campaign aims to encourage the increased use of responsibly sourced wood as a building material. When sourced responsibly, wood can play a major part in helping tackle climate change. Wood is unique among building materials because it is a natural carbon store. In order to produce 1kg of timber, a tree consumes 1.47kg of carbon dioxide and returns just over a kilogram of oxygen to the atmosphere. Up to 50% of the dry weight of timber is carbon.

As a result responsibly sourced wood products store the carbon that the growing trees have removed from the air. In addition, it is renewable and it has a significantly lower embodied energy than many other building materials such as concrete, steel or plastics. As a rule of thumb substituting a cubic metre of wood for other construction materials (concrete, blocks or bricks) will save up to 1 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition to the significant environmental benefits, Planet Ark also believes that there are many other significant benefits that the use of timber can provide.

Wood is safe. Wood has significant natural insulating properties and burns in a slow, predictable way. That means that timber buildings are les likely to collapse and don’t release the same hazardous toxins as concrete and steel. The recent changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) are based on a high level of scientific proof; the deemed to satisfy provision requires sprinklers and a 16mm fire check which provides a very high level of protection against fire.

Wood is durable. Wood is a durable material for both homes and commercial buildings. When properly maintained it can last hundreds of years. Wood has been used for thousands of years and is resistant to heat, frost, corrosion and pollution.

The only factor that needs to be controlled is exposure to weathering.

Problems associated with rot and termites are generally the result of poor attention to construction details, which expose the wood to moisture and sunlight, or inappropriate timber specification. Modern wood preservatives enhance natural durability. www.timberbiz.com.au

Wood is strong. As the knowledge and understanding of different timber species has grown, so too has the use of timber in applications where strength is a key performance criteria.

Timber’s superior strength qualities provide a versatile and reliable building material for a wide range of structural applications - from beams, walls and flooring through to formwork and large timber panels.

One of the latest engineered wood products is CLT or cross-laminated timber. Large CLT panels offer the same strength as a concrete equivalent but are significantly lighter, which means that foundations can be much smaller and allows construction in areas where weight limitations exist.

Wood is a natural insulator. Wood is a natural insulator due to air pockets within its cellular structure, which means that it has a thermal resistance which is 15 times better than masonry, 400 times better than steel, and 1,770 times better than aluminum. As a result of this improved thermal performance, buildings produced using timber, particularly engineered timber such as CLT, Glulam and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) require less energy to heat and cool, resulting in reduced energy bills.

Wood is fast to construct. Mass timber construction components are typically prefabricated offsite, which can provide a significant reduction in onsite construction time.

A major advantage in using timber rather than wet pour concrete is the elimination of set and dry times, reducing the construction program and allowing other trades to begin work sooner.

Wood is good for your body and brain. Exposure to wooden furniture and fittings has real and measurable health and wellbeing benefits.

Studies examining the effects of wooden rooms and furnishings clearly demonstrate that the presence of wood has positive physiological and psychological benefits that mimic the effect of spending time outside in nature. The feelings of natural warmth and comfort that wood elicits in people has the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rates, reducing stress and anxiety and increasing positive social interactions.

In addition, timber is hygroscopic and has the ability to exchange moisture with the surrounding air, which provides a buffer against short-term changes in humidity and temperature.

Responsibly sourced wood can play a major part in helping tackle climate change, particularly in helping to reduce the embodied energy emissions in the construction sector.

For more information please visit http://makeitwood.org

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17

Thanks • To all our exhibitors who came to meet and

We look forward to presenting an even bigger and better event in 2020.

• To our sponsors who helped deliver our world-

If you would like to be on our contact list for information about exhibiting at AUSTimber2020, send us an email to admin@austimber.org.au or just keep an eye on our website.

talk with our visitors and to show them the technologies that can help improve productivity in their industry. class facilities and enriched the event with their support of conferences, seminars, competitions and the Welcome dinner which once again raised thousands of dollars for a local charity.

• To all our industry visitors who showed they

are keen to learn more about what is on offer to improve their businesses while also mixing with the general public to show how the people of our industry are their friends, neighbours and relatives who also operate high tech businesses.

Sponsored by

Exhibitors and Supported by australasian

I n c o r p o r a t i n g A U S T R A L A S I A N F O R E S T L O G G E R & S AW M I L L E R

www.austimber.org.au

TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS

Entries Are now open for the 17th Annual Australian Timber Design Awards, , Australia’s most recognised stamp of excellence in timber design. This much-vaunted national competition is open to architects, landscape architects, building and interior designers, and engineers.

There is an array of categories available to cover all types of timber projects and use of timber products. Entries close 30 June with winners being announced in Sydney at the awards presentation night in September. As part of the lead-up to the prestigious event, Australasian Timber will be featuring some of the best architects in the business. First, is Moloney Architects. ¢ M ick and Jules Moloney of Moloney Architects, 2015 National Rising Stars winner

Country practice maintains class and client closeness

M

OLONEY ARCHITECTS is a Ballarat-based architecture and interior design studio creating detailed buildings in Central Victoria and Melbourne. Mick and Jules Moloney met in architecture school in 1999, and went on to found Moloney Architects together in 2007.

“We’re interested in architecture that comes from creative and sustainable ideas. Our work is an expression of our interest in the interplay of material, light, form, detail and tactility. We want to create enduring structures that will be around long after we’re gone”.

Their first client was an alterations and additions project to a Californian

Bungalow in Ballarat.

This project required the addition of 8sqm of new building area. Previously a narrow hallway provided the only access between the Californian Bungalow at the front and a large double-storey 1990s family room at the rear. The space between the two buildings was widened to accommodate a new dining room. The once separate living spaces now is one large room.

The facade has been redesigned to unify the recent works, and to control western sun with fixed and operable timber batten screens.

Continued on page 20

GOTTSTEIN - an investment in your industry The educational TRUST you can TRUST ..

Gottstein fellows and scholarship holders represent a co-investment in the forest and forest products industry.

Three new fellowships were awarded this year, with recipients to undertake further studies in countries as diverse as Canada, the US, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Japan, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Your business has people who can apply for a Gottstein fellowship or scholarship in 2017 for the chance to further their experience, education or training within or outside Australia.

Project topics are listed on the Gottstein website (www.gottsteintrust.org).

Applications for each category will be considered by the Trustees and promising applicants will be selected for interviews in October 2016.

Further details at www.gottsteintrust.org or from the Secretary.

The closing date for applications is August 22, 2016.

Applications should be forwarded to: Jim Bowden, Secretary, J. W. Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central, Q 4007, or email gottsteinsecretary@bigpond.net.au

www.timberbiz.com.au

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19

TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS

Country practice maintains class and client closeness

Continued from page 19

National Rising Star Design Award MOLONEY ARCHITECTS won the 2015 National Rising Star Design Award at the Australian Timber Design Awards. The brief for this family home on a large sloping site near Ballarat required the framing of south facing views whilst maximising north light. Living spaces on the ground floor engage directly with the outdoor and landscape spaces, whilst the upstairs bedrooms have views into the surrounding tree canopies.

The cantilevered form sets up a dramatic view over Ballarat, and is oriented east-west to provide every room with access to north light. The form is a simple linear block, divided internally into a series of horizontally and vertically connected open spaces. The envelope uses naturally fire resistant spotted gum cladding, insulated in-situ concrete panels, and split-face concrete block to suit the site’s BAL29 bushfire rating. The cladding will be left to weather, reflecting the greys of the surrounding bush.

Australian Timber Design Awards Winner - Rising Star, Excellence in Timber Design Finalist - Best Residential Design Category Finalist - Best Use of Timber Doors & Windows

From that first client the aim was simple ... “Rather than starting small and progressing towards world domination, we only take on a limited number of projects each year in order to maintain our current smaller scale.

“We do this to maintain direct client relationships and foster a relaxed studio environment that is typical of smaller practices,” said Mick and Jules.

“Our first design success was third place in the Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Golden Toilet competition.

We won $500 for our design of a peddle powered public toilet / art gallery called the Pouggenheim.”

The occupant sits down to use the facility and view the art. A set of peddles moves a mobius strip of artworks (i.e. a looped surface with a twist in it) - allowing the patron to view the works on both sides.

Apart from the unusual, timber is an important material in all Moloney Architects’ projects.

“We are attracted to the texture, grain, and tactility timber offers - as well as the warm reflected light that it lends an interior. We have no hesitation recommending timber as a material to our clients, given timber’s sustainable production and capacity to actually 20

absorb atmospheric carbon,” the couple said.

Which leads to the award-winning Invermay House.

The brief for this family home on a large sloping site near Ballarat required the framing of south facing views whilst maximising north light.

“Living spaces on the ground floor engage directly with the outdoor and landscape spaces, whilst the upstairs bedrooms have views into the surrounding tree canopies. The cantilevered form sets up a dramatic view over Ballarat, and is oriented eastwest to provide every room with access to north light.

“Reacting to the cold climate in Invermay would also turn out to be a highly influential element in the design, as this pressed the need for the house to feel warm,” said Mick.

“The 2015 Australian Timber Design Rising Star Award was the first major award we have picked up. I am 36 years old, so I thought that perhaps I was done being described as a “rising” anything. But it just shows how much of a long term proposition a career in architecture can be. I was delighted to receive the award, and felt flattered to be in the company of the other award

winners,” he said.

While the award has yet to translate directly in to new projects, the couple have found that publicity from awards and publications can effect clients decision to engage an architect years into the future.

“Being a winner of a national design award is a very favourable attribute

for potential customers interested in engaging an architect,” said Jules.

Now, part of their long term goals as regional architects is to improve access to high-quality bespoke design in regional areas. “We also want to start taking on more projects that deal with new design interventions into existing heritage buildings.”

Inspiration for others AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABLE Hardwoods (ASH) is a Bronze Sponsor of the Australian Timber Design Awards (TDA).

In their seventeenth year, the TDA has become Australia’s most recognized award for excellence in timber design. ASH is very happy to be involved and will now sponsor the (very fitting) category ‘Interior Fit-out – Commercial’ segment of the awards.

“A sponsorship opportunity became available in a category that we just could not refuse,” says Daniel Wright, National Marketing Manager.

“We supply many segments of the building industry and Commercial Fit-out and Major Projects are our obvious strength. We see this as a way to acknowledge and thank those who have supported ASH and the GOODWOOD brand over the years… the TDA is a fantastic award that celebrates and encourages timber in the built environment.

“These projects inspire others to do great things with timber which, in turn, encourages more to use the most environmentally friendly building material on the planet!”

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www.timberbiz.com.au

ASSOCIATIONS

It’s important to look at the ability to market in this more complex marketing environment

Veneered board from TVAA members is safe as houses

By Peter Llewellyn Technical Representative Timber Veneer Association of Australia

By Eric Siegers Principal, The Market Bytes

I

N THIS era of the consumer controlling the supply chain there are a lot of things that can lead to confusion. In the timber industry we have to accept that our products -- no matter how inconsequential it is to the production line -- are important to the consumer. Why? Because the majority of the industry’s products end up in the home in one shape or another, and the home is the biggest investment most consumers make in their life.

It is this level of importance that determines the strategic response businesses need to focus on during consumers “information cycle”.

This is true of any given timber product be it structural, flooring or furniture.

Usually in a state of uncertainty and confusion, consumers need reliable, detailed and concrete information about the products to “build their choice”. They need guidance and should be given confidence throughout the buying process. They want to make the best possible choice. Importantly, consumers want independent advice and the ability to see the product in application as an intrinsic part of that process.

Sadly many timber companies assume that the consumer is already familiar with their product because timber has been around for so long. The experience of the timber centre has proven this to be an incorrect assumption.

The consumers know the product in name only, but have virtually no understanding of the performance of timber in application.

Consumers are not alone, even the disciplines of Architects and Builders demonstrate a decided lack of knowledge with regards to timber, so it reminds us not to assume that customers know timber.

This is why a marketing campaign is important so that products and services are reconnected with a market that really does want to understand the organic product called timber.

With sophisticated consumers, architects and builders accessing information from the internet and building expectations that in many ways is unrealistic, it is important to look at the ability to market in this more complex marketing environment. For the majority of the medium to small product providers supplying the Australian and New Zealand markets it is difficult to execute a comprehensive marketing campaign.

Cost is a primary factor but in this era where so many channels reach the consumer, the reality is to find those points that help you maximise your efforts and return an ROI. For example, there are terms now such as an Inbound Marketing Strategy, an effective Google AdWords campaign and a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy that are supposed to help many companies, but how do we prioritise and where should the money be spent for maximum return?

Collaboration is key to succeeding in this marketing environment, and this is where organisations such as the Timber Centre www.timberbiz.com.au

is able to help. By combining the value of collaboration with state-of-the-art technology, it is possible to help small to medium companies create an affordable and executable strategy.

The ability to offer lead filtering and keep the tire kickers at bay is a key feature and benefit of this type of strategic approach to marketing.

It also helps consumers in their search for product information on the web, by maximising the access to brand information at the crucial stages of the information cycle.

By using social media, newsletters blogs etc in a collective manner it is possible to help the consumer to continue the process of reflection and decision-making process while positioning your brand in a highly effective way. .

There are lots of ways to achieve it and the Timber centre is becoming a crucial hub for consumers with over 20% of all renovators connecting with the centre every year.

“Sadly many timber companies assume that the consumer is already familiar with their product because timber has been around for so long.”

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SPECIFIERS SHOULD look carefully at the veneered board supplied to them, particularly in large commercial fit-outs, according to the President of the Timber Veneer Association of Australia, Gray Parsonson.

Sometimes a fit-out is put together overseas and shipped to Australia ready to install. “There are two aspects to this,” Gray says. “First, the veneers used in other countries may be thinner than the Australian industry standard, with a consequent reduction in durability and wearing quality.

“Secondly, the formaldehyde content of the substrate may be higher than is permitted by Australian Standards. There are strict regulations in Australia regarding formaldehyde. The problem is that there are no restrictions on imported products.”

Members of the TVAA use E0 and E1 boards as substrates for timber veneers, and so comply with the lowest permitted levels of formaldehyde emission.

Of course, some glue is added when a timber veneer is bonded to a particleboard or MDF substrate. However, the TVAA has had samples tested in a NATA-registered laboratory to ensure that gluing veneers to panels does not affect the formaldehyde classification of the substrate.

TVAA members normally use non-formaldehyde glues when laying up veneers, but even when formaldehyde glue was used to bond veneers to panels it did not affect the rating of the substrate, since the amount of extra glue is relatively small.

“Veneered board produced by TVAA members can be specified without any reservations. However, this does not necessarily apply to imported products, which are sometimes produced with thinner veneers and cannot be guaranteed to meet the same low emission standards,” Gray said.

Some of the exciting uses of wood veneers in today’s cutting edge buildings can be seen on the TVAA’s website at www.timberveneer.asn.au. Technical information is available on the Association’s information line 1300 303 982.

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ASSOCIATIONS

Retirement – it’s complicated!

Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer Timber Trade Industrial Association

T

HERE WAS a time for better or worse when we all knew the finishing line of our paid working life. For many years, it was either 60 or 65 depending on gender and private or public sector.

For many people, their financial planning and indeed post-work plans and dreams centred on this magical date.

Fast forward to now, we are told that an ever increasing proportion of workers will move into retirement age and fewer

will enter the labour market. Further, we are told there will be a distinct shortage of workers in the not too distant future.

Governments and some employers are sometimes trying to encourage workers to stay on longer by offering assistance to older staff with options like a phasedin retirement or more flexible working conditions.

However, for some employers with long-term employees there are instances (certainly not all before I’m

howled down!) where employees in the years leading up to retirement are not performing at the level they once had. It may relate to the physical intensity of the job or other factors.

In my experience, many employers, out of a sense of loyalty, sometimes “turn a blind eye” and accept what is not an ideal situation with the knowledge that the employee will retire soon enough. They have a sense of loyalty and obligation to that employee who has been in their employ for many years. Sound familiar?

Well, as we know, that world no longer exists. Compulsory retirement is unlawful in Australia. The exceptions are judges and magistrates who must retire at 70 and Australian Defence Force personnel who must retire at 65.

While Centrelink and government agencies still use specific ages at which people can retire on the aged pension, it still doesn’t mean employers can use

It’s time to diarize the special dinner date TABMA South Australia

By Colin Fitzpatrick Chief Executive Officer Timber & Building Materials Association (Aust.) Ltd FOR THE first time, we have engaged a professional events coordinator to arrange our national dinner to be held on Friday, 7 October at Dockside, Cockle Bay, Sydney.

With the expansion of TABMA, it is not possible for our staff, who have organized the dinner over recent years, to devote the necessary time to arranging an event that is growing in stature every year.

The events coordinator has some brilliant ideas and we are convinced this year’s dinner will be bigger and better than ever. Official invitations will not be going out until about six weeks prior to the event so in the mean time make sure you mark October 7 in your diaries as a not-to-be-missed occasion.

Constant growth in the placement of trainees and apprentices in South Australia has necessitated the appointment of a second field officer to work alongside Tony Scarinci. Jude Smith who commenced on May 3 accepted the position. Jude has vast experience in group training and recruitment and will prove to be a huge asset to our SA business. Both Tony and Jude will report to Alicia Oelkers our Manager for Queensland and SA.

Industry Forum SA

Following on from the success of 2015’s forum another industry forum will be held on May 25 at the SA Aquatic Sciences Centre, 2 Hamra Avenue, West Beach. The forum is a joint initiative of TABMA and PIRSA (Primary Industries & Regions South Australia).

The forum will be attended by representatives of both the Federal and SA Governments and will be addressed by government personnel along with FWPA. A number of local initiatives will also be announced.

Our Forestec Campus is now open!

Get a qualification in: • AHC51110 Diploma of Conservation and Land Management • AHC31410 Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management • Chainsaw Training • 4x4 Training • Tree Felling • Forest Operators Licence (FOL) • Heavy Plant Operation

Visit federationtraining.edu.au/forestec or call 1300 133 717 for more information.

1300 133 717 federationtraining.edu.au National Provider No: 0417

22

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

MAY 2016

these ages as a reason or guide to force the retirement of an employee.

Yet another minefield employers are required to tiptoe through in today’s employment relations landscape I hear you whisper. Absolutely! It is not an overstatement to say the issue needs to be handled with caution, particularly in relation to the potential for litigation relating to laws targeting age discrimination.

This issue will only become bigger as the average retirement age is likely to increase as we have an ageing population.

Does that mean an employee can work on forever? Will employers have employees working on a saw bench with a score of 100 not out in the future with little or no say in the matter?

A not uncommon scenario is the employee who has lost his/her partner, has few hobbies and work is basically their life. In this instance, they have absolutely no intention of retiring.

Another common one now experienced by many Australians is that they simply can’t afford to retire due to the mortgage that refuses go away or the general cost of living. Let’s be honest, if you travel overseas and come back to Australia, you generally don’t disagree we are still the “Lucky Country” but it comes at a hefty price. This place is a damn expensive place to live!

The current prevailing legal position now dictates that age can only become an issue if an employee’s job performance actually deteriorates as they get older. The “logic” is that since satisfactory or unsatisfactory performance is not necessarily related to age, it is not discriminatory to dismiss for unsatisfactory performance. Simple?

No! The catch is that you will require evidence that performance reasons are the real reason for dismissal.

Where the law doesn’t help an employer is how the whole scenario is sometimes interpreted negatively by fellow employees who witness a long serving employee no longer able to perform at the level they once did, and having to undergo a disciplinary and counseling procedure so that the boss can spare themselves an unlawful termination claim. Does the law really care? No, of course not, it’s your problem to tiptoe through this minefield in the most delicate of fashion!

Finally, if an employee does indeed retire of their own choice, the law treats the retirement as a resignation. In such cases, you should ensure the employee provides you with notice and confirms their decision in writing. One final bit of paperwork! You should confirm receipt of their resignation also in writing.

As the workforce ages and people delay their retirement, this issue will no doubt face many employers at some point in the future.

It is crucial you contact TTIA in these instances to seek advice as to the best way to handle such situations.

Now my plug! At TTIA we operate the key employer hotline in the timber products industry’s key association, where in-house staff familiar with your industry can advise you. The TTIA hotline number is (02) 9264 0011. If you are not already a member, think very seriously about joining. We are inexpensive, non-profit and provide practical advice. TTIA will prove an invaluable business partner in the complex employment relations field. www.timberbiz.com.au

ASSOCIATIONS

FTMA’s innovative approach to increasing skill levels

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer / FTMA Australia

F

TMA AUSTRALIA recently did a survey with fabricators titled Estimating and Detailing Services to gauge how many fabricators were struggling to find the right estimators and detailers for their company.

The response was pretty much as we expected, however, the feedback and comments were outstanding and will be used in a newly-formed working group (which FTMA Australia is setting up) to address skills shortage and training within the frame and truss industry.

A total of 81.25% of respondents stated they experienced problems employing estimators and/or detailers with 64.10% attributing this problem to lack of skills and training. Other issues such as location and the salary costs were also reasons identified as problems in attracting the right people to these positions.

It was interesting to note that many fabricators pointed out that our industry wasn’t one you chose to enter but one that you accidently fell in to and therefore more work had to be done to create a pathway for students leaving school.

How do we sell our industry better to attract people in to what can be a long and successful career?

Many felt the answer was a traineeship or apprenticeship that provided a stronger pathway for students and lead them towards a more recognised

qualification. Others felt that we needed to have a training program designed for Universities or TAFEs and felt that once qualified the employment prospects would be extremely high compared to other career choices.

This type of training specific to our industry currently does not exist with the main training being on the job and therefore costing the fabricator precious time and money.

It was interesting to note that only 41.67% of respondents used offshore estimating services, however, many had said they had previously or may be forced to go that way if they cannot find suitable estimators in the near future.

As I have stated in the past the offshore estimating company’s work in partnership with Australian fabricators and could not exist if they did not work hand in hand with the fabricator’s in-house detailers. These companies also provide training and support for fabricators so if you are struggling to find someone, perhaps, in the interim you might want to make contact with your respective offshore estimating company to discuss options.

A small percentage of respondents had employed people on a 457 Visa which is understandable given the difficulty in finding qualified people for these roles.

Even though the response to whether fabricators had had their detailers and

¢ W hen I did the survey (mentioned in story) a fabricator sent me a photo of their great Aussie estimator, Johnny the Blue Heeler. He said the dog was loyal and very attentive to detail and given how hard it is to find a trained estimator he may have to fill the role!!

www.timberbiz.com.au

¢ A ccurate Roof Truss team (L-R): Reece Hicks, Steven Sheppard, Andrew Behmer and Megan May.

estimators undertake training was high (81.25%) there was still a lot of questions regarding the training available with most saying in-house training was the best outcome, however, this resulted in a lot of time and money being spent.

The final question asked for comments from those completing the survey with great commentary being provided.

Comments included a focus on the nail plate companies being more involved but not as individuals but working collaboratively to find a solution to this issue and improve training; there was a loud voice calling for more substantial training in TAFEs or Universities with a more recognised qualification which would hopefully attract more people and people seeking traineeships or apprenticeships which would lock people in to the role for longer periods.

Training is available and more needs to be done to ensure fabricators are aware of the training subsidies and the programs on offer. These programs are done on the job and many companies have found this to be helpful, whereas some have felt they need more. For example one person stated; “Our 2 estimator/detailers have Certificate 3 & 4 in Timber Truss & Frame Design, done through FITEC and funded by State Government. Without assistance in funding, and willingness by FITEC to do the training in our office, we would have found it much more difficult to have completed this training. We are looking at putting on a trainee estimator in the near future and will need to look into funding assistance prior to taking this step.”

This is not an issue that only faces the smaller or medium sized fabricators. It affects the whole industry. One larger fabricator stated:

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“Any new recruits are green and we use significant resources – experienced detailers / estimator’s time to train, a process that takes at least 6 months to get to an acceptable level of productivity, but still low. Trainees sometimes misunderstand the job and leave part way through the training. As a ‘profession’, the job is not well known, it tends to piggy back off drafting etc.

We look at detailers within all our interviews – reco, production and sales.

Often people that do the labouring jobs have the required computer skills for the job and great transferable knowledge.

It is often just not a career path they had considered. Our best employees have come through the factory with an understanding of how the components go together and the issues the factory faces.

Detailing is an opportunity for factory works and they tend to bring a very positive attitude with the. Our detailers / estimators have a great relationship with customers and there is a concerted effort to get the job right.”

This is an issue that will require further work and in the past FTMA has shied away from anything to do with employment due to the poaching within the industry, however, I think this needs to be re-addressed.

If you are a fabricator and would like to provide feedback in to this survey please contact me at kersten@ftmaaustralia. com.au. I will keep survey open until end of May to ensure as much opportunity as possible for feedback directly from the fabricator on this important issue.

New FTMA member FTMA Australia would like to welcome our newest member Accurate Roof Truss based in Hallam, Victoria.

When I met with owner Andrew and office manager Megan it was interesting to note that many of the benefits we provide are areas which they had recently been implementing.

FTMA Members receive a wide range of benefits including credit application forms, employee’s conditions of employment, fact sheets on a range of OHS and industrial relations issues as well as a wide range of WorkCover and Insurance benefits from AB Phillips who specialise in our industry.

These are but a few of our benefits with a key benefit being that we are there for you as your first port of call. FTMA looks forward to working with Andrew and his team.

23

Supporting Multinail Truss Plants to reach new heights 1

2

"T1" TIMBER ROOF TRUSSES

TRUSS TO BE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT WALKWAY LOADS LOAD OF COLUMN C3 HANGS FROM ROOF TRUSS. DEAD LOAD = 15KN LIVE LOAD = 29KN

30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALL TOP PLATE & BLOCKING ABOVE BRACING WALL WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS

30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALLS WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS @ MAX 600CRS

ROOF 14800

LOAD BEARING WALL

LOAD BEARING WALL C3

INDIVIDUAL UNIT MODULES REFER S06 30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALL TOP PLATE & BLOCKING ABOVE BRACING WALL WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS

D S08

30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALLS WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS @ MAX 600CRS

TENSION ONLY MEMBER

LEVEL 3 12040

D82331 ABSORBER STRIPE, 800mm LONG x 100mm WIDE BY ROTHOBLAAS OR SIMILAR APPROVED. C3

INDIVIDUAL UNIT MODULES REFER S06

TENSION ONLY MEMBER

30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALL TOP PLATE & BLOCKING ABOVE BRACING WALL WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS

30 x 10mm FLAT BAR FIXED TO MODULE WALLS WITH M10 x 100mm COACH SCREWS @ MAX 600CRS

LEVEL 2 9000

D82341 ABSORBER STRIPE, 800mm LONG x 100mm WIDE BY ROTHOBLAAS OR SIMILAR APPROVED. C3

INDIVIDUAL UNIT MODULES REFER S06

B S13

B2 BR1

B6

C1

C1

BOL

BOL S2

GROUND 2500 PC1

PC1

P2

SECTION 1 1 : 50

LEVEL 1 5960

BR1

B6

01 S01

TENSION ONLY MEMBER

P2