APRIL 2021
MANUFACTURE • TECHNOLOGY • DESIGN • CONSTRUCTION
DANGERS IN BUILDING BOOM The bubble no one saw coming
FILLING TRAINING VOID
Shortages, changes and mentoring
TURTLE CENTRE CONNECTS WITH NATURE AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS
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NEWS
Rapid mass timber Brisbane build breaks new ground T
H E latest five-storey mass engineered timber building to be constructed in Queensland has been topped out as the final prefabricated Glue Laminated Timber beams and Cross Laminated Timber panels were craned into position. The NIOA facility extension in the Brisbane Airport precinct is the first mass timber structure of its kind for builder Besix Watpac, and Site Manager Ben Rowlands has nothing but praise. “We forecast the structure to take 36 days for completion, but we are on track to be complete in just 26 days in total,” he said. “Part of the construction brief from the client was to ensure we do not hinder the day to day operations of the busy NIOA facility so the quicker we can construct and cleaner we can keep the site, the better. “Using all prefabricated engineered timber for the structure means we have minimal waste on site, less trades on site, faster, quieter construction and a far cleaner site than what we see with a traditional construction project. “We spent more time reviewing the shop drawings and preparation for construction but in doing so, we can deliver on our commitment to minimise disruption to our client during construction.” Mr Rowlands said. The progress tour of the
mass timber structure was led by the project Architects, Richard Kirk and Dr Andrew Magub of Kirk Studio who are very familiar with designing and specifying mass engineered timber, priding themselves on delivering projects which showcase sustainability. Dr Andrew Magub said the building is a new typology, column free space to enhance the experience for those working within it once completed, “We’re anticipating from the research we’ve seen that this timber building will produce a better work environment than a traditional office environment,” Dr Magub said. While the load bearing ground floor is made of traditional concrete, the four storey walls, floors, roof, stairwell and lift shaft are all Cross Laminated Timber supplied by XLam, while the columns and bracing are all Glue Laminated Timber supplied by Hyne Timber. The timber is all Australian grown and certified plantation pine. The volume of timber used in this building will grow back within Australian plantation in just 45 minutes. Rob Mansell, Technical Sales Representative and Business Development – GLT AUS said this is the second
■ The interior of the new NIOA facility at Brisbane airport.
mass engineered timber building both Hyne Timber and XLam have supplied to for NIOA with the new Rheinmetal NIOA factory in Maryborough nearing completion at present. “This building and the factory in Maryborough have been specifically
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“It is also great for our employees who manufacture the engineered timber see their work coming together for an exceptional office space for the future.” Mr Mansell said. The new offices are expected to be completed in April 2021.
diligence, sales advisory services, analysis and advice for forest owners, resource planning and business strategy, markets and market forecasts, operations and tech solutions. At its core, Margules Groome stands for objectivity, impartiality and ethical business practice. Professionalism and integrity underpin everything we do.
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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NEWS
australasian
APRIL 2021
Issue 2 – Volume 29 Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman. Established 1977.
News
3-4
Training
6-9
Timber Design Awards 10-11 14
Research
International Design 22-23 27-30
Associations
Front Cover: Part of the interior of the Australian Timber Design Awardwinning Mon Repos Turtle Centre near Bundaberg in Queensland. Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Robyn Haworth Editor: Bruce Mitchell b.mitchelll@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Advertising: Gavin de Almeida g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Publication Design: Jarren Gallway Timber classifieds: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9522 Subcription rates One-year (8 editions) $55 Two-years (16 editions) $95 Accounts: Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Melbourne Office: Suite 2262, 442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 9810 3262 Website www.timberbiz.com.au Printed by Lane Print, Adelaide, SA
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 2021 © 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 publisher will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.
MEDIA
INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED
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Dangers lie in building boom no one saw coming I T ’ S the building boom –
or bubble – no one seems to have seen coming. According Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association’s executive officer Kersten Gentle to say that the housing market boom was not predicted, is an understatement. “Less than a year ago, the industry was preparing itself to batten down the hatches and almost enter hibernation for the second half of 2020 and perhaps for the first half of 2021,” she said. The Housing Industry Association reported this week that the number of loans for the construction of a new dwelling rose for the seventh consecutive month and reached a new record in January. “Confidence in the housing market has been improving since the announcement of HomeBuilder in June 2020,” HIA Economist Angela Lillicrap said. “The increase in lending in January coincides with the surge that was seen in HIA’s New Home Sales in December. Households rushed to finalise contracts to build a new home before the end of the 31 December 2020 deadline to access the $25,000 grant. “The number of construction loans to owner occupiers in the three months to January 2021 is 45.8% higher than the previous quarter and is more than double the same time the previous year.” The HomeBuilder element is something IndustryEdge
“We support you!”
has highlighted in a briefing paper for the AFTA. IndustryEdge said the huge lift in sales “might well have included a bit of pressure selling, a bit of panic buying, and a whole load of one-off stimulus”. There are two bubbles, according to IndustryEdge. The first bubble arises because the HomeBuilder stimulus appears to have pushed up house prices across Australia, with the exception of Melbourne, where the pandemic bit hardest and longest. “But also, we think this bubble in prices is not sustainable because it represents a moment of demand, met by an unforeseen under-supply. People returning home from less desirable locales than Australia are in the market, along with the first home
buyers and those churning their existing residence.’ “Each has helped force demand up, and with limited supply, in an open market, prices rise. “Higher prices in established housing appears to have forced some would be buyers of existing stock, towards the bright lights of the HomeBuilder stimulus, which was attractive enough as it was. “That in turn forced up the number of sales – leading to subsequent approvals – and in our view, that is another bubble.” IndustryEdge says that if Australia is lucky, the bubble will subside, rather than burst. “That would be good news, because it would allow for an orderly adjustment to normal levels of building activity, provide time for supply chains to respond and reduce the heat in the overall market. “We can hope for that to oc-
cur, but the risk of the bubble bursting is relatively high and the consequences could be quite serious.” In her letter to builders, Ms Gentle said that no industry was sufficiently prepared for increases this dramatic or sudden. “Timber prices have increased, as have prices for all building materials, costs have soared for shipping and transport and with the housing boom combined with record renovations, we are seeing the demand for all building materials stretched across the supply chain,” she said. “FTMA understands that the pressure on all products, including the shortage of skilled trades, is pushing timeframes out longer than builders and developers would like. “However, you can be assured the industry is working as hard as possible to supply our engineered quality products as soon as possible.”
Harvest resumption can only benefit building
I
N what can only be good
news, timber harvesting has resumed on the South Coast of New South Wales and Eden. The news will come as a relief to the mills that have run out of logs to process and were close to laying off workers and closing. The news will also come as a relief to the towns and businesses that rely on the timber industry. It will also possibly help alleviate the shortage of timber the building industry is faced with due to the Governmentfunded boom in the building industry.
australasian
magazine
The Housing Industry Association has reported that the number of loans for the construction of a new dwelling rose for the seventh consecutive month and reached a new record in January. Less than a year ago, the industry was preparing itself to batten down the hatches and almost enter hibernation for the second half of 2020 and perhaps for the first half of 2021. In a show of force which some might say is long overAUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
due, Forestry Corp has decided to “bypass” the Environment Protection Authority and get things moving. After 15 months of negotiations with the EPA on sitespecific operating conditions for each harvesting operation in bushfire-affected coastal forests on a case-by-case basis, Forestry Corp decided things were going far too slowly. Given the imminent closure of the timber industry on the South Coast and Eden and the loss of jobs in local communities Forestry Corp seems to have decided enough was enough.
It decided to resume renewable timber harvesting and obey all relevant rules and regulations already in place. And then it decided to add a few of its own. It would be all too easy to accuse the EPA of using “green” tape to slow down and even halt native timber harvesting in New South Wales. However, to bog down negotiations over harvesting on a case-by-case basis for 15 months does possibly show the EPA’s hand. Of course, vigorous inactivity by a government agency is nothing new. www.timberbiz.com.au
Timber NSW is Still Standing and Growing Timber NSW and its previous names of Country Sawmillers Association and NSW Forest Products Association (still a trading name) has existed since 1906 continuously representing the timber and forest products industry in NSW. Although largely representing hardwood companies, forest professionals, contractors and harvest and haulage companies, Timber NSW does have members with softwood interests.
or favour and works hard to ensure the industry and its members comes first. Our members are at the heart of our work and their success is our success. No matter how large or small – every business/ member counts and needs representation and has equal representation in the organisation.
In recent communications and news releases, a new entity named Forest Products Association of NSW was announced and many in the industry assumed it was replacing Timber NSW or was merging with the new entity similar to what happened in Tasmania (FIAT) and Victoria (VAFI).
The highly regulated and controlled native hardwood industry in NSW has significant challenges ahead of it. Timber NSW in conjunction with NSW Farmers and other rural regional organisations, fought off the Koala Habitat SEPP 2019 and has continued to strongly advocate for the changes needed to the Local Land Services Act to enable the continuation of Private Native Forestry without being buried in regulation that overreaches private property rights.
Timber NSW offered to represent the softwood industry in NSW, however they declined and preferred to be represented by a new entity being set up by AFPA which was initially being called a name too close to our trading name. As such they have now decided to establish the AFPA NSW Committee. Timber NSW is not part of that organisation.
Timber NSW recently uncovered a parliamentary process designed to lock out all but selected environmental organisations, reviewing the Local Land Services (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2020 – despite Coalition members sitting on that Committee. Timber NSW called it out and the submission process was opened up.
Our organisation is strong and growing and prides itself on not just congratulating government but more often holding government in NSW to account.
Vigilance, strong advocacy and well researched advice is key to our success. Whether it is negotiating with state and federal government on issues like environmental legislation, forest industry applicable regulation, EPIs, supply contracts, harvest and haul issues, member legal advice, our members are front and centre.
Just as the forest industries are always expected to be held accountable for their actions and performance – Timber NSW believes that governments also have to be held accountable for their performance. Timber NSW advocates and negotiates without fear
Timber NSW members (over 50 companies) represent nearly 70% of all grades of native hardwood ex Crown and Private Property.
If you are involved in the forest and timber industries in NSW and are concerned about the future direction of the industry, then you should join Timber NSW. Contact Maree McCaskill on info@timbernsw.com.au to discuss membership.
TRAINING
BRIEFS $3B HOUSING ESTATE
Property magnate Lang Walker is giving South Australia’s economy a $3 billion injection of post-COVID-19 investment confidence, launching the development of what is being billed as the state’s largest master-planned community yet. Some 14 years in the planning, the project could take at least two decades to build out, with as many as 12,000 houses constructed, home to 30,000 residents or more.
PROPERTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
The ACT Property Council’s new president wants Canberra’s planning laws adapted to allow for imaginative development and “out of the box thinking”. Property developer Arabella Rohde said the system could be changed to stop preparing for the worst and instead allow for the best. Ms Rohde said planning reform was a “key opportunity”, and one the Property Council has called for, to put design and performance at the fore.
EWPA CHIEF
Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia has appointed Gavin Matthew as its new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this appointment, Mr Matthew was a Senior Policy Manager with the Australian Forest Products Association looking after the softwood manufacturing sector. He steps into the CEO role previously held by Dave Gover.
HUNDEGGER COMMISSION Hundegger will supply the key CNC machining equipment for Timberlink’s new Cross Laminated Timber and Glue Laminated Timber plant in Tarpeena, South Australia. The decision to commission Hundegger Australasia Pty Ltd comes following an extensive international review to find the best Computer Numerical Control (CNC) panel machining technology for Timberlink’s state-of-the-art plant. The machine will be the first Hundegger PBA Industry CNC line delivered to the Southern Hemisphere and will use the latest in CNC automation technology to precisely custom cut CLT pieces to order.
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■ A growing number of
fabricators have been using offshore estimating services rather than trying to find trainees to fill the roles in Australia.
Tackling designer shortage Short course established to fill void
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has been working with FTMA and the Frame and Truss industry to address the shortage of skilled and trained timber systems designers in Australia. Lack of designers within the sector has been an issue facing the industry for well over a decade and due to the lack of people within Australia with the relevant knowledge, skills and abilities, a growing number of fabricators have been using offshore estimating services rather than trying to find trainees to fill the roles in Australia. However, even if a fabricator uses offshore estimating services, they still require trained designers based at their business to compliment this work, ensuring smooth communication, Australian codes are being adhered to and the final designs can be manufactured in the factory. “ForestWorks is pleased we have been able to work with the frame and truss industry so that there are now a number of options for pursuing a career path as a timber systems designer,” ForestWorks O RE ST WO RKS
KEY POINTS ■ Lack of designers within the building sector has been an issue facing the industry for well over a decade. ■ If a fabricator uses offshore estimating services, they still require trained designers based at their business to compliment this work. ■ A short course in Timber Systems Design is now available for enrolments.
General Manager, Yvette Nash said. A short course in Timber Systems Design is now available for enrolments. To support this course ForestWorks and FTMA, with support from the Office of the Victorian Skills Commissioner, have developed a full package of AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
industry endorsed training and assessment materials. This will ensure all training undertaken in our industry is consistent and of a standard endorsed by industry itself. This short course will deliver seven key competencies for a Timber Systems Designer. At the conclusion of their course, learners will be able to read and interpret plans and specifications, carry out measurements and calculations, take-off material quantities and develop sketches and drawings for costing timber floor, wall frame and roof systems. “This is a course that will help people working in the industry develop their skills, but also provide an attractive option for people wanting to enter the industry directly from high school, the factory floor or another industry,” FTMA Executive Officer, Kersten Gentle said. For Victorian companies, this training will be subsidised by the State Government. Companies wishing to access Federal Government 50% wage subsidies for apprentices and trainees will
also soon have access to new qualifications for frame and truss design and manufacture. These new qualifications will contain clear career paths for both designers and manufacturers. TABMA and Timber Training Creswick have both experienced strong interest from the industry as a result of the Federal Government’s initiative. As one of the project contributors Timber Systems Designer at TMIEAust, Cris Garcia indicated, “Education, training and continuous improvement to process, product development and quality systems are critical success factors for the timber industry”. The development of these new qualifications “is a step to recognise the essential skills required to educate current timber industry workers and introduce a new generation of timber systems designers”. For more information about accessing these courses, or developing training packages suited for your sector, please contact ForestWorks. www.timberbiz.com.au
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TRAINING
T
TAFE’s courses have now moved from face-to-face to online Up to date. Down to earth.
From technology to teaching, innovation to investment, Woodchat is your must-hear forestry podcast. 8
H E past year has required the education system to move from a face-to-face setting to an online one. Making education and upskilling as interactive and dynamic as possible for students and professionals. New technologies, resources and techniques for engagement are top of mind at WoodSolutions. Looking to the years ahead, there will be a combination of two deliveries is the future of learning. “WoodSolutions have prepared for this shift,” said Eileen Newbury, National Program Manager for the WoodSolutions brand who is also the Marketing and Communications Manager at Forest & Wood Products Australia. Coordinating some areas of the WoodSolutions education program is Dr Alastair Woodard. He has worked within the timber education industry for more than 26 years. Dr Woodard said that: “blending in-person practical lessons and online learning is the future of the WoodSolutions education program.” The WoodSolutions website offers facilities that backs the program’s focus on national university support, national TAFE support and resource development. WoodSolutions.com. au has information and materials that benefit design and build specifiers. There is an education section of the website created specifically for teachers, lecturers and students. Also, the Campus section of the website offers learning modules for industry as well as design and build specifiers. It offers resources ranging from educational videos, powerpoint presentations and PDFs. WoodSolutions is working with universities, TAFEs and industry leaders to create a course curriculum that is progressing alongside an ever-changing industry. Face-to-face campus visits have not been possible but that has not stopped the team from connecting with educators and students to examine and monitor each program’s needs. WoodSolutions collaborates with industry leaders and instructors from all states and territories in Australia as well as from other countries across the globe. The WoodSolutions education and campus programs have more than 2000 users with expected continued growth. The program plans to provide student assistance through updated learning materials and sponsoring students to attend major industry conferences. This year WoodSolutions will be sending its suite of technical design guides to university and TAFE libraries for students to access. There are more than 50 technical design guides with consistent research and updates. WoodSolutions has a lecturer deliv-
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
ery resource section on the website that provides educators with course materials, lesson plans and optional assessments. These resources make the teaching process easy and accessible. Some materials are created with specific study topics in mind while others are more broadly designed and can be utilized across different grade levels as well as at TAFEs and universities. With the continued growth in midrise timber buildings, WoodSolutions has assembled a team of experts to research, develop and liaise with industry and educators. The program has collaborated to assist in the creation of resources to give students the most valuable and innovative education available in this sector. Box Hill Institute [BHI] ran a pilot program in 2020 that is now available nationwide. The hands-on facilities give students the opportunity to learn and practice working with timber before heading out into the field. BHI offers students the opportunity to study for a Diploma of Project Management on Prefabricated Building Systems (Timber) as well as a course in Onsite Installation on prefabricated building systems (Timber) that will allow current tradespeople and apprentices to upskill. Holmesglen Institute also has a full-scale mid-rise demonstration model that students can visit to learn detailed information in their studies of constructing mid-rise buildings with timber. The WoodSolutions Campus website started as a collaboration between FWPA and the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood. The website provides educational materials for industry members and development opportunities for design and build specifiers. The site offers videos on relevant topics ranging from timber grading to design for bushfire as well as clear steps and processes to further training in timber usage. WoodSolutions is evaluating the needs of its consumers and finding balance amidst an unusual year. The weekly webinar series has moved to a fortnightly schedule. The team says that there is still great opportunity to gain CPD points and develop skills within the industry without falling victim to zoom fatigue. When asked what the future will look like, Ms Newbury said: “we are going to refresh and evolve our delivery in order to educate the specifiers of the future.” She also said that the team plans to create more short educational videos, continue developing updated course curriculum and consistently provide informational webinars for continued professional development. This new, blended style of learning is proving to generate growth and opportunity for students and educators. Faceto-face seminars being replaced with webinars creates the opportunity for a larger reach to a much greater audience. Online assessments and instructive materials make access, to the vast knowledge provided easier to access and faster for students around the world. www.timberbiz.com.au
TRAINING ■ Research indicates that Without HIA
mentoring, many apprentices would have switched industries or joined the unemployment ranks.
Training subsidy boosted
T
Tackling the exit rate of apprentices in Australia BRENTON GARDNER HIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE – BUSINESS INNOVATION
I
you’ve employed apprentices or know of others in the building industry who have, you may have formed the impression that young people today are hard work – rather than being the hard worker. For every story about a bright and talented youth with a promising future, there’s one about an apprentice who lacks initiative, has a poor attitude or struggles to move forward in their learning. These anecdotes are somewhat underscored by the statistics – more than 50 per cent give up on their training in their first two years. This tells its own story about how challenging young people find their apprenticeship. With poor completion rates, the future of a skilled Australian building industry is constantly in jeopardy. That’s why the Australian Government has committed in recent years to funding several apprentice mentoring programs. F
MENTORING YOUNG MINDS HIA was first selected as a specialist provider to offer mentorship services from 2012 to 2015, with more than 2000 building trade apprentices and their employers supported at six-week www.timberbiz.com.au
intervals. Following this, throughout 2018 and 2019, HIA was funded again to place mentors at TAFE campuses across several states. The program specifically supported first- and secondyear apprentices, with 3773 apprentices in total provided with an average of six hours of mentoring. After these highly successful and large-scale national apprentice mentoring programs, HIA documented its findings. The two programs first and foremost resulted in higher than average retention and completion rates. Without HIA mentoring, many apprentices would have switched industries or joined the unemployment ranks. The findings showed HIA mentors were able to help thousands of young people deal with a vast array of personal and professional issues, ranging from pay disputes and bullying to serious mental health concerns, including,
alarmingly, suicide ideation. A selection of ‘discussion starter’ topics was provided to apprentices, such as communication, career pathways, employment, health and wellbeing, skill development and work safety. Of these, employment (4537) and health and wellbeing (3980) were the key topics apprentices wished to discuss, followed by skill development (2820). Findings showed the specific habits or issues hindering apprentices from completing their trade training. FLAWS AND ALL Phones and social media: Entrenched mobile phone habits by young people has become a real workforce problem. Frequent use during work hours results in employer angst due to loss of productivity, loss of concentration, and in some instances, causing safety risks to the apprentice and their colleagues. Drugs and alcohol: Mentoring conversations highlighted the popularity of recreational drug taking, including hard drugs, with many apprentices disinterested in seeking help and advice. WORK WORRIES Pay and conditions: More than 1800 apprentices raised pay and work condition issues. The prevalence of underpayment, not being issued AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
with payslips, non-payment of superannuation contributions, not being reimbursed for RTO/TAFE fees, and nonpayment of travel and/or overtime, is most concerning, and an extremely disappointing reflection on a portion of the building industry. (It should be noted that HIA Apprentices meet all employment requirements. All pay issues reported related to directly indentured employers.) Unsafe work environments: Many apprentices also revealed being exposed to unsafe work sites. Issues included working from heights, untagged electrical equipment, lack of supervision and unsafe equipment. Bullying and harassment: One of the pressing issues revealed by apprentices related to workplace bullying and harassment. The pressure exerted upon many young workers was often unreasonable and caused immense stress, with many disinclined to take a stance on bullying for fear of losing their jobs. TAFE/RTO attendance: There were also serious reports of many instances where employers did not allow their apprentices to attend their TAFE or RTO to undertake their studies, putting them at risk of falling behind in their learning. Continued on page 20
HE Federal Govern-
ment’s Boosting Apprentices Commencement (BAC) wage subsidy now run until September this year. The BAC sees the Federal Government pays for half of an apprentice’s or trainee’s wages, up to $7000 per quarter, and has been offered since October 2020 and has now been extended by six months until September 30 2021. The extension of the BAC though an injection of a further $1.2 billion has been welcomed by the Housing Industry Association. The HIA had called on the Federal Government to ensure the class of 2020 was “not left behind in these difficult times”. “The first tranche of the BAC wage subsidy program is fully subscribed, helping to create 100,000 apprenticeships in less than five months. This is a commendable outcome and should be recognised,” HIA Chief Executive - Industry Policy Kristin Brookfield. “Updating the program to remove the cap and be demand-driven and to expand the payments to cover a full 12 months for new apprentices and trainees signed up prior to 30 September 2021 will see these early benefits grow and jobs created. “It is estimated that this extension will support hundreds of thousands of small businesses across Australia take on new apprentices and trainees over the next six months,” she said. “The $2.8 billion already provided for this wage subsidy has made a significant difference for the housing industry and supported many new apprentices since October start their study and training.” In under five months, the target of 100,000 new starters had been realised. Taken together with the support already in a job before COVID-19, this meant more than 222,000 apprentices and trainees were being supported by the wage subsidy programs. 9
TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS
The interior of the new Mon Repos turtle centre. Below: The centre under construction and the ceiling of the centre.
Turtle centre built to house a passion
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HE ancient life cycle
of majestic sea turtles is one of global significance. The largest concentration of marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland choose Mon Repos as their nesting place. Mon Repos, meaning ‘my rest’ in French, is a conservation park near Bundaberg, Queensland, where passionate rangers and scientists manage conservation and research programs to enhance the success of nesting before hatchlings make their perilous journey to the sea some months later. Mon Repos famous turtle encounters are a connection with nature like no other. That’s why the construction of the new Mon Repos Turtle Centre meets the same brief; connected to nature.
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Architect: Richard Kirk Structural Engineer: Arup Builder: Muchie Constructions Fabricator: Hyne Timber Photographer: Scott Burrows Photgrapher and Glen David Wilson Location: Mon Repos, Queensland The project was the winner of the Australian Timber Design Awards Excellence in the Use of Timber Products category. The centre’s award winning Architect, Richard Kirk said the whole brief for this centre was focused on sustainability and environment, “Firstly, the location is behind established sand dunes which provide a natural shield between the building and the hatchings to conceal the possible spill of the buildings light. “The entire glue laminated timber structure is locally grown, certified Spotted Gum, not only meeting exceptional sustainability credentials, but from a practical perspective, allows large spans with no internal structural walls. “This means the interior
can be readily, seasonally reconfigured to meet the educational and conservation needs of the centre and its year-round visitors. “Construction times and site disruption are shorter with the timber manufactured to +/-2mm tolerance, ensuring the GLT structure can be manufactured off-site and assembled rapidly as a kit of parts.” Mr Kirk said. Recycled Tallowwood is used extensively as the exterior rain screen and internal wall panelling. Its use complements the copper cladding and Spotted gum glulam structure, creating a harmonious material palette which will patina gracefully over its lifetime. Additionally, Austral Plywoods supplied Hoop Pine ‘ariaply’, a premium AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
prefinished panel based on “A” grade Hoop Pine. Kirk Architects are known for their innovative use of GLT such as the façade mullions and GHD Auditorium structure at the University of Queensland’s flagship Advanced Engineering Building. The Mon Repos structure itself is known as a ‘diagrid’ which presents an innovative resistance against cyclonic conditions. It is believed to be the largest diagrid in Australia. The significance of using Spotted Gum goes far beyond the environmental credentials and support for the local economy. This particular timber was specified for its durability, strength, density and appearance to suit the corrosive, coastal environment.
Hyne Timber’s Glue Laminated Timber Business Development Manager – Commercial, Rob Mansell, said this project represents a perfect case study in support of early contractor involvement. “Innovative and unique designs using timber need the design team to come together with the timber manufacturers from the start as was the case with Mon Repos,” he said. “The Architects presented us with their vision, at which point we can provide practical and logistical advice for the best way to achieve that vision, ensuring the timber is designed for manufacture and ease of construction. “It is important to apply capability to the design from the very beginning. This ensures delivery of the most cost efficient solution for our client, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. “Using timber, when detailed well such as the Mon Repos project, means we can also meet the minimum 50 year design life requirement.” Mr Mansell said. Using prefabricated timber means installation is clean and quick, managed by just four construction workers on site. All the timber beams were manufactured by Hyne Timber at their GLT Plant in Maryborough. www.timberbiz.com.au
TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS
Meet the Australian Timber Design Awards judges
JAMES FITZPATRICK, JUDGE Partner and founder of fitzpatrick+partners. The studio has 50 professionals, undertaking the design of private homes, hotels, office buildings and towers, urban design of city developments and precincts, education and health projects across Australia. James is considered a world authority of the implementation, design and fabrication of such assemblies being invited to lecture and advise on such projects around the world. He is also the winner of the 2019 Australian Timber design Award with The Seed House
PROFESSOR PERRY FORSYTHE, JUDGE Perry is Professor of Construction Project Management at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has taught extensively in the area of construction technology, as well as executed many applied research and development projects for industry, government and overseas bodies especially around timber construction and in improving prefabrication, site productivity and design for manufacture and assembly techniques.
ANDREW KIRK, JUDGE Andrew is a recent Director of Development at Campus Living Villages. He has a strong construction and development background with a depth of experience in the Student Accommodation sector, aged care and general residential. His previous roles are broad, ranging from managing all components of the design and construction of a new project as well as major refurbishment projects and the peer-reviewing projects in the UK and US. Andrew also has experience in the execution of mass timber projects in New Zealand and Australia.
DAVID ROWLINSON, JUDGE David studied Architecture and Building Engineering in the UK and has an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and a Master of Marketing from UNSW. He manages Planet Ark’s, Make It Wood campaign which aims to increase the use of responsibly sourced wood as a building material. Before joining Planet Ark, David was the CEO of a significant Sydney-based building products manufacturer and is currently a judge on the NSW DPI Green Globe Awards.
PROFESSOR KEN MCBRYDE, JUDGE Ken is a multi-award-winning architect with a reputation as a thought-leader. He founded Architectural Physics in 2018 to work with governments, aid agencies and developers to design socially sustainable places & elegant prefabricated buildings for remote areas that embrace the climate and local cultures. Since 2016, Ken has been an Adjunct Professor at The University of Sydney and recently appointed Conjoint Professor of Practice at the University of Newcastle.
Choose the Original - HewSaw Grey
Sending the right log to the right equipment can significantly improve a sawmill’s bottom line, and that’s where HewSaw can play a major role for Australasian sawmillers. HewSaw’s single pass machines can efficiently process logs from 7.5 cm to just over 50 cm in diameter. Taking these logs off your large log line and processing them with equipment designed for smaller logs makes economic sense. And, the HewSaw can do it all with just one operator, or in some cases, no operator. To learn more about HewSaw primary breakdown solutions, contact us at our Australasian office. www.timberbiz.com.au
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
®
www.hewsaw.com
peter.haintz@hewsaw.com +61 419 345 037 11
TIMBER PROFILE
BRIEFS
United Timber trade manager Lucas Armstrong.
OFO APPOINTMENT
Brent Guild (above) has been appointed Executive General Manager, New Zealand, by OneFortyOne – He replaces Lees Seymour, who resigned from the role in late 2020.Brent Guild’s appointment as Executive General Manager, New Zealand, became effective 1 March 2021.
NEIMAN UPGRADE
Neiman Enterprises is improving systems as it restarts Gilchrist Forest Products in Gilchrist, Oregon. Neiman recently acquired this mill from Interfor, with plans to revive the site and inject capital to improve systems and tailor the site for their line of products. The Gilchrist mill complements Neiman’s existing milling operations in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Colorado. This mill produces 1×4 through 1×12 Ponderosa Pine and Lodgepole Pine boards, as well as 6/4 shop. It allows the company to further expand its customer base for high-quality ponderosa pine lumber products.
TRANSPORT PARTNER Metsä Group has chosen VR Transpoint as the logistics partner for roundwood transports to the bioproduct mill under construction in Kemi. This decision was based on more than two years of strategic cooperation during which an effective and environmentally friendly overall solution was designed for the transports. Annually, five million cubic metres of wood will be transported to the mill by rail, which means that an average of nine trains will arrive at the mill every day. The number of wood transports by rail will be increasing significantly in Finland from 2023 onwards when the bioproduct mill in Kemi is commissioned. This means annual deliveries of more than five million cubic metres of wood, for which Metsä Group has chosen VR Transpoint as its transport partner. The logistics solution has been fine-tuned in close cooperation already for more than two years. 12
Family feel at south coast timber operations B
approachable and personable as a growing business is always a challenge, but United Building Products is a much-loved family owned business that keeps its loyal customers while taking on the big guys. Still family operated and owned, United Building Products is located at Albion Park on the NSW south coast. They service the Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Highlands and Sydney regions. United Building Products Trade Centre’s experience ensures expertise in buying and industry know how. Service and relationships are key to United. “Our mission is to be the number one destination for building products within the Illawarra and broad, catering for all builders, renovators and D.I.Y” says Trade Manager, Lucas Armstrong. It’s a lofty goal with increasing competition but one Lucas is sure they can do with the right attitude and partnerships. United opened its doors in 1989 under the ownership of two brothers, Nick and Steve Grozdanov who still remain heavily involved with the business. EING
Lucas started with United in March 2005 and has undertaken a vast array of positions, including Trade Desk, Internal Sales, Showroom Selection Centre, Dispatch, on the road Sales Representative and Trade Manager. “We have a great number of staff who have been with United for a long time,’ Lucas said. One staff member has clocked over 30 years, a few have clocked over 20 years with multiple staff over the 15-year mark. With that low turnover of senior personnel, it also adds to the sense of family belonging. “We employ over 40 people within United and a lot of our employees have been with the company for a significant amount of time, no staff member is just another number,” Lucas said Another advantage is that they are not governed by head office. They can focus on the regional needs of their customers. “Mark Hogan, the Store Manager, and I run the business how it needs to be run on a daily basis,” Lucas said.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
“Timberlink has opened an office and distribution centre in Sydney, to help us best service the NSW market. Timberlink is known for its investment in service with dedicated Account Managers and Customer Service teams,” he said. Lucas loves the overall sense of closeness that can only happen within a family business. “United has had a longstanding relationship with Timberlink and my personal dealings with the business have been for the last 9 years” said Lucas. “I deal with the Sydney based team and we have always found them to be of great assistance. “Timberlink has always had good representation on the road and that has always been backed up internally with great office staff.” The benefits of using timber are stacking up; easy to use and modify, ease of use for downstream trades, low embodied energy. Perhaps most notably Lucas believes that people are starting to think about the environmental impact of their building materials. “Mind sets have changed and continue to change for
the better,” he said. “People are more concerned with the environmental impact. For us that means across our scope of products, there has been a shift for more environmentally sustainable products over recent years, including timber.” The number one priority for United is to keep staff safe. “Everybody in all industries should feel safe within their workplace and know that they are going home to their families at the end of their shift,” Lucas said. Timberlink has undertaken the HOME SAFE program, to help get its staff home safe and the company is proud to work with customers such as United which values safety. As for what is next for United Building Products, Lucas says to “watch this space”. However big their plans, Timberlink will be there to service them. With the business in the midst of a $100m mill upgrade program, Timberlink is investing in the renewable future. So we’re excited to grow together with United. “It’s been very rewarding to see our business develop and grow with these generations. All of us are in the journey together,” said Lucas. www.timberbiz.com.au
DESIGN
Building a home forever
Important to invest in sustainable design
W
HEN building a ‘forever home’, it’s important to invest in a sustainable design that is climate responsive, while also versatile to suit an ever-evolving and ageing family. That was the key brief for the Sky House designed by Marra + Yeh Architects. A family of five were looking to consolidate adjoining terraces in Redfern, NSW, to create a contemporary, flexible family home that will accommodate their changing family for the next 20 or so years. The family were particular about what they wanted to achieve with this renovation, making sure the building materials were sustainable, ensuring they knew where they had come from and how they had been processed. The owners also envisioned a home that was both water and energy efficient, and a design that acclimatised with the seasons while maximising natural light. “Inspiration always comes from the people who will inhabit the project and the place in which it is located,” says Carol Marra, Director of Marra + Yeh Architects. “It’s important that each home we create is a reflection of both the clients’ personality and the character of the setting. The most satisfying aspect of any build is reaching the end and having the clients say they love their new home,” she adds. Marra + Yeh’s approach to sustainability for the Sky House Project combined environmental performance, regenerative design and climatic adaptability. There is an ongoing search for ways to create climate-responsive buildings that successfully address living in the age of climate change. Hence, Marra+Yeh Architects underwww.timberbiz.com.au
took thorough research and practices, supported by a Churchill Fellowship, in order to meet the specific needs of a project inquiry such as the Sky House in Redfern. In keeping with these sustainability objectives, the architects engaged Big River Group as its leading timber supplier in the use of Armourply, Armourtread, Armourpanel and Armourform throughout the home. This unique range of decorative plywood products are manufactured using local, sustainable timbers that provide both structural and aesthetic attributes, and have the versatility and strength to be used for finishes, joinery and furniture. “The family took great care in all materials being used for the creation of their dream home and this is why the use of Big River products was crucial in the process,” Carol states. Chosen in the Spotted Gum timber species, these strong, high quality plywoods have a tolerance to changes in ambient temperatures, and the durability and resilience of the hardwood veneers make them ideal for the extensive use of flooring, ceiling or wall linings in hard wearing areas. “We work across Asia-Pacific and have a philosophy of always bringing unique local products into each project. Using Big River timber products fits into this philosophy, as they are not only locally sourced but robust, and with a character that is uniquely Australian.” “Marra + Yeh Architects have been a valued partner of ours for over a decade now, and we were thrilled to be asked to work on such an innovative project as the Sky House,” said Stuart McGonagle, National Plywood and Specialty Manager, Big River Group.
• The interior of the Sky
House in Redfern, Sydney. “A significant advantage of using timber on a project like this is that it can be easily modified and adjusted on site, which is of particular importance when working within existing buildings. A high level of detail and craftmanship can be achieved while also adjusting to unforeseen conditions and the products absolutely deliver on both budget and aesthetic goals,” Stuart adds. Sky House transforms the Sydney terrace house typology into an experience of the seasons, welcoming in the clouds, the trees and the sky. An aesthetically ambitious yet comfortable and functional family home, it creates a unique connection with the elements of nature. AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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TECHNOLOGY
■ Lab co-ordinator Hayden Barr with one of the testing machines and, below where the timber is initially tested on arrival.
Testing timber to the limits KEY POINTS A
RESEARCH project that’s looking into the mechanical properties of softwood sawn timber has resulted in the establishment of a worldleading, dedicated timber testing facility in South Australia, from which industry is likely to reap rewards for years to come. The state-of-the art laboratory, established at The University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus, has been fitted with the latest machinery from around the world. Combined with improved testing methods and processes, and innovative software programs, the facility is set to benefit Australia long-term through significant advancements in timber test-
14
ing capacity and capabilities. The inaugural project being conducted out of the new lab will determine the mechanical properties of softwood sawn timber. The information and insights gathered will be used to safeguard the industry, by providing a robust evidencebase to demonstrate timber product properties as required by industry standards. The work will help confirm confidence amongst existing
and emerging markets, opening the door for potential new applications. Some of the information generated from this study will assist softwood manufacturers when confirming the compliance of their products under various industry standards, including AS/NZS1748 Timber Mechanically stress-graded for structural purposes. As part of the project, which is being led by UniSA with funding from industry collaborators, as well as the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI), researchers are capturing a representative sample of softwood sawn-timber production from thirteen participating Australian sawmills over a full year of production. Using the lab’s newly installed machinery, timber samples will undergo testing for bending, tension and compression, with associated moisture and density information also captured. To support the process, the UniSA Information Technology team has developed rigorous data capture and storage software to keep track of the samples and reduce the risk of data mishandling. Researchers will analyse test results and provide accurate information to industry on the structural properties of their sawn timber products, which it’s hoped will empower industry to broadly promote the many performance benefits associated with timber.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
■ Thirteen softwood mills from all parts of Australia are participating in the project.
■ The timber testing ‘production line’ is optimised to process bending, tension, compression and shear tests from timber up to 6m long with associated moisture and density information captured. ■ Rigorous data capture and storage software has been developed by UniSA’s IT team to keep track of the samples, store pictures and ensure the integrity of the project results.
“The establishment of this new facility is so exciting because it represents a significant development in Australian timber testing capabilities, which will be invaluable for equipping the industry with an ongoing understanding and database of timber properties and performance,” said Andy McNaught, Chair of the AFPA Solid Wood Products Technical Committee. Further down the road, the new testing facility will be opened up to industry in support of their own testing projects, including those focused on structural works, architecture and construction project management.
UniSA has also made a commitment to using the facility to support the education of students on the use of timber in construction. The goal is to ensure a cohort of future construction professionals familiar with timber as a primary and desirable construction material. While bushfires and COVID-19 both caused some disruption to the softwood sawn timber mechanical properties testing program, progress is still being made thanks to an adapted approach. For instance, it is crucial the sawn timber that’s sampled, tested and analysed is representative of each mill’s normal yearly production. Because the quantity of bushfire-affected material in 2020 is not typical or representative based on historic trends, the researchers made the decision not to sample material from mills using bushfire-affected and salvaged logs. To ensure the trial is not compromised by the impacts on the market of COVID-19, instead of sampling throughout the whole of 2020 as originally planned, the participating mills will now be asked to determine which 12-month period of 2020/2021 is most representative of their normal production. The project completion date will be delayed to accommodate these modifications. www.timberbiz.com.au
TECHNOLOGY
With the right partnership anything is possible T
RADITIONALLY, suppliers are selected through a bidding process. The standard transactional process has always conformed to goods and services for money. When the money is handed over, the relationship concludes. In contrast, a partner provides a tailored business relationship based on mutual trust, openness, shared risk and reward. Partners often participate in product design processes, they are fluid, flexible relationships that depend on honesty and integrity to succeed. A partnership not only creates a competitive advantage for both parties but also a feeling of satisfaction and even excitement. To tell you that you need a partnership when choosing a supplier for automated equipment for your truss and frame plant would be preaching to the converted. A liner saw, an automated jig or automated infeed system is not just a piece of machinery that is swapped for money and the relationship ends. Training, service, and support are fundamental elements that create the partnership. When automating an entire plant should the normal partnership rules apply? NO Should you expect more? Yes. In late 2019, Vekta was approached by The Truss Company (TTC) in the USA regarding options for automating a new plant they were building in Centralia, Washington State, USA. They already had a Vekta Razer V5 and were curious about what else Vekta could supply. The result, a partnership based on openness, mutual trust, shared risk and shared reward. It all starts with OPENNESS, in other words- communication. From the start of the relationship, TTC were clear in their objectives for their plant- Highly efficient, high volume operation, built-in redundancy, safe and cost effective. TTC were also open about their concerns, both with Vekta and the approach. In return, Vekta was clear and open about what TTC should expect (the good and the bad) and pitfalls encountered in the past with such a factory approach. However, with over 15 year of experience www.timberbiz.com.au
with these kinds of installation, Vekta was able to work through the concerns and come up with a solution that ticked all of the boxes. Over the course of a few months, Vekta provided TTC with a number of layouts and proposals for automating their infeed, cutting and handling systems. The advantages and disadvantages of each proposal were clearly outlined and discussed. Revisions and alterations were made until a custom engineered solution that suited their factory, achieved all their objectives and was competitive in pricing was agreed upon. The Solution • 2x Razer V5 saws with P3 precision printers, each saw being fed automatically by its own PackFeeder. • The layout of the factory was selected to allow a single operator to easily operate both saws and both PackFeeders. • 1x Outfeed direct delivery system: • Approximately 75m of conveyor with nine kickoff locations to service three primary jigs and one ancillary jig.
■ The size and position of the kickoff locations were carefully selected to ensure adequate component buffers while minimising travel distances for the jig operators. ■ Highly configurable kickoff rules were used to work out exactly where each component would be delivered - rules that were defined by the guys on the jigs themselves to make their jobs as easy as possible. • A buffering system to allow both saws to share the one common conveyor system. • To satisfy machinery redundancy requirements, a comprehensive spares package was used to ensure that any single failure - mechanical or electrical - could be resolved within an hour with the parts already on site. • Custom software to ensure trusses were delivered in exactly the right order and in exactly the right orientation to minimize the effort and walking distances for the jig operators. • A customised safety system with direct collaboration not only between Vekta and TTC management, but also the saw and jig operators was implemented to ensure both compliance and useability. Was there RISK involved? Definitely. Was trust needed- without a doubt! Even though the TTC had a prior AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
relationship with Vekta, they still took a risk on a family business located in Perth, Australia during a global pandemic. They had to trust that Vekta would be able to engineer, manufacture and supply the equipment promised and that the equipment would work as described and planned. Vekta’s risk- taking engineering concepts and plans to a level that can then be manufactured, tested in house and then installed. Having faith that each measurement TTC provided was accurate, faith in our engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Having contingency plans in case our installers couldn’t actually leave Australia and New Zealand to see the job through. But, with trust and risk comes reward. An installation that was overseen by Ed SerranoVekta’s Managing Director that was completed without a hitch and with minimal disruption to TTC’s existing operations. Vekta provides continuous support to TTC, adjusting settings and software to maximise the benefits of the system. TTC now enjoy a State-of-the-Art solution that gives them a clear competitive advantage over their competition. For Vekta, the rewards are numerous- Engineers who spent months designing and creating a customised sys-
tem have now seen those concepts and ideas come to life and in full operation. Pride for Vekta’s manufacturing team who have produced the products and know that they did a great job. The install team- six weeks of work on site during the US COVID pandemic and at the end of it- a very happy customer. A customer that has been so impressed that a second system has been ordered and expedited for a mid 2021 install. The key to business success lies in the ability to select the right business partner for each business need. The Truss Company project in Centralia demonstrates what can be achieved when two companies work together in partnership. The key to automate an entire manufacturing line is the ability to choose the right business partner- and that partner is Vekta. A supplier is often selected through a traditional bidding process and provides goods or services in standardized transaction patterns for a period of time conforming to standard terms and conditions. When the transactions end, the business relationship ends. A partner, on the other hand, is a tailored business relationship based on mutual trust, openness, and shared risk and reward that yields a competitive advantage. 15
DELIVERING INNOVATION TO THE TRUSS AND FRAME INDUSTRY With the right partnership anything is possible The team at Vekta was instrumental in the design of this system and were able to open our eyes to possibilities we didn’t know even existed. The finished product has not only met, but exceeded our expectations. With the minimal footprint of the PackFeeder, the accuracy, speed and reliability of the Razer V5, the speed and efficiency of the Material Conveyor system, and the overall support by this team we are extremely pleased with the outcome. Josh Wright V.P. of Manufacturing The Truss Company, USA With 15+ years experience, Vekta specialises in creating automated factory solutions based on your objectives, space requirements and budget. The Truss Company’s customised solution focused on flexibility with two Razer V5’s and two PackFeeders sharing a common nine KickOff Conveyor System. If the key to business success is selecting the right partner- the key to automation is choosing Vekta.
N
info@vekta.com.au I vekta.com.au
TIMBER PRESERVATION
Koppers Performance Chemicals HOICE IS YOURS. strengthens service offering
the awarding of a Global GreenRate Level A certification, Wood Treatment Technology has recently been awarded a TH rating with its recently published Global GreenTag Level Health Declaration™ (PhD™).
Tag PhD is the first health transparency tool in the world human health concerns directly, rating the pacts of a final product – and not just the hazards ct’s ingredients.
O 800 088 809
NE of the most im-
portant and in fact nformation call us now critical roles within Koppers PC operations is the work done by its regional managers and Technical Serstered trademark Koppers Inc. or its subsidiaries. MicroPro® timber products are produced by vicesofTeam. ned and operated wood preserving facilities. © 2020 Koppers Performance Chemicals Australia Matthew and Rick will be While their general aim is eenRate, GoldHEALTH, Global GreenTag and GreenTag PhD are regsitered trademarks operated familiar to many, having to ensure Global GreenTag Pty Ltd. that a customers’ preservative treatment plant been active in the preservais operating smoothly and ef- tive treatment industry over ficiently, there is a lot more many years and in a number to the relationship with cus- of roles. Matthew and Rick bring sigtomers including designing and troubleshooting plants, nificant skills to Koppers havon-time supply of chemicals, ing been involved in plant desupply and servicing process sign and construction, plant control software and hard- operations and of course preservative knowledge and ware and a lot more. It is therefore highly signifi- customer service. Matthew and Rick join the cant that Koppers welcomes two new members to its Tech- existing team of Chris Tzinical Services Team, Matthew outziouklaris, Dave Gauldie and Paul Downey, assisted White and Rick White.
Rick White with Matthew White and Dace Gauldie
when required by John Lord and Reece Pitkowczy, in the engineering team and of course Koppers’ management, market development, production and customer service personnel. One of the major points of difference in Koppers PC offering is that it supplies and supports a highly sophisticated process control system, Koppers PCS, that operates and monitors preservative treatment plants including multiple cylinders and preservative formulations and, importantly, including multicomponent preservatives such as MicroPro. The PCS produces customised reports depending on the requirements of the customer.
Best of all the PCS is designed and supported by Koppers PC and service representatives and engineers can log into customers systems remotely to keep customers going. There are now 47 installations in Australia and New Zealand. Koppers is also proud of its engineering capability with dedicated engineers in Australia and New Zealand who can design any requirement from upgrades to full plant designs including specialised equipment such as dosing systems. Plant and equipment may be sourced from Australia and New Zealand while some plants have been sourced from overseas depending on exchange rates
and the availability of local manufacturing and personnel. In all cases Koppers can produce the engineering design and the client can seek pricing or KPC can procure pricing for customers if required. All in all, Koppers believes that it offers a very experienced (many with 10 and 15-years-service) and capable team and one that is valued by its customers. As always, if you have any issues that requires attention please do not hesitate to contact your Koppers’ Representative and don’t forget Koppers can help with any plant automation, plant design, plant operation issues and of course your literature and promotional needs.
Innovation.
Innovation,
Koppers Performance Chemicals has dedicated research and development facilities around the world that combine to provide innovative treated timber solutions. Innovation extends to the most powerful treatment plant control system that can handle multiple treatment types and new generation multicomponent preservative systems. Strength.
Strength and
We don’t just provide quality timber preservation solutions, we back it with engineering knowledge and capability, highly trained and experienced customer representatives and market development services.
Dependability.
Dependability. Koppers Performance Chemicals has its own production facilities in Australia and in New Zealand that ensure that products are delivered in time to service customers around Australia. Our state of the art production facilities and a company wide focus on safety aim to deliver quality products safely at all times. Our friendly staff are on-hand to assist.
For more information and to discuss your treatment plant needs, call Nick Livanes on 0408 660 434 or visit www.kopperspc.com.au Koppers® is a registered trademarks of Koppers Inc. or its subsidiaries. © 2021 Koppers Performance Chemicals Australia Pty Ltd.
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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STRAPPING & RACKING
Protecting your brands O VER 100 years of
global packaging experience, global strength and R&D with local knowledge have all come together for another world first by Signode. Products supplied by Signode provide critical protection in transit to high volume high value goods. From this was born the phrase, “Our brands protect your brand”. Signode provides a range of tools and equipment to suit individual customer needs with corresponding quality consumables to match each application, from PET and PP strap to Angleboard edge protection, stretch film, Logo Tape and many more. Engineering and long-term product support with local Signode staff offering preventative maintenance ensures high reliability and speed of process at the lowest cost. Now Signode is proud to be launching its new LPE Range, Heavy Duty Press for sawn lumber with top/side compression of up to 7,5 tonnes. Complimented by the SPE soft press for planned/ tongue & grooved/mouldings etc with lower compression of 1.5 tonne side compression and 0.5 tonne top compression.
Top and bottom strapedge-protection as well as top and bottom batten/bearers are optional. This is the first all electric lumber press solution in the world. Exceptional high speed strap cycle times of under 10 seconds and when applying bottom battens a cycle time of 14 seconds is achieved. Proven design Modular Z20 heads, well known in rugged environments including brick and timber deliver maximum uptime. Z20 modules are removed without the use of tools and switched over in under 2 minutes - compared with opposition technology heads that weigh between 80kg to 115kg and require a crane to remove and replace them, taking 20 minutes to change over. Dispenser options paying off Jumbo or Super Jumbo rolls of either 16mm or 19mm PET strap and high capacity Batten storage ensure minimal operator interaction. Simplicity of design extends to intuitive control through the HMI screen. Signode’s Twin Magazine solution allows the operator to reload battens while the machine is
MicroPro
®
in operation, ensuring safety through independent safety zones. The Z20 modular heads allow for quick exchange of heads without the use of tools in under two minutes. This means that production continues uninterrupted while heads are serviced offline and proven in the Test Bench before being placed on standby once more. The all electric design of the LPE timber press means that all the maintenance time, cost and complexity of maintaining a hydraulic system are removed. No hydraulic pump, valves, fittings, hoses or filters to clean maintain or replace. The LPE all electric timber press is an environmentally friendly solution: Lower energy consumption compared with hydraulic systems reduces your CO2 footprint significantly when compared with hydraulic solutions.
No hydraulic oil changes eliminates the waste problem. No more dripping oil to damage products and cause slip hazards, reduced energy consumption as there are no oil tanks to heat/cool, no pump to service and no more high pressure hoses and filters to maintain. Removal of traditional hydraulic technology make the Signode LPE and SPE timber solutions the most environmentally friendly option in the world today and it doesn’t come at a cost! – Proven and tested in the field, Z20 modular heads ensure reliability. – Fast exchange of modules in under two minutes keeps production running while modules are serviced off line. – High capacity bearer magazines and jumbo strap dispensers reduce operator intervention. – All electric solution reduces your energy costs from day one, reducing your
■
The packing lines and, below, the batten magazines with two safety zones.
carbon footprint. – Significantly lower maintenance cost of an electric solution over hydraulics. – No risk of oil leaks that damage valuable stock and cause slip hazards. Signode looks forward to discussing specific needs and hopes to be of service soon. Call Signode for a no obligation evaluation at your site, across Australia & New Zealand or anywhere in the world.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS. Following the awarding of a Global GreenRate Level A certification, MicroPro Wood Treatment Technology has recently been awarded a GoldHEALTH rating with its recently published Global GreenTag Level A Product Health Declaration™ (PhD™). The GreenTag PhD is the first health transparency tool in the world to assess human health concerns directly, rating the health impacts of a final product – and not just the hazards of a product’s ingredients. For more information call us now
on 1800 088 809 MicroPro® is a registered trademark of Koppers Inc. or its subsidiaries. MicroPro® timber products are produced by independently owned and operated wood preserving facilities. © 2020 Koppers Performance Chemicals Australia Pty Ltd. Global GreenRate, GoldHEALTH, Global GreenTag and GreenTag PhD are regsitered trademarks operated under licence by Global GreenTag Pty Ltd.
www.timberbiz.com.au
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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TRAINING Continued from page 9
LIFE LOWS Financial stress: Due to the apprentice wage structure and the cost of living in certain locations, many young people are under financial stress. They often have low levels of financial management capability as well. The need for financial and budgeting advice was common, and well received. Nutrition and health: Due to early starts many apprentices skip breakfast, and rely on fast food/caffeine/sugarbased diets, suffer from exhaustion, have poor sleep or lack exercise. The need for better health and wellbeing education was apparent.
Mental health: Significant numbers of apprentices revealed mental health issues. Many struggle to cope with their job and other life pressures. A sad result in some cases was suicide. HIA mentors also acted as a confidante, connected apprentices with professional support and assisted in managing the impact of a suicide in apprentice’s personal networks. HIA supports and has a close working relationship with Beyond Blue. THE VALUE OF MENTORING Communication: Many young workers struggle to deal with conflict in their work environment, with generational differences often
causing issues. HIA mentors were able to provide much needed guidance, with apprentices benefiting from advice and a framework to navigate their supervisors’ managerial styles. Education: A troubling discovery is that too many apprentices today have insufficient literacy and numeracy skills to enable them to complete their studies. HIA partnered with the University of New England to assist these apprentices with the acclaimed Quicksmart program. Support services: Difficulty transitioning from school to an apprenticeship is common for many youth, and while HIA’s mentoring was able to assist during the
funded period, we discovered a lack of understanding of other ongoing government support services available. Career pathways: Inadequate understanding of the job opportunities that exist within the building industry meant many apprentices lacked motivation. HIA mentors were able to help with horizon aspirations, career information and advice on post-apprenticeship training options. Mentors were also often required to assist apprentices with goal setting in both career and life. LONG-TERM CHANGE The results from HIA’s apprentice mentoring programs have been astounding, with thousands
of Australian apprentices supported to complete their apprenticeships and traineeships. The experience has also been valuable in revealing common areas of concern so that current and future employers can better understand how to assist their youngest workers transition into the industry. It is unfortunate, however, that these mentoring programs are funded for set periods, then shut down, leaving thousands of young apprentices without this valuable and beneficial service. HIA is hopeful that it will one day be funded to provide an ongoing mentoring service to continue supporting apprentices and the broader industry.
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1800 685 824
DESIGN
BRIEFS LUCIDYNE APPOINTMENT Lucidyne is proud to announce the addition of Taylor Trammel to its sales team as Sales Representative focusing on the West Coast region. Taylor joined Lucidyne in 2018 working as a Grading Support Specialist, working directly with customers on using Lucidyne’s system technology and grading optimization. Taylor has extensive experience working in sawmill and planer mills, having held internships in both quality control and safety procedures at Hampton Lumber and Roseburg Forest Products. In conjunction, Taylor studied Wood Science and Business at Oregon State University. Lucidyne is the premier manufacturer of scanning, optimization, and automation systems, delivering unparalleled results to the wood products industry. Taylor is based in Lucidyne’s Corvallis, Oregon headquarters and will be traveling extensively through the region.
LIGNA 2021
The preparations for LIGNA.21 are in full swing, despite the challenges posed by the Covid 19 pandemic. LIGNA has also added new virtual participation options to its offering for exhibitors with stand space. Even companies that are unable to exhibit in Hannover due to possible international travel restrictions need not forego participation in the show. The new virtual participation options on the LIGNA.digital platform enable them to network with all market players as well as journalists from all over the world.
How to design a tall timber building CARA ECKHOLM
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is nimble and light compared to other structural building materials, and that gives it many advantages, such as making it easy to work with in a factory. But these same properties also create new challenges for timber’s use in designing taller buildings. When engineers design a building, they must create a structure that can resist different types of forces, including vertical forces like gravity and lateral forces like wind. The lighter the building, the more susceptible it usually is to lateral forces. To gain insight into the performance of our 35-story mass timber proto-model, PMX, the team modeled how it would compare to a traditional concrete building of the same size. PMX was approximately 2.5 times lighter than its concrete counterpart, and when we began doing wind analysis, we discovered that PMX was reacting more like a building of 40 or 50 stories. That’s one of the reasons why many of the tall timber buildings completed to date are actually hybrids, reinforced at their cores by concrete walls or steel bracing. We preferred to work exclusively with timber, if possible, to capture its sustainability benefits and to prove the potential for manufacturing. So, to respond to lateral pressure I MB E R
on our 35-story timber building, we drew from engineering tactics more typical of super-tall building design: the cross brace frame and a tuned mass damper. THE CROSS BRACE FRAME Constructing a structural core out of timber was a non-starter on PMX: to create sufficient stiffness, the core wall sizes would have had to be a whopping 5 feet thick each. Not only would timber that thick be almost impossible to fabricate and very difficult to assemble on site, it also would cause loss of valuable floor space: our estimate was a loss of 615 square feet, or approximately one two-bedroom unit on every 8,450-square-foot floor. After the team evaluated a series of options, it became clear that the only pure-timber structural system that would work for PMX was an exoskeleton form. The PMX exoskeleton system consists of big timber beams crossing the facade of the building. This distinctive zig-zag is a derivative of a design tool pioneered by iconic structural engineer Fazlur Khan, whose steel exoskel-
eton on Chicago’s 100-story John Hancock Center in 1965 laid the foundation for modern skyscraper design. By transferring bracing to the exterior of the building — instead of having chunky walls and partitions throughout — the exoskeleton system opened up interior floor plans, allowing for far more usable space at taller heights. The same logic applies on PMX. Because the exterior lateral bracing is now doing the lion’s share of the work to keep the building standing, the core walls become lean — dropping from 5 feet thick to just 10 inches — and the interior is left open and flexible. The entirety of the 8,450-square-foot floor is preserved for tenant use, and future tenants would have the ability to knock down the non-structural wall between rooms. THE TUNED MASS DAMPER The exoskeleton allowed us to design a safe, efficient, and flexible building, but not necessarily a comfortable one. Some people are surprised to learn that tall buildings are actually designed to sway to a certain extent — usually several feet — much as a tree gently sways in the wind. But when buildings sway too much, occupants report feelings of airsickness. The building won’t topple over, but people won’t be comfortable
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A timber exoskeleton performed better than other structural systems with respect to maximizing floor plate efficiency. (Image: Michael Green Architecture, Gensler, and Aspect) staying inside, especially on the higher floors. Even with the exoskeleton, PMX was particularly prone to swaying due to its lightness. To reduce movement, we explored three different solutions: The first was to add significant amounts of concrete throughout the structure, which seemed like
NEW FINNISH MILL
Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has made the investment decision to build a new bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland. The value of the investment is EUR 1.6 billion and it is the largest investment ever made by the Finnish forest industry in Finland. The construction phase will take approximately two and a half years, and the mill will be completed during the third quarter of 2023. In addition to the Kemi bioproduct mill, Metsä Group is currently building the world’s most modern sawmill in Rauma, Finland.
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Interior rendering of an office reception area in Proto-Model X, Sidewalk Labs’ prototypical timber building. (Image: Michael Green Architecture and Gensler) AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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DESIGN
a poor option after all our efforts to keep concrete out of the core. The second was to make the timber pieces thicker, which would add cost and take up significant interior space throughout the building. The third was to deploy an engineering innovation called a “tuned mass damper.” A tuned mass damper is typically a heavy piece of steel, connected by springs to the structure of the building at the penthouse level. It helps absorb shock, moving back and forth and acting as a countervailing force to wind or earthquakes. Where Khan’s exoskeleton was a favorite of tall building design in the 20th century, tuned mass dampers have become a favorite of structural engineers working on the supertall buildings of the 21st century. Usually they are hidden with a building’s mechanical equipment, though occasionally they are integrated into the building’s architecture, like the golden pendulum at the top of Taipei 101. For PMX, using a tuned mass damper became an obvious choice: without one, www.timberbiz.com.au
we would have had to more than double the amount of timber material used, in a bid to make PMX nearly as heavy as a traditional concrete building. But by using a 70-ton steel tuned mass damper — the equivalent of nine African elephants — we could reduce lateral sway to a level where people would feel comfortable inside the building. This targeted chunk of steel plays an essential role in making PMX comfortable for tenants, while remaining less carbon-intensive than using concrete throughout the building. Curious for more? Part two of this series - How to design a timber building that’s easy to make in a factory - in the next issue of Australasian Timber. Cara Eckholm is an Advisor, FactoryCo at Sidewalk Labs. Sidewalk Labs is an urban innovation company working to make cities more sustainable and affordable for all. We create products, invest in new companies, and help plan innovative places around the world.
How tall timber could work CARA ECKHOLM
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IM B E R was once the dominant ma-
terial for constructing new buildings, with early timber structures dating as far back as the Neolithic Age. Yet timber fell out of favor in the late19th century when steel and concrete gave buildings the strength to soar to new heights, meeting the need for urban density. Today, timber is staging a comeback in the form of a new fire-resistant super wood known as “mass timber,” a building material made of wood pieces compressed together in a factory to create thick beams, columns, and panels. This resurgence is driven in part by environmental advocates, some of whom have highlighted mass timber’s potential to help fight global climate change. Developers are also interested in how mass timber building parts lend themselves to efficient factory production, which can save time (and therefore cost) over existing on-site construction methods. These factors have spurred development projects that seek to incorporate mass timber into high-rise buildings. In fact, two 18-story mass timber buildings recently opened: one outside of Oslo, another in Vancouver. AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
To explore how factory-produced timber buildings can grow even taller, we designed a mass timber proto-model at 35 stories — a height that’s yet to be achieved in practice. We call this project Proto-Model X, or PMX. What’s a proto-model, you ask? It’s essentially a digital proof-of-concept that stands in for a real building and provides insights into its hypothetical performance. The concept is borrowed from manufacturing, where it’s common to design one perfect “widget” before producing them en masse in a factory. With PMX, our “widget” is a 3D building model rendered in Autodesk’s Revit, a popular building design software, and hosted in BIM 360, a cloud-based tool that stores technical information about the building. PMX was developed through collaboration with a world-class team of architects, engineers, and environmental designers, many of whom are emerging leaders in the field of mass timber buildings. Together, we advanced the building through eight key steps (see graphic), ultimately resulting in a basic building design. For more information on PMX please email factory@sidewalklabs.com 23
TRUSS & FRAME
■ (Above) FutureFit Panelisation wall panel stillages ready for delivery. ■ (Left) Drouin West Timber and Truss Weinmann processing line.
Leaping into modern methods of production F
ROM their nascent days as a frame and truss manufacturer, Victorian-based Drouin West Timber and Truss (DWTT) have catapulted their business into modern methods of construction (MMC) by embracing Weinmann advanced timber processing equipment. “Modernise or Die”, according to a landmark report by UK prefabrication visionary, Mark Farmer, but how? Peter Ward of DWTT (Drouin West Timber and Truss) was all too aware of Darwin’s immortal ‘adapt and survive’ precept but navigating the transition from being one of Victoria’s 70 truss and frame manufacturers to a successful offsite housing manufacturer required a prudent business philosophy and investing in Weinmann advanced timber processing machinery. Peter Ward and his son Nick’s FutureFit Panelisation journey began in late 2013 after Peter realised that, “to
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grow we had to either enter the price-sensitive end of the market against our larger competitors or distinguish ourselves by adding value to our existing products. We wanted to make a point of difference between us and our competitors.” “We’d been in trusses and frames for 40 years, so we’ve had a long history of timber prefab, of wall frames, prefab wall frames, and roof trusses and floor trusses. So, we saw panelisation as a natural extension to take the wall frames and externally clad them, put the windows in, and add value so we can get the project to lockup very quickly.” By October 2014 DWTT (Drouin West Timber and
DWTT future fit - Installing a FutureFit panel at a townhouse development in outer Melbourne.
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Truss) had settled on their first Weinmann processing line which comprised a framing station, two element tables and the WALLTEQ M-380 multifunction bridge station WMS 150 (CNC-controlled processing of wall and sheeting elements). Within four months their FutureFit Panelised Building System had been realised and delivered their first build; a holiday home in Corinella, Victoria. DWTT (Drouin West Timber and Truss) now employs about 40 staff, making it one of the largest employers in Drouin, 90 kilometres east of Melbourne. In managing the transition from a conventional frame and truss manufacturer to an advanced offsite manufacturer of panelised housing, Peter and Nick’s strategy for the first few years was to stay under the radar. As Peter remarked: ”We had a big learning experience, and getting acceptance was another big challenge in itself. We started small with houses and then progressed to duplex townhouse units then several 12 townhouse developments. We purposefully decided not to take on large projects as we were learning.” “There was a lot of development work, there was a lot of devil in the detail,” Peter added. Typically, their FutureFit system provides open wall panels, that is panels with an outer cladding of the client’s choice, but in which the inner face is left open to allow for the installation of services.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
■ Drouin West Timber and Truss Weinmann processing line. In a recently completed a development of 72 townhouses in outer Melbourne, the efficiency dividends of FutureFit Panelisation were on full display: from the panels arriving onsite to lockup for each townhouse was approximately 2.5 days. “The client remarked we conservatively saved them 5 months build-time, and bank interest savings alone were also very significant,” Peter added. “Also, the safety factor is huge. When building multiple storeys, floor cassettes once craned into place quickly create a working platform. When working on medium-density projects we can crane in up to four units of floor cassettes within a few hours not days,” Nick further remarked. The key to efficiently using panelised systems, according to Peter, is preparation. “It’s far more efficient to design a panelised system from the outset, to have all the dimensions suitable for the panels
sorted rather than take an existing design and rework it for panels, so ideally we like to get into a project at the ground floor and work with the architects, engineers, builders, developers, the whole team.” Since their first project, DWTT (Drouin West Timber and Truss) has expanded their production line to a total of 13 Weinmann processing machines as speed, quality and accuracy are crucial to their business. “Repeatability is the key and our manufacturing processes are ideally suited for multi-residential developments and aged-care facilities and schools”, according to Peter. “I think the challenge for prefab and panelisation is getting acceptance from traditional builders. It’s a slow process, but as our list of successful FutureFit projects grows, so does the acceptance that panelisation is the way of the future.” www.timberbiz.com.au
CERTIFICATION
Forest expert pushing change Driving a new trans-Tasman certification standard
Trans-Tasman standard meets current and future expectations for forest management in both countries.
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AY will mark the second anniversary of the formation of the strategic trans-Tasman sustainable forest management standard reference committee, the first of its kind. And no one is more passionate about AS/NZS 4708 than its chair Dr Gordon Duff, a Tasmanian-based scientist, professor and researcher. Chair of the Trans-Tasman AS/NZS 4708 sustainable forest management standard reference committee, the first of its kind, Dr Gordon Duff has provided important insights into the standard development process. The new standard will be audited for acceptance by PEFC International to meet the rigorous requirements of a fully-fledged JAS-ANZ accredited sustainable forest management system and to meet current and future expectations for forest management in both countries. With more than 25 years’ experience in forest management, Dr Duff understands how important it is for stakeholders in the forest products industry to have a standard
KEY POINTS ■ The draft standards are freely available on the Standards Australia and Responsible Wood websites. ■ The reference committee has been meeting on a weekly basis through video conferencing. ■ Once released, the
public will have more than nine weeks to review the draft and provide public comment. they can trust, one that balances expectations for social, environmental and economic outcomes. “The committee has done great job of balancing the interests of all stakeholders, taking into account key differences in sustainable forest management between the two countries,” Dr Duff said.
■ Dr Gordon Duff.
One example, he said, was fire management which, in the Australian context, was a key tool for protection and maintenance of forest biodiversity and ecosystem function. “The focus in New Zealand is more on fire suppression or exclusion,” he said. Dr Duff, who edits the Australian Forestry Journal, is well versed in corporate governance and has chaired the Tasmanian Forest Practices Authority, the Forest Education Foundation and the Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority.
With a focus on producing a standard that balances stakeholder expectations, as well as one that is clear, unambiguous and auditable, the committee released a draft standard for public consultation in August 2020 and is now working towards releasing the new standard in mid-2021. “Drawing on the combined experience of the committee, the standard will use wording that is transparent and easily understood and interpreted by all involved in the certification process,” Dr Duff said. The reference committee had been meeting on a weekly basis via video conferencing throughout 2020 and continues to work on the standard in 2021. “While there is no doubt that meeting and engaging via video conference present some unique challenges, members of the committee have adapted well and are able to make meaningful contributions,” Dr Duff said.
Standard reference committee nominating bodies – In Australia: Association of Accredited Certification Bodies. Australian Forest Growers, Australian Forest Products Association, CFFMEU, CSIRO, Environmental Farmers Association, Institute of Foresters of Australia, Independent biodiversity/conservation expert, National Retailers Association, National Timber Council Association, South East Timber Association (community group), University of Melbourne, University of Sunshine Coast. In New Zealand: Federation of Maori Authorities, First Union- NZ, Forest Certification Association, Forest Contractors Association, Farm Forestry Association, Forest Owners Association, Institute of Forestry, Ministry of Primary Industries, Timber Industry Federation, Wood Product and Manufacturers Association, Wood Product and Manufacturers Association.
Beautiful. Natural. Sustainable. Australian. responsiblewood.org.au You can be assured that wood carrying the Responsible Wood mark has come from certified Australian forests that are sustainably managed to the highest global standards.
Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, NSW Winner of the 2020 Australian Timber Design, Australian Certified Timber Category
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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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
magazine
ASSOCIATIONS
Time to tell your MP what works
Let them know policy implications
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www.timberbiz.com.au
FTMA Australia is an independent, national organisation representing fabricators of and suppliers to the timber prefabricated truss and
HERE is no doubt,
especially during the past twelve months, that Associations have a big role to play by providing the latest up to date information and by providing a collective voice for individual businesses within the sector. The past year has seen much of the focus on COVID-19 ensuring our members not only kept their workplaces safe and virus free but also were aware of the latest restrictions and how it affected them in the workplace. We will continue to do this, however, we would also like to address other key issues facing the sector and to do this, we need your help as your voice is paramount. I cannot emphasis enough the importance Australian small businesses have on the Australian economy. Currently throughout Australia, the construction and housing supply chain has helped bring the country out of recession and your voice has never been more important than now. As a former lobbyist, I was well aware politicians prefer to hear directly from the horse’s mouth, rather than a paid mouthpiece. These paid mouth pieces are extremely important for industry and lobby groups such as HIA, MBA, AFPA and others have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to help our industry. But now it’s time for you to engage with your local State and Federal Members of Parliament, so you can let them know, firsthand how their policies are impacting your business as your voice is the most important voice. Take HomeBuilder for example, it is an amazing program which has been attributed to the current housing boom, but improvements can be made. If we are to have long term stability then things need to slow down. If more time is given to complete jobs under the program or even extended over a longer period, then we will reduce the risk of an ugly bubble bursting which could have a devastating impact on our industry.
FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
wall frame industry in all Australian states & territories providing a unified voice, to protect and advance our multi-billion dollar industry.
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L-R Christine Flanagan, Deputy Federal Opposition Leader and Federal Member for Corio Richard Marles, Justin Flanagan and Paul Colless. KERSTEN GENTLE Executive Officer FTMA Australia
“We support you!”
FTMA Australia is extremely proud to once again team up with MGA TMA, TABMA & TTIA to develop a Lobbying Paper for all our members. The paper will focus on 6 key issues such as: • HomeBuilder – fantastic, but how can we slow things down. • Difficulty in finding employees – more incentives required. • Optimisation – helping our members increase efficiency and productivity. • Benefits of using wood with Social and NDIS Housing to address environmental issues. • Recognising timber harvesting, sawmilling and the supply chain as essential so we don’t see more confusion like mills closing in South Australia or fabricators closing in Victoria. • Maximising the use of timber resource. FTMA has a spreadsheet showing the State & Federal Member for every fabricator in Australia, so if anyone needs contact details please give me a call or email. FTMA, along with the other Associations have forwarded the Lobbying Paper to all State, Territory & Federal leaders including relevant Ministers, however, we encourage members to hand a copy of the document to their local members when they visit.
FTMA HEALTH & WELLBEING PROGRAM Work life balance has become more important to people over the years and there is no doubt, during the global pandemic, that this has become even more important. In 2021, FTMA Australia will be delivering resources for members to take up health and wellbeing programs in the workplace. We will be starting in May with the introduction of the FTMA Domestic Family Violence Policy. FTMA has worked with Jo Mason at WorkHaven to develop this policy and resources which we will send to members for free. Members will be encouraged to adopt the policy to best suit their business, hold a toolbox meeting with the presentations and notes provided as well as display the posters and brochures on this important issue. Once your business does this, you will be provided with a special logo, recognising your business as a Safe Work Haven, ensuring all current and future employees know that your workplace is a safe place to work. If you have any recommendations for any health and wellbeing programs, or would like further information please let me know, otherwise FTMA Australia will send members all the resources required to participate. If anyone would like further information on the lobbying paper or our health and wellbeing program, please contact Kersten Gentle on 0418 226 242. AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
FTMA Australia thanks our dedicated supporters and encourages you to support those who support your industry GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
For a full list of the conditions of membership and a downloadable application form visit: www.ftmanews.com.au 27
ASSOCIATIONS Looking Back australasian
2020
CONSTRUCTION industry leader, Big River Group, is continuing to expand its national network and increase its product offering with the acquisition of Adelaide based timber supply company Pine Design Truss & Timber. Implementing an acquisitive growth strategy, Big River has grown considerably in recent years. The acquisition of Pine Design increases the opportunity to combine the strong and successful operating histories of both businesses to create a larger and more diversified business.
2016
MODERN TALL buildings can be built with wood using advancements in mass timber engineered wood products such as crosslaminated timber, a topic to be addressed by global experts at the Mass Timber Conference, 22-24 March, at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Portland, Oregon. A pre-conference mass timber building tour will precede two days of educational panels. Mass timber is a category of engineered wood framing often using lumber glued together to make large panels of solid wood for use as floors and walls. These massive and extremely strong panels can compete with concrete, masonry, and steel in mid- and high-rise buildings, a focal point of discussions at the event. The State of Oregon Building Codes Division approved the use of cross-laminated timber in building construction in 2015, making Portland an ideal location to strategize how to increase the use of a newly rediscovered, environmentally friendly building product: wood.
2011
Planet Ark, one of Australia’s leading environmental organisations founded in 1992, is joining forces with Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), the industry body behind the Wood. Naturally Better program, to encourage the use of sustainably sourced wood. The initiative comes during the International Year of Forests, a global platform to celebrate people’s action to sustainably manage the world’s forests.
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Implications for workplaces in push to vaccinate T
H E long awaited Covid 19 Vaccine rollout has commenced. At the time of writing, thousands of quarantine, border and healthcare workers received their first dose. Further frontline workers aged care facilities will also be a priority in this early stage. In the near future, the opportunity to access the vaccination will be available to persons in all manner of Australian workplaces. What are the implications for workplaces and how should this be handled by individual businesses? The starting point is current legislative framework and the overarching requirement for employers under the Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) to eliminate, or if that is not reasonably practical, minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace. For an employer to meet their obligations under the model WHS legislation and minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, an employer must continue to apply reasonably practical COVID-19 control measures including physical distancing, good hygiene and regular cleaning and maintenance. That includes ensuring workers do not attend work if they are unwell. It is also important that workplaces comply with any public health orders regularly made by state and territory governments.
VACCINATION AND AN EMPLOYERS’ WHS DUTIES It should be noted that there are currently no laws or public health orders in Australia that specifically empower employers to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, state and territory health agencies may make public orders that stipulate some workers require vaccination in high risk workplaces. Business in the timber products industry need to be conscious to stay up to date with advice from your respective health agency and check with TTIA. It is too early at present to ascertain if the COVID-19 Vaccines will stop a vaccinated person from being infected
with the virus. Consequently, the vaccinated person may unwittingly carry and spread the virus to others around them. As a result, Safe Work Australia maintain that an employer must continue to apply all reasonably practicable control measures.
DO I NEED TO INCLUDE MANDATORY VACCINATION AS A CONTROL MEASURE TO COMPLY WITH MY WHS DUTIES? It is unlikely that a requirement to be vaccinated will be reasonably practicable. This is because, for example: • at present, public health experts, such as the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee have not recommended a vaccine be made mandatory in many industries; • there may not yet be a vaccine available for your workers; • your workplace is ‘low risk’, e.g., your business is in a town with no community transmission or no customer facing roles; or • some of your workers have medical reasons why they cannot be vaccinated. However, ultimately whether you should require your workers to be vaccinated will depend on the particular circumstances at the time you are undertaking your risk assessment. CAN MY WORKERS REFUSE TO COME TO WORK BECAUSE ANOTHER WORKER ISN’T VACCINATED? Under WHS laws, a worker can only cease or refuse to carry out work if the worker has a reasonable concern that to carry out the work would expose the worker to a serious risk to the worker’s health or safety from an immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard. In most circumstances, a worker will not be able to rely on the WHS laws to cease work simply because another worker at the workplace isn’t vaccinated, however this will depend on the circumstances. There is currently insufficient evidence about the imAUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
pact of COVID-19 vaccines on the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, there is no reason why workers who are currently attending workplaces with other people should stop doing so because of the vaccine rollout. For vulnerable workers, you should continue to implement other working arrangements where you reasonably can, such as working from home. You should also talk to your workers to understand their concerns and assure them that you are continuing to implement all other control measures which are known to reduce the spread of the virus in the workplace, such as physical distancing, good hygiene and increased cleaning. These measures must remain in place, even if your workers are vaccinated. WILL I BE HELD LIABLE UNDER WHS LAWS IF I DON’T MAKE MY WORKERS GET VACCINATED AND ONE OF THEM GETS COVID-19? There is currently insufficient evidence about the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission of the virus which means that a worker could get COVID-19 even if they are vaccinated. It is therefore unlikely that you have breached model WHS laws simply because you don’t require your workers to get vaccinated. A safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination is one part of keeping the Australian community safe and you can encourage your workers to get vaccinated, if they can. As mentioned earlier, you must continue to implement
all reasonably practicable control measures in your workplace, such as physical distancing, good hygiene, and increased cleaning and maintenance. Your workers should not come to work if they are unwell – even if they are vaccinated. WHAT ABOUT MY OBLIGATIONS UNDER WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAWS? Under workers’ compensation laws, workers may be entitled to workers’ compensation if they contract COVID-19 while at work, regardless of how they contracted it. Workers’ compensation laws differ in each state and territory, so you should seek advice from your workers’ compensation authority. KEY POINTS This is a new and developing challenge workplaces face as regulation and workplace developments arise from the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers should keep aware of public health orders that arise in each state and territory. If in doubt, contact TTIA for further advice on issues like practical control measures at the workplace to manage the risks of COVID-19. Finally, if uncertain about your obligations, don’t take action against an employee or implement a policy on Covid-19 without seeking advice from the appropriate State agency or your industry association. We can be contacted on the Timber National Employers Hotline on (02) 9264 0011 for further advice and assistance. www.timberbiz.com.au
ASSOCIATIONS
Protecting veeners from sun damage T
O DAY ’S architects and building designers often seek to maximise natural light in their designs. This has several benefits. It reduces the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours and creates a more appealing indoor environment. However, bringing sunlight into the home can create problems for veneers and other wood surfaces. Removing a picture from a wood panelled wall, or a rug from floorboards, is likely to show a different coloured area behind the picture or rug. The covered area does not change colour, while the exposed area will fade or darken over time. The actual response depends on the type of timber. This change in appearance can
occur even in a well-lit room that doesn’t necessarily receive direct sun. It’s notable that fluorescent lighting also emits UV radiation, but at a much lower intensity than sunlight. To counteract colour change as much as possible, the Timber Veneer Association stresses the importance of using ultra violet absorbing finishes, or additives, when coating veneers. The TVAA Manual for Decorative Wood Veneering Technology (2nd Edition), written by Dr Barbara Ozarska of the University of Melbourne, expresses it this way: Clear UV protective coatings or veneer impregnating dispersions or solutions for use with wood
• An office fitout featuring American Cherrywood veneers exposed to UV radiation should always contain UV absorbing additives or a combination of a synergistic UV absorber and free radical scavenger additives such as HALS, and/or other additives to prolong the service life of the coating itself and that of the veneer. Coatings that do not contain the above additives may not offer optimal protection against UV discolouration.
HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers) are used to protect plastics and are also beneficial when added to coatings, protecting veneers against degradation from long term exposure to UV radiation. Specifiers, and key people in the veneer and timber industries, need to be aware of the need for effective UV protection wherever a natural wood finish is desired,
and ensure that downstream processors are using appropriate finishes. More detailed information on this topic and other matters related to the successful use of timber veneers can be found in the TVAA Manual for Decorative Wood Veneering Technology, available for download here: https://timberveneer. asn.au/publications.
Walker Bros harnessed the power of our numbers and found true Independence. How long have you been in hardware? Walker Bros has been supplying Timber & Building supplies on the Central Coast of NSW since 1933.
What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed since joining HBT? Immediately, we had significantly improved pricing and representation from suppliers which allowed us to compete against our many local competitors.
Why did you join HBT? We joined to ensure our longevity in the industry and collectively work together for the benefit of the group, plus the rebates and better pricing are terrific.
What has a HBT membership done for your business?
For more information and membership applications call 1300 428 477 I hbt.net.au WALKER BROS TIMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES North Gosford, NSW
Powering True Independents www.timberbiz.com.au
We have 5 competitors, plus the big box within 20 minutes of our business and the membership has not only allowed as to remain competitive in our market, we have had significant growth in the past 3 years.
What would you say to someone thinking about joining HBT? Make the call to the HBT team now.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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ASSOCIATIONS
Waste plan is coming up ACES
M
G A TMA’s vision to reduce waste going to landfill and converting this into a revenue stream for members, has become a Joint Venture business - Australian Circular Economy Solutions Pty Ltd., 50% owned by MGA TMA in collaboration with Easy NRG (a division of Aussie NRG, MGA TMA’s Corporate Partner). What is ACES? Australian Circular Economy Solutions (ACES) - A vision for independents to reduce waste going into landfill, reduce energy costs and provide a potential additional revenue stream for MGA TMA members. ACES purpose is to encourage all communities to be world beacons in sustainability by adopting Circular Economy principals in everyday life. The goal of ACES is to as-
sist Australian businesses to reach net-zero emissions. ACES is structured as a Social Enterprise, to achieve a social benefit (i.e., sustainability). 50% of the net profit is used to further the businesses social mission and value offering. ACES will explore government funding opportunities to assist members in developing waste reduction solutions. ACES will assist members by communicating these results to their customers in a meaningful way. Showing how much waste has diverted from landfill and the associated carbon footprint reduction achieved through the ‘Sustainable Timber and Hardware’ initiatives, which
are targeted to address the consumers growing environmental concerns. ‘Sustainable Timber and Hardware’ The ‘Sustainable Timber and Hardware’ solutions developed, will focus on both organic and nonorganic waste. Organic includes sawdust and timber off cuts. Non-organics – soft plas-
tics, hard plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal, with tailored solutions being developed to reduce landfill and cost burden The principles of the Circular Economy ACES will be developing a unique Circular Economy Solutions program for members driving a continual reuse of resources, thus reducing CO2 footprint
of member businesses. The principles of the Circular Economy involve members putting a range of measures in place within their business that will structure the behaviours of consumers and staff alike, to avoid waste, reuse waste, recycle waste and recover energy, significantly reducing the costs of doing business.
UPGRADE YOUR
OPTIMISATION EXPERIENCE BIG enough to support your operation; small enough to care.
08
24/7
Develop our future workforce
40+
Optimisers installed
ForestWorks is looking for your feedback on three skills standards projects:
700+
•
Career paths to attract people to our industry
•
Developing our experienced workers and managers
•
Safety mindsets in remote operations
Members on the Software team
13
Members on the controls team Support from NZ & USA
Control systems Installed worldwide
International System Integrators MILLWIDE SOFTWARE, OPTIMISATION & CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Ph +64 7 574 6223 www.automationelec.com
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To register your interest or for more information contact forestworks@forestworks.com.au or 03 9321 3500.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
www.timberbiz.com.au
Classifieds
Sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee. For rates and deadlines call Gavin de Almeida on (08) 8369 9517 or email: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
BROADFORD SAWMILLS
Sawmill suitable to cut both softwood and hardwood
All equipment sold as is. For an inspection please contact Gabby on 03 9747 9377 or 0413 492 765
Hiab 099 B-3 Duo crane-9 metre + Remote $13,500.00 ex GST
Grecon Finger Jointer Clamp processor with Hydrolytic motor $10,000.00 ex GST
Finger Jointer Header with Cutter $10,000.00 ex GST
Mill equipment includes: Grecon Finger Threader $3,200.00 ex GST
Grecon Finger Jointer Feeder Conveyer $2,500.00 ex GST
• 6' Gibson Headrig bandsaw with Grey carriage and operators cabin • 4 saw Kockums edger with operators cabin • Grey bench recovery saw • Precision 48” chipper
• Chip hopper (clam shell) 110m 3 • Mahild Kiln 160m 3 capacity • All conveyors, transfer decks, chain decks, blowers, ducting, electricals, etc • Spare parts and saws
Equipment in very good condition and well maintained. Land Also Available - Approximately 8 acres Cameron Parade, Broadsford TS Timber Auto Stacker $3,000.00 ex GST
Pneumatic Air Conveyor $2,500.00 ex GST
Contact Maurice Efron 0411887701
Classifieds advertising has long been regarded as one of the best value for money forms of advertising — because it’s been proven to work, time and time again Now you can sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee through the new classified pages of Australasian Timber Magazine. Booking a classified advertisement in Australasian Timber Magazine is as easy as phoning or emailing Gavin de Almeida on (08) 8369 9517 or g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au
australasian
magazine
BOOK TODAY
Contact Gavin de Almeida at (08) 8369 9517 or g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au www.timberbiz.com.au
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2021
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DELIVERING PRECISION Vekta‘s Interior and Exterior StakPros are designed to increase your production and improve safety.Why have many hands lifting trusses when one operator can do the job by using only a remote control! Vekta‘s Interior StakPro is designed to suit your truss jig system. With heavy duty caster wheels and a guided rail mount you can put the StakPro where you need it! The Exterior StakPro has adjustable feet allowing the machine to adapt to your site and manufacturing processes. With the PRESS of a button the StakPro will LIFT the finished truss out of the jig and STACK it on a trolley. Clever!
info@vekta.com.au I vekta.com.au