Australasian Timber Magazine - April 2020 by Provincial Press Group

APRIL 2020

MANUFACTURE • TECHNOLOGY • DESIGN • CONSTRUCTION

SCHOOL’S IN Sydney CLT rebuild

FIRE SURVIVOR GLT beats the heat

WODONGA HUMMING XLT plant up and running

Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

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Plantation growth needed for expansion

No bushfire effects on MGP pine products

leon rademeyer

ANDY MCNAUGHT

Timberlink’s intention to build a new CLT and GLT manufacturing facility in either SA or Victoria is positive news, but processor expansion in the region must be underpinned by a growing plantation estate to be sustainable in the long-term. Unfortunately, Australia’s plantation estate has been declining amid record global and domestic demand for timber and wood products, including in SA. This downward trend is particularly worrying given the devastation caused by recent bushfires. Federal Government’s acknowledgement of the problem in 2018 by setting the goal of planting a billion new plantation trees nationally by 2030 was a step in the right direction, but without a coordinated state and federal commitment to address the factors that hold South Australian forestry back, the state could miss out on its fair share of trees. One of the major factors is the state’s current Lower Limestone Coast water allocation policy which is causing a further decrease in its plantation estate. Others are a lack of bushfire policy harmonisation between SA and Victoria and governmental fire resourcing issues in SA. SA is home to around 14% of Australia’s timber industry, theoretically entitling the state to 140m new plantation trees which would underpin its timber processing industries for decades to come. Despite our declining plantation estate, Timberlink’s investment shows our forest industries are prepared to make long-term commitments to the region and its people, which should have a positive flow-on effect throughout the forest industries value chain. It will be Timberlink’s second recent large scale investment in local production, after it announced the expansion of its Tarpeena processing site in August last year. The Timberlink announcement is one of a number of recent major forest industries investment announcements in the region, including the completion of OneFortyOne’s Jubilee Sawmill upgrade in 2019 and Borg Manufacturing’s 2020 announcement of upgrading its particleboard facility in Mount Gambier. www.timberbiz.com.au

NEWS

RAME and truss manufac-

turers and builders may be concerned about the quality of MGP graded pine produced from plantation areas affected by the recent fires. There are a number of lessons that have been learnt from other major pine salvage operations – the SA Mount Gambier fire of 1983, the Queensland Beerburrum fires of 1994 and the Tumut fires of 2006 were the most significant. Salvage operations have included processing logs from standing burnt trees up to about 12 months post fire, placing logs in Lake Bonney in SA where logs continued to be processed for almost 10 years, and the use of water sprinklers on log dumps for more than 3 years. At present, there are a group of experts with direct fire salvage and processing experience from previous fire events advising affected regions on the best way to keep the large volume of fire damaged plantation logs in good condition. But do the fires affect the quality of MGP products cut from the stored, burnt salvaged logs? The short answer is no. This is for several reasons. Firstly, the bark on the outside of a tree is an excellent insulator and protects the wood underneath from the worst of the high temperatures. Second, the wood just under the bark has its cells full of water that cannot exceed 1000 C until all the water boils off. This is less than the kiln temperatures used to dry the wood in routine opera-

■■ Fire affected MGP graded pine will meet all necessary standards for frame and truss

manufacturers.

tions. In practice, the very worst I have seen from intense Mount Gambier Ash Wednesday fires was that the outer 1-2cm of wood was drier than the interior wood and had to be batched to be dried separately because it was lower in moisture content. Furthermore, it should be noted that most of the outer 1-2cm of most logs end up as chips as the tapered logs get sawn. Perhaps the only change that will occur to wood cut from salvage logs is that over time, we expect to see an increase in the amount of blue stain that is present. Blue stain occurs when a naturally occurring microbe consumes sugars in the wood cells. The stain does NOT affect structural properties. The effects on the wood are primarily visual. There is, however, a positive effect if blue stained wood is treated. It has higher preservative solution uptake than un-stained wood.

Further confidence in MGP products from fire affected salvage logs is provided by the grading and testing of the timber in the mills. 100% of timber is subjected to the grading process that predicts strength and stiffness from the attributes of the wood. As well as the grading process, approximately 80 -200 samples per day (dependent on the number of grades at each mill) are sampled and destructively tested to determine the strength and stiffness of the batches to ensure that the grading remains accurate. If fire was affecting the structural properties, it would be found immediately, and grading thresholds would be changed to ensure that the batch exceeded the properties required for the grade. Most producers in Australia also have the entire grading process certified by the EWPAA. This involves detailed audits every 6 months of the grading process

and quality systems in place at the mill. EWPAA auditors also review batches produced during the 6 months between audits. In addition, samples are taken from more than 50% of all production runs of the main size/grade (generally 90 x 35 MGP10) and tested in the NATA accredited Timber Testing Centre laboratory. This certification program is accredited by the Joint Australian and New Zealand Accreditation System (JAS-ANZ). Customers should note that some MGP products sawn from fire salvaged timber enters the supply chain nearly every year, as small to medium fire events in pine plantations are not uncommon around Australia, and these products have been subjected to the same testing protocols that will apply now. Andy McNaught is Technical Manager of Engineered Wood Products Association Australia

Supply shortage tipped for timber THE bushfires and COVID-19 will put even more of a squeeze on timber supplies, with the construction industry ramping up earlier warnings of a supply shortage in the lead-up to summer. PrefabAUS, the peak body for Australia’s off-site construction industry, says the impacts on Australians from COVID-19, and the prefabrication sector, have yet to be fully realised. PrefabAUS said it would remain in close contact with the Government and all relevant authorities keeping a watching brief as the situation evolves over time. And, although some of the bushfire damaged timber will be salvageable in the short term, Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn said her as-

sociation raised concerns about a timber supply shortage before the bushfires began, and that the issue was raised again at a bushfire recovery roundtable last month. Ric Sinclair, managing director of Forest and Wood Products Australia, said with bushfires also hitting large swathes of Victoria’s traditional forestry fields in the state’s east, the medium-term impact on the nation’s timber supply would not be known for a couple of months. A potential saving grace for timber suppliers is the ability to preserve timber products for up to five years under sprinklers or irrigation dams. Mr Sinclair said forestry suppliers were now racing to determine how much of their products could be stored. AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

“Short term I would expect to see more wood in the market. In the medium term, you would expect to see imports fill the gap — they currently fill 20 per cent of the market,” he said. Ms Wawn said she felt the supply shortage would predominantly be felt by local building and timber supply companies, which could affect the housing construction market. “What we’ve found is that you find that larger businesses will purchase long-term bulk orders, which as a consequence makes it harder for smaller operators and regional operators to access timber quickly,” Ms Wawn said. “We need to ensure that we have sufficient products to meet demand over the next 12 months, so when we get to a spike in re-

building activities in the coming months we have minimised any supply shortages.” “While it was too early to tell the full extent of the damage, it would be naive to think this isn’t going to have an impact on the supply chain,” said Housing Industry Association chief executive Kristin Brookfield. PrefabAUS said that some of its members would be impacted by disruptions in the global supply chain due to the effects of the virus. However, other members have on-shore suppliers and were ready to meet the challenges in the delivery of projects. COVID-19 was already having an impact on some building contractors, who had significant reliance on supply chains throughout Asia. 3

NEWS australasian

APRIL 2020 Issue 2 Vol. 28 Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

Big River Group acquires Pine Design in Adelaide C

Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501

ONSTRUCTION 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. Pine Design has operated in the market for over 30 years, and has a strong client base in the South Australia region. It is particularly strong in manufacturing roof and floor trusses and as a supplier of timber and building products, complementing Big River’s strength in the residential, commercial and civil construction markets. The combination of these two respective strengths creates a business of scale and considerable opportunity, with an exposure to all construction segments and continues the national strategic expansion of Big River. “We are pleased to be able to offer the customers of South Australia the opportunity of an expanded product offer and experienced team to increase the services we can provide for them and their businesses,” said Jim Bindon, Big River CEO. “We believe both companies will benefit greatly and

Melbourne Office: Suite 2262, 442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 9810 3262

Timber supply hit by fire, hit by COVID-19, will be an issue

News 3-8 Timber Design Awards 8 Industry 4.0 10 Woodchat 14 Associations 20-23 Front Cover: Australian Sustainable Hardwoods MASSLAM glue laminated timber after being exposed to a 1000 degrees centigrade 120-minute Fire Resistance Test. FULL STORY: Page 6 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 Production: Peter Frezzini & NEM Creative 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

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 2020 © 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

■■ Pine Design has operated in Adelaide for more than 30 years and has a strong client base in

South Australia.

also believe that our customers will appreciate the wider range of services and products.” Pine Design will continue to operate in the same way, with the existing manager Chris Wray remaining with the business. Local contacts will also remain the same, with the added support of Big River Group, which has both manufacturing and building supply distribution businesses all

The bushfires are over, but the effects on the building industry will be hanging around for a while. That’s hardly unexpected given the amount of both hardwood, softwood and specialty timbers that went up in smoke across the nation over summer. Supply is going to be an issue. The Master Builders Australia says raised concerns about a timber supply shortage before the bushfires began, and that the issue was raised again at a bushfire recovery roundtable last month. The MBA felt local building and timber supply companies, which could affect the housing construction market, would predominantly feel the supply shortage. Given that this could involve the use of imported timbers has, of course, been thrown into further confusion when the effects on imports and exports from the COVID-19 pandemic is taken into consideration. But, rebuilding has begun, and timber will

around Australia and New Zealand. Big River Group has been operating for over 100 years, manufacturing and distributing timber and steel formwork products, timber flooring, building products, structural plywood and related timber products. It also distributes a broad range of other building products, including MaxiWall and MaxiFloor, primarily to the commercial, residential and

australasian

be playing a large part in the strategies for those pondering the future. Builders, and those re-building, must not be afraid to stipulate that timber can be used for housing, in particular in fire-prone areas. Forest and Wood Products Australia has updated its free resources to help re-build resilient homes in bushfire-prone areas and a program of workshops and further informational resources will be rolled out over the coming months in fire-affected communities. FWPA quite rightly fully supports the current Australian standard (AS 3959-2018) and its structured approach to increasing bushfire attack levels (BALs) which gives flexibility to designers and homeowners in

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

infrastructure construction market segments. Big River owns and manages 17 sales and distribution outlets including Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane (2), Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Illawarra, Melbourne, Canberra, Geelong, Adelaide, Perth and New Zealand. The Company also owns and operates manufacturing facilities at Grafton and Wagga Wagga in NSW, Geelong, Perth and Auckland NZ.

accordance to the appropriate fire risk. With appropriate design decisions that meet the requirements of AS 3959, attractive timber homes can be built, using sustainably sourced wood and wood products both inside and out. And, in a huge fillip for builders, Australian Sustainable Hardwood’s successful testing of its MASSLAM product is good news indeed. MASSLAM uses Glue Laminated Hardwood (GLH) or Glue laminated Timber (GLT) for post and beam type construction using various species of plantation and regrowth hardwoods. For it to survive 120 minutes of 1000 degrees centigrade fire, only char on the outside and still be able to bear the load expected in a commercial building is outstanding. The industry has been saying for some time that timber, used properly, is fire resistant; this possibly proves it beyond doubt. www.timberbiz.com.au

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NEWS

FWPA help for rebuild in bushfire zones F

O REST and Wood Products Australia has updated its free resources to help re-build resilient homes in bushfire-prone areas. A program of workshops and further informational resources will be rolled out over the coming months in fire affected communities. FWPA’s Managing Director, Ric Sinclair, said FWPA fully supports the current Australian standard (AS 3959-2018) and its structured approach to increasing bushfire attack levels (BALs) that gives flexibility to designers and homeowners in accordance to the appropriate fire risk. “There is often some confusion about what can and what can’t be built in bushfire prone areas” and the answer lies in

determining the appropriate BAL,” Mr Sinclair said. To assist designers and home owners, FWPA has updated and released its online BAL calculator that can be accessed at the WoodSolutions website. The free design tool allows users to easily and quickly calculate the BAL for a particular site based on the details they input. Also available is the updated Design Guide 4: Building with Timber in Bushfire prone areas, developed to assist architects, designers, builders and owners to understand what construction requirement is required for traditional building methods using timber for each BAL. It is important to note timber framing and internal timber joinery can be used in all BAL categories and while external

exposed timber becomes more restricted as the BAL increases. Mr Sinclair said the loss of lives and homes has been heartbreaking but communities are looking to rebuild and need up-to-date information to support rebuild efforts and to know that timber construction is a viable option. FWPA will also be hosting workshops for the community, local councils and building design professionals. As part of the workshops, informational collateral will be provided that can be taken away and considered by attendees. Other FWPA activities will focus on collecting information from the current fires to help support timber usage if there are any proposals to change the current standard.

“FWPA is an evidence-based organisation but there are some groups who seek to remove timber from building construction in bushfire prone areas without regard to evidence or an assessment of the costs and benefits,” Mr Sinclair said. “As an industry, we need to remain vigilant to ensure that the right information is readily available to support and maintain important markets such as landscape timbers, framing and decking.” Additionally, FWPA is developing a best-practice guide for log storage and salvage following a bushfire event. This will include some in-mill trials focused around recovery rates for wood exposed to the fires.

■■ The MASSLAM beams after the fire test.

MASSLAM beats the heat at 1000 degrees centigrade AUSTRALIA’S first 120-minute Fire Resistance Test and Fire Resistance Level has been successfully completed on exposed glue laminated timber members manufactured in Victoria by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods Pty Ltd. The members, not encapsulated with a fire resistant board, are intended for ‘seen structural’ applications and manufactured under the brand name MASSLAM. A number of different MASSLAM members were made using various species of plantation and regrowth hardwoods, which are designed for use as columns and beams in commercial buildings - up to and beyond nine storeys in height. Some of the tested members offer a 40% reduction in size when compared with imported 6

mass-timber products. MASSLAM columns and beams can be manufactured up to 1300mm wide, 450mm and 12m long without block laminating. The test followed FRT and FRL requirements as listed in the Australian Standards ‘1530.4 : 2014 - Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures Fireresistance tests for elements of construction’. Each MASSLAM member passed two hours of fire, reaching above 1000C, while still bearing the load expected in a commercial building. “There are generally two concerns from authorities,” says ASH’s Managing Director, Vince Hurley. “Fire and acoustics. There are sufficient design solutions

available to easily overcome both and many use European fire data which, unlike Australia, is only required to meet 60 or 90 minutes. “We have questions about whether European tests would be relevant to Australian Standards at 120 minutes. This test not only shows the performance of our MASSLAM systems under prolonged fire, it also proves that timber performs much better than steel.’’ ASH is Australia’s largest glulam producer by volume and has been producing glulam products for more than 20 years. “We have invested another $12 million in automated masstimber equipment, advanced adhesive technology and state of the art, robotic CNC equipment,” ASH national business AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

development manager Daniel Wright said. “This compliments and extends on our existing $20M Glulam facility. ASH’s Wood Engineer can develop shop drawings from 3D building plans and the advanced robotic equipment will prefabricate the members in accordance with the design. “Builders will receive MASSLAM with fixings attached and a coating to protect against weather during construction. “MASSLAM can then be delivered to site in order of sequence where they will be connected as they go,’’ he said. A typical eight-storey building made from MASSLAM can contain 2000 tonnes of stored carbon and be “re-grown” in Victorian forests within 19.8 minutes.

Interest rate cut a prudent response, says HIA THE decision by the RBA board to lower the cash rate is the prudent course of action, according to the Housing Industry Association. HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon said the reduction in the cash rate in 2019 was critical to slowing the decline in the residential building that has been a major drag on economic growth. “It is now clear that travel and trade restrictions between China and Australia will weigh on the domestic economy. It is prudent to move early to ward-off more significant impacts,’’ he said. “The residential building industry has some exposure to the trade and travel restrictions, but at this stage home building prices and project completion times haven’t been affected. “As for imported building products, it is currently unclear when the supply of these products will start to be affected by the restrictions. Suppliers are currently enacting their contingency plans for alternate sourcing. Product availability may be affected in the short term as alternate sourcing options are established,’’ he said. “This is a very well anticipated ‘shock’. A sudden economic correction in China has been widely expected for a number of decades, perhaps not this specific scenario, but one that large businesses should have considered.” Meanwhile building approvals in the three months to January 2020 increased by 4.9 per cent compared with the previous three months but remain 2.3 per cent lower than the same time last year. HIA Economist Angela Lillicrap said data continues to indicate that the residential building market reached a turning point mid-way through 2019, fuelled by cuts to the official cash rate. “Continued house price growth is boosting confidence in the market. This combined with the low interest rate environment, making servicing a mortgage more affordable, bodes well for increased demand for new housing,’’ she said. www.timberbiz.com.au

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timber design awards

■■ The North Strathfield school under contruction.

■■ The finished exterior of the former 1970s three storey former Telstra training centre.

School CLT expansion and award winning plan O UR Lady of the Assump-

tion Catholic Primary School in New South Wales has become the first school in Australia to be transformed using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). The three-storey extension to the North Strathfield school is a feat of design and construction collaboration, transforming a 1970s concrete building into a creative and supportive space for student wellbeing. A realisation of the school’s vision, the design includes highly visible CLT walls, stairs and ceilings using feature grade CLT panels. The transformation, which began in 2015, has been the recipient of a number of awards, most recently the Australian Timber Design Awards prize for Excellence In Timber Design for a public building. While the fitout of the ground floor was opened in April 2015 and has been in use since, the second stage of the construction was occupied by the school in January 2019. The building will be home to 420 primary school students (two streams K-6) and its model of repurposing an unwanted 8

building has seen it earmarked as a template for the future of inner city school designs. This is the first time a Glulam/ CLT structure has been used for a school in Australia. The benefits are a high quality, precise and environmentally friendly construction, as well as longterm wellbeing for occupants. The exterior of both the existing concrete structure and new CLT additions have been clad in a highly insulated custom perforated zinc cladding façade with double glazed high performance timber/aluminium windows. The project reuses a rundown 1970s three storey former Telstra training centre that was a typical institutional example of brutalist concrete architecture of its time. During the first stage of works, many of the internal walls were demolished and the façade replaced, working to re-invigorate previously small and dark spaces. Stage two works included construction of an additional level and an impressive four storey atrium entry. The atrium connects all learning areas, a new hall, arts

space, balconies and rooftop playgrounds. Other additions to the school include glulam, CLT walls and a CLT acoustic ceiling flooring system. The exterior of the existing structure and new additions are clad in a highly insulated, custom perforated zinc cladding façade with double glazed, airtight high-performance timber and aluminium windows. OLA is a model for sustainability through its innovations in construction by using engineered timber. The additions to the school feature Glulam, cross laminated timber (CLT) walls and a CLT acoustic ceiling flooring system. The benefits of using timber are high quality, precise and environmentally friendly construction, as well as long term wellbeing for occupants and an energy efficient use of the school. The exterior of the existing concrete structure and new CLT additions have been clad in a highly insulated, custom perforated zinc cladding façade with double glazed, airtight high-performance timber/aluminium windows. The collaboration between structural engineers, fire engi-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

■■ The interior of the completed school.

EXCELLENCE IN TIMBER DESIGN Structural Engineer: TTW Builder: Stephen Edwards Construction Fabricator: Neue Holzbau AG Photographer: Brett Boardman, Michael Nicholson, Stefan Hefele Location: Strathfield, New South Wales neers and services consultants played a crucial role in the success of the project. The prefabricated CLT floor/ acoustic ceiling system has also significantly reduced the overall cost of the project, established during the 6 month value engineering process after tender. The design needed to address a number of challenges presented by the site during a 2 stage process. Previously dark and cellular spaces within the building were opened up in stage 1 (Ground floor – 2015) through demolishing most of the walls and replacing the façade. Rounding out the second stage of works an additional level on top of the existing building, as well as a 4-storey atrium as main entry connecting all learning areas, a new hall, arts space, balconies and roof-top playgrounds have been added as a prefabricated mass-timber construction. Connections between the street, playground, learning spaces and school administra-

tive areas are enabled through the addition of a 4-storey atrium and the removal of most internal walls from the existing structure, replaced with transparent sliding panels and glass throughout. Knut Menden, Senior Associate, BVN Architects says the project is a model for sustainability through its innovation using engineered timber. “Using timber in this type of construction provides many benefits. The process is highly precise, productive and environmentally friendly and in the long-term results in increased energy efficiency for the school,” said Menden. “Part of the impetus to use CLT was the wealth of research supporting timber use in learning spaces. Current research suggests an increase in concentration, productivity and decreased stress levels, promoting wellness and better learning outcomes for students.” Using early contractor involvement (ECI), played a crucial role in the success of the project. www.timberbiz.com.au

Frame makers

Taking science into building A

CH ANCE discovery of native cypress put Cooroy builder Greg Phipps on a journey which has resulted in a project which has seen him become the only producer of cypress glulam beams for housing in Queensland. A second-generation builder from Strathmore in Melbourne, Greg moved to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in the mid-1980s to begin building new homes moving away from renovating old homes, kitchens and bathrooms around Strathmore and Essendon But he soon became very interested in Sustainability in building, taking four years off building to do a combined double degree BA / BSc in Environmental Management and Planning at the University of Sunshine Coast USC Queensland. He resumed building after university, also running a school-based apprentice and trainee training program As part of their training Greg had the trainees build a project based on a tiny workers’ cottage – Parkyn’s Hut in Tewantin - from the 1880s. That sparked his interest in low cost ecologically sustainable prefabricated houses. Eco Cottages was created in 2007 just prior to receiving emailed confirmation and encouragement for Greg’s business venture from Queensland Regional Ecologist from the Murray Darling Committee Greg Ford which said: “Your venture in cypress-based relocatable buildings is a great example of the innovative use of natural resources and could certainly provide opportunities for landholders in this region to diversify their enterprises into sustainable forest products”. Greg developed an interest in building with cypress, because of its natural termite resistance and because of its environmental qualities.

■■ The interior of the Eco Cottages factory and, below, Gregg Phipps.

But industry practice of openair seasoning of cypress took too long to reduce its moisture content to be suitable for building and joinery. Kiln drying was not feasible due to excessive splitting and surface checking of cypress caused through the intensive heat in the kiln. With the help of an R&D tax off-set Greg went to work on experiments and trials on reducing the moisture content, as it was industry practice to leave cypress outside exposed to the cold, rain wind and sun to cure/ season the cypress which takes around 12 months or longer. “I thought maybe if we could change the ebb and flow of

varying weather conditions by moving the cypress indoors, we could increase the rate of drying,” he said. “And by keeping the cypress stacks 600mm above the ground to increase air movement flow and by stripping the cypress stacks out with thicker strips of cypress to let more air circulate through the pack and a few other basic things. “After these experiments I thought we could further speed up the drying rate in an indoor insulated facility which circulated relatively mild temperatures with relative humidity of about 50 to 60 percent. “Instead of the cypress being left in an environment with the extreme variability of cold wet and hot weather, we could provide a constant temperature gradient 24/7 that would further fast-track the seasoning of the cypress without the intensive energy use of a kiln and its negative impact on the quality of the timber. “We did further trials and experiments utilizing our R&D Tax offsets and our collaboration with Queensland’s Department

of Agriculture and Fisheries,” Greg said. “We expanded the project because the results we were getting were very positive. We were reducing the seasoning time down from 12 months to six months. “But it still wasn’t commercially viable.” He decided to build a bigger purpose-built solar powered facility through a successful tender with the Noosa Shire Council (NSC) for the lease of a 5600m² industrial site in Cooroy coupled with R&D Tax offsets to build a “giant lab”’. Along the way work continued to flow and more staff were put on. Eco Cottages now employs 24 people. They don’t employ subcontractors because building and manufacturing products from cypress for sustainable modular housing requires specific skill development that is different to traditional building systems. They train all staff and their many apprentices in skills specific to what they do. The ongoing use of traditional steel bearers restricted design

flexibility, increased weight and made joining of modules problematic, so they decided to make their own bearers from cypress by making cypress Glu-laminated beams. Eco Cottages began making their own cypress glulam beams but they were still not strong enough based on test results of our early cypress glulam samples conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry (DAF) Through ongoing R&D, engineering and collaboration with DAF. Adopting DAF’s recommendations for both the manufacture of our cypress glulam beams and the manufacture of our cypress floor trusses. Produced a bearer and floor system that the engineers stated “outperformed our steel bearer system”. Now EC only use cypress glulam beams / bearers and no steel. “Eco Cottages is the only manufacturer of cypress glulam in Queensland and their new factory has allowed them to increase manufacturing capacity to support their modular building construction program,” Greg said.

Cypress in league of its own THE wood from native cypress pines is distinctive in colour and grain and is generally easily distinguished from the softer plantation pines and oregon pine, and the native and imported hardwoods. In colour cypress ranges from the light cream of the sap wood up to a very dark brown (dark chocolate) of some of the interior hardwood of some mature trees. The occurance of large and small knots is a characteristic of the material but this characteristic also provides remarkably decorative figure on the planed surfaces. Typically the knots are tight knots which do not readily fall out of the sawn wood. The wood has a distinctive odour, most noticable when freshly sawn or planed. www.timberbiz.com.au

This odour is attributed to an included nature resin which is apparently an effective repellant for termite species. The heartwood of cypress is ranked as termite resistant. The sapwood of cypress is resistant to the lyctus borer but under appropriate hazardous conditions the sapwood could be susceptible to decay, fungi and termites. Cypress is regarded as a very durable timber, hard wearing (hence useful flooring material), decorative (as internal clear finished panels and furniture), readily painted, low shrinkage (from green) and with good nail holding properties.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

Technology

Industry 4.0 What is the hype? Taking the tangle out of technology one piece at a time

EAN manufacturing- was a con-

cept that was embraced and implemented worldwide for manufacturing. However, lean manufacturing is so 2010. Today, you need to be on the Industry 4.0 bandwagon if you want to survive into the next decade (2020). Governments, associations, universities and any business advisory firm are all talking about the fourth revolution for manufacturing. If you pay attention to the hype- you need to adapt and change or else... you are doomed, closed, out of business. So, what exactly is Industry 4.0? Well, if you can put the words manufacturing, digitisation, automation, connection and efficiency together in one sentence then you’ve got the idea. The Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science defines it as, ‘Industry 4.0 uses transformative technologies to connect the physical world with the digital world’. Clearer? An easier way to consider Industry 4.0 is simply machinery and

ED SERRANO

communication. Machines connecting and communicating with each other. Machines self-monitoring and analysing. Machines autonomously managing production. Machines creating superior cost efficiencies, better quality goods, improving production and increasing flexibility. In other words, machines autonomously managing production in a flexible, efficient, and resource-saving manner. How does Industry 4.0 relate to the timber frame and truss industry? If you think your linear saw is the answer then you are on the right path. However, your linear saw alone does not make you Industry 4.0 compliant. There is no doubt that linear saws have revolutionised the production of tim-

Members on the Software team

Members on the controls team

24/7

Support from NZ and three locations in North America

40+

Optimisation Systems installed

700+

Control systems Installed worldwide

■■ Vekta’s Scott Handerson and Roeland Van Winden.

ber frames and trusses. However, this is only an ‘incrovation’- an incremental innovation. To really embrace Industry 4.0 your machinery needs to be doing a lot more. In an Industry 4.0 context, real time decision making is imperative. The term used for this is ‘Big Data and Analytics’. In simpler words, your production equipment, enterprise and management systems all need to be talking to each other. The information they give you needs to be what business decisions are based on. To be able to use data and analytics to inform decisions, you will need horizontal and vertical system integration combined with the Industrial Internet of Things. Still with me? It might be easier to unpack some of the theories behind Industry 4.0 by highlighting the actions Vekta is taking to ensure our customers are ready for the next big change in manufacturing. Vekta has invested in ensuring our machines are able to post real time data in a number of formats, and support a wide range of Factory Management Systems. Web based technologies are used to make it easier for both management and operators to interact efficiently with products using personal devices such as tablets, computers and smartphones. Live production statistics, material picklists, even remote viewing and control can be achieved easily from mobile devices. You could be sitting in your office (or at the beach) and be able to see exactly what is happening in production in real-time. To address Industry 4.0 requirements, Vekta is also investing in background infrastructure development

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that will enable products to directly interact with cloud-based systems aimed at improving the customer experience. The ability for field devices to interact and communicate with more centralized components is an example of the Industrial Internet of Things. What does this actually look like? In 2020, Vekta’s products will be able to ‘phone home’ and report information such as software version numbers, production statistics and even complete automated back-ups. What are the benefits? Well, let’s consider a new software bug is discovered and rectified by the Vekta Engineering team. Vekta can then use the central portal to immediately identify in real time which systems globally are affected and implement the changes. Other applications of this technology include production benchmarking (enabling each site to see how their operation performs against the status quo), targeted product development based on common issues found at various sites, and (as mentioned) automated tools for software updates and backups. Ok, so that is some of the higher level aspects of Industry 4.0. Now for the fun- Autonomous Robotics Machines that can make their own decisions and then perform an action accordingly. It would be easy to think that your average CNC linear saw fits into this category. However, your average Linear saw is pre-programmed to perform a repetitive movement. They are not able to react. Roomba is the best example of an autonomous robot in the current commercial market. The little vacuum cleaner can perceive its environment and make a decision based on those perceptions.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

training

Two steps to start a trainee or apprentice

OULD you like to de-

velop your workforce further? Do you want to employ someone to guard against staff attrition or contingencies? Do you simply need more workers but want them trained as they start for safety or compliance reasons? Traineeships or apprenticeships might be your answer but the process to register an apprentice isn’t always clear. The following steps should take stress and uncertainty out of the registration process: Step 1- Talk to your local or industry training providers. They will be able to recommend qualifications for your workers and match the qualifications to the skills you require. If you don’t want a whole qualification many providers can offer skill sets in the areas where you need learning. If you don’t know who your industry provider is try the www.training.gov.au website for a search of providers delivering to forest industries. Another source of trainer in-

formation is the Australian Timber Trainers Association (ATTA) website at www.atta. org.au . Key questions to ask the training provider include: How long does the course go for? Will the training be done at my workplace or do I need to send the learners somewhere? If at the workplace then how many visits? For how long a time? Is there any online learning component? What is the expected time commitment for a learner to achieve the qualification? What will the course cost and when/how will it be invoiced? Are there any subsidies available to reduce this cost? If you have experienced workers are there assessment only or recognition pathways available? Many providers have a course brochure or summary they can send to you. Talk to your workers/ trainees about the provider information and If you decide that traineeship or apprenticeship programs are right for your business then it is time for;

■■ Apprenticeships might be the answer but the process to register isn’t always clear.

Step 2- Contact a local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider The Apprenticeship Support Network providers can provide you with advice on what, if any, employer incentives might be available for the business.

The incentives are independent of any state training subsidies that training providers may have and details differ between states. You can locate an AASN servicing your area via www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/searchaasn Give the course details from

your training provider to the AASN. If you want to proceed with the training then the AASN will register the learners as being on qualifications, notify the training provider to commence enrolment and organise access to any business incentives.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

engineered wood

Wodonga CLT plant is running Bruce Mitchell

HE largest Cross Lami-

nated Timber (CLT) manufacturing plant in the Southern Hemisphere is now well and truly up and running in Australia, with manufacturing underway at XLam’s $30m Wodonga facility. Situated between Melbourne and Sydney, means the Wodonga facility can service a large portion of the country with direct, just in time, deliveries. The facility is also just 150km from its sister companies Hyne Timber Tumbarumba Mill which provides the primary resource. Construction of the Wodonga facility was supported by the Australian Government through a $2.5m grant from the Commonwealth Government Next Generation Australia Industry Grants, and a $450k grant from the Victorian Regional Development Authority to support job development. The target was to create thirty direct jobs, to date thirty-six direct jobs have been created with further direct jobs expected. XLam was the first to start manufacturing the monolithic structural building material, CLT, in Australasia in 2011. Since then XLam have been a trail blazer for the use of Mass Timber and the uptake of Build Offsite thinking and technologies by the Construction Sector. “While the year on year growth of XLam has been impressive from day one since commissioning the Wodonga facility in March 2018 demand for Australian made CLT has grown significantly” says XLam’s Head of Marketing & Business Development John Eastwood. “The commissioning of the Wodonga facility is a game changer for the local market that allows us to meet the growing demand for Mass Timber buildings in Australian made CLT, from Australian plantation radiata pine forests. “The benefits for New Zealand Mass Timber buildings is also significant with the plant able to supply Treated CLT that complies with New Zealand Building Code requirements with more consistent lead times and now without the volatility of New Zealand log pricing at a more consistent price point,” Mr Eastwood said. The 12,000m² facility has an annual manufacturing capacity of 50,000m³ of CLT and the plans to scale up to that capacity have already been accelerated. 12

■■ The first CLT shipment from the Xlam plant in Wodonga ready to go in 2018 and, below, inside the plant.

“The plant is already double shifted in most areas; we’re just finalising the commissioning of another Hundegger PBA3 to create our second CNC line and we’re finalising investments in both additional finishing and lifting equipment,” Mr Eastwood said. Along with its manufacturing facility in Wodonga XLam also have offices in Melbourne, Auckland and Nelson and personnel based in Sydney, Brisbane, Maryborough, Christchurch and Queenstown

struction processes,’’ he said. “While we’re not the designer, manufacturer and installer on every project we’re involved with there is an imperative these wraparound services are available to our clients that they can pick and choose from depending on what’s best for project.” It is widely understood the benefits of utilising mass timber structures in buildings and build offsite technologies is in safety, time and cost. However really understand-

The benefit isn’t in the likefor-like exchange of concrete for mass timber; it is in what the mass differential can do for the design and building of the structure. With CLT being circa 20% the mass of concrete the up to 30% material cost savings and time cost savings is in foundation design and construction. Simply put the material cost saving of CLT is in the ground. What designers and constructors alike are rapidly recognising is switching from a concrete

providing specification advice, structural engineering services, contract management and construction services. “While at our core we are a CLT manufacturer we are also a design services provider and a construction services provider,” Mr Eastwood said. “Simply being a manufacturer of a product doesn’t cut it in the Construction Sector anymore. “Manufacturers of specifically design materials or systems must be a lot more integrated in both the design and con-

ing where these benefits manifest in a project and just how big they can be takes some time and different thinking by clients and project teams. Simply comparing square meter rates don’t reveal these underlying benefits. By way of example, the comparison of monolithic structural building materials such as CLT with Post Tension (PT) or Precast Concrete on a square meter rate basis will result in a like for like price point or sometimes even a slightly high square meter rate for CLT.

structure to a mass timber structure without taking up the indirect foundation material and time cost benefits doesn’t benefit them or their clients. To extend this example the switching from a concrete structure to a mass timber structure can improve onsite programme by up to 20% given there is no curing time. Again what constructors are rapidly recognising is without the programme need for curing time and the inconvenience of the sea of temporary propping they can push the 20% pro-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

gramme benefit even further through the resequencing and truncating of when secondary sub-trades can perform their functions. There is a range of build types where mass timber structures are being embraced by clients and project teams. Where a regular geometry structure is being utilised which is in architectural typologies such as student accommodation buildings, hotel buildings and aged care facilities are a prime example along with social housing builds such as three story walk-ups. There is a significant increase in the use of Mass Timber in commercial office buildings utilising large scale Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) post and beam structures in conjunction with CLT floor plates and cores along with a number of large retail and industrial buildings utilising very large floor plates, cores and stairs. The use of mass timber in hybrid structures such as steel post and beam structures utilising CLT floor plates, cores and stairs is seeing previously unusable land due to things like poor soil conditions now being commercially viable to develop along with vertical extensions to existing buildings with minimal strengthening requirements to the existing structure. Naturally the use of mass timber in high end architectural dwellings continues to grow and push boundaries. “The lightbulb moment for our clients and the project teams we’re involved with is the realisation that mass timber and build offsite technologies are freeing them from traditional construction sector thinking that has driven design, procurement and construction that hasn’t really evolved for over a century,” Mr Eastwood said. www.timberbiz.com.au

engineered wood

Taking timber to new heights A NEW hotel due to open

later this year in Melbourne is set to the tallest timber adaptive reuse building in Australia. Bates Smart designed a 10 storey structure made from engineered timber that sits top of an existing office building in Melbourne’s Southbank. The Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank is set to open later in 2020. The existing concrete-framed building on Southbank Boulevard was designed to accommodate only six additional levels – were those levels to also be made from a concrete frame. By using a lighter, engineered timber structure, an extra four storeys became structurally feasible. Julian Anderson, Bates Smart director, said that the hotel was the world’s largest engineered timber extension, with around 5,300 tonnes of cross-laminated timber (CLT) sourced from suppliers with Forest Stewardship Council certification used in its construction.

“In addition to reduced carbon emissions, cross-laminated timber incorporates several sustainability benefits, including lower transport costs and time saving advantages from off-site manufacturing,” he said. “It also presents a more sustainable approach to increasing density within our cities.” The timber structure is wrapped in a glass curved façade, inset with an oversized balcony. The interiors feature exposed timber and wooden furniture, referencing the building’s timber skeleton. Bates Smarts is among a number of Australian practices that are using engineered timber to built ever-taller buildings (or “plyscrapers”). It is behind the design of a 52-metre-tall office tower in Brisbane that will be made from engineered timber. CLT was first developed in Switzerland in the 1990s and has a lower carbon footprint than many other building materials used in commercial projects, in part because the production process produces no waste.

■■ How the Southbank hotel will look after a 10 storey structure made from engineered timber is

built on top of the extisting existing concrete-framed building.

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

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NEWS

Building fire resiliant homes T he latest

episode in the series of WoodChat podcasts shares bestpractice methods on building with wood in bushfire-prone areas to help educate the community. It focuses on the important work FWPA is doing to provide resources for the construction industry and consumers about building resilient homes with timber. It’s a particularly pertinent topic considering national tragedies such as the Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday fires, and more recently, the unprecedented fires over late 2019 and early 2020. Hosts Sam and Georgia speak to Boris Iskra, National Codes & Standards Manager at FWPA, on the importance of building

with fire in mind, focusing on the relevant building standards and how timber can be used compliantly. Mr Iskra said many Australians want to continue living in these areas and also want to build with wood because of its environmental and aesthetic advantages. “There are no guarantees that a building will survive a bush-

fire regardless of the materials used in its construction. What we can do is build using the materials and methods we know will best protect the structure and its occupants. It’s all about what’s used, how it’s used and what it’s used in conjunction with,” said Mr Iskra. “We can predict how timber will perform in specific circumstances and can therefore design properties using timber to help meet the performance requirements of the structure. “For anybody considering building with timber in a bushfire-prone area, my advice would be to talk to the Local Government Area, seek advice about the Bushfire Attack Level and any other requirements that must be adhered to.” In addition to presenting edu-

cational workshops in bushfire-prone areas, FWPA offers a wealth of free resources on the topic via its WoodSolutions website. During the episode, the hosts also speak to Nigel Bell, Principal of ECOdesign Architects + Consultants who builds in bushfire-prone areas, to gain some insights into what concerns he tends to hear from clients, and how he responds. “Most people have little concept of how readily timber can be used or not used in a bushfire-prone area,” Mr Bell said. “The far too simplistic norm is ‘timber will burn, therefore it’s not good enough.’ That is a very naïve position, because timber is one of the most sustainable building materials we have. We should be using it to the full-

est extent reasonable, possible and financial.” This episode is the latest in the series of WoodChat podcast, following topics including the takeaways from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress, and how FWPA has joined forces with Australia’s other agriculture and horticulture industries to develop new pest diagnostic technology. WoodChat represents FWPA’s ongoing commitment to engaging ways of communicating news and innovations to the industry and beyond. Each episode includes in-depth conversations with experts on recent discoveries and current initiatives. You can listen to WoodChat on SoundCloud and iTunes.

Timber and Technology; The Zero Carbon Future THE conference theme for the Timber Offsite Construction organised by Frame Australia this year is Timber & Technology; The Zero Carbon Future, which reflects current global developments emerging that, are changing the way we build our homes and cities. World Green Building Council initiatives for carbon reduction are now underway with a global project for net zero carbon buildings in the built environment by 2030, providing major opportunities for wood in future sustainable construction. Technology is also re-shaping the building process with digital data integration in design and engineering, leading to highly automated robotic manufacturing and fast on-site installation. Offsite timber construction in residential and commercial building is growing rapidly in Australia, with the number of mass wood building projects doubling over the past two years. Conference sessions will present the latest advancements in global technology and outstanding initiatives now emerging in design, construction and manufacturing. The topic themes will be: • Building design Influences – Zero carbon future, Passivhaus, healthy buildings, design trends. • Construction productivity - ECI collaboration, digital data sharing, construction innovation. • Manufacturing & technology – DFMA, hybrid systems, panelisation, modular components. 14

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

• Global wood building projects – Building innovation, construction challenges, future wood cities. A new initiative will feature four half-day theme sessions, each with a Speakers topic session followed by Building Project Panel sessions. Delegates may register for any combination of half-day sessions to attend only their primary topics of interest, or limited time availability. Speaker Sessions will provide prominent international speakers along with highly knowledgeable local experts to present on topics related to each session theme, with time for delegate questions to speakers and audience discussion. Building Project Panel sessions will focus on timber and mass wood projects currently underway, providing an understanding of ‘real-life’ issues in design, manufacture, construction and installation. Key participants will present on their contribution to the project, and explain challenges encountered and solutions developed along with learning experiences and outcomes. The event will be held on Monday and Tuesday 15-16 June 2020 at Crown Promenade Melbourne. For details visit the website www.frameaustralia.com www.timberbiz.com.au

Certification

Briefs Hunt for students THE Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia is offering a three-year scholarship opportunity for graduate students undertaking their research with the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life. The scholarship will provide graduate students interested in wood product durability research with $10,000 funding per year, to a total value of $30,000. For further information about the EWPAA scholarship, the new graduate program or the Timber Durability Centre, visit their website (http://www. usc.edu.au/timber-durability) or email Professor Jeff Morrell (jmorrell@usc.edu.au). The Office of Research will accept applications until all positions are filled. Multiplex milestone MULTIPLEX has reached a major construction milestone on La Trobe University’s $100 million student CLT accommodation project at its Bundoora campus, topping out the twin building development. Continuing the trend towards timber construction, 4500 cubic metres of crosslaminated timber (CLT) and glulam (glue-laminated timber) will be used to deliver a mix of one, four, five and sixbed apartments supported by study areas, student kitchens and large communal spaces. This project is the largest mass timber construction project currently underway in Victoria, with the entire development utilising a full crosslaminated timber and glulam structure. The CLT is made from Austrian Spruce, grown in Alpine conditions and sourced from a timber supplier in Italy. The student accommodation is scheduled for completion in July this year. Plyscrapers makes headlines AUSTRALIA’S Macquarie Dictionary’s has accepted the word “plyscraper” which has been spawned from a building typology with growing popularity around the world. Macquarie Dictionary defines plyscraper as “a skyscraper built using super-strong, engineered wood products which are as tough as steel or concrete”. The word first appeared in media reports as early as 2011 when Canadian architect Michael Green addressed a Green Cities Conference in Australia by presenting his designs for the world’s first timber skyscraper. www.timberbiz.com.au

Certfication is a vital ‘trust mark’ in building R ESPONSIBLE Wood, Aus-

tralia’s largest forest certification scheme, is an important ‘trust mark’ supporting legal and sustainable forest management a peak Balustrade conference has heard. Speaking at ‘Close to the Edge: Balustrades – Complexity, Codes and Casualties’ Mr Thomson joined a panel of leading industry experts to discuss responsibilities, opportunities and new technologies faced by the Australian balustrade industry. For Mr Thomson, opt-in certification provides an all-important self-regulation to the industry. ‘Certification, either through compulsory government policy and regulations or non-compulsory schemes like Responsible Wood, play an important role in ensuring that balustrade construction meets social and environmental expectations,’ Mr Thomson said. And when it comes to chain of custody, Mr Thomson challenged industry to engage with, support and participate in forest certification as a matter of best practice. ‘When it comes to the building and construction industry, ‘Chain of Custody’ is a must, it by itself allows operators to make a Responsible Wood or PEFC claim on the finished product.’ ‘The Responsible Wood or PEFC claim provides suppliers, manufacturers and operators with evidence that timber used in balustrade is legal, responsible and sourced from a forest that supports sustainable forest management.’ ‘The PEFC and Responsible Wood claim has an enormous global impact, and through changes to local and interna-

■■ Certification provides an all-important self-regulation to the building industry.

tional procurement and legality requirements, forest certification is increasingly a necessity for market access to timber supply and distribution,’ Mr Thomson said. Indeed, forest certification not only provides the balustrade industry with market access, but it is instrumental in protecting the biodiversity of forests for multigenerational use. ‘Market access is the by-product, by sourcing timber from sustainably managed forests and by carrying PEFC or Responsible Wood claims, suppliers, manufacturers and operators can do their bit for protecting the biodiversity of forests for many generations to come.’ ‘Let forests remain forests, safeguard natural habitats for animals and fauna and ensure

indigenous rights are protected, ultimately these align with the social and environmental expectations of customer markets,’ Mr Thomson said. Reflecting on the success of the conference, Ms Patrizia Torelli, Executive Manager of the Australian Balustrade Association and convenor of the conference, highlighted the growing need for peak industry representation in the Australian balustrade industry. ‘The ABA is dedicated to protecting our industry from unqualified tradespeople – lobbying training regulators and governments to establish a stand-alone accreditation/licence for our industry and stop confusing state-based licensing which has encouraged unqualified work.’

Our focus is on improving safety and integrity with a single version of ‘safe’ by creating national guidelines and certification for design, safety, and testing standards, that will unify the balustrade industry.’ ‘Our ongoing aim is to prevent injury and death as a result of balustrades not fulfilling their purpose – to prevent fall,’ Ms Torelli said. For more information about the Australian Balustrade Association please visit the Australian Balustrade Association website at theaba.asn.au. For more information about Responsible Wood, including the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management, please visit the Responsible Wood website.

Sustainability a focus for Melbourne conference RESPONSIBLE Wood, Australia’s largest forest certification scheme, will participate in the 2020 UN & Australia Sustainable Partnerships Forum in Melbourne, April 15 and 16. With a focus on the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) ratified by all United Nations Members States in 2015, the Forum will bring together government, universities, private and community sector organisations to develop partnership around areas such as climate action, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities and the future of work. For Responsible Wood, the

Australian national governing body for the PEFC, forest certification and the role sustainable forest management in unlocking the full potential of forests, plays an important role in achieving SDGs. “Responsible Wood and PEFC forest certification provides a framework for global forests to be managed sustainably for multi-generational use,” Responsible Wood’s Jason Ross said. “Whether its minimising poverty and hunger, promoting education, good health and welling being and gender equality or clean health, sanitation, affordable and clean AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

energy and decent work opportunities, forest certification plays an all-important in setting benchmarks and standards,” he said. “What’s more PEFC and/or Responsible Wood forest certification plays a significant role in ensuring that forests remain forests.” The 2020 UN & Australia Sustainable Partnerships Forum has been designed to ensure that Australian organisations such as Responsible Wood can both show what they are doing to progress the Sustainable Development Goals and to explore potential partnerships with other similarly commit-

ted organisations. Responsible Wood has also been announced as a key exhibitor at the 2020 National Sustainability Conference in Brisbane. Running Monday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 28 at the Calile Hotel in Brisbane, the packed program features Responsible Wood director Mark Thomson who will chair a session on the Circular Economy. Staged annually the conference attract a wide reach of corporates, small business owners and government and is a great way to connect with allimportant specifiers and procurement professionals. 15

Timber treatment

Making wood unpalatable to insects, termites and borers Jack Norton National Secretary, Timber Preservers’ Association of Australia

n Australia, wood preser-

vation is about the protection of timber and timber products against attack by insects, termites, decay (or rot) and marine borers. Wood preservation is not about protecting wood from weathering, chemical erosion, fire or mechanical wear and tear. Preservation is achieved through the application of chemicals that make the wood unpalatable to attacking organisms. These chemicals are poisonous to attacking organisms and in some cases also have repellent features. There is a difference between wood preservation and wood protection. While wood preservation involves what are called biocides (chemicals that are toxic to the target organisms) timber protection also involves non- toxic chemicals or building practices to protect the wood.

There is a series of Australian and New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS1604) that provide specifications for preservative treatment. The current wood preservation standard is in five parts and a new three part standard is being developed. • AS1604.1 – 2012 – Part 1: Sawn and round timber (this standard does not apply in New Zealand – they have their own) • AS/NZS 1604.2 – 2012 – Part 2: Reconstituted woodbased products • AS/NZS 1604.3 – 2012 – Part 3: Plywood • AS/NZS 1604.4 – 2012 – Part 4: Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and • AS/NZS 1604.5 – 2012 – Part 5: Glue laminated timber products Different chemical formulations (mix of chemicals) are approved/specified for each hazard classification. One of the good things about the Australian/New Zealand preservation standard is that it specifies results (chemical

concentration and penetration) rather than a process to achieve the required levels. This allows the timber treater to use a number of different treatment methods and leaves the door open to new processing technologies. Timber preservation methods include: • Vacuum pressure impregnation – the timber is placed in a “pressure vessel” and subjected to vacuum and pressure. The treating solution is flooded into the vessel during the process; • Double vacuum impregnation – the timber is placed in a vessel and subjected to different levels of vacuum. Again, the treating solution is flooded into the vessel during the process; • Soaking in the treating solution; • Dipping in the treating solution; • Spraying the timber with the treating solution; and • Including a termiticide in the glue during construction of plywood or LVL.

The TPAA does not recommend one treatment method over another as long as the treated wood complies with the specifications listed in the Standard. Wood preservatives work by poisoning the wood so that when the attacking organisms (eg, termites) eat the wood, they are killed. Some preservatives such as the synthetic pyrethroids are not only toxic to termites but also have repellent characteristics, ie, the termites are repelled by the treated wood. Provided the approved chemical is in the right concentration in the right location in the wood, the treatment is 100 percent effective. Termite treatment does not affect timber. In fact, any form of wood preservation makes the wood last longer in service. This conserves our forest resources because you don’t need to replace wood that has been attacked by termites or decay. You could say, Conserve the forest – preserve the wood!

Hazard Class

Exposure

Service condition

Hazard

Example uses

Inside, above ground

Completely protected from the weather, well ventilated and protected from termites

ABorers

Susceptible framing, flooring, furniture, interior joinery

Inside, above ground

Protected from wetting, no leaching.

Borers and termites

Framing, flooring, furniture, interior joinery used across Australia

Outside above ground

Periodic moderate wetting and leaching

Moderate decay, borers and termites

Weatherboards, fascias, pergolas, framing etc.

Outside inground

Severe wetting and leaching noncritical applications

Severe decay, borers and termites

Fence posts, retaining wall less than 1 m high, landscaping timbers.

Outside inground with or in fresh water

Extreme wetting and leaching, critical application

Very severe decay, borers and termites

Piling, house stumps, power poles cooling tower fill, building poles, retaining walls more than 1m high

Marine waters

Prolonged immersion in sea water

Decay and marine wood borers

Boat hulls, marine piles, jetty cross bracing, jetty landing steps.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY visit www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

Preserving timber under pressure PRESSURE treating—which involves putting lumber inside a pressurized watertight tank and forcing chemicals into the boards—has been used for more than a century to help stave off the fungus that causes wood rot in wet environments. Now researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new method that could one day replace conventional pressure treating as a way to make lumber not only fungal-resistant but also nearly impervious to water—and more thermally insulating. The new method, which will be reported February 13 in the journal Langmuir and jointly sponsored by the Department of Defense, the Gulf Research Program, and the Westendorf Undergraduate Research Fund, involves applying a protective coating of metal oxide that is only a few atoms thick throughout the entire cellular structure of the wood. This process, known as atomic layer deposition, is already frequently used in manufacturing microelectronics for computers and cell phones but now is being explored for new applications in commodity products such as wood. Like pressure treatments, the process is performed in an airtight chamber, but in this case the chamber is at low pressures to help the gas molecules permeate the entire wood structure. “It was really important that this coating be applied throughout the interior of the wood and not just on the surface,” said Mark Losego, an assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. “Wood has pores that are about the width of a human hair or a little smaller, and we used these holes as our pathways for the gases to travel throughout the wood’s structure.” As the gas molecules travel down those pathways, they react with the pore’s surfaces to deposit a conformal, atomicscale coating of metal oxide throughout the interior of the wood. The result is wood that sheds water off its surface and resists absorbing water even when submerged. www.timberbiz.com.au

construction

Unlocking the hidden properties of wood

ever-strengthening case for using wood as a construction material was given yet another boost recently, as researchers were able to capture the visible nanostructure of living wood for the first time. While wood has been used as a construction material for centuries, its mechanical properties have so far struggled to meet all modern standards for inclusion in major superstructures. The case for wood has not been helped by the relatively limited understanding of its cells’ exact structure. Dr Jan Lyczakowski, from Cambridge University’s Department of Biochemistry, which was involved with the new research, said while we knew that the molecular architecture of wood HE

ENGINEERING

Next step, wooden skyscrapers?

determined its strength, we did not know the precise molecular arrangement of the cylindrical structures found in wood cells, known as macrofibrils. “A new technique has allowed us to see the composition of the macrofibrils, and how the molecular arrangement differs between plants, helping us understand how this might impact on wood density and strength,” Dr Lyczakowski said. Wood has its secondary cell walls to thank for its strength and rigidity. Many trees only achieve their impressive heights as a result of these secondary walls, which form a rigid structure around the cells of the trunk. Previous imaging of wood was

limited to dehydrated, heated or chemically processed samples. The team on this project adapted scanning electron microscopy at low-temperature to image the nanoscale architecture of the cell walls of living spruce, gingko and poplar trees. The secondary cell wall macrofibrils, which are 1,000 times narrower than a human hair, were revealed in microscopic detail. Dr Raymond Wightman, Imaging Core Facility Manager at the University of Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory, said the advanced techniques used in the research allowed the team to image hydrated wood cells for the first time. “It has revealed that there are

macrofibril structures with a diameter exceeding 10 nanometres in both softwood and hardwood species, and confirmed they are common across all trees studied,” Dr Wrightman said. The team also imaged the secondary cell walls of Arabidopsis thaliana, the standard reference plant for genetics and molecular research. It too was found to have prominent macrofibrils, and could therefore be invaluable as a model for further wood architecture research, including the involvement of specific molecules in the formation of macrofibrils. Professor Paul Dupree, of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry, a co-author of the study,

said visualising the molecular architecture of wood allows for investigation into how changing the arrangement of certain polymers might alter wood strength. “Understanding how the components of wood come together to make super strong structures is important for understanding both how plants mature, and for new materials design,” he said. “There is increasing interest around the world in using timber as a lighter and greener construction material. “If we can increase the strength of wood, we may start seeing more major constructions moving away from steel and concrete to timber.” And now somehow it does not seem too extreme to imagine cities built from skyscrapers made from wood.

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Looking Back 2019: AFTER just seven months of construction, Daramu House, the second timber building at Barangaroo, has reached its top floor marking structural completion at 1 Sussex St. Daramu House, meaning ‘tree’ house in the Aboriginal Language of the Sydney district, has been constructed from around 1,750 pieces of timber. The building is made from approximately 2,500 cubic metres of cross laminated timber and 2,200 cubic metres of glulam (glue laminated timber), and will include a 130-kilowatt solar array integrated with a rooftop garden.

■■ FROMM's Super Jumbo Strap Coils and Dispensers at work.

Decrease WH&S issues with a Super Strap Dispenser F ROM Super Jumbo Strap Coils & Dispensers can improve your production throughput and effectively eliminate the human risk of repetitive injury from picking up smaller coils at roll changes. With warehouse injuries on the rise in Australia, it’s time to start looking at safer options for your employees. According to Safe Work Australia, 41%* of all serious claims were the result of muscular stress while lifting or handling objects. The FROMM Super Jumbo Strap Coil & Dispenser feature three coils on a pallet. The pallet is loaded by forklift onto the FROMM dispenser eliminating any human lifting.

Each coil has up to 25,000m of strap equating up to 75,000 metres of strap on one dispenser. A standard strap roll has up to 2000m of strap. Richard Layton, the Managing Director at FROMM Packaging said “the Super Jumbo Strap is the equivalent to 43 standard strap rolls and that eliminates - 43 manual lifts, 40 roll changes at 10 minutes each, 40 machine resets and 40 cardboard cores that usually end up in waste. This is an astounding improvement on Staff WH&S conditions and with up to 7 hours saved per pallet of strap, production throughput is increased. FROMM Plastic Strap is manufactured using up to 98 % re-

cycled polyester bottle material (RPET) on state-of-the-art extrusion lines. The majority of this recycled raw material is produced, amongst others, in FROMM‘s plastic recycling plant in Wolfen Germany. The PET recycling plant produces PET pellets and PET flakes. Richard Layton, said “We use the flakes for our global production and on sell the pellets to other users and applications. At FROMM by using recycled resins we are not adding to the total amount of waste plastics in circulation. We use recyclables that are again recyclable”. With an input capacity of over 50,000 tons of bottles per year, FROMM is proud to be

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

one of the worlds leading recycling specialists in Europe. “Our new sustainability approach is to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Our goal is to limit the effects our products have on the environment. We actively strive, to develop and produce packaging machines and consumables for a better planet, said Richard Layton”. FROMM can produce Super Jumbo Strap PET Strap in traditional green, and a range of colours for different customers or markets. The FROMM Super Jumbo dispenser can be purchased with a FROMM strapping system, retrofitted to an existing FROMM system or be added to other brands

2015: RESEARCH at Stony Brook University (NY) has found an environmentally safe way to make wood flame retardant. A Stony Brook University Materials Science Professor guided an undergraduate and two Long Island high school students as they developed a patent-pending, environmentally sustainable way to render the wood used in construction flame retardant—and 5x stronger—using natural materials. The work took place at the Garcia Centre for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces at Stony Brook as part of the Garcia Research Scholar Program. The interdisciplinary effort involved Dr Marcia Simon, Professor and Director for Graduate Studies in the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. Simon is also Director of the Living Skin Bank, and helped design the toxicology testing and evaluate EPA reports. 2010: CURRENT building trends paint a somewhat bleak picture of Australia’s future housing needs with an estimated shortfall of almost 500,000 dwellings by 2020. Housing Industry Association senior economist Ben Phillips said its inaugural Housing to 2020 report, which focuses on future housing demand and the number of dwellings required in meeting this demand, highlights a current housing shortage that already numbers over 109,000 dwellings. The report finds that if current building trends persist, then Australia’s cumulated housing shortage would reach 466,000 dwellings by 2020. www.timberbiz.com.au

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When overtime applies under the Timber Industry Award 2010 T HE overtime provision in the Timber Industry Award 2010 provides that employees are entitled to overtime if they work outside the award’s span of hours (being 6:30am to 6:00pm) or if the employee works in excess of their ordinary daily number of hours. Overtime is paid at the rate of time and a half for the first two hours and double time thereafter. When calculating overtime, a general principle in most modern awards is that each day’s work will stand alone. This means that if an employee regularly performs overtime everyday each week for two hours, the total weekly overtime will be 10 hours paid at the rate of time and a half (or 150% times the employee’s hourly rate). If the same employee worked 3 hours a day of overtime every day during the week, the employee would be entitled to 10 hours at the rate of time and a half and 5 hours at the rate of double time (or 200% times the employee’s hourly rate). As indicated above, the award’s span of hours are from 6:30am to 6:00pm and the overtime provision provides that if an employee works outside the award’s span of hours they will be entitled to overtime. For example, if an employee is asked to start work earlier at 6:00am instead of 6:30am, the employee would be entitled to half an hour of overtime at the rate of time and a half. Whilst this article is focused on the Timber Industry Award 2010, each modern award will determine when overtime applies and the span of hours in each award is different so

“We support you!”

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer FTMA Australia

employers need to check the overtime provision within their employee’s applicable award when calculating overtime because of these variations between the modern awards. For example, some awards, such as the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2010, provides that overtime for the first 3 hours is payable at the rate of time and a half and then double time and the span of hours in this award differs from the Timber Industry Award 2010. This information has been provided by our Industrial Relations experts at Timber Trade Industrial Association Working in Hot & Cold Conditions Policy Over the past six months I have had many enquiries relating to working in hot and cold conditions as there is no doubt we have had plenty of these varying days. It’s hard enough for my body to know how to cope with the ridiculous hot/cold days that we have been experiencing, especially in Victoria where we have 42 degrees one day and 20 and rain the following, let alone know what the policy for working in these conditions should be. With the assistance of our industrial relations experts at Timber Trade Industrial Association a policy for Working in

the Heat or Cold Policy which has been uploaded on to the Members Resources area of the FTMA Australia website for members only. As with all our resources, this is provided free of charge for members and we encourage you to make amendments to suit your business and include the policy in to your workplace. As with any workplace policy, it is important that you don’t just copy the policy, but also adopt it by implementing the policy which includes discussing the policy with your workforce , ensuring the policy is understood and operating to the policy in extreme hot and cold conditions. If you have any questions please let me know, otherwise we encourage members to download and adopt the policy or update your current policy to ensure you have everything in place. Just a reminder that whilst you are on the Members Only Resource area you ensure you have the latest policies for NHVR, Alcohol & Drug Policy, the updated Credit Application Form (Updated July 2018) and ensure you are aware of all the free policies and documentation on the page. To download this policy or other members resources visit https://ftmanews.com/member-information/

FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

FTMA Australia is an independent, national organisation representing fabricators of and suppliers to the timber prefabricated truss and wall frame industry in all Australian states & territories providing a uniﬁed voice, to protect and advance our mult-billion dollar industry.

FTMA Australia thanks our dedicated supporters and encourages you to support those who support your industry GOLD SPONSORS

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What’s On 7-8 April 2020 MobileTECH Ag Rotorua, New Zealand

Coronavirus – important information for employers A FTER an initial delay, the World Health Organisation finally declared the coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern. As we know only too well, employers have a responsibility in all States to provide a safe working environment and ensure the health and safety of their employees. Employees who have been diagnosed with the virus are entitled to access their personal/ carer’s leave (sick leave) entitlements during their absence with the relevant accompanying evidence. Employees can also access their personal/carer’s leave to provide care and support to their family members if required to be the primary caregiver. It is important that employers should request that employees who have been absent with the virus provide a full medical clearance before they return to the workplace. If an employee has exhausted their personal/

Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer TTIA

carer’s leave, we recommend you consider allowing employees to access their annual or long service leave entitlements. If an employee has no leave accruals, you could consider allowing the employee to take a period of unpaid leave. TTIA has template forms you could access in this instance. The Department of Health advises that the most common symptoms are a fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. If you notice any of your employees experiencing

these flu-like symptoms, then as a precaution you should ask them to visit a health practitioner without delay. These employees should not return to work until they can provide a full medical clearance from their treating doctor. The Department of Health requires any person who thinks they have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus to isolate themselves at home for 14 days after their last contact with the confirmed case. As of 1 February 2020, the

Department of Health has advised that all travellers arriving out of mainland China (not just the Hubei Province) are being asked to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time they leave mainland China. At the time of writing, this emergency health situation is ongoing, however, as a precautionary measure, we recommend TTIA Members implement additional workplace hygiene practices and cleaning protocols across their workplace, including placing additional hand sanitiser throughout the workplace. We recommend you take the opportunity during toolbox meetings to remind your employees of the importance of good hygiene practices in the workplace. We encourage our Members to stay updated with the Department of Health’s updates on their website and if you need any assistance, please contact the TTIA Employers Hotline on 02 9264 0011.

Crack down on employees being classified as contractors The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) recently launched legal action against a transport company where it claimed the company had incorrectly classified employees as contractors. “If employers misclassify employees as independent contractors and pay flat rates that undercut entitlements, they face serious consequences such as court action, hefty back-payment bills and penalties,” Ombudsman Sandra Parker said in a statement released on 6 January. “Businesses who need information on whether an employment relationship exists should contact us.”

Ms Parker’s comments came as the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) announced that it had begun legal action against Brisbane-based Boske Road Transport, alleging the company had underpaid four of its drivers a total of $63,803, by classifying them as independent contractors instead of as award-governed employees. The regulator said that the four drivers worked for Boske for various periods between March 2016 and August 2018 and were engaged as independent contractors. However, it has alleged that the drivers should have been classified as employees, as they drove company-owned

vans, wore company uniforms and worked hours as stipulated by the company. As a result, the drivers were paid between $7,460 and $32,486 less than they would have been under the relevant industry awards, including through the omission of annual and sick leave entitlements as well as penalty rates. One of the individuals was engaged as a long-distance driver, who the FWO alleged was also underpaid by not receiving a cents-per-kilometre entitlement. The anomalies came to light during an investigation sparked by requests for assistance from workers.

The FWO is seeking full backpay, with interest and superannuation, on the amounts it claims were underpaid, in addition to penalties being applied against Boske. An initial hearing has been scheduled in the Federal Circuit Court for 22 May 2020. No one is pretending this is not a complicated area. However, any such arrangement needs to be documented at the very least to give it the best possible chance should the arrangement by tested from a legal perspective. Employers seeking assistance in clarifying this issue on contractor arrangements need to contact TTIA on (02) 9264 0011.

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20 April 2020 Australian Timber Importers Board meeting – Stora Enso Australia, Derrimut, Melbourne, Vic, Australia. 30 April - 2 May 2020 Women in Forestry Conference Whangamata, New Zealand 20-21 May 2020 Forest Industry Safety & Technology Rotorua, New Zealand 27-28 May 2020 Forest Industry Safety & Technology Melbourne, Australia. 11 JUNE 2020 Innovation in Action Conference – Wellington, NZ. 15 June - 16 June 2020 Timber Offsite Construction Conference (FRAME) Crown Promenade, Melbourne, Victoria. June 21-26 2020 Wood Science Course Gottstein Trust www.gottsteintrust.org July 23-24 2020 Doing Timber Business in Queensland Brisbane Marriot, Queensland. 27-28 July 2020 Annual Modular & Prefabrication Construction Singapore. 19-20 August 2020 WoodTECH 2020 Rotorua, New Zealand 24-27 August 2020 World Conference on Timber Engineering Santiago, Chile 25-26 August 2020 WoodTECH 2020 Melbourne, Australia 1-3 September DANA New Zealand Forest Industry Status and Outlook Conference and field trip – Emerald Hotel, Gisborne, New Zealand. To be included in What’s On please send events listings to b.mitchell@ryanmediapl.com.au

www.ttia.asn.au AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

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Driving for better outcomes and policies

ITH CEO Jos de Bruin at the helm MGA TMA has participated and worked closely with the office of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell and her team during 2019. The organisation took part in 4 out of 7 working groups and Policy Forums addressing a variety of issues that affected its members businesses. These policy forums provided a platform for issues to be raised and information to be shared to help small business and family enterprises navigate a challenging year. Kate Carnell said, “The business environment continues to evolve, and we look forward to collectively being a voice and advocate for a level playing field for small business and family enterprises.”

Several matters were addressed across the year including; • Access to Justice Report phase I and II • Development of the ASBFEO ATO Concierge Service • Banking Reforms – Banking Code of Practice amendments • Unfair Contract Terms – Regulatory Impact Statement on extending protections for small business due by the end of the year • Payment Times to Small Business – working with Government on developing an Annual Reporting Framework for large business • Reducing Government red tape

Serving independent timber and

• Online cybersecurity awareness • NBN Issues • Small Business digitisation • Electricity Prices – Default Market Offer and Energy Made Easy website • VET program changes • Small Business Fair Dismissal Code – recommendations made to improve the system • Fast Fact Sheets – Efficient Invoicing and Single Touch Payroll MGA TMA will continue to work closely with the ASBFEO team in 2020 to drive for better policies and outcomes for members. An example of one of MGA TMA priorities in 2020 will be to address Industrial Relations reform MGA TMA believes that Industrial Relations reform is vital for progress ….

The Fair Work Act was passed in 2010, and we all welcomed the beginning of a new era. Ten years later, we now need reform measures again, and this raises many questions. Is reform needed because the current industrial relations system is a total failure? Have our laws become too rigid and stifling? Have there been so many changes that we need to start all over again or can we just patch things together? Change is needed because we need more flexibility, and the current system is too restrictive. MGA TMA members want to operate their businesses efficiently and grow, but often the system stands in their way and restricts increased productivity. Do we need further industrial relations reform? In the areas of agreement-making, unfair dismissal procedures and award

Legal and HR

simplification, the answer must be in the affirmative. There is no doubt that everyone wants to achieve a positive and effective system of industrial relations but changing yet again is a challenge. However, it is one that cannot be ignored. MGA TMA intends to address these serious issues on behalf of members, with the Attorney General, the Hon. Christian Porter and hopefully persuade him and the Parliament that reform is desperately needed. “We believe that we have strong grounds for promoting industrial relations reform and we will aim to achieve our objectives in the best interests of our members” said Jos de Bruin CEO MGA TMA. For membership enquires – contact Ann Sanfey – National Manager – MGA TMA 0411 886 716 / anns.sanfey@mga.asn.au

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Right finish for the job

S well as questions about ve-

neers, the Timber Veneer Association’s advisors are sometimes asked about finishes. The usual range of wood finishes can be used on veneered surfaces but sometimes there’s a need for a particularly high quality finish. This is where a grain filler, also known as pore filler, can be useful – not to be confused with ‘wood filler’ or putty. Grain fillers are quite distinct from sanding sealers which are also used to achieve a smooth finish but don’t fill the grain. The finish itself can be used as a sealer when the first coat is applied, but sanding sealer does the job better. It seals the surface, as the name implies, and ‘sets’ any raised grain ready for sanding. It also facilitates sanding because it is smoother to sand off and doesn’t clog the sandpaper. Grain filler, on the other hand, is used to achieve a smooth finish by filling any natural irregularities in the surface of the veneer. Some species of veneer have natural flecks which are actually the pores of the wood that are cut through when the veneer is sliced – hence the alternative name, ‘pore filler’. A glassy smooth surface is not usually required on large expanses of veneer such as wall panels. However, on some furniture items, and particularly on pianos, a super smooth, glossy surface is desired.

By Peter Llewellyn Technical Representative, Timber Veneer Association of Australia

Pore fillers are applied by wiping them across the surface of the piece at right-angles to the grain. By this method they fill the pores and any other irregularities but don’t sit on the surface of the veneer. Any residue can be lightly sanded off before applying the final finish. The Timber Veneer Association doesn’t promote any particular brand of grain filler, but suitable products can be found on company websites by searching the net.

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The association for furnishing, joinery, cabinetmaking, kitchen and bathroom industries

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PROvidE

■■ If a glassy smooth surface is required with

species such as oak, grain filler is needed.

Making some scense out of licensing for kitchens Dean bracklel

LICENSE, noun ~ 1. Formal permission or leave to do or not to do something. 2. Formal permission from a constituted authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession. 3. A certificate of such permission; an official permit. In Australia, we have a national qualification framework which recognises trade training throughout Australia. Basically, a cabinetmaker that is trained and obtains their cabinetmaking qualification in Western Australia and moved to Queensland, their qualification would be recognised in Queensland. Then, my question to all the state and territory fair trading or equivalent ministers is; why can’t we have a uniform licensing system across the country for cabinetmaking? This is not to undermine current consumer protections that are in place but to insure a consistent workable framework across Australia. In NSW, there is a license requirement threshold of $5,000. Jobs less than $5,000 can be completed by a person unlicensed. In Victoria, that amount is $10,000. In Queensland, that threshold is $3,300 before a license is required. In the ACT, there are no license requirements, however, any work that is carried out on your premises in excess of $5,000 will have to be done or supervised by a licensed building practitioner. In South Australia, it requires you to be a registered building supervisor or building con-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER APRIL 2020

tractor. In Western Australia, you are not required to hold a license unless the job value is greater than $20,000. In Tasmania, building work is defined as work “conducted in relation to the construction, demolition, alteration, addition, relocation or repair of a building.” Kitchens fall under this broad definition and kitchen renovations and installations must be carried out by or under the supervision of a registered building practitioner. In the Northern Territory, if your kitchen is going to cost more than $12,000, you may need to employ a licensed Building Contractor with one of two licences: 1. Building Contractor (Restricted) 2. Building Contractor (Unrestricted). Carry the 5, divide it by 4 and multiple that by the square root of the numerator! This is madness. Currently, ACFA is in the process of putting together a policy framework with the intention of working with each Territory and State minister to work towards licensing harmonisation. The goal is this to be tabled and actioned at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) level. Do you require a qualification to assist you in obtaining your license or trade registration? ACFA members can obtain assistance through various member services offered by ACFA. More information? Call the ACFA hotline on 1300 342 248. Not a member of ACFA? Visit the website www.acfa.net.au/ memberships.

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