Australasian Timber Magazine - April 2019

APRIL 2019

MANUFACTURE • TECHNOLOGY • DESIGN • CONSTRUCTION

Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

The walls have ears!

New thinking transforms housing construction

Green light for more mid-rise timber buildings

Innovation in timber engineering www.hundegger.com.au

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NEWS

FWPA drives new National Construction Code changes

Market acceptance of more timber projects

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he Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released the preview version of the 2019 National Construction Code (NCC) that increases the range of buildings, up to an effective height of 25m, in which fire-protected timber construction systems can be used.

The new Classes add schools, retail premises, hospitals and aged care facilities to the previously approved multiresidential, hospitality accommodation and office buildings.

This change is based on extensive work and a successful submission

by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), which extends a Deemed-to-Satisfy solution that was secured in the 2016 NCC permit-

ting, for the first time, construction in fire-protected timber building systems to an effective height of 25 metres (typically eight-storeys) for Class 2, 3 and 5 buildings.

The 2016 change, along with advice from the WoodSolutions Midrise Advisory Team (an industry-supported pilot program operated by FWPA in Melbourne and Brisbane), has led to a growing number of midrise residential projects considering and adopting timber as the primary building material.

“It’s been incredibly satisfying to see the market acceptance of timber in these projects and this is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Ric Sinclair, FWPA’s Managing Director.

“Every week we hear

australasian

Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

April 2019, Vol. 27, Issue 2 Established 1977

4

from new designers and developers who are realising the cost and speed benefits of timber systems and are looking for more information.

“The timber used in every one of these new

stick or lightweight timber framing and the newer mass timber options, including cross laminated timber (CLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and glue laminated timber (glulam).

“Every week we hear from new designers and developers who are realising the cost and speed benefits of timber systems and are looking for more information” mid-rise projects displaces other materials, so it’s effectively creating new market opportunities for timber building system suppliers and added sales volume for our industry.”

Timber building systems include traditional

Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: John Turner Editorial: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Out of office: (08) 7127 6370

“One of the major benefits of the change,” Mr Sinclair said, “is that timber will now be an option for mixed use mid-rise buildings, the retail, office and apartment complexes that are growing in popularity in inner and middle

Advertising: Kent Humphrys k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Timber Classifieds: k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Design and Artwork: Peter Frezzini with the NEM Creative team

■■ Boris Iskra.

suburbs as part of urban infill policies.”

“Developing and submitting proposals for change to the NCC is part of FWPA’s overall strategy of increasing the volume of wood products by simplifying the process of specification by designers.

“Across our five programs we are actively exploring opportunities to drive the use of wood and increase the social license of the industry as a whole.”

Mr Sinclair thanked Boris Iskra, FWPA’s National Codes and Standards Manager, and everyone else involved in preparing the evidence-based Proposal for Change submission.

“It’s a substantial piece of work that is critically assessed by the ABCB’s team of experts

■■ Ric Sinclair.

and public review, so the success we have had in having our proposals accepted reflect well on the professionalism of our people and industry.”

If you have, or know of, a mid-rise project in the pipeline in Melbourne or Brisbane, there’s never been a better time to consider timber and the WoodSolutions Mid-rise Advisory Team are ready to help – you can contact them through Ric.Sinclair@ fwpa.com.au

Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501

FRONT PAGE: Teenage engineering and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden have built a speaker cabinet of holocellulose; it’s wood as we know it – but in pure white.

Read more about this unique system on page 7.

Conditions: The opinions expressed in Australasian Timber Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated.

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

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

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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demands

NEWS

Briefs Timber engineering conference A Timber Engineering Conference, hosted by the Future Timber Hub, ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Tall Timber Buildings, and in collaboration with The University of Queensland’s School of Civil Engineering, will be held 10-12 July at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland.

The PTEC 2019 aims to provide a forum for both early career and experienced academics, practitioners, researchers, and research students in the Asia-Pacific region to share the latest developments in research and application of timber in construction.

RSVP: http://www.civil.uq.edu.au/ptec-2019

A first for Altendorf At this year’s LIGNA, the Altendorf Group is introducing itself for the first time to the international trade-fair audience. Hebrock edge banding machines and Altendorf sliding table saws will be displayed together. The edge banding machines have been redesigned, and now bear a strong resemblance to the design of the Altendorf F45 sliding table saw, the winner of multiple awards. This step has given an even sharper edge to the machine profile of the Altendorf Group. The Altendorf Group will also inform about its latest innovations, options and product improvements regarding both product lines.

In addition, the company will devote much space to the overarching themes of digitalization for craftsmen and occupational safety.

Conversion rebuild Valmet will supply a grade conversion rebuild with automation solutions for Shangrao City Lulin Paper Co., Ltd. in Shangrao, China. The main goal of the customer is to increase the capacity of fluting grades and expand the company by building a new greenfield mill. The start-up of relocated and converted paper machine PM 5 is scheduled for early 2020. The order is included in Valmet’s first quarter of 2019 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The total value of order of this type is typically around €20-30 million.

Green light for more mid-rise timber buildings Throws spotlight on urgent need for more plantations

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n o t h e r 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 hectares of production trees is urgently needed in the ground to prevent major supply shortfalls in the future. That’s the sombre message from the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and they will be driving that message home during this year’s Federal Election campaign.

“This is something all sides of politics need to come to the party on,” stressed Ross Hampton, AFPA CEO. He said that changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) would create expanded opportunities for designers, developers and builders to develop innovative mid-rise timber buildings.

“This positive development again reinforces the need for focus

on future timber supply and getting more trees planted to ensure demand can be met in coming decades,” he said.

The range of building classes in which fire protected timber construction systems can be used has been expanded to include; schools, retail premises, hospitals and agedcare facilities through changes to the 2019 NCC Volume One. These classes are in addition to the previously approved; multiresidential, hospitality accommodation and office buildings. These changes follow landmark reforms in 2016 to allow the construction of fire protected timber buildings, up to 25 metres in height, or around eight storeys.

“These are fantastic developments promoted by Forest & Wood Products Aus-

tralia (FWPA) and will only help to encourage greater use of innovative timber product solutions in building design and construction across Australia,” said Mr Hampton.

“With the scope for timber construction now expanding it’s another reminder for the Federal Government that more production trees need to be planted to meet future demand.

“The popularity of timber and particularly cross laminated timber (CLT) as a construction material for larger scale buildings is increasing. XLam’s CLT plant in Wodonga is just one of those facilities meeting the new demand,” he said.

A new 450 bed student accommodation building has opened in Canberra at the Australian National University (ANU), made with CLT panels. To

■■ Ross Hampton

date, 13 CLT buildings over three storeys have been completed in Australia, with another six in the works. There is significant momentum.

“The NCC changes will drive increased demand for timber products, particularly CLT. The Federal Government needs to recognise these signs and implement the policy changes needed to trigger plantings to increase supply,” Mr Hampton said.

Joint venture a great Australian example that shows wood fibre truly is the ultimate renewable The Circa Group and Norske Skog Australasia have been lauded following news that their FC5 large scale prototype plant is now online, paving the way for large sample quantities of its non-toxic, bio-based solvent Cyrene® to be sent overseas for testing.

The FC5 plant is located at Boyer in Tasmania and is an innovative joint venture between Circa Group and Norske Skog Australasia. Now operational, the plant is ready to produce a steady stream of 99% pure Cyrene®. The product is developed through a novel conversion process from biomass residues.

With the new plant now online, it allows the joint venture to produce larger quantities of Cyrene® for testing worldwide and continue the path for Cyrene® to potentially replace harmful chemicals in the marketplace.

“Circa Group and Norske Skog Australasia have made excellent progress and have recently accelerated work on the conversion of waste biomass into bio-

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based chemicals,” said Ross Hampton, CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA).

“By creating renewable chemicals from cellulose, the joint venture extracts value from non-food, waste biomass and is creating bio-based non-toxic alternatives.”

“The joint venture is a great Australian example that shows wood fibre truly is the ultimate renewable. It’s so important that the Federal Government’s commitment to deliver one billion new production trees over the next decade is realised to ensure our industries have a stable platform to build from and innovate in the years ahead and so they can continue to provide important regional jobs.

“It’s also essential that ahead of the Federal Election, both major political parties seriously commit to measures that will continue to encourage new and innovative solutions for the use of renewable wood fibre,” Mr Hampton said.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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NEWS

Loudspeaker for wood enthusiasts’ golden ears Plus full thickness colour technology for timber

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eenage engineering and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden have built a speaker cabinet of holocellulose – a newly-researched material with some unique properties. It is wood as we know it – but in pure white. Most importantly, it is easy to recycle to become something completely different like apparel, transparent film or even a moisturiser.

The material, holocellulose, is developed by researchers at RISE through an innovative way of controlling whiteness in wood. the end result is pure wood free from additives such as paint or dye in a purely white color.

The pureness of the wood gives it some unique properties in addition to the color. In RISE’s preliminary testing, it doesn’t become yellow when ageing like a sheet of office paper or grey like a wooden deck does when exposed to outdoors – it remains completely white. Since there are no additives, it is perfect for reuse.

The holocellulose cabinet can easily be repurposed to become something completely different like apparel, transparent film or even a moisturiser — without the need of separating out additives.

“At Teenage engineering we design prod-

ucts to last for decades.

We spend a lot of time on all aspects; design, engineering, manufacturing – it all requires a lot of effort to create something that stands the test of time. Building this unique edition of the OD-11 together with RISE is an exploration in how we can push that envelope even further,” said Jesper Kouthoofd, head of design at Teen-

on the market and, when coupled with wood hardening, the improvements could increase the value of New Zealand’s soft pine-based wood product industry.

This would also increase onshore processing and spread benefits across regional New Zealand through job creation.

Dr Elizabeth Dunningham explains the

“At Teenage engineering we design products to last for decades. We spend a lot of time on all aspects; design, engineering, manufacturing – it all requires a lot of effort to create something that stands the test of time” age engineering.

And, a little closer to home, NZ-based Crown research institute Scion has come up with a full thickness colour technology that fixes a colourful dye throughout timber in a range of bright colours.

Staining or painting timber is the traditional way to add colour to wooden products, but that colour is only surface deep and any scratching or resurfacing can remove the colour.

The full thickness colour technology colours every fibre in a piece of timber. At present there is nothing like this product

team has been working with a variety of different dyes over six years to achieve what is now a consistent, bright and non-leaching colour suitable for anything from furniture to flooring.

“Initially we focused on natural dyes that had softer hues but they wouldn’t fix in the wood.

We turned to a range of commercially available food dyes, then fabric dyes, and over the first three years, looked at four types/classes of colourants and 36 individual colouring agents in all,” she said.

The research team is

now looking at combining the colour technology with wood hardening technology. The added properties would make New Zealand’s soft radiata pine more competitive in a wider variety of interior applications especially uses that require higher resilience such as skirting boards and outdoor furniture.

Market research results showed that the unique look of the full colour thickness wood was interesting to all stakeholders interviewed, especially those from international markets. The biggest advantage of the full colour thickness product was the unique ‘look’.

Described as naturally translucent and grainy, the guaranteed consistency of this look was a positive feature, as was the ability to pre-colour wood that could create potential for increased efficiency in the manufacturing process + Teenage engineering, based in Stockholm, develops highly acclaimed products for people who love sound, music and design. + RISE is the Swedish Research Institute and innovation partner. In international collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector, it ensures the competitiveness of the business community and contributes to a sustainable society.

Timber and construction companies promoting domestic timber use Brazil’s Wood Technology Reference Centre in the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) recently brought together professionals and representatives from the timber and construction industries to discuss promoting greater use of wood in domestic construction.

Participants from different regions of the country (São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais) contributed to identifying what must be done to expand the consumption of wood products in the domestic construction sector.

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During the event, five working groups were formed, namely: Forests, Components, Education, Projects and Construction. Among the topics that emerged were the need to discuss fire regulations, the production of documents and technical publications that can be used as support materials in capacity building of professionals and verifying the legality of raw materials.

Other aspects discussed were production of components; capacity building for professionals in wooden structures; aspects that should be considered in building design and wood construction projects and prospects for construction sector markets.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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NEWS

Trust is a key issue in successfully ply-ing your trade

Certification plays crucial role in client decision-making

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sing 100% Hoop Pine sourced from HQPlantations, a Responsible Wood-certified softwood plantation in South East Queensland, Austral Plywoods manufactures a wide range of panel products, specialising in marine plywood and appearance grade plywoods.

For Brisbane-based Austral Plywoods, specifiers of plywood for interior application are the main target market.

Stocked by wholesalers in Australia and New Zealand, Austral Plywoods targets architects and interior designers and has been involved in a number of notable projects including the Brisbane Supreme and District Courts, Perth Arena and Melbourne Recital Centre.

In fact, the supply of the Hoop Pine resource plays an important role in supplying Austral

Plywoods with a superior grade product for manufacture.

So, for Austral Plywoods, Responsible Wood is more than just a trust mark!

Through the Responsible Wood Chain of Custody it provides Austral Plywoods with a licence to support responsible forestry.

Verifying the origin of superior grade Hoop Pine at its source, in the forest, is maintained as part of the manufacturing process.

Through Responsible Wood, Austral Plywoods provides customers with the highest grade plywood; ensuring that premium grade Hoop Pine is available now and into the future.

And with that, Austral Plywoods opened its doors for Responsible Wood Directors Mark Thomson, Willie van Niekerk and Jason Ross (Marketing and Com-

■■ On the job, Responsible Wood directors, Mark Thomson (foreground) and Willie van Niekerk inspect plywood with Austral Plywoods Production Manager, Colleen Swifte

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munications Officer) to tour its facilities and meet staff.

According to brothers Scott and Stuart Matthews, joint CEOs, Austral Plywoods has more than 50 staff on the payroll, competing with domestic and im-

tive market place, forest certification plays an important role in differentiating sustainable product from the rest.

“Responsible Wood certification is an important consideration.

While there are other environmental logos,

Tucked away in the side streets of Tennyson, an inner city suburb in Brisbane, Austral Plywoods is an institution, a leading supplier of premium grade Australian plywood, with origins dating back to 1925. ported manufacturers of plywood product; “Competition in the market is strong with imported product competing against local manufacturers,” says Stuart.

In such a competi-

the Responsible Wood ‘trust mark’ is the only logo that verifies that the plywood timber originates from a forest that meets the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management,” Scott said.

Verifying the origin of timber in the forest is one thing, but ensuring that manufactured timber maintains high levels of certified timber is a key consideration for all environmentally conscious purchasers.

According to Responsible Wood Director and Architect, Mark Thomson this distinction is widely misunderstood by well-meaning specifiers of timber based products.

“When specifiers and builders source plywood they should ensure the product is Product Certified PAA, first and foremost.

“They then should make sure the product is processed and manufactured by an identified organisation that continues the commitment through Responsible Wood Chain of Custody,” Mark said.

Austral Plywoods is one of 250 companies

involved in the Responsible Wood Chain of Custody for Forest Products.

Responsible Wood Chain of Custody ensures that processors, manufacturers, merchants and retailers source forest products from a sustainable origin and maintain the link through the supply chain.

More than 11.4m hectares of certified forest is now covered as part of the Responsible Wood Sustainable Forest Management certification scheme making it Australia’s largest and most diverse forest certification scheme.

■ Tucked away in the side streets of Tennyson, an inner city suburb in Brisbane, Austral Plywoods is an institution, a leading supplier of premium grade Australian plywood, with origins dating back to 1925.

■■ Responsible Wood directors, Willie van Niekerk (right) and Mark Thomson (middle) meet with Austral Plywoods Production Manager Colleen Swifte

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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NEWS

Small can help make a Big difference!

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dding smaller logs to your mill’s log diet can offer added flexibility, increased production and an opportunity to bring home some extra profits.

In business, you never want to leave money on the table when negotiating a deal, so why would any sawmill operator leave money on the forest floor? It seems like a straight forward question with an easy answer, but in reality it can be a little more complicated and there are often significant profits left behind in the forest in the form of rejected logs.

The main reason sawmill operators leave logs behind is size. Many mills, especially in Australia and New Zealand, are designed to operate efficiently with logs in excess of 350mm in diameter. They are just not

equipped to deal with R250 single pass ma- they require very little They are designed to manpower with typically supplement these larger smaller logs that are of- chines comes into play.

These primary break- just one operator looking lines and provide a costten considered to be too much work for the return. down lines from Finland after the line; and they effective way to process However, with a lit- offer a small footprint, feature in-line edging, smaller logs, adding flextle ingenuity, plan- requiring very little real eliminating the need for ibility to the mill in terms of log supply and prodning and some minor estate in the mill; with downstream edging. ucts produced. changes to mill HewSaw is no flow, processing stranger to small these small logs log processing. through a small They started out log line can prove in Finland almost quite profitable.

60 years ago The logs in when they develquestion range oped a small log in diameter processing mafrom approxichine that could mately 75mm to be moved from 250mm. In many site to site. Tocases, especially day, the familywith the logs on owned company the smaller end which employs of this range, it over 200 people doesn’t make worldwide has sense to process ■■ The HewSaw R200 A.1 machine is the company’s most costHewSaws in well them in a large effective solution for processing small logs within a small footprint over 30 countries line that has been and with a single operator. on six continents, specifically engiThe HewSaw small including five machines some mill flow changes, neered for larger logs.

That’s where the beau- they can be incorporated log lines are not designed in Australia and one in ty of a small log line such into existing log and to replace the large log New Zealand.

HewSaw’s smaller as HewSaw’s R200 and board handling systems; lines already in the mill.

single pass machines are available in two sizes.

The R200 A.1 and 1.1 machines can process logs from 75 to 350mm while the larger R250 A.1 and 1.1 machines can stretch the large end up to a 500mm. Log lengths can range from 2.4 to 6.2 metres. With HewSaw’s single pass machines the log is scanned with either 3-D or True Shape scanning.

HewSaw also offers multi-unit sawlines that can offer sideboards from all four sides of the cant for added flexibility, increased recovery, and additional production options.

HewSaw offers a turn key solution to your primary breakdown requirements with scanning, optimization, automation, hydraulics, electrical and installation and commissioning all included in the price.

Are you leaving big profits in the forest?

With most sawmills configured for logs over 350mm in diameter, logs from 75 to 250mm are often overlooked when sourcing timber for sawmills. But in many cases, these smaller logs can provide a secure and viable supply of fibre and a valuable source of profits when processed through a small log line from HewSaw. - Designed for high speed processing with minimum manpower - Supplements your larger log lines - Small footprint requiring minimal space - Cost effective to own and operate - Easily integrated with existing board handling equipment - In-line edging tools, eliminating downstream edgers - Several size options for log diameters ranging from 75mm to 500mm Adding today’s HewSaw technology at your mill to process smaller logs can provide increased production volumes, added flexibility, and higher profits.

Find out more by contacting your HewSaw representative.

HewSaw Pty Ltd. South Geelong, Victoria, Australia Phone: +61 419 345 037 | email: peter.haintz@hewsaw.com www.hewsaw.com www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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27th to 31st May 2019 HALL 25 - STAND D 24 9

NEWS

Country construction outshines city Building approvals across regional Victoria continue to outperform the Melbourne region, according to Fiona Nield, HIA Regional Executive Director Victoria.

“We have seen building activity in Melbourne slow towards the end of 2018 but this slowdown is not state-wide,” said Ms Nield following the release of ABS building approvals data in regional Victoria for December.

“Since the peak in approvals in Melbourne in the August 2016 quarter, approvals have fallen 22.5% to the December 2018 quarter. This puts them down

2.5%to pages from their longer term average.

“Regional Victoria, however, is up 17.2% since Melbourne’s peak, and up 22.8% from its longer term average.

“The strongest growth is in the Ballarat region where building approvals were up 54.4% from its longer term average, which is all the more important given the price pressures being experienced there.

“Greater recent growth (relative to the August 2016 quarter peak in Melbourne) came from Geelong (+29.2%) and Shepparton (+27.4%).

“Other regions also showed strength, including

Bendigo, Hume, Latrobe – Gippsland, and Warrnambool and South West. The North West Region – which includes Mildura, Horsham, Ararat, Stawell and Swan Hill – is the only region not experiencing these strong levels of activity.

“The strength in Regional Victoria provides a solid offset for any declines we might see as building approvals slow in Melbourne.

“Continued population growth and infrastructure investment by the State Government will support strong levels of building activity for the state.” said Ms Nield.

$2.7 billion protected from the black economy $2.7 billion was protected from being lost to the black economy in the building and construction industry in the 2015-16 financial year, thanks to the Taxable Payments Reporting System.

Businesses in building and construction are required to lodge a TPRS annual report each year on any payments to contractors and subcontractors within the industry. This data allows the ATO to identify contractors who fail to lodge returns or

TDA entries open Entry is now open for the 20th Australian Timber Design Awards This renowned national competition promotes and encourages outstanding timber design and use in the built environment, and offers an array of categories available to cover all types of timber projects and use of timber products.

Entries close - 28 June Judging Period - July Peoples’ Choice Voting August to September Presentation Dinner mid-October in Melbourne

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activity statements, fail to register for GST, use false ABNs or fail to report all of their income to the ATO. Deputy Commissioner Deborah Jenkins said the TPRS is a key weapon in fighting the black economy and helps protect the integrity of the tax system.

“The significant revenue increase we’ve seen from the building and construction industry as a result of the TPRS shows how effective it is in improving tax compliance in an industry.

“TPRS strengthens

our ability to match income tax returns from contractors against what businesses report paying, allowing us to detect those trying to hide income and evade tax.

The success of this system proves that if you’re trying to evade your obligations it won’t go unnoticed,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

“Businesses who are doing the right thing don’t need to worry, however, if you’re not meeting your tax obligations there will be consequences.”

Following a recommendation from the Black Economy Taskforce, the TPRS has now been extended to cleaning, courier, road freight, information technology (IT), security, investigation and surveillance services. The Taskforce identified these industries as high risk for black economy activity.

Ms Jenkins said the ATO is focused on supporting businesses in these industries to meet their reporting requirements.

“For the financial year

2018-19, businesses that supply courier or cleaning services need to report payments made to contractors they use to deliver those courier or cleaning services using the Taxable payments annual report (TPAR).

This will need to cover all relevant transactions from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. The annual report for these businesses is due by 28 August 2019.”

“If your current record keeping isn’t accurately capturing this, I urge you to review the

way you keep records or contact your professional advisor immediately to assist you.

“If a contractor provides you with an invoice which includes labour and materials, you are required to report the total amount of the payment regardless of whether it’s itemised or combined.”

Reporting for road freight, IT, security, investigation or surveillance services will be due by 28 August 2020, covering the 2019-20 financial year.

Budget backing sought for builders Need for measures to sustain growth The Federal Government Budget should back the nation’s builders so they can continue to play their role as drivers of growth, builders of a stronger economy, creators of jobs and opportunities for young people in every community around the country.

That was the clear message from Master Builders Australia’s CEO Denita Wawn when releasing the MBA pre-budget submission.

“A strong building industry means a strong economy. Our industry has done the heavy lifting over recent years to support the economy’s transition from the mining construction boom and is now underpinning much of the economic growth supporting the return to surplus that’s forecast for 2019/20. What we need now are Budget measures to help our industry sustain that growth,” she said.

“Master Builders is the only industry peak body that represents small, medium and large businesses in the building and construction industry. We are calling for Budget measures that will underpin construction activity for contractors and sub-contractors across the residential,

commercial and civil construction sectors,” Denita said.

Master Builders’ key priorities for the Federal Budget 2019 leading into the Federal Election include: Backing Small Business: A new independent small business agency to more rigorously test the impact of legislation and regulation on SMEs and spearhead changes to make the Federal Government a ‘model procurer’ making taxpayer funded projects more accessible to small business.

Tax Incentives to Drive Growth: Tax incentives including keeping negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, increasing the instant asset tax write off to $30,000 and make it permanent and a time scale for the 25 per cent company tax rate to apply to all businesses.

Creating More Jobs and Boosting Vocational Skills: New funding for an additional kick-start apprenticeship program in 2019-20 and greater support for pre-apprenticeship programs to ensure the industry has an appropriately skilled future workforce. Help revive the apprenticeship brand with parents, teachers and

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

young people with a new $10 million for the Real Skills for Real Careers campaign.

Increase Housing, Boost Infrastructure, Improve the Built Environment: Increase direct government funding of public infrastructure, expand cross-government activities to boost supply of housing and infrastructure, increase the provision of adequate stock of public housing and tie NAHHA funding to performance in meeting targets and boost funding the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) with a focus on implementing the recommendations of the Building Confidence Report (Shergold Weir Report).

Support for Safety and Workplace Relations Agencies: Support a safer and more productive building and construction industry by adequately funding the agencies charged with stopping building union bullying and best safety outcomes on construction sites including the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), the Registered Organisations Commission, Safe Work Australia and the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner.

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Ceetec timber coating machinery is proudly distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Intergrain Timber Finishes.

For more information on Ceetec equipment solutions, contact 1800 630 285.

NEWS

Shhhh, the walls have ears!

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n Australian company, using a wireless solution developed

by UNSW, is rolling out technology across the country that allows buildings to monitor themselves and report problems autonomously – and even talk to your smartphone!

Known as EMIoT, the new wireless platform relies on LED exit signs as the backbone of a low-power meshed network that covers 99.9% of a building – even reaching underground carparks, pump systems and air conditioning.

And WBS Technology, which is commercialising the technology, has installed it in more than 10 apartment complexes – the latest being at Castle Hill in the northwest of Sydney.

“All you need is to install the emergency lights, and they all automatically connect to each other, and that creates the network,” said Dr Wen Huof UNSW’s School of Computer Science and Engineering. “The emergency lights can then be networked with other devices via various wireless technologies,

including Bluetooth, which allows them to be controlled locally with a smartphone or via the Internet from anywhere in the world.”

Remote control Each exit sign or emergency light acts as a node in the network, passing information back and forth across a building. Once operating, other devices can be connected to the network – ventilation and pumping systems, security cameras and sensors, access doors to common areas and halls – allowing all of them to

be controlled and monitored remotely.

EMIoT is an example of the much-vaunted Internet of Things (IoT) network, in which all manner of devices – computers, lights, cars, home appliances, etc., – can connect, interact and exchange data seamlessly with each other and across the Internet.

Sensors as a service What’s new is that WBS, an emergency lighting manufacturer in Sydney, is using the technology to transform itself into an entirely

new business: instead of just making and selling emergency lights, it also offers ‘sensors as a service’. For a fixed monthly fee, WBS provides a network of emergency and other lights that monitor themselves, react to their surroundings and to remote commands, and can have other devices added to the same network.

At the retrofitted apartment building in Castle Hill, lights in the underground carpark dim when there’s no movement and brighten when there is, as do lights in hallways and

common areas. If a light fitting fails, building managers know which one and how long it has been inoperative.

As the network expands, energy usage and the status of heating and cooling could be tracked, flow gauges report back on water usage and identify leaks, ventilation and pumping systems monitored remotely, and hot water systems checked for faults. Even residents trapped in an underground carpark would be able to communicate with building managers via an app.

New stacking system does all the hard work Q: How many people does it take to quickly stack a heavy, 6m wall panel safely? A: ONE! With the Vekta StakPro Frame.

Recently, framing lines with various degrees of automation have inundated the timber frame and truss industry resulting in improvements in productivity and efficiency.

S i m u l t a n e o u s l y, health and safety standards are continuously changing and impacting on businesses. The 12

need to improve manufacturing combined with increased safety standards has resulted in automation at the end of the production line becoming a necessity.

Plants that have adopted stacking technology for finished trusses and frames reportThere is significant labour savings in the actual stacking operation, Safety is improved, Plant productivity as

a whole is increasedpeople are no longer off-task to help stack the final products.

In fact, some converts have reported that they simply do not believe it’s possible to achieve full productivity on a truss or framing line without a stacking solution.

A few years ago, Vekta purchased the Stakpro Truss and Frame stacking product lines from Trusquip because Vekta recognised the advantages these

products would deliver.

Based on customer and market feedback, Vekta has redesigned and improved both the StakPro Truss and Frame, taking them from good to great.

Vekta’s new and improved StakPro Frame is ready to improve productivity and safety!

The Vekta version is:Safer Capable of taller stacks Compatible with even greater levels of automation.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

In fact, the Vekta StakPro Frame Heavy series is capable of handling up to 680kg per 6 metre panel.

The largest and heaviest trusses and frames can be efficiently and safely lifted by a single operator using a hand held remote control.

Q: How do you improve production safely and remove the stacking bottleneck?

A: Contact Vekta for your customised, cost effective solution! www.timberbiz.com.au

NEWS

Smart building ecosystem “We’re actually creating a smart building ecosystem,” said Luke Gibbeson of WBS Technology. “There’s 14 buildings in this apartment complex, and we’ve installed a networked emergency lighting solution throughout them without any cabling and with no supporting network infrastructure.

“Our communications gateway looks like a standard exit sign, which relays other emergency lights communication to the cloud and acts like a normal exit sign – so it’s a plug and play system. You can install in a new building or retrofit into an older one, like this one,” he added. “As more IoT devices are installed, they can be added to the network, and all managed remotely via a cloudbased service, or locally through a smartphone app.”

Innovation grants The collaboration between UNSW engineers and WBS Technology began under UNSW’s TechConnect incubator program, funded the NSW Government’s Boosting Business Innovation Programfor small-tomedium enterprises.

This led to an Australian Research Council

Linkage projectbetween the two, culminating in an Innovation Connections Grantfunding the commercialisation of the technology developed by UNSW. Originally, WBS approached UNSW about creating a network of emergency lights using Zigbee, a low-power, low data rate, close proximity wireless network used by medical devices. However, emergency lights can often be in out-of-theway places where communications are unreliable.

Meshed network So Hu, working with A/Prof Salil Kanhere and Prof Sanjay Jha and a clutch of PhD students at UNSW’s School of Computer Science and Engineering, including Jun Young Kim, worked on developing a meshed network of different communications technologies that could work seamlessly and provide a reliable network across a plethora of locations.

They eventually hit on a meshed combination of LoRa used by wireless sensors for health care monitoring; 6LoWPAN, a new Internet protocol for small devices; and RPL, an experimental network protocol for point-topoint communications where stability and low data rates are an issue.

They then created a gateway that bridges the different technologies with cellular telecommunications networks, allowing it all to connect to computer servers in the cloud. They then added Bluetooth to provide localised control via smartphones.

A product within two years Within two years of applying for the initial TechVouchers funding and approaching UNSW as a research partner, WBS now has a commercialised smart building solution, and UNSW made valuable research progress in a new field.

“It’s a great example of an enterprise with a technical challenge it needs to solve, and UNSW having the people with the knowledge and engineering nous to find the solution,” said Prof Ian Gibson, Associate Dean (Industry and Innovation) at UNSW’s Faculty of Engineering, who oversees industry collaboration. “In this case, the solution is set to transform WBS’s business model, and create a new ‘sensors as a service’ market where none existed.”

Hu now works as a part-time consultant to WBS Technology, while his student, Jun Young Kim, joined the company once he completed his PhD, and now manages the software devel-

opment team at WBS Technology that designs, implements and verifies its products. “At the end of the research, I was convinced that this was the best solution for the future of smart building services,” he said. “You could say I helped create my own job.”

■■ Dr Wen Hu of UNSW and Luke Gibbeson of WBS Technology at the new residential apartment complex in Castle Hill, testing the EMIoT wireless platform.

Photos by Quentin Jones/UNSW.

Innovation in action Working with industry in this way was essential to get innovation out of laboratories and into the real world, said UNSW’s Dean of Engineering, Prof Mark Hoffman. “At UNSW, our students and researchers are not only embedded in an environment where emerging technologies are created. They don’t just learn knowledge and skills, but how to work as teams, and innovate to solve open-ended problems. Our partnership with WBS Technology is a great example of this.”

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

13

NEWS

AKD Apprenticeship Program building a more sustainable future 40

I

n 2019, AKD are very proud to announce that their Apprenticeship Program has gone ‘national’. In the first two months of 2019 they have welcomed 15 apprentices into the program and still have two Saw Doctor opportunities yet to be filled.

AKD’s CEO, Shane Vicary says “This is a very exciting time for all of our sites. This program is very important in our quest to have a truly sustainable company with the Apprenticeship Program having direct links to each of our 5 core supporting pillars.

Each apprentice is seen as an individual investment in our business and its future.

The company has seen a high volume of interest in these apprenticeship opportunities and are

14

pleased to congratulate the lucky contenders in being offered an apprenticeship.

Off the back of some real success stories with individuals progressing through the AKD Apprenticeship Program into leadership or specialist roles, the company has significantly expanded their investment in the apprenticeship program over recent years. From 13 apprentices in 2017, 2019 will see 3 times that number, at 40 apprentices in 2019.

AKD Apprenticeship Program growth AKD’s approach is that as a diverse national business, it therefore requires diverse skills. To support this, the company has a range of apprenticeship qualifications being supported.

With the commencement of these new apprentices, they now have the following apprentices: 6 Saw Doctors 8 Wood Machinists 7 Electrical 17 Mechanical Fitters 2 Fabricators

Introducing the new apprentices Yarram have appointed a Fabrication FitterJustin Barron and a Wood MachinistMatthew Camburn, both from the production area.

Caboolture have appointed an Electrician- Zackary Sims and a Wood MachinistBrayden Woodall, also from the operations area.

Tumut have signed up an additional three apprentices. ElectricianWill Booby, Mechanical Fitter- Raymond McDonald, Sawdoctor- Jessie O’Brien.

Colac have assigned: 3 x Mechanical Fitters, 1 x Fabrication Fitter, 2 x Wood Machinists and 2 x Electrical. All to new trade apprenticeships.

From left to right- Judith Enetema, Kieran Nicholls, Joshua Van Bremen, Joshua Sugar, Ben Bickerton, Luke O’Shannassy, Chris Day and Michael Thackaray (absent). Chris transferred from our mechanic area, Michael and Luke came externally, both from partially completed apprenticeships and all others from our various operational roles.

Following its 2018 acquisitions in NSW and Queensland, now being a national business has meant that the company’s apprentices have expanded their contacts across the business, meeting and developing

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

28

relationships while at their TAFE training blocks.

13 This has also helped to support networking between the company’s 12 sites.

2017 2018 2019 A great example of ■■ From 13 apprentices in 2017, this is that 2019 will see 3 times that number, all of their at 40 apprentices in 2019.

Saw doctors nationally athard days training. The tend Riverina TAFE in truly great outcome of Tumut NSW – attending the AKD Apprenticeship the one TAFE, this being Program is that it both the most preferred trainsupports the business’ ing facility for modern purpose whilst also proequipment and informed viding these individual trainers from the comemployees with skills, pany’s perspective. experiences and a naAKD’s HR Manager, tionally recognised qualClark Rodger, further ification that will stay added that “they learn with them for life.” together, work together, share information of Best of luck to the different sites and even 2019 apprentices! relax together after a

www.timberbiz.com.au

MILL FOCUS

Building a competitive edge

New saw line improves recovery, productivity, and flexibility

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n early 2015 AKD Softwoods began its quest for a new state-of-the-art sawline for its main Colac operation. The goal was to lower production costs through improved productivity and recovery, and increase flexibility by enabling a greater product range. After

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considering other recent large-scale projects in the region and evaluating other suppliers, USNR became the clear choice to transform this process at AKD. Civil construction on the buildings began in 2017, and the first log was processed on time on 26 March 2018.

Associated Kiln Driers Pty Ltd, or AKD Softwoods, was founded in 1955, and its head office is based in Colac, Victoria, Australia. It also has operations at Irrewarra and Yarram, also in Victoria, and Caboolture in Queensland.

AKD has a long history of growth through stra-

tegic acquisition, and continuous reinvestment. AKD owns over 9,500 hectares of Radiata Pine plantations, which supplies some of its raw material for its mills, while the rest is sourced from sustainably managed plantations. AKD also owns and operates three post

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

and pole businesses in Victoria.

Vendor considerations Shane described the consideration process behind selecting USNR to partner with AKD on this major investment. “It’s one thing to simply choose an equipment vendor, and it is quite

another to choose one from another country that is located on the other side of the world.

AKD had completed previous projects with USNR and through those projects we formed a solid level of trust with USNR and its personnel. In addition, USNR had also recently

www.timberbiz.com.au

Mill focus

completed several largescale projects in the region, so we felt there was a high level of experience that was relevant for what we wanted to accomplish.”

He continued, “We had equipment that was over 20 years old and we recognized that we needed to invest in efficient state-of-the-art equipment. The Colac site has a very high log cost due to high cartage costs, so we needed to maximize productivity and recovery to ensure

our operation could be cost competitive, and therefore have a sustainable future.”

Embracing BioVision AKD was an early adopter of USNR’s BioVision technology, first installed on an edger in 2013 and subsequently upgraded on two trimmer lines. Shane notes, “We’ve been running the BioVision system for 4-5 years. It’s reliable and dependable, and very user-friendly.

It certainly has made a

AT_2019-02_USNR-CLT-Press.indd 1

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difference for us. I’m a big fan.” He continued, “We just ordered our fourth BioLuma system, and we will be looking to order more for our other sawmills.”

Reciprocating primary breakdown line The equipment supplied includes a reciprocating quad bandsaw line. It is designed for logs up to 650 mm (25.6”) in diameter and down to 150 mm (5.9”), in lengths up to 6.3 m (20.66 ‘). Design speed

is 16 logs per minute.

Once logs are scanned, they are turned in the quad roll log turner, and a Precision Geometric Log Rotation (PGLR) scanner monitors and adjusts the turn in real time to match the turn solution from the log optimizer. The PGLR significantly improves cutting accuracy, increasing uplift and recovery. Log rotation error can be reduced by 50% or more. A mis-turn of as little as 2 degrees could wipe out an entire

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

board in a small log, so the first cut is crucial for everything that happens downstream.

Next the optimized log infeed provides slew and skew actuation, ensuring precise positioning ahead of the canter heads. Conical chip heads operate in a 30-degree vertical plane, keeping the cutting heads on the log center line, thus reducing side chipping forces and resulting in smoother feeding, better quality chips, and longer-

lasting knives.

The reciprocating sharp chain transition gives the mill flexibility to slice off up to 4 flitches at the quad bandmill, then stop the forward motion and back the cant up to run through for a second pass, taking off up to 4 more flitches before releasing the center piece. This is an innovative design that is popular for some mills.

Shane commented, “We were motivated to Continued on Page 18

3/5/2019 5:15:09 PM

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Mill focus

■■ Sideboards are separated from the cant downstream from the quad bandmills.

Building a competitive edge Continued from Page 17

implement this reciprocation at Colac for flexibility and to conserve capital. We could have elected to install a second quad bandmill (and we have left room in our line for this in the future) but it would be under-utilized with our current log size distribution for this mill. We felt that reciprocation would give us that additional flexibility to cut larger logs at Colac, and/

or multiple cant sizes which we could not do previously, and therefore conserve capital for other projects.”

Horizontal Shape Sawing line Shane noted, “The HSS was designed with a profiler which was not originally in the scope, but after further consideration a profiling module was added to the contract. This addition was made to reduce the pressure on the single

edging line and maximize recovery.”

Once the cant is released onto a belt at the outfeed of the bandsaw line, it is transported to the HSS line where it is scanned once again before being fed into the cutting tools. A shape chipper module chips off the remaining rounded sides of the cant, then a shape profiler cuts profiles into all 4 corners of the piece ahead of the horizontal shape-sawing double ar-

bor sawbox. The shape chipper, shape profiler and shape-sawing sawbox all process the piece following its natural curvature, to produce longer and stronger boards, thus maximizing recovery. From the outfeed of the HSS, boards are transported on to the trimmer line.

Validating the investment An integral part of the decision-making process was to run a

variety of scenarios or log studies to help determine the best course of action. Consideration for the operational process, as well as budget and return on investment, are essential elements to achieving the overall objectives of the investment. Ask about USNR’s log studies.

Shane described the process. “I think if you’re a good sawmiller you should already know what equipment you want. The log stud-

ies, however, are about validation – creating validation for your financial modelling. We wanted a robust business case to ensure our strategic intent was going to be achieved. The log study enabled us to point to empirical evidence as compared to just gut feel, and helped us determine what equipment we needed rather than simply what we wanted. The scoping, log study/validation and negotiation

■■ The AKD project team is pictured left to right: Shane Vicary, CEO; Paul Muscat, Maintenance Manager; Michael Johnson, Electrical Engineer; Warrren Eyers, Installation Supervisor; Craig Campbell, Project Manager; John Browne, Facility Manager; Mick Walker, Main Line Trainer; Luke Day, Team Leader Day Shift; and Adam Harris, Area Fitter. Missing from the photo: Brady Wicks, Electrical and Automation Engineer; and Toni Kirkup, Health & Safety Manager.

18

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

www.timberbiz.com.au

mill focus

phases took a long time for both parties (and we appreciate USNR’s patience), as we were absolutely driven to ensure our project achieved all of our goals, from safety through to productivity and ultimately financial.”

Road to success The line has now been operating for several months, and Shane is well-satisfied with the way it is performing. “We are still on the upward curve, but we are ahead of where we

thought we would be.

We would normally expect to have a long list of exceptions to work through on a project of this size, but we don’t have any major issues and only a small number of minor issues to work through. The line has been running really well, right from the first day.”

One highlight Shane noted was that the AKD team managed the project in-house. “This relates back to another one of our business goals, to develop a high-

performing team. We therefore created an inhouse project team and it worked really well.

In hindsight, I probably should have had a bit more segregation between the project and our operational business, as it created a lot of extra pressure for one or two individuals.

The AKD team is very proud of taking on the project management, and it has ensured that the individuals engaged in the project are here today ensuring the plant is operating successful-

ly. They were responsible for all the planning, all the civil and building adjustments, installing the equipment, and now they are responsible for running it. That has given our team a real sense of personal ownership, and they should be proud of what they have achieved.”

Shane also acknowledged the USNR team, saying its skilled professionals contributed significantly to a very successful commissioning phase of the project.

Another challenge

was several large organizational changes occurred for the business at the same time.

In March of 2018, the same month the new equipment came online, AKD acquired two new sawmills: Yarram Victoria and Caboolture Queensland (from Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts). Shane said, “March was probably one of the craziest months of my career.

We had 3 large events all happening at the same time, and a fourth happening in the back-

ground. Subsequently AKD has announced that it will be acquiring the Tumut NSW sawmill and a 50% stake in the Highland Pine operation in Oberon and other associated sites.

Therefore, AKD completed this large-scale project in-house at the same time as acquiring four additional sawmills.”

These latest advancements will project AKD further along its path to operational excellence and maintain its strong competitive edge.

■■ The operator’s booth and console provides a bird’s eye view and control over the whole process. The operator’s screen shows an optimized HSS breakdown solution.

www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

19

Frame australia

Timber Offsite construction in the Frame!

Timber Offsite Construction - Frame Australia Conference & Exhibition, 17-18 June, Crown Promenade Melbourne … it’s the only national event focusing on the world-wide transformation to timber offsite construction, with a program featuring prominent local and international experts discussing timber and mass wood building systems.

Now in its 21st year, the event will be an expanded two-day sessions program covering an exciting array of new technologies and latest building solutions, providing delegates with valuable insight and guidance from speaker presentations, panel sessions and workshop groups.

A new and larger venue for the exhibition offers suppliers the opportunity to access emerging construction markets, with a display booth providing an unparalleled opportunity for networking and establishing business contacts.

For more information visit the website www. frameaustralia.com or contact Kevin Ezard on mobile 0419 538 638 email kevin@frameaustralia.com

New thinking transforms housing construction

I

f you’re in the housing design, manufacturing or construction business, you know the industry in Australia is challenged.

Skilled labour is in short supply, productivity levels are low and have not improved in decades, and construction costs are soaring.

Against a backdrop of a global housing shortage, the challenge is to utilise a faster, technology driven approach to building that reduces costs significantly – Offsite timber construction.

The move to Offsite construction in Europe has solved cost and productivity issues so successfully some countries have reached 80% of all homes built using offsite systems. It’s a revolution in construction and it’s paying big dividends.

For the residential building industry in Australia offsite construction comes with a myriad of benefits. It generates efficiencies in

building design and prefabrication, encourages greater collaboration and integration, reduces cost and improves affordability for homebuyers.

One of the world’s foremost authorities on offsite construction is Gerry McGaughey, the

product, and it forces a change in thinking about how you go about building,” he said in his presentation.

“The process enforces a discipline on everyone involved in the building construction to get together up front with all the information and op-

“Build it twice – digital before actual” CEO of US building systems company Entekra. He was a keynote speaker at the IWBC conference held in Boston, USA last October.

Gerry has guided home builders in Europe and North America in transitioning from inefficient stick-framing to offsite construction – enabling them to significantly reduce cycle times and boost productivity while delivering higher-quality, more sustainable buildings.

“Offsite construction is a process, not a

erate as a team.

“A key element for success is getting people to create systemic change, and then use process improvement to drive further change for higher efficiency.”

Another speaker, Tedd Benson, founder and owner of high quality Bensonwood and Unity Homes in USA, said the housing construction industry needed to develop better ways to build.

He advocated adoption of the best digital technology to “build it twice – digital before

actual” and embrace the software solutions now available to attain high levels of accuracy and quality in manufacture of energy efficient housing.

In Australia, these topics will be discussed at the Frame 2019 ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ conference and exhibition in June, a two-day event held in Melbourne.

The program will include international speakers and local experts presenting in speaker sessions, along with Panel discussions and Workshop sessions.

Highly relevant topics will encompass the design and construction of offsite timber and mass wood residential and commercial buildings.

For more information on the sessions program and delegate registration for the 2019 ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ visit the website www.frameaustralia. com

New software a boost for LVL process Unsuitable veneers eliminated early

L

aminated veneer lumber (LVL) is becoming more popular with designers and architects, however, it’s crucial for manufacturers to know if their available wood will produce LVL that satisfies their customer’s needs.

Now, with a new software tool developed by Crown research institute Scion, LVL manufacturers can gauge whether their LVL will likely meet a customer’s performance requirements, without the need to conduct expensive mill tests.

Because LVL is created by layering different 20

veneers atop each other, there is a wide variety of process combinations to choose from, but with each combination the structural qualities of the overall LVL varies.

One of the most important design properties of LVL is bending stiffness.

To test the full range of LVL properties, manufacturers have had to process logs and create an LVL sample to check its performance.

This approach can be expensive and is not always practical in a production setting when trying to assess a wide range of veneers and LVL process options.

Scion was engaged via the Specialty Wood Products Partnership to create a computer model to determine the bending stiffness range from individual veneers and use that information

determine what the LVL manufacturing process implications might be.

The computer decision model uses information uploaded about the individual veneer stiffness properties or log pith

One of the most important design properties of LVL is bending stiffness. to calculate the overall LVL section stiffness.

It is used as a guide to assist decision making on the likelihood that a forest/log/veneer could meet customer performance requirements and

to bark stiffness profiles and the customer performance/purchase requirements. The user can then explore different LVL process options, and the manufacturer can efficiently

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

use the wood available to them while meeting their customer’s needs.

“JNL can see the benefit of this tool to model potential structural finished product output yields, and in being able to determine the required input product mix from two or more distinct log fibre resources,” said Brendan Smith Technical Services – Product Manager for the JNL group.

“This would enable an increased surety of supply of the required structural grade for the manufacturer’s market, with less potential for arising nontargeted lower grades.”

This software model will save time and money by eliminating unsuitable veneers early in the process. If the model shows that the tested LVL would perform within requirements, then detailed mill studies would be carried out.

As with any model, it is only as good as the input data. The next step to develop the model is to generate and upload more stiffness data for a range of forest/log/ veneers.

■ Dr Wayne Schou, lead developer of the LVL stiffness computer model, holding an LVL sample made with radiata pine.

www.timberbiz.com.au

Frame australia

There’s a revolution in offsite timber construction New timber and mass wood offsite prefabrication facilities emerging to meet growing demand

S

mart technology is changing everything. Advances taking place in the offsite manufacture of timber frame and mass wood buildings for residential and commercial buildings are nothing short of revolutionary.

New and smart technologies are improving productivity and speed of construction and as a consequence the number of construction projects utilising timber and mass wood systems is growing rapidly, both overseas and in Australia.

A dedicated conference and exhibition

organised by Frame Australia will allow delegates to fully understand the exciting developments in the Timber Offsite Construction space.

The conference will feature prominent local and global experts, with topics exclusively devoted to timber and mass wood building construction.

It will be the only event that will enable delegates to appreciate the world-wide transformation that is taking place and how building costs are being lowered.

Announcing the event, Conference Director Kevin Ezard said: “The June 2019 event will be the best and biggest conference yet, with a new

and larger venue and an expanded two-day sessions program. There’s such an exciting array of new technologies, new building products and services to meet the design and construction sector’s evolving needs.”

In Australia, the building industry has been slow to change, however, an increasing shortage of skilled labour has now become a key driver for greater adoption, with new timber and mass wood offsite prefabrication facilities emerging to meet the growing demand.

In the USA, the growth trend to prefabricated housing over the past year has been spectacular, with recent moves to mass produc-

tion of buildings by a number of large corporations.

These include Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet (Google) company, with new construction methods and flexible building designs that enable radical mixed-use and walkable neighbourhoods that reduce the cost of housing.

Another example of this new approach is Katerra, a US based technology company on a mission to change, by optimizing every aspect of building design, materials supply, and construction.

“The benefits of offsite manufacturing are many. Less waste, greater precision, safer work, fewer delays,” said Craig

Curtis, President of Katerra Architecture.

“But the greatest result stems from the decision-making shifting towards the front end of a project. By locking in the details necessary for manufacturing, we can significantly reduce risk to project schedules and budgets.

“This approach represents a wholesale shift of mindset from one-off projects to repeatable products, for mass production of componentised buildings.”

With this global shift under way, the Frame 2019 Conference will also offer suppliers the opportunity to access expanding building construction markets by participating with an exhibi-

tion display booth.

Delegate Surveys have confirmed an exhibition display is a very important way delegates establish contacts and it provides an unparalleled opportunity for networking.

As an added incentive for 2019, booth sizes will be larger at no extra cost, with booths two to three times the previous floor area without any change in pricing from 2018.

Frame 2019 titled ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ will be held on Monday and Tuesday 17-18 June at Crown Promenade Melbourne, and for details visit the website: www.frameaustralia. com

The leading forum in Australia for exchange of knowledge on Timber Offsite Construction – and the only event to find out what’s really happening in this space.

The 2019 event will be bigger and better in a new and larger venue for an expanded 2-day program, with world-leading authorities along with local experts providing valuable insight into timber frame and mass wood design, manufacture and construction.

• Speaker sessions on Building the future, Offsite systems, Manufacturing & Construction.

• Panel discussions on outstanding current construction projects in timber and mass wood.

• Workshops on selected topics with specialists for guidance and exchange with delegates.

• Exhibition area displaying latest technologies and construction systems, software, manufacturing equipment, and new building concepts emerging.

Visit the website for full program details and on-line registration Save $100 with Early Bird rates!! www.frameaustralia.com www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

Frame Australia 2019 Conference & Exhibition Mon 17 & Tues 18 June Crown Promenade Melb (New Venue) Principal Partner

Principal Supporter

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Frame AUstralia

Mass timber conference attracts world leaders

W

orld leaders in mass wood construction lined up at the Industrialised WoodBased Construction Conference in Boston during October for two days of presentations, covering a broad spectrum of major elements in this rapidly growing sector.

Frame Australia conference director Kevin Ezard attended and said: “I was privileged to meet world leaders in mass wood construction at the conference and it was amazing to see how far acceptance of offsite timber and mass wood systems has come in just a few years”.

A highlight of the program was architect Michael Green who is recognised as one of the top designers in North America, now engaged as Design Partner for technology-driven offsite construction company Katerra, a billion-dollar vertically integrated housing manufacturer.

He explained how highly repeatable design solutions and systems for building construc22

tion created unique outcomes utilising standard platforms with different surface materials and external building features.

“This approach represents a wholesale shift of mindset from one-off projects to repeatable products, for mass production of componentised buildings.

“All housing is manufactured in CLT using a ‘kit of parts’ approach to Passive House standards with detailing such as gaskets for all joins to achieve the high-quality thermal efficiency performance required,” he said.

Market acceptance A key option offered is visually exposed internal wood panel walls, which is being accepted by over 80% of all buyers, a vastly greater level than they had anticipated but an indication of the high market acceptance of wood for housing.

Keynote speaker Andrew Waugh, the London-based Architect, outlined how mass wood construction in Europe is increasingly being used for office buildings, with

emerging recognition of biophilic benefits to staff in wood buildings, consequently providing higher returns to developers.

He commented that increasing volumes are leading to industrialisation of the process, with

into mass wood construction is the solution to this major economic issue, not only in UK but around the world.

Improve, not revolutionise Tedd Benson, founder and owner of high qual-

“Adopt the best digital technology to “build it twice – virtual before actual” and embrace the software solutions now available to attain high levels of accuracy for manufacture of energy efficient housing” CNC manufacture of mass wood and transportation by flatbeds achieving high efficiency in construction of buildings up to 25 storeys.

Andrew also compared the UK productivity improvements in manufacturing of 230% in the past few decades to construction, which has lost ground and is at minus 19%. He is confident that the current move

ity Bensonwood and Unity Homes in USA, said the construction industry needs to develop better ways to build, but “improve not revolutionise” through process and product.

He advocated adoption of the best digital technology to “build it twice – virtual before actual” -- and embrace the software solutions now available to attain high

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

levels of accuracy for manufacture of energy efficient housing.

Nick Milestone, chairman of TRADA in UK, provided comparative information on timber construction based on recent projects in Europe, showing cost reductions achieved of 20% for preliminaries and 20% for main contractor, providing significant savings apart from any reduction in the on-site building costs.

His analysis also indicated timber frame construction was most economical in the building height range up to 5 storeys, and mass timber economical from 5 to 12 storeys.

A presentation by Matthew Linegar of Stora Enso Timber in Europe covered other aspects of savings which included 50% less weight, 30% less time on site, 20% less overall costs, and up to 5 times less transport movements.

Matthew also commented that timber buildings “grow back” – with the average timber building construction being replaced by

the forest resource in 17 minutes!!

The IWBC conference in Boston was the first to be held and attracted more than 300 delegates from North America and Europe, with many topics presented being applicable to offsite timber construction in Australia.

Global shift “With this global shift under way, the Frame 2019 event will offer suppliers the opportunity to access expanding building construction markets by participation with an exhibition display booth,” Kevin said.

“Delegate Surveys have confirmed the exhibition display is a very important component in delegates establishing contacts through face to face exchange; providing an unparalleled opportunity for networking” he concluded. Frame 2019 titled ‘Timber Offsite Construction’ will be held on Monday and Tuesday 17-18 June at Crown Promenade Melbourne, and for details visit the website www. frameaustralia.com

www.timberbiz.com.au

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Associations

Association raises the bar on profile and product

By Terry Franklin President Timber Veneer Association of Australia

T

he Timber Veneer Association of Australia has recently embarked on a journey to communicate better with members and renew its ongoing efforts to raise

the profile of the industry nationally.

As the peak industry body, we see it as our role to promote and expand the market for veneer products as well as provide education and resources.

Last year we set new priorities to better service members and to increase awareness among designers as well as

consumers about veneer products.

To this end we have invested in a rebrand and new website. We have also launched ourselves on Instagram and LinkedIn in addition to our existing Facebook page. It is our hope that this reinvigoration will help to broaden industry knowledge and consumer awareness of the

infinite design possibilities of veneer. It is also our intention to highlight more prominently the significant sustainability credentials of timber veneer.

The new website is not only an opportunity to share extensive information about veneer, it is also intended to assist Architects and Building Designers to specify it.

Detailed information is provided to encourage the use of this natural and sustainable option in more Australian projects.

The journey is not yet complete and we look forward to offering better support to members and educating more people about the uses and benefits of this natural and bespoke product.

www.timberveneer. asn.au instagram.com/ timberveneer facebook.com/ timberveneer linkedin.com/ company/timberveneer-association-ofaustralia

All set to unveil woodworking and timber processing innovations

Ligna showcases the latest This May, more than 1,500 companies will be gathering in Hannover, Germany, to showcase the future of the woodworking and timber processing industries.

Whether it’s about digitization, automation, IoT platforms or collaborative systems, Ligna is where innovations are shown for the first time and on an unrivalled scale -- 130,000 square metres is the total net display area that will be

24

occupied by exhibition stands featuring the latest woodworking and timber processing plant, machinery and tools.

“From 27 to 31 May 2019, exhibitors from over 50 countries will gather at the Hannover Exhibition Centre to showcase stateof-the-art processing solutions, applications and concepts for the entire forestry & wood industry,” said Dr Andreas Gruchow, Man-

aging Board member at Deutsche Messe, during the Ligna Preview press conference.

“The presence of all the world’s leading technology providers will make Hannover the global hotspot for the wood-based industries during those five days.

No other fair compares in terms of international appeal,” he added.

“Once again in 2019, Ligna will serve as the industry’s showcase of

choice for unveiling their innovations, with a great many exhibitors even timing their development cycles to coincide with the show’s staging every two years.”

Visitors can expect to see innovations across all display categories, from forestry technology, furniture and window manufacturing, through to tooling systems and surface technology. They will also see live demonstrations of fully func-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

tional furniture production plants, learn about IoT platforms for Industry 4.0 plants and the latest R&D projects, and be able to participate at networking events throughout the show. Dr. Andreas Gruchow: “One of the big challenges is the ever greater trend to product individualization – a trend that is putting pressure on manufacturers to deliver customized products at least as quickly,

profitably and efficiently as with series production. It’s these sorts of challenges for which Ligna exhibitors will be presenting solutions,” Dr Gruchow said.

Ligna 2019 has three focus themes: “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions”, “Smart Surface Technology” and “Access to Resources and Technology”. The latter is also the keynote theme of the Wood Industry Summit .

www.timberbiz.com.au

Associations

Underpayments: new reverse onus of proof laws put to the test Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer Timber Trade Industrial Association (TTIA)

I

n a deliberate warning to employers, the Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced the first legal action involving new reverse onus of proof laws that require employers with inadequate employment records to disprove alleged underpayments.

It has launched proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against an operator of two fast food outlets. The FWO has also instigated proceedings against the company’s directors.

Fair Work inspectors audited the company, based on the Sunshine Coast, in 2018 as part of a targeted auditing activity.

According to the FWO, nine workers across the two outlets were underpaid a total of $19,467 in entitlements. It is alleged they were not paid minimum ordinary hourly rates, weekend penalty rates, overtime rates or super-

annuation, and that their annual leave and personal leave entitlements were not accrued.

It also alleged the company breached workplace laws by failing to issue pay slips and keep proper time and wages records between October and December 2017.

The company faces penalties of up to $63,000 per contravention. The directors are facing penalties of up to $12,600 for their alleged involvement in the leave contraventions.

Additionally, one of the directors is facing penalties of up to $12,600 for his involvement in the record-keeping and pay slip breaches.

The matter is listed for a directions hearing in the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane on 25 March 2019.

What this means for employers in the Timber Industry Well, this is the first

legal action to be taken using new reverse onus of proof laws introduced late last year. Under these laws, employers who do not meet recordkeeping or pay slip obligations and cannot give a reasonable excuse will need to disprove allegations in wage claims made in a court.

The reverse onus of proof applies to breaches of the National Employment Standards, a modern award or an enterprise agreement, and the reverse onus of proof laws can be found listed under section 557C of the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Act 2017.

This Act applies to conduct that occurred after it came into effect on 15 September 2017.

It also includes provisions increasing penalties for ‘serious contraventions’ and banning employers for asking for ‘cashback.’

According to the acting Fair Work Ombudsman, the FWO plans to make full use of the new laws.

The FWO noted that in the past some employers had avoided facing litigation by the FWO because while they had breached their recordkeeping obligations, there was not sufficient evidence present to prove underpayments in court.

Put simply, businesses who don’t meet record-keeping or pay slip obligations and can’t give a reasonable excuse will need to disprove allegations of underpayments in court.

I can assure you this is NOT a scare mongering exercise but a very real danger for some businesses in our industry that have not kept their knowledge of award/payroll conditions and record keeping documentation up to date in recent times.

I would urge you to contact TTIA and get your house in order on this issue. We provide an in-house wages and payroll audit service by qualified staff.

TTIA can be contacted on (02) 9264 0011 should you wish to book this service which is available in all States.

Small business to get 3 month leeway on STP The ATO has announced that small businesses will be given a buffer period of three months to comply with the newly legislated extension of Single Touch Payroll to all businesses.

The ATO commissioner has given his “personal guarantee” that the agency will adopt a flexible and

reasonable approach in dealing with the transition to STP for employers with 19 or fewer employees.

Recognising the limited time left to the start date of 1 July 2019, small businesses will be allowed to start reporting any time between 1 July and 30 September 2019.

While the official start date will not change, the 30 September deadline has been chosen to give employers more time to make the transition to real-time digital reporting.

Further, any small employer who requests additional time to start STP reporting will be granted a deferral, with exemptions for employers experiencing hardship or those in areas with intermittent or no internet connection.

There will also be no penalties for mistakes, missed or late reports for the first year.

It is understood that many small businesses and other small employers do not currently use commercial payroll software and they will not be required to purchase such software to report under STP. The Commissioner reassured small business the ATO’s that our approach to extending Single Touch Payroll

will be flexible, reasonable and pragmatic.

There will be further concessions to the micro business space, categorised as those with one to four employees, as they make up 60 per cent of approximately 750,000 employers in the small business population.

As such, micro employers will be allowed to rely on a registered tax or BAS agent to report quarterly for the first two years, rather than each time payroll is run.

Low and no-cost products The tax office is set to release a detailed register of Single Touch Payroll products for the micro business space next month, including several no-cost options.

The ATO assistant commissioner said that they are working through the review process with the low-cost solution providers, and some of their solutions and pricing is still commercial in confidence so this information will not be shared publicly until the next version of the register is published in early March. However, it is understood that some products will be made available at no cost, including some that are already available in the market.

SUPPORTERS & SPONSORS

For information visit: www.timberbiz.com.au

www.ttia.asn.au AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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Associations

“We support you!”

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

e h in

our mult-billion dollar industry.

Carbon Warriors ensuring the message is heard FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA “We support you!”

FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

T

he FTMA Australia National Conference is being held on 26 March 2019 and will be the biggest event ever for the frame and truss sector with just over 200 registrations which is a huge increase on past events.

This highlights the need for quality informative events that provide networking amongst the supply chain. FTMA Australia has always excelled at networking and believe that fabricators learn more from their peers than any other way.

The National Conference is also the perfect way to ensure the FTMA Annual Sponsors and Conference Sponsors can interact with fabricators, showing off their products through the Trade Exhibit which this year has over 23 displays. We are proud of the large sponsorship base we have de26

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer FTMA Australia veloped over the years and in the past month we have welcomed on board Borgs as a Silver Sponsor plus Simpson Strong-Tie and One Forty One Wood Products as Bronze Sponsors.

FTMA Australia hosted a Forum in Sydney for the Frame and Truss Supply Chain which was well attended by nearly all timber suppliers to our sector, the three nail plate companies and relevant timber Associations.

They all joined the FTMA Australia Board to examine the feedback from fabricators on the recent Steel Survey and to discuss ways in which our industry needs to promote our product with a common message.

The feedback to the Steel Survey was fantastic with 34% of fabricators completing the survey which included fabricators from every state and territory.

Fabricators had differing opinions as to whether the steel market was increasing, however, most recognised that there definitely had been a concerted effort in advertising from the steel industry.

Some had lost builders due to not providing steel frames, however, some also outlined that they had builders go to steel, only to come back to timber which was reassuring.

There is no doubt that the increase of steel frames in the market place is a reality.

Some may bury their heads and say that it is not happening and that it is a short term thing, but what has come about through this is the need for a common message from our industry.

Too often our industry supply chain acts individually to promote their products, whereas what we need is a loud common message and we are pleased that following the workshop in Sydney the industry has listened and a core message is being worked on to be presented at the National Conference.

As someone who loves timber, I find it hard to believe that we cannot sell the environ-

mental argument to the wider consumers and builders. Sure builders are shown to be the ones making decisions but we need a stronger campaign to show how important our product is to the environment.

We have seen timber procurement policies introduced throughout the world, as the world recognises that wood is the best tool to tackle climate change, storing carbon for life. The French Government has gone as far as legislating the use of wood in construction as they recognised the power of storing carbon in wood.

Everyone who works in the timber frame and truss industry are Carbon Warriors. You work at Carbon Storage Facilities producing a product that the home owner can proudly say stores carbon for life and helps tackle climate change.

I’d like to thank the FTMA Board and representatives of the frame and truss supply chain for coming together for the Sydney forum and look forward to the presentation at the FTMA Australia National Conference.

Remember, we all have a voice and we must use it to sell the same message.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER April 2019

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

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

COMBi iFT

L I F T I N G I N N O VAT I O N

Australasia

W W W. M P B E N G I For a full list of the conditions of membership and a downloadable application form visit: www.ftmaaustralia.com.au

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