Australian Timberman Aug 12

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August 2012, Issue 5 Vol. 20 Ph: (03) 9888 4820 Fax: (03) 9888 4840 Email: norm@timberman.net.au Web: www.timberbiz.com.au

• Forte story building • Purpose built plant • Innovation is key • CNC technology

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NEWS

3 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Forte story building T

HE STRATEGIC phrase “the economy, stupid” became something of a slogan during Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 campaign for the US presidency, serving as a reminder of what the fundamental issue was for the voters of America during the US recession at that time.

The same can be said

global design group Arup.

As a member of a Sydney consortium of professionals from a wide variety of disciplines working on a three apartment-block project of affordable housing in Western Sydney, he concluded that wood had superior economic performance when taking into account all “whole of

busi ness-a s-usua l-to d ay assumptions, it’s not difficult to show that the timber solution ends up with an advantage, end of life” over concrete. “But, if you conjecture that landfill management will change thanks to the carbon pricing framework (and) there will be more diversion of timber

been fatally compromised.

A timber structure built by the university using draped tendon construction has since been demonstrated to withstand such forces by first flexing then returning to its original form.

The savings in avoided disruption to lives and economic activity as well

We all know timber is green but, if the price is too high, no-one pays for the green solution.”

- Philipp Zumbrunnen, Design Director, Eurban

 Dr Andy Buchanan – Having experienced the

devastation of the Christchurch earthquakes, using science to deliver safer building solutions

about the use of wood in construction as the timber industry contemplates the great strides being made in construction around the world using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels.

At the Melbourne seminar on Advanced Timber Construction Systems in June by Wood Solutions, the economics of higher density affordable housing construction using concrete and steel versus wood was discussed by Richard Hough, a structural engineer with

life” factors.

While actual performance depends on the specific requirements/limitations of specific sites, he noted that it is “...a no-brainer that timber is going to beat concrete hands down from cradle to site”, but, when it comes to operational energy usage during a 50 year life of the building, thermal mass might still give concrete an advantage in a climate like Sydney.

However, he noted that “if you take conservative,

from landfill, there will be more capture of CO2 . Or if you conjecture there will be more biomass energy conversion of demolished timber, then we found that you could be looking at as much as 20-30% advantage on total lifecycle CO2 using timber.”

Dr Andy Buchanan of Canterbury University presented the case for the performance of buildings using Advanced Timber Construction Systems, which demonstrated their ability to withstand the forces of earthquakes. He showed pictures of a multistorey, concrete and steel building in Christchurch that had sustained what looked like relatively minor, superficial damage in that city’s major quake. It has now been demolished as the integrity of the structure had

 R ichard Hough – working as a professional and enthusiast to ensure CLT construction is used in Sydney.

continued on page 4.

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Developments to watch for Hackney Council is set to be the first local authority in England to promote timber construction in its planning policy.

Councilor Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “Timber construction is changing the face of sustainable development, with the industry increasingly recognising the aesthetic and environmental benefits of using wood in new developments.

We aren’t looking to adopt a rigid policy which disregards the use of other traditional building materials, rather we will be seeking to inform industry leaders of the benefits of building with wood and how it can complement the national sustainability agenda.”

Kingsgate House in Chelsea, London.

Once again this is construction for social housing. It will be a seven-storey, 4,400m2 gross floor area building (larger than Bridport House) and is expected to start towards the end of 2012 with completion of the CLT installation in eight weeks.

Brentford Lock, another London precinct, is a waterside regeneration project that should go on for the next 10 years.

While this project design has yet to be finalized, Eurban/Carbon Eng is hoping to convince the developers to use CLT.

demolition and rebuilding costs by using such timber structures are obvious.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the economics of panelized timber construction came from

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The first phase is about 500 flats. The first block is five-storeys with 27 flats. This will not be for affordable housing (all flats are to be sold on the open market) and Zumbrunnen projects CLT installation will take six weeks starting early 2013.

Colville Estate is a regeneration project in Hackney, London, to deliver affordable housing. The second phase should start in 2013 (it is currently in planning) and has three residential blocks between four- and eight-storeys. There will be some commercial units and underground parking. This will mean a concrete base and, once again, brick cladding.

Importantly, one of the planned towers in this development (expected to be completed over the next decade) is 18-storeys and Zumbrunnen believes it is feasible to construct it in timber.

Canada. Angela Dark, Trade Commissioner with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, attended the Wood Solutions seminar and when asked what aspects the Canadians were interested in, suggested there could be interest at three levels – supply of equipment from Canada to assist in CLT production in Australia, supply of finished CLT product to Australia and capital investment in Australian ventures to produce CLT.

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NEWS

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 4

Forte story building the price is too high, no-one pays for the green solution.”

Eurban/Carbon Eng constructed the world’s largest to date (by volume, not height) residential CLT building in 2010/11 when they built

continued from page 3.

Philipp Zumbrunnen, Design Director of Eurban/Carbon Eng in London, who made the observation that “We all know timber is green but, if

 Philipp Zumbrunnen - “We all know timber is

green but, if the price is too high, no-one pays for the green solution.”

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August 2012, Vol.20, No.5 MEDIA

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Bridport House in Hackney, London. This eight-storey, 4,154 m2 (gross floor area) development of 41 residential units was for affordable housing so the pressure was on all designers to provide a solution that delivered not only the amenity required but did so at the lowest possible total construction cost.

Having to be built over a 150-year-old underground sewer tunnel, the weight of the structure was an important factor. The CLT construction method produced a building that is 39% lighter than a building using conventional concrete and steel construction.

Construction of the building took 12 weeks in a frigid London winter – a time saving over traditional concrete and steel construction of approximately 10 weeks.

However, finishing the building in the requisite brick cladding took a further 36 weeks! Needless to say, Eurban/Carbon Eng are now promoting to developers the time and materials cost

 The eight-storeys of apartments in the Forte building will be all CLT. No concrete means four workers and one supervisor can complete all residential floors.

total weight of buildings a crucial factor. Construction using CLT is likely to save somewhere in the order of $20 million in footings on some sites in this area.

The savings don’t stop there, however, as the precision of

Constructing using CLT is likely to save somewhere in the order of $20 million in footings on some sites. benefit of rendering a CLT construction rather than bricking it.

In Australia, Lend Lease is currently building this country’s (and the world’s) tallest wooden residential structure in the Victoria Harbour precinct of Melbourne’s Docklands.

Daryl Patterson, Head of Operations – Development, Lend Lease, explained one of the driving forces in employing CLT construction for their Forte apartment building is the 35 metres of Coote Island silt the site sits on. With other sites in the Victoria Harbour precinct having as much as 65 metres of silt before reaching the basalt below, the cost of footings becomes an important issue making the

 Front page photo:

The Lend Lease Forte building in Melbourne has captured worldwide attention.

building with panels that are precisely machined to go into a precise location in the building means that fewer workers are required on the construction site and that each worker is performing precise tasks. This focused precision is what will allow (subject to Melbourne’s weather!) this nine-storey building to be finished by early November – less than 10 months after the site works were started.

This speed of construction is one reason Lend Lease has taken the unusual step of constructing this building without first selling the requisite 40% of the apartments to gain finance.

Given their faith in the CLT construction method, Lend Lease is using this project to demonstrate to financiers and developers the apartmentbuying market will see little real difference between CLT and concrete and steel.

While the embedded carbon story is a fantastic win for the environment, lighter buildings, cheaper construction costs and faster completion times will be what makes timber a better choice for developers.

After all, it’s the economics, stupid.

For more information on this topic, presentations made at Frame Australia over the two days prior to this seminar may be downloaded at www.frameaustralia.com/ Presentations.aspx

 The 750+ CNC routed CLT panels required to

construct the Forte apartments have been stored like giant jigsaw pieces handy to the site and delivered in order as required.

FRAME AUSTRALIA WRAP

5 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Our journey with BIM S

OME THINGS must start at the top and Business Information Modelling (BIM) falls readily into that category; for most builders or even architects and designers it’s just a bridge too far.

Where smaller companies or individuals can’t make BIM a reality, a large conglomerate like the Leighton Group can handle the time and expense of transforming a new technology into a tool for business.

The Leighton Group includes Thiess, Leighton Contractors, John Holland, Leighton Properties, Leighton Asia, Leighton Offshore, Leighton Welspun, Habtoor Leighton Group and Leighton Africa. The company operates in 25 countries in Asia, the Middle East, southern Africa and Australia.

Claudelle Taylor, who is the manager for group project systems at Leighton, spoke at the FRAME conference in Melbourne.

From the outset Taylor referred to the company’s process as Leighton’s journey with BIM, the destination has yet to be reached.

“I’m not saying everything’s been a beautiful journey because it hasn’t been, there’s been a lot of challenges,” said Taylor.

The first job for which Leighton used BIM was in 2009 on a casino in Macau called the City of Dreams. It was a very big job and involved Leighton Asia, John Holland and China State Construction Engineering.

Four towers were to be constructed and if anyone has been to either Macau or Las Vegas then you have a pretty good idea of the scale of the project. If not, it’s very difficult to describe other than to say that these casinos are more like an

adult’s Disneyland and nothing comes close in Australia.

The City of Dreams had to include serviced apartments, cafes, several styles of casino including an underwaterthemed casino, shopping arcades, restaurants and a 2000 seat performance hall.

“This was the first really big job that anyone in the Leighton group wanted to use a proper BIM model on,” said Taylor.

“Part of the reason was to get a better understanding of design.”

The company was keen to see if BIM could reduce the cycle time of design, reduce errors and waste, produce better estimates, increase site safety and produce fewer variations and translation errors. They also wanted to see if they could introduce more pre-fabrication into the process and incorporate Just In Time (JIT) delivery characteristics.

“Anyone who has to work with 2D drawings knows it’s out of control especially with a job that is that big. We had our architect in America, we had other architects in Australia, people working in HK,” said Taylor.

“We actually hired a company who specialized in 3D models and building 3D models and they became the central point for all the design consultants.

“They coordinated all the design and architects, engineering architects, they looked after construction planning – and did the visualization animations and showed the client how the actual complex was going to look in the end.

“It was quite complex and involved and this was our first time.”

For the project everyone still designed using their products of choice and they spat out their

2D drawings. Leighton then handed those drawing over to the BIM consultants and they redrew the 2D drawings in BIM, those were integrated to get the 3D models. From there they output 2D drawings again.

It was quite an involved process according to Taylor but one that was worthwhile and paid immediate dividends.

“We only had 43 hours of rework in 25,000 hours of work,” she said.

The HVAC contractor for the job projected more than US$400K of labor savings

have different levels of what we’re doing with those models.

Some models will do the 4D simulation which is simulating the time required and also 5D which is the cost,” said Taylor.

A collaborative BIM can bring together everyone in the supply chain but many issues remain and it will take time and money to overcome them.

“We need to train a lot of users. We need to educate the people in how to use the tools but more importantly what the process is … a lot of people want to jump in to use the

to uncover and analyse the industry’s perception of collaborative BIM. A lot of the concerns that came up were about intellectual property, legal issues and the roles and responsibilities of the collaborators.

There was also a bit of a skewed expectation of BIM depending on the discipline.

“If you were from a design discipline you thought it was about CAD … if you came from non-design discipline like a contractor you thought it was about document management,”

For the project everyone still designed using their products of choice and they spat out their 2D drawings. Leighton then handed those drawing over to the BIM consultants and they redrew the 2D drawings in BIM, those were integrated to get the 3D models. From there they output 2D drawings again. on $HKD 9.04 million GMP contract a saving of 4.5%.

“We were able to do more pre-fab because the model was accurate and we got our bill of materials from the model,” said Taylor.

The next step was closer to home with the Ark building in North Sydney, a 21 level office tower with a unique and complex façade.

This building was completed in 2010 and incorporates a greywater recycling system and its primary source of power is an on-site trigeneration plant that uses gas turbines to provide energy for electricity and heating and cooling. It has been awarded a 6-Star Green rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

“We used IFCs or Industry Foundation Classes or an open system of information for what is stored in BIM,” said Taylor.

IFC is a file type like a PDF or a JPEG. “The architect and all the consultants can use whatever software they like and then be able to export that information as an IFC so that our server could read those models. We merged them into one model and then produced the 2D specifications.”

It was different to the way the company had approached the City of Dreams project because there they went from 2D to 3D to 2D, this time they started with BIM and then got the 2D drawings out.

There were challenges and discoveries made, Leighton discovered they were caught in a loop that could only be resolved using more effort and exploration.

“Now within Leighton Group we do have a lot more examples of building information modeling and we

tools without identifying how this process is going to work,” explained Taylor.

Leighton conducted focus groups in Sydney and Brisbane

said Taylor. It was clear that there was not enough understanding of what BIM meant in a broader sense. “It was research it’s where we want

to get to,” said Taylor. Three key issues came out. There was model server issues about how the model server functions and how it is to be used. There were technical issues relating to technology and non-technical issues about work processes and contractual agreements.

“One of the biggest reasons we want to use BIM is because we want to run a collaborative design review and approval process,” said Taylor about the reasons the company will continue to work on strengthening the use of BIM. “So what we did is we took our standard design review process and we looked at what that process would look like if we used collaborative BIM and it’s not really that much different, other than instead of handing 2D drawings around to be reviewed we’re actually using 3D models putting them into a collaborative model server and then doing the review.

“When we get a little more advanced, what we’d like to happen is that every person uses their model and uploads it into the centralized model and we all work off that. In the cloud or over the Internet, web-based. That the ultimate aim for us – the collaborative model.”

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TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 6

FRAME AUSTRALIA WRAP

buildingSmart with BIM J

OHN MITCHELL, chairman of buildingSmart Australasia looked around the room at the FRAME conference in Melbourne and asked if anyone knew what BIM was. Did anyone use BIM? The silence was telling.

Certainly there were people in the audience who had some knowledge while some like Claudelle Taylor of the Leighton Group had experience with BIM but mostly the audience was struck dumb.

As Mitchell went on to say, the building industry is not renowned for its affinity with and use of high tech computer software programs but it is time. Other industries have already embraced similar systems, and other countries are embracing Building Industry Modelling (BIM).

So what is Building Industry Modelling?

“BIM is 3D object model that is like a building database, easily visualized,” said Mitchell. “We can extract significant intelligence out of it.”

Currently there is a lack of integration along the supply chain linking parties and between project phases but it’s not impossible to fix.

As Mitchell said other industries such as the Australian Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association has already started supply chain integration.

Other issues that plague the building industry are its reliance on the lowest bid strategy rather than a value for money proposition. There is poor understanding of optimized and properly documented designs. According to Mitchell the “Getting it Right” study in Queensland in 2005 identified this problem. That was seven years ago and it still lingers.

There is also inadequate and ineffective use of technology and a lack of appreciation of the benefits of open communication.

In 2010 Mitchell’s organization commissioned a survey with the Commonwealth’s help that looked at adopting BIM in the Australian construction sector.

Implementation Plan. The starting point was the outcomes of the MESH conferences in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in early 2011.

The roadblocks are these: • Lack of model building protocols • Little product data for BIM object libraries • L egal and insurance impediments

We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources.

“The economic potential is extraordinary, extraordinary, a $4 billion potential per annum - $4 billion productivity potential per annum, this mirrors many other studies around the world,” said Mitchell.

“We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources, we need to be more efficient and deliver higher value for money.”

The lessons from the 2D CAD current technology are clear, after 20 years there are still no common guidelines, no consensus in either government or industry and the documentation instead of improving is deteriorating.

“There is significant risk if we do not align with international BIM developments – it’s a worldwide turn to BIM,” said Mitchell. buildingSMART Australasia was commissioned at the end of 2111 to undertake the development of a BIM

• Poor standards for information exchange • I nconsistencies in information handover protocols • Skills gaps • Lack of strategic research focus • I ndustry resistance to process change The participants at the stakeholder consultation workshops conducted by buildingSmart proposed key recommendations. First and foremost was that a BIM adoption roadmap should be completed.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should be encouraged to require full collaborative BIM for their building procurements and they should develop procurement processes and assistance packages to encourage its adoption.

Legal and technical instruments needed to support the introduction of BIM should

be developed and aligned with relevant international codes and standards. We must think globally.

Education is a must to enable the industry to meet the demands of technology for new workers and re-training for those already in the industry.

Easy access must be facilitated to building product manufacturer’s certified information for use in all types of modelbased applications through an Australian on-line BIM products library.

Open standard data exchange protocols should be established that support collaboration and facilitate integration of the briefing, design, construction, manufacturing and maintenance supply chain throughout the entire life of a built facility.

Governments around the world are seeing the advantage of BIM as it can be used to support automated code checking, ensure buildings meet environmental and energy performance requirements, make certain asset and management information is available at all tiers of government for operational, maintenance, fiscal and strategic planning.

The global construction software industry is well advanced in the change to BIM. All the major vendors Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Nemetscheck Allplan and Bentley Triforma have IFC certification, and now Autodesk Revit has committed to IFC compliance.

Only by adopting BIM, by accepting new processes and by sharing information will the building industry stay competitive.

FRAME AUSTRALIA WRAP

7 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Lend Lease lends might to CLT A

FTER LISTENING to Andrew Neiland from Lend Lease it was difficult to understand why it has taken so long for Australia to embrace CLT, and even harder to understand why it has taken the major construction companies this long to make it all add up.

Initially it seemed odd that Neiland, who comes from the accounting side of the Lend Lease business, was presenting to a timberoriented audience at the Frame Australia conference.

That soon passed as he recounted the reductions that Lend Lease faced through the use of CLT in its new multi-storey Forte apartment building in Melbourne.

Admittedly it won’t be just reduced costs – but that’s the main take-away point, the other reductions relate to significantly lower construction noise, less occupational health and safety issues, and a smaller environmental footprint.

The big cost reduction will come courtesy of reduced construction time, reduced truck movements, less labour, reduced building weight leading to reduced foundation requirements and more.

“It’s lightweight, timber is roughly a fifth the weight of concrete,” said Neiland. “[with precast concrete] you only get a couple of pieces on a truck and that’s about it, you can truck a vast number of CLT panels in one go, so get a huge reduction in truck movements.

“In terms of how the site looks the general comments we have from our construction teams is clean, and how quiet and how orderly the site is,” said Neiland.

“One mobile crane, a couple days of CLT ready for installation and a crew of four guys putting it into place - very quiet and efficient process.”

Victoria Harbour was the instigator Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour has been a development hot spot for some time and Lend Lease was trying to make the most of the limited land available. On North Wharf the company was faced with a problem.

“The building conditions are not great, it’s on silt so we looked for a lightweight construction solution and came up with CLT,” said Neiland.

“That was most viable option and we found a lot more benefits than just light weight. So they assembled a team of designers and engineers to go and have a look at it.

“They saw the opportunity immediately – for an all expenses paid trip to Europe.”

It paid off, representatives from Lend Lease visited 14 projects in Europe, they visited the CLT producers and met with architects who had worked on similar projects and came away very impressed.

“They came away very impressed that it was a proven solution where the owners and occupiers really enjoyed the outcome, and really enjoyed living in these buildings,” he said.

Due diligence on the project took three years to complete.

What Lend Lease did discover and what the company has brought into play with the Forte construction in Bourke Street, Melbourne – only a few doors down from Lend Lease HQ – is that using CLT is a design process.

“It’s not taking a concrete building and replacing concrete with timber, it’s a new process. It’s about completing all your design up-front rather designing as your going,” said Neiland.

“It’s about a factory process where you sign off on the drawings, you work out all the crane movements, you work out the logistics, the truck movements then you manufacture. By doing

this we are minimizing waste and reducing errors and building faster.

“If you design it well it will last, if you design it poorly it won’t.”

Australia’s building code doesn’t take into account timber buildings taller than three storeys so for Forte Lend Lease had to undertake a fire engineered solution and that’s not something that everyone can do. It may be a barrier to highrise CLT construction in Australia unless it is addressed.

Forte is nine storeys tall (with a ground floor retail area) with 23 apartments and four townhouses.

Lend Lease was faced with a certain amount of dismay when it came to fire approvals.

“Melissa Chandler who is our building codes expert said it was the most interesting conversation she’s ever had with the fire brigade in her life.

“Saying we’re building 10 storeys of timber, the lift well, the fire stairs and we’re leaving the fire stairs exposed timber. The look on their faces was priceless. We convinced them it was a good idea,” said Neiland. “We did the fire testing of the CLT panels with the CSIRO to achieve our approvals.

“While it is not of a size that requires sprinklers we are installing sprinklers for this one,” he added.

As the ground floor is to be a retail space that floor is designed very differently to the apartments and so it is mounted on a concrete slab which was laid in February this year. The CLT installation started in June and it is anticipated that it will take eight weeks to put up and should be finished in August.

The whole building should be finished in October this year.

Neiland said that for his company it wasn’t just about building a building in CLT it needed to be a step change in sustainability and that is

certainly what has happened. This will be the first 5-star green star building built in a residential environment.

Each apartment is dual aspect and will take 25% less energy to heat and cool compared with a typical apartment, which equates to roughly $300 a year saved. All apartments will have a smart meter to link to an in-home display, which shows real time and historic data on energy consumption.

Not only that, but simply by using timber 1451 tonnes of carbon is saved (cradle to site).

Like every new idea there were challenges, the biggest was the logistics of shipping a building from Europe to Australia. KLH in Europe is the manufacturer of CLT for the Forte construction and so the panels had to be shipped to Australia and then stored awaiting installation.

Out it came – 485 tonnes of timber, 759 CLT panels shipped in 25 containers in two ships.

Lend Lease then did some other due diligence on the project, at 32.17 metres tall was it the tallest timber building in the world?

“We came across Nikolai (Sutyagin) who was friendly old chap in Russia who was lonely and in 1992 he started to build a timber house for himself. He went a couple of storeys up and just kept going and he didn’t stop until he got to about 44 metres.

“So we couldn’t go out with the claim that it is the tallest timber building so we modified it with a clause that it’s the tallest apartment timber building,” said Neiland.

For the future Neiland said that Lend Lease is considering building up to 50% of its residential apartments using CLT. “For us Forte is not a one-off demonstration building,” he said.

You can see live webcam vision of the Forte building under construction at http://www. forteliving.com.au

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TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 8

FRAME AUSTRALIA WRAP

CNC technology brings predictability I

N OTHER industries the use of CNC technology is well established but now the knowledge and machinery is coming to timber and one of the companies that is bringing that is Hundegger.

“What I would like to present is what are the possibilities to manufacture [using CNC machinery],” said Steffan Webber of Hundegger.

Hundegger has been around for more than 34 years and has over 380 employees worldwide with a turnover of $85 million annually. It builds more than 230 machines a year.

“What I’m to present is about CNC technology and the advantages that comes with it,” said Webber.

“The designs of housing is changing to a 3D CAD model with quite a lot of information in it and why not make use of this information since it’s already there. It is a chain you follow right up to manufacturing.”

The advantages of CNC machinery have been proven in other industries and include a better understanding of required materials and hardware, which makes it simpler to determine the profit available from any job.

Using CNC also makes the process more predictable for planning and minimizes human error. There’s no hard copy plans to interpret.

The fully automated approach for closed panel production all starts with frame cutting.

Hundegger’s joinery machine the K2i offers an efficient and extensive solution for solid wood processing and joining of construction timber.

It processes construction timber without measuring, marking and set-up times – using cross sections of 20 x 50mm to 300 x 450mm (optionally 625, 1250mm) and with any length.

K2i can be used from oneman operation to prefab house factories.

This type of machine is offers flexibility, variety of processing options and precision.

Due to the modular structure of the machine it can be fully customised taking into consideration the needs of customers and added to at any time.

The transport and positioning system with two gripper and guiding wagons guarantees accuracy even with bent and twisted beams.

The Speed-Cut was developed predominantly for quick and precise cutting to size, as well as for processing simple timber parts (drilling, milling, slotting, marking, labelling).

Timber cross-sections from 20 x 40mm to 160 x 450mm (optionally 200 x 450mm) with any timber length can be processed.

The Speed Cut machine has two conveyor systems working independently of each other; this permits incomparably fast and precise wood handling

• Drilling of all diameters • Countersinking of all diameters • Edge processing such as chamfers, tongue and groove processing, dry lining edges for Fermacell and wallboard panels etc.

• Ink jet lettering for numberings, bar code labelling, customer logos Chip extraction is carried out at the processing spot.

Panel feed can be done manually or with a vacuum lifter.

The fully automatic loading system permits processing directly from the stack without additional handling.

Cuts and processings can be entered directly by the operator on the machine

benchmark for truss and frame component cutting.

In this market we have plants utilising design software from Mitek, Pryda and Multinail.

We also have other manufacturers utilising our K2 machinery and in this case the design software is a 3D CAD program developed in Europe.

CLT manufacturing With the PBA it is possible to process large parts such as walls, ceilings or ceiling members accurately to the millimetre. The machine processes most materials, including solid wood, laminated girders, laminated

tools including dovetail mills, routers, side milling and profile milling cutters.

There is a customer in Norway using a new AutoEye

The Speed Cut machine has two conveyor systems working independently of each other; this permits incomparably fast and precise wood handling and thus extremely short processing times without retooling and re-setting. and thus extremely short processing times without retooling and re-setting.

Using waste optimization, various different parts can be produced from one single long raw timber automatically. Even with the standard machine, multiple layers (stack processing) can be safely transported and accurately processed.

The SPM2 is a fully automatic machine for mass production of all panel materials, used in construction such as solid wood panels, chipboard, OSB and fibreboard panels, wallboard panels, fibrecement board panels, rigid foam insulating wall panels and wood soft board insulating wall panels.

The milling capability is up to 4-axis with the an additional 4-axis circular saw that can be rotated through 180 degrees or an additional milling unit in 5-axis design.

This unit can be swivelled in 46° about the Z-axis.

An inkjet labelling unit is available as another option.

Processing possibilities: • Saw cuts at all angles • Milling of all contours, forms and letterings • Milling using 5-axis unit

computer or the complete data can be transferred from all commercially available CAD programs.

The nesting optimisation module integrated in the machine program optimises all parts as regards waste optimisation and processing quality and speed within seconds.

All software upgrades are free of charge as usual.

“The labour saving side is the big thing,” said Webber.

SIP – structural insulated panel With the SPM-SIP (SIP=Structural Insulated Panel) panel shaped materials such as SIP, OSB, plywood or chipboards as well as wallboard panels, Fermacell or Eternit panels, are sawed, milled, drilled and labelled exactly the same way as MDF, HDF and soft fibreboard panels.

Over the past five years more than 50 machines have been installed in truss plants, timber distribution centres and manufacturing facilities.

Predominantly the market in Australia has been for SpeedCut as the machinery has been accepted as the

timber, multi-layer panels and sandwich elements.

Due to the large traverse paths of the PBA, parts up to 8 metres wide and 48 cm thick can be processed on five sides.

The 5-axis gantry is equipped with up to six tools, and any longitudinal, bevelled and diagonal cuts can be sawed, openings of any shape and size can be milled and blind or through holes can be drilled - all without tool change - so the parts can be produced very fast.

The work area of the machine can be subdivided so that the machine operator can load a part of the machine, while the gantry automatically processes a workpiece in another part.

Clamping of the work piece is not necessary due to the special supporting tables and the design.

The software includes an interface for accepting processing data from commercially available CAD programs. The machine operator can also enter or modify all operations directly on the machine. An easy to understand graphic user interface is available.

The machinery can be equipped with a range of

Truss system developed by a company called Randek in Sweden.

“This is probably the most advanced truss plant in Europe if not on a worldwide scale.

“The way trusses are being manufactured here in Australia and in North America I think the level of automation you implemented your truss making is probably leading the truss manufacturing,” said Webber.

However, this customer has implemented a totally new system, he has four truss plants and so this provides a good comparison of how this new machine stacks up.

“The owner said for him the increase is in production because they do the same of amount of trusses compared with the other truss plants but with 60 per cent less people,” said Webber. “And it’s a paperless workshop. And quality, with the pressing of the nail plates we are within two millimeters of the accuracy.”

SF022 AutoEyeTruss system is a system developed for automatic production of roof trusses. The system combines high capacity with quality.

The automatic press identifies the roof truss and picks, places, positions and

presses the nail plates to the roof truss automatically. The pressing force is adapted to the nailplate, so the pressing result is perfect.

The system can handle any shape of the roof truss.

Two operators place the timber into position, this is guided by puck tables and laser shape functions.

A nailing bridge automatically nails corrugated nails in all joints and marks the roof truss with production data using an ink jet.

The pucks are released and the roof truss is automatically lifted and transported to the next station, which is the automatic press.

The press picks nail plates from the right nail plate container, the system has 30 containers of various sizes of nail plates, and feed the nail plates to the press. The press visually identifies how the roof truss and joint is positioned and places the nail plates exactly on the right position relative the joint regardless of whether the timber is straight.

The press presses the nail plates with the exact pressing force making the result perfect. When all the joints are processed the roof truss is fed towards the next station.

The roof truss moves through the roller press as an extra quality check.

The roof truss is automatically stacked.

When a complete package is packed the operator bundles the roof truss package and places the package on a truck.

The production cycle is 11 seconds per pressing point or 13 seconds with 80 per cent utilization.

FRAME AUSTRALIA WRAP

9 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Two views on one subject

Philipp Zumbrunnen of EURBAN and Kris te Lintelo of Australand are at opposite ends of the world, but on the same planet when it comes to engineering wood buildings. They both spoke on day two of the Frame Australia Conference.

Waingels College and Bridport House

Z

umbrunnen is the design director for EURBAN/ Carbon Eng in the UK and has been working with what is essentially a leader in the delivery of solid timber building structures.

“We are known for our ability to deliver high-quality timber structures on time and on budget,” said Zumbrunnen.

“Our innovative and industryleading services include a specialist timber consultancy, strategic package procurement, value engineering and on-site construction services.”

These services came as a result of trying to sell CLT in the UK. “EURBAN tried to sell CLT in the UK, they found out really quickly it’s not just selling a product it’s selling the system. You need to sell the service, you need to sell the engineering and you also need to sell the installation.

“We are providing the full service.

“Over the last 10 years we have done over 100 projects for the UK,” he said.

The company doesn’t produce the material but purchases from a variety of companies in central Europe in this way they can purchase the right material from the right manufacturer for each individual project.

“We have our own installation team that means we have control of the whole supply chain. That is the key factor for our success,” said Zumbrunnen.

CarbonEng, is an offshoot of EURBAN’s consultancy arm, and is a leading timber engineering company in the UK having designed the building structures for landmark projects such as Waingels College, the world’s largest solid timber school building and Bridport House, the world’s largest solid timber apartment block.

Waingels College project “This building was from the beginning of the design in timber – all the models were done in timber; it was always in his mind,” said Zumbrunnen.

Waingels College was finished just last year and took two and half years to build. It consisted of four new teaching blocks each two-storeys tall.

The main issue with this construction was that the facility had to keep teaching while the work was being done.

This was both a good and bad thing, bad in that it took so long but good in that it proved how quiet, tidy and safe this construction method really is.

“The feedback we got from the school - it was really nice

to have the school next to the building site, it was never really loud and it was great for the kids to see how the school was built,” said Zumbrunnen.

CarbonEng did as much offsite construction as possible, which helped reduce the amount of disturbance and noise even more.

In total 3500 cubic metres of timber was used in the open plan design, with many exposed timber surfaces. The idea was to use simple natural materials but make the design energy efficient.

“Key point is an intelligent material mix. All the wall panels are made of CLT,” said Zumbrunnen. “We had between five and eight people onsite.

“Glulam was a really important part. One of the features of Block A which is the entrance block is this glulam truss 18 metres across everybody said you need to do it in steel.”

Of course it was not done in steel and the result was not just aesthetically beautiful but structurally sound.

Bridport House “Our highest building, not the tallest in the UK,” said Zumbrunnen. “We said we put two more storeys on top then we have the tallest.

“We find now this is the biggest residential building.

It’s always who has the biggest one.”

Bridport House is in London and was finished last year after 16 months of construction and is eight storeys tall with 41 residential units.

The outstanding feature of this building was that there was very little site space.

“The footprint of the building was more or less the footprint of the site there was only a little bit of storage space,” said Zumbrunnen.

Given the space difficulty the result could best be achieved by employing a construction

method where most of the work was done offsite. It was a very tight site where even crane and transport constraints applied.

So CarbonEng took seven weeks to complete design the work allowing 10 weeks of fabrication before installation started with 30 deliveries of CLT panels from Austria.

Australand’s Burwood experiment Kris Lentelo Development Director, Australand said his company has been given the opportunity to build residential apartments but thought that current building approaches were too expensive and did not provide adequate returns for developers.

The company was working on a project in suburban Burwood, Melbourne and decided to take a new approach to a construction site that would have four apartment blocks each with 30 apartments and a further 126 medium density houses.

“One of the key challenges was about cost, conventional apart construction sits between $2500 and $3000 per square metre … we needed to get this close to $1800 to make it viable.

What we looked at was how to look at a hybrid construct model,” said Lintelo.

“To deliver these buildings we need to be able to utilize larger teams of people and a different trade base. It wasn’t a carpenter with an apprentice; it was a gang of carpenters.

“The other challenge the company faced was supervision of the construction.

“We weren’t sure how to supervise the building. Initially we had an internal supervisor and an external supervisor.

One took the frame up and then split it up,” he said.

The way they approach this site was by building the frame up, putting the roof on and then working back down the building, which proved to be a slow process according

to Lintelo. The first build something in the order of 18 months to build.

“It’s essentially pre fab wall frames, floor joists and roof trusses,” he said. It has Hebel Power Floor mostly because Lintelo said that occupants had perceptions about how solid a building was based on how the floor sounded but he was happy with the use of the product.

A product that did give Australand some problems was the VitraPanel exterior cladding because it was pre-painted and if there was any damage done in fitment or cutting needed it had to go back to the manufacturer for painting.

The lessons learnt from the project was the poor documentation made it difficult and that supervision needed to be better. In the future it was decided that every trade should have its own supervisor.

It was a very slow way of building - not a way of making money out of property development for Australand but the cost was good at $1850 per square metre which was pretty much on target.

Now Australand has a development at Calloway Park in Sunshine and the company has set its goals a little higher wanting to build for $1500 per square metre.

To do this it Lintelo said a number of things had to be revised, foremost was getting detailed and accurate architectural drawings and getting total coordination between suppliers and manufacturers. He also said that

the projects were moving his company towards coordinated BIM documentation. Specific supervisors would be put in charge of plastering, carpentry, painting and electrical trades and these would be larger gangs to align with the change in the approach to supervision.

“Time is the big one, we need to cut this back from 18 months to 10 months and that’s where offsite manufacturing came into play,” said Lintelo. “There’s so many good reasons for this we can get our building lockedup and safe straight away.”

Focusing on efficient design principles will deliver a 20 per cent reduction per square metre in the construction according to Lintelo but incorporating off site manufacturing will increase costs from the new base by four per cent.

By reducing the construction time to 10 months the IRR lifts from approximately 11.5 per cent to 17.2 per cent after the 4 per cent cost increase has been considered.

“We’re also looking at bathroom pods as a way of reducing the amount of work on site and delivering a high quality building,” said Lintelo.

Custom Beam Press 460 volt, Minimum width 15.24 cm, Maximum beam or billet size 61 cm wide x 91.44 cm high, From two (2) only 50.8 mm x 152.4 mm to multiple pieces 61 cm wide to a maximum height of 91.44 cm, Hydraulic cylinders for press c/w HPU, Infeed and outfeed, Automatic gluing for top of boards. It can use variable glues but polyurethane is the fastest.

How it operates: The press has an infeed an outfeed. It comes in two (2) 3.66 m long pieces so you can manufacture up to 7.3 m long beams, timbers or blank billets for resawing. Boards are passed through the glue spreader lineally (top only is glued) and passed into the press area. All boars must be the same width and length for whatever product you want to make. It can be programmed to not glue certain boards so multiple beams or billets can be made at the same time. Boards can be finger jointed and/or side glued and used to make up the different products.

Side pressure is applied to get all boards lined up straight before the hydraulic cylinders on top push down to make the product. By using polyurethane glue (drying time can be as low as 90 seconds) a beam or billet can be manufactured approximately every five (5) minutes which make it a highly productive machine The side gates lift and the product is discharged out the side of the press.

Offering a new alternative to Lumber, Timbers, LSL, LVL and Glulam

Phone: +1-604-575-0046 E-Mail: info@cmesales.com www.cmesales.com

INNOVATION

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 10

Adding value to small-diameter low-grade eucalypt logs

By Matthew Lovering

R

ECENT EXCITING research by Forestry Tasmania, with funding from the timber industry research and development body Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), shows that LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) produced from small-diameter or lowgrade eucalypt logs can be used to produce a range of structural end-sections and appearance-grade products such as flooring, furniture and framing.

This is a great outcome; however, what is the size of the market for such LVL products? What could they be used for and who is going to buy them? It’s important that an economically sustainable market exists that growers can commit to. And this is where the research gets even more exciting.

Dr Matt Wood, Technical Analyst (Product Development) at Forestry Tasmania, is part of the team that has been investigating the potential markets and products made from LVL using timber harvested from both regrowth hardwood forests and hardwood plantations.

“Our focus was on using the smaller low-grade logs that arise during the sustainable harvesting of regrowth forest coupes for ‘Tasmanian oak’— Eucalyptus obliqua, E. regnans and E. deligatensis,” says Matt.

“We were looking beyond structural applications to more appearance grade uses.”

Although they didn’t get a high volume of face grade

(E. nitens), help give the LVL a lighter colour that makes it look very like a premium Tasmanian Oak product.

Currently, the veneers are glued together in a cold press at very high pressure to create a billet measuring 1.2 metres square and 2.4 metres in length. It is then cut into 30cm square billets—each still 2.4 metres long—at a desired angle to create different ‘grain’ patterns in the LVL. “The added strength, stiffness and durability of the regrowth hardwood veneers gave us the flexibility to re-saw the LVL in different ways and create a grain-like quality on the face,” says Matt.

“The 2.4 metre logs are perfect for furniture manufacture, the final enduse will dictate the timber species used and sawing pattern applied. For example, if one were building a table you’d probably stick with the regrowth forest species for the top as they’re nice and hard, the legs could incorporate a certain amount of plantation timber as they don’t need the same level of hardness. We’re also looking at creating six metre billets which will be great for structural spans.

We can use finger jointing machinery to make the longer veneer panels.”

As part of the research, the team commissioned a number of respected Tasmanian designers to make a range of furniture pieces. They found the raw LVL was very stable, easy to glue and took stains and varnishes well, creating beautiful products.

“We have a showroom in

deals a lot with timber flooring say ‘if you give me a six metre long board we are home and hosed’, and we said ‘alright!’.”

LVL is a huge part of the structural market in North America and Europe, and there’s every indication the construction industry in Australia will use more structural LVL. In addition to the regrowth hardwood forest resource, Matt believes that both pruned and unpruned plantation shining gum and blue gum (E. globulus) have a huge potential in LVL products.

“The woodchip market is already down; we’re getting next to nothing for them now.

The regrowth forest timbers ensure maximum strength and stiffness while the plantation timbers, such as shining gum (E. nitens), help give the LVL a lighter colour that makes it look very like a premium Tasmanian Oak product. veneer, it turned out they could peel the smaller low-grade logs and still get a reasonable recovery rate. “The beauty of engineered wood products is we effectively redistribute any imperfections in the wood—making them largely irrelevant—and get a uniform product,” says Matt.

Despite the initial focus on regrowth forest timbers, different combinations of regrowth hardwood timbers and plantation grown hardwoods such as shining gum and blue gum, are now being trialled. The regrowth forest timbers ensure maximum strength and stiffness while the plantation timbers, such as shining gum

Tasmania and these pieces have had a great response.

We also created a range of flooring and framing products to show potential customers.

In particular we’re finding people are responding to the lighter coloured range of wood products—especially for flooring,” says Matt.

“For one of our flooring products we laid the LVL up in a corrugated mould so that when it’s cut you get an effect that resembles back sawn timber—a look that is very popular in the United States. We can also make the floorboards quite wide; our standard width is 190mm, which has got people really excited. I had someone who

The beauty of this LVL is those logs can be peeled, mixed with regrowth forest material and put straight into a structuralor appearance-grade product without any dramas; the natural features such as knots and gum vein add further character to the final products.

As long as the trees are over 14cm in diameter we can peel them,” he says.

But is wood bred for woodchips any good? The answer, it turns out, would appear to be yes … in the right situations.

Part of the research project looked at Tasmanian-grown shining gum and blue gum, and found breeding programs that improved desired

pulpwood properties have also improved the veneer stiffness for veneered engineered wood products. Plywood panels made from 26-year old E. nitens and 33-year old E. globulus show high and very high stiffness and strength values respectively, suggesting these pulpwoods have real potential to be used in LVL. One of the big motivators for this research was the need to find an alternative supply of the larger end-sections that are becoming harder to source from forests, and that has been achieved. Another important goal is to have the LVL peeled and pressed in Australia, creating new jobs and infrastructure, and creating a competitively priced timber product that consumers will actively seek out.

Forestry Tasmania launched its LVL product at the Australian Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association (AWISA) Exhibition in Sydney.

For more information, contact Matt at matthew. wood@forestrytas.com.au.

 LVL produced from small-diameter or low-grade

eucalypt logs can be used to produce a range of structural end-sections and appearance-grade products such as flooring, furniture and framing.

Photos courtesy Forestry Tasmania

BUSINESS FOCUS

11 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Multinail fabricator, BB Truss & Timber had to dodge traffic in Bendigo for years just to meet its production schedules.

Today the company has one of the most up-to-date facilities in Australia.

Purpose built for BB Truss & Timber I

MAGINE HAVING to forklift to transport roof trusses and wall frames materials across a busy road 16 hours a day. BB Truss & Timber did that for years until owners Geoff and Tania Baxter decided enough was enough.

“We had forklifts going back and forth across the road, and it was a busy road. There were OH&S issues, the forklifts had to be registered because it was driven on a road. Then when B-doubles started to deliver our materials we could not accept them,” said Geoff.

“We had to unload trucks in the street.”

Surprisingly they endured the situation for 14 years running double shifts.

“I never want to run a second shift again,” said Geoff. “It’s too hard to monitor at night, OH&S and efficiency issues.”

Geoff has had a change of heart when it comes to the amount of time he wants to have his factory working, originally he felt that it should run a double shift but later when he moved to his new site he wanted it to operate 38 hours a week.

“I used to think that because I had all this equipment it should run all the time,” he said. “I’ve changed my mind, we run a 38 hour week. The idea is to be efficient that’s how you make gains.”

But back in the 1990s Geoff was sold on double shifts and doing well, but it was getting very cramped in a single factory. So when the factory next door in Thistle Street, Bendigo, became available he leased that too, taking down the fences between the properties.

However, there was still not enough room onsite to store materials.

These had to be stored across the road but that site was not large enough to take B-double trucks. That’s when it was decided to bite the bullet and design a purpose built facility for BB Truss

& Timber on a Greenfield site in an industrial zone in Bendigo.

That was around 2002, but it’s worth going back even further to discover how one of the most impressive truss companies in Victoria began.

BB Truss & Timber started as a two-man team – Geoff and brother Kevin were the original two Baxters in BB. Both were builders in Castlemaine when they started the company in the 1980s, moving the business to Bendigo in the early 1990s.

“We had planning problems with the local council at the time and Bendigo was a prime focus for us.”

In 1999 Geoff’s brother decided he wanted to do something different and sold the business to Geoff and Tania, who by then had been working in the business with Geoff for a few years and so the moniker BB still held true.

“In 1993 I moved to Melbourne to set up an office, originally we had it set-up in our house in Essendon,” said Geoff. “We moved the office to Albion Street in 1998 and we were there until mid 2011 when we moved it to Keilor where we are now.”

It makes sense to have a Melbourne office, as that is where 90 per cent of BB’s finished products end up.

“We’ve got to be here,” said

Geoff. So 11 of the 65 staff that BB now employs are based in Melbourne including Geoff and Tania.

“Tania runs the Melbourne office,” said Geoff. “She does a lot of things including the scheduling for all the guys and she’s the ‘go to person’ for everyone.”

In Melbourne the staff consists of estimators, detailers and two full-time site measurement specialists who go out to check that what has been ordered has been specified correctly.

With Geoff and Tania in Melbourne the company has to have a good manager to run the manufacturing operation and that’s Dean Connell, who has been with the company since its early days in Castlemaine.

Originally BB Truss & Timber was a fabricator for Pryda but transferred to Multinail in 1998.

“At the time everyone wanted metal webs in their floor trusses,” remembers

then did some sums and it worked out. They made me a lot of promises.

“I started with multi struts and then I transferred

said. “We need to be flexible and change our production from one machine to another and know where we are with everything.”

We went to see as many plants as we could before we designed ours. Sometimes you learn what to do and sometimes you learn what not to do.

Geoff. “Longreach floor trusses took too long in the manufacturing process. I got a brochure in the mail from Multinail; I didn’t even know about them.

“I met with them and

everything over to them.

They’ve never broken a promise.

“I’ve been with them ever since; it’s a real partnership, it’s like a marriage it’s got to be a two-way street. It’s a really happy marriage.”

Another thing that has impressed Geoff with Multinail is that they have been receptive to his ideas on the type of machines he has needed and have built some to his specifications.

Lots of people in the industry are not aware of the quality of Multinail’s software, according to Geoff, who says it is right up there with the best. He uses Multinail’s Factory Management System (FMS) to run the plant.

“You need a good FMS to run a plant of this size,” he

BB is one of the largest truss manufacturers in Victoria and has been a multiple national winner of the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association’s Best Truss Plant award – taking it out again in 2012.

Taking out such an award was not good luck; it was definitely good management.

“We went to see as many plants as we could before we designed ours. Sometimes you learn what to do and sometimes you learn what not to do,” said Geoff.

“We knew Ross Raynor of Nortruss in Queensland; his operation stood out because it was so efficient.”

The main thing that struck a cord with Geoff was building a new plant that not only took away all the pain associated with two factories

and a materials site across the road but one that reduced the amount of manual handling needed.

One look at the current BB plant shows the flow through arrangement that has materials coming in one side and finished product pushing out the other. Once the plant layout was sorted, Geoff and Tania wanted to fit it out with better machinery.

“We found out about equipment that was being sold in Canberra, I organized Ross and a team from Multinail to look at it and they said ‘buy it’. So we bought it on the spot. It took nine semis to get it to delivered to Multinail in Wauchope,” said Geoff.

Multinail refurbished the equipment for BB while the new factory was being built and had it ready for installation when the facility was opened in 2005.

Since 2005 the operation has been very successful.

“Two years ago production peaked and it has come down slightly but there’s no problems,” said Geoff. “I think the industry is okay.

You see ups and downs; it’s a fact of life. You make it when it’s good and you tough it out when it’s not so good.”

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 12

BUSINESS FOCUS

Discarded timbers turned into treasures D

E MOL I T ION TIMBERS are getting a new lease of life, thanks to the work of Ken and Sue Wills and their band of highly skilled workers. The discarded timbers are being turned into furniture that not only has a past but now has a future, too.

From humble beginnings in the carport at home in 1992, the Ken Wills Furniture story is one of dedication, determination and detail.

Ken, a qualified joiner, had been working mainly in the kitchen and shop fitting industry when he decided he would like to diversify into

furniture making. He was one of the first to start using recycled rimu in furniture making in New Zealand and the business went from strength to strength.

Growing rapidly in the first few years meant several shifts to new premises and the business now works out of a large purpose-built

factory and Showroom in Timaru.

“We sell direct from our showroom and from the website and don’t have any other outlets or branches elsewhere so it is totally unique and only available directly from us,” Sue says.

“All our recycled rimu is sourced from building

demolition sites around the South Island.

“Prior to the Christchurch earthquake we were having difficulty in obtaining recycled rimu hence getting into the Oak and were struggling to fulfill orders for recycled rimu furniture.

However, that all changed after the devastation in Christchurch and we currently have in excess of 40 cubic metres in our yard and still offers of more from demolition companies and individuals,” Ken said.

Rimu is a unique NZ native timber, which is renowned for its durability, strength, colour and character.

“Most of the timber is coming to us de-nailed but if isn’t de-nailed we pay less for it and we have to de-nail it and then it is ready to go into our machine shop area.

“Our skilled craftsman use traditional methods dovetailed drawers, joints being dowelled and glued, with the utmost attention to detail which makes our furniture strong and robust for everyday family living,” he says with pride.

“The finishing of the furniture is all important, enhancing the unique design of each piece to reveal the full character of the timber with a protective finish and a final beeswax polish.

“We offer standard ranges including dining tables and chairs, bookcases, coffee tables, TV units, sea chests, bedroom furniture (including beds), scotch chests and wardrobes.

However, if the style or sizes of our standard pieces are not suitable, we are able to offer a custom-build service on many items to suit particular requirements,” says Sue. “Complimenting our hand crafted furniture, we also produce a range of smaller rimu and oak pieces such as DVD/CD towers, coat stands, trays, stools, magazine tables, as well as stocking a vast array of gifts and accessories for the home,” she said.

Now with a workforce of 15 the Ken Wills Furniture story has a lot of chapters yet to come.

NEWS

13 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Raising funds was a big hit!

T

HE FAR North Queensland Hoo Hoo Club 261 annual charity golf day was held at Paradise Palms Country Club.

Hoo Hoo is an international fraternal order (founded in 1892) devoted to the interest of the timber and forest industries. In essence, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fundraising for charitable causes. This year’s recipient was Nadine Rains, a 16-year-old Mareeba girl who was severally burnt over the Easter weekend.

The golf day was a huge success with more than 68 players, some from as far away as Sydney, coming together for a great cause. The awesome response from more than 36 local and interstate companies donating money and goods for raffles made it possible for Hoo Hoo Club 261 to present Nadine’s father Russell a cheque for $5000 to go towards Nadine’s future treatment. The support didn’t end there, though, with one of the Sydney players making a last minute donation of $700 to Nadine taking the day’s total to $5700.

 Ray Lamari, Rick Wadeson (Payless Timbers and club president), Russell Rains (Nadine’s father), John Day (Hyne) and Bronwyn Anderson (Hyne).

 Hyne/Toll Intermodal team: Brad Bolton, John Day, Damien Cervetto, Peter Marczuk.

 Brothers team: Mono Gomez, John McCallum,

 Rankine Timber and Truss team: Danny Kennedy,

 Adams Motor Group team: Adam Adams, Michael

 Peninsular Timbers team: Shaun Parkin, Angelo

 Gunnersons team: Chris Dunn, Jason Lock, Brad

 Hyne: John Day.

 Jason Lock.

 Rankine Timber and Truss: Steve Wakefield.

Craig Harnett, Ray Lamari.

Malan, Stephen Donnelly, Chez Drake.

Cappellazo, Angelo Serafin, Mario Devecchi.

Allan Pridmore, Steve Wakefield, Cameron Twitty.

Stewart, Michael Evans.

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 14

CUTTING EDGE

International Wood Safari a cut above the rest K

ICKING OFF with an introductory cocktail reception at the Sheraton Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, and followed by a dinner at the Fem Små Hus restaurant that specialises in local cuisine in the “Old Town” of Stockholm, the HewSaw 2012 International Wood Safari got under way.

The HewSaw Wood Safari is an event that has historically been run in conjunction with mainly North American sawmillers visiting state-of-the-art new installations or existing specialised operations of HewSaw-equipped sawmills operating in Scandinavia and Europe.

In May this year, at the request of Sam Rowe HewSaw sales manager for Australia and New Zealand - the Safari was opened up to interested parties in the local area and the allocated places quickly filled. The Australian and New Zealand contingent consisted of three companies and seven people, making up about 25% of the Safari group.

Over the week of the Safari,

group members visited sawmills producing from 100,000m3 to 400,00m3 of sawn products per year.

Some of the installations were a few years old and of special interest, while others had just completed the commissioning process.

The first visit in Sweden was an extremely efficient mill – AB Karl Hedin in Krylbo, which is running a HewSaw R200 1.1 Plus machine with a strong company drive to efficiency.

Producing up to 17,300 logs in a single shift (annualised average), this is undoubtedly one of the most efficient sawmills in the world.

After a comfortable overnight cruise from Stockholm, the Safari arrived in the home of HewSaw – Finland. Setting off from Helsinki, stops included an interesting visit to Valon Kone to understand more about this company and the manufacture of its debarking machines, as well as a barbecue lunch in the forest for a demonstration of the latest Harvester and Forwarder from the Finnish company Ponsse.

 HewSaw International Wood Safari 2012 members.

As the tour continued over the remainder of the week, another four sawmills were inspected, including the latest “scan-and-set” HewSaw SL250 3.3 Trio line at Vapo Timber Oy in Hankasalmi. This was a definite highlight and the Safari members were impressed at the efficient sawing process, minimal

footprint of the line and even the low noise output. “I never thought I would be able to hold a conversation 2 metres away from a sawline..!” was one comment.

Another operation that received very positive comment was the visit to JPJ Wood Oy with the very compact and efficient HewSaw 250 2.2 Duo

 Easy access to the HewSaw Rip saw.

 Safari at UPM Wood - Seikku Mill.

 Ponnse harvester demonstration.

line. With just two machine units the line is capable of enormous versatility. The first unit is a combination 4-side chipper-canter and Cant Saw with optimised board edging. Wingboards are then separated before a second Scanner and a Cant Turner deliver the cants to the second saw unit which is a Ripsaw for the centre boards and again optimised board edging … all in a length of only a little over 50 metres and at speeds up to 150m/min.

On the Friday there was a warm welcome from Markku Rautio, managing director of HewSaw, as the Safari enjoyed a very interesting visit to the HewSaw head office in Mäntyharju. This included an excellent presentation from Kai Merivuori, managing director of the Finnish Sawmills Association, who gave an insight into the challenges the industry is facing and the global push among sawmillers for greater productivity and efficiency gains.

During a tour through the manufacturing halls at HewSaw, Safari members were also treated to a sneak peak at the latest developments from

HewSaw, including the first machine unit on a HewSaw SL250 3.3 Trio with double sided saw arbour openings that will be one of two new HewSaw lines sent to the new Russian LDK1 sawmill in Siberia. These double opening machines will enable even greater productivity in the HewSaw lines, effectively enabling almost non-stop production – even during saw changes.

During the Safari there was also ample opportunity to experience and enjoy the extended daylight hours, Finnish culture and cuisine, with a games evening in the forest and a sauna with an icy swim in the Baltic Sea. The evenings were hosted and where possible meals utilised local produce and regional specialties.

Plans are already under way to prepare for the 2013 HewSaw Wood Safari and there is expected to be an even greater participation of Australian and New Zealand customers, taking the opportunity to explore the latest technology. For further information, contact Sam Rowe +61 (0) 418 561 023 or sam.rowe@hewsaw.com

ENGINEERED WOOD

15 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Rapid adoption of CLT systems seems a certainty C

ROSS LAMINATED Timber (CLT) systems are creating a new buzz across the commercial and residential construction sector promising to revolutionize the use of timber in new low and medium rise buildings.

CEO, Robin Jack recently returned from the Frame Australia Engineered Timber conference in Melbourne excited about how widely this sustainable new construction system is gaining mind-share amongst architects and engineers.

“There is a lot of attention on the new 11-storey Lend Lease building going up in Melbourne and we expect this will pave the way for

the rapid adoption of CLT systems in Australia and New Zealand.“ CLT enables architects and engineers to design low mass timber buildings which are a viable alternative to traditional steel and concrete designs.

Pre-fabricated panels made off site to extremely high precision are trucked to site, lifted into position using light weight cranes and are then simply screwed together.

This makes for high speed erection and dramatically reduced on-site construction timeframes. Robin states that “Property developers get the benefit of not only lower on-site labour costs which can be up to 60%

 XLam’s Rob Horring evaluates the mode of failure.

of the construction cost but also buildings that can be occupied earlier, reducing financing costs.”

Architecturally, the high quality structural timber panels can become the aesthetic internal surfaces and allow a flexibility in design with large cantilevers and CAD specified detailing which is achievable in the factory at very modest additional cost.

After supplying and commissioning the southern hemisphere’s first CLT manufacturing plant at XLam NZ Ltd back in April, machinery supplier W & R Jack Ltd is now satisfied that the process is reliable and expects to be installing more presses on both sides of the Tasman as CLT gathers momentum.

Since April XLam has been busy setting up in house manufacturing standards for quality assurance and working with third party testing laboratories to verify theoretical performance calculations against empirical data.

Rob Horring, Plant Engineer at XLam, says both pinus radiata and douglas fir panels have been tested to destruction and the results exceeded expectations “well and truly!”

 CLT panel by XLam under test at SCION Forest Research Institute in Rotorua.

The first commercial orders have now been shipped and with interest running high, XLam’s order book is beginning to build up.

“We are not in a hurry”, says Horring.

“Manufacturing CLT looks deceptively simple, but there’s a lot of detail which must be right for consistent production of top quality panels. By taking our time we’ve already learned plenty of lessons and we are developing a good understanding of what we can do with this very versatile new building technology.”

 XLam floor panels of Douglas fir ready for

shipping. These panels will be helicoptered to a remote site.

Trunks in every sense of the word!

BUSINESSGREEN may sometimes give the impression it is obsessed with underwear. In the last year alone, we’ve featured a solar-powered bikini and trialled Marks & Spencer’s carbon neutral bra.

So when a new range of pants made from sustainable bamboo flopped onto our desk, we simply had to try them on for size.

Got Wood – see if you can spot the pun there – is the brainchild of environmental entrepreneur Anthony Abis, who came up with the silky-soft bamboo fabric in 2011 and combined it with spandex to make the pants.

But bamboo is far more prevalent than you might think – and its environmental credentials are pretty sound. It is among the world’s fastest-growing plants, capable of growing one metre a day in the right conditions and without pesticides. This means annual harvesting can typically start after four years, with the crop used for clothing, building or even burnt for energy.

The idea is clearly gaining traction – while manufacturers WildHorse Clothing have come up with bamboo pants, Andrex has used it for a new range of eco-toilet paper and others are following suit. The global market is estimated at around $10bn (£6.24bn) today and, according to the superbly named World Bamboo Organisation, it could double in the next five years.

So by the sounds of it, we could all

Cross Laminated Timber XLam NZ offers the ultimate engineered panel product for residential & commercial construction, including prefabricated flooring, walls & roofing. be wearing bamboo underwear soon.

But don’t worry about splinters – these pants are comfortable, fit well and coped easily with the diverse – and in my case, unconventional – movements of squash, jogging and circuit training. The material also feels strong and difficult to tear – ensuring the only holes are the ones the manufacturers intended.

As you would expect it is machine washable, but also claims properties that mean it is anti-bacterial and can disperse moisture from the skin faster than other fabrics. All very laudable.

In fact, my only qualm was with the design. I appreciate emblazoning “Got Wood” on the waistband may appeal to that crucial 18-35 demographic, but you don’t half attract some odd looks in the changing room.

Plying the road !

AN ELECTRIC car designed by students from Universiti Sains Malaysia stood out among 119 teams competing in the Asian leg of Eco-marathon, an annual fuel efficiency competition, for its unique choice of body material: plywood. “We chose to use wood because it’s strong and biodegradable,” said manager of Team USM-EVT, David Chew.

Panels in Production Now!

• • • • • •

Any size up to 15.3m x 3.5m Thicknesses from 60 to 250mm or more Fire resistant Thermally efficient From fully sustainable resources Proven earthquake performance

Factory-prefabricated to dramatically reduce erection site time, XLam panels can be used as: • a complete construction system • in conjunction with other engineered wood products • hybrid structures with concrete & steel

XLAM’s machinery is proudly supplied, installed and maintained by +64 9 271 7700 sales@jacks.co.nz www.jacks.co.nz

+64 3 538 0930 enquiries@xlam.co.nz www.xlam.co.nz XLAM_timberman_Aug_2012.indd 1

XLAM NZ LTD 57 Beatty Street Nelson NEW ZEALAND 7/6/2012 1:15:35 PM

WOOD PRESERVATION

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 16

Permatek IM 30 field trials N

EW ZEALAND company Zelam was one of a handful to present short papers at the recent Wood Preservation Conference in Melbourne. While Zelam is NZ owned the company has research facilities in both New Zealand and Australia and supplies and develops its products for both countries.

Paul Lobb has worked with the company for more than nine years and has led the research team for the past five. He presented the paper titled:

Permatek IM 30 as an H2 surface treatment of wood products.

Permatek IM 30 contains imidacloprid as the active ingredient, which is a userfriendly low-odour waterbased product.

Imidacloprid was developed to control pests on crops such as vegetables, cereals and fruit crops and so has very low mammalian toxicity – safe for humans.

The product is also used as a flea control on pets (Bayer’s Advantage flea control).

According to the

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Authority (APVA): “Permatek IM 30 is currently approved for treatment of softwood plywood and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) both prior to gluing and as a glueline treatment for a maximum veneer thickness of 3.2mm, and in reconstituted boards in the Hazard class H2 for protection against termites excluding Mastotermes darwiniensis in areas south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

M a s t o t e r m e s darwiniensis, or the Giant Northern Termite, is only found in tropical Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australian north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Trial data has been submitted to the APVA to support Permatek IM 30’s use in softwood plywood and LVL to a maximum veneer thickness of 4.3 mm.

Zelam presented the results of field tests using AWPC approved methods to test softwood

veneer based products manufactured with veneers of 1.6mm, 3.2mm and 4.3mm. Zelam completed multiple trials.

The veneers used were prepared in a laboratory or were sourced from commercially manufactured plywood.

The “lunch box” method was used for assessing the product as it measures the intensity of a termite attack against the insecticide level over a given time. The field test was conducted in Townsville.

Data presented in the application to the APVA from field and laboratory termite testing against Coptotermes acinaciformis (Subterranean Termite) demonstrated the effectiveness of the insecticide to protect plywood and LVL. The Subterranean Termite severely attacked the untreated specimens where treated specimens had less that 1% mass loss, with no evidence of attack on the core veneers after 128 days.

WOOD PRESERVATION

Lack of strategic direction in wood preservation area Jack Norton

What is the IRGWP

Jack Norton is the Principal Scientist – Forest Products Performance with the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

He specialises in the scientific evaluation of wood durability and the performance of preservative-treated timber and untreated timber. He has more than 35 years of experience in the science of treating wood with wood preservative chemicals.

Norton has conducted numerous research projects into the biodeterioration of wood and wood products and oversaw the implementation of the Timber Utilisation and Marketing Act that deals with the sale of preservative treated timber in Queensland.

The International Research Group on Wood Protection (IRGWP) is also known as the IRG. Its membership consists of scientists and technologists focused on generating knowledge of the science of wood deterioration, and solutions to provide fit-for-purpose sustainably and environmentally responsible products for the protection of wood-based materials.

The primary function of the IRG is to provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and information in an informal atmosphere, unencumbered by refereeing of papers or other pre-conditions.

The primary vehicle is the annual meeting usually held in May of each year with global locations chosen from around the world.

Each year 100 to 190 papers are presented and published, with all papers being available free to members and sponsors in electronic format through the IRG’s website searchable database.

Non-members of the IRG are able to search the online database and purchase any paper for download through the website.

Since its inception in 1969 nearly 5000 IRG papers have been published and remain available. Membership and sponsorship is open to all interested persons and organizations.

The IRG Secretariat is based in Stockholm, Sweden and the activities of the IRG are carried out through a number of committees.

K

UALA LUMPUR was the setting for the 2012 IRG43, or the annual meeting of the IRG where papers are presented and published on wood protection. So it was fitting that Jack Norton presented a quick wrap-up of that KL meeting at the Wood Preservation conference in Melbourne.

This year 151 delegates from 30 countries gathered in KL for four days, considering the organisation has 350 members from 35 countries that’s not a bad turnout. Over the period papers were presented in a number of fields; biology – 25, test methodology – 33, chemicals – 17, processes & properties 32 and environment and sustainablity – 8.

As Norton pointed out during his presentation in Melbourne the KL meeting held no earth shattering scientific breakthroughs because it is a matter of making inroads slowly or as he put it “brick-by-brick”.

Norton concentrated on the main things he garnered from the KL event.

These included ongoing reporting on micronized copper-based preservatives and a need to include fire retardant protection in future products.

Copper based preservatives are front-ofmind for Norton as he is in the process of researching micronized copper-based preservatives for the Queensland Government.

His project is looking at the use of micronized copper

preservative on Queensland plantation hardwoods. To date micronized copper preservatives have only been tested on softwood timbers. This research is expected to be complete by the end of 2012.

Norton said during his presentation that it was disappointing to find at the KL conference that it appears that nothing new seems to be forthcoming from wood treaters or the chemical suppliers. These companies appear to be inactive as they are not moving ahead with either new products or technical advances.

Another thing to come from the KL event was that the fear of chemicals is driving forward too much protection and in the end it is leading to the production poorer systems and products. It may also be forcing people to turn to the current vogue of using natural supplies such as extractives or oils in the mistaken belief that natural means they are safer or more user friendly.

Some companies are also circumventing the usual approval systems to have products certified and this is causing problems as approvals are being completed by companies and organisations that do not know or understand wood preservation and this can lead to inferior or dangerous products.

Norton also pointed out that many decisions on products, particularly in Europe, are being driven

by laboratory testing only, without any field testing which is a dangerous practice that is very likely to lead to poor outcomes.

Finally, Norton said he was very disappointed by the lack of strategic direction provided by Government, academia and industry to those working in the wood preservation area.

17 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

New restrictions in place for arsenic-treated timber NEW RESTRICTIONS on the use of copper chrome arsenate (CCA) for treating timber came into place from 1 July 2012.

CCA has been used to preserve wood in a variety of situations such as for telegraph poles, decking and fencing. It was also used for children’s playground equipment.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) started a review of CCA timber treatments in July 2003, following concerns that arsenic could be absorbed through the skin or after swallowing, or inhaled if the treated timber was burnt. In March 2005, the APVMA advised that CCA was not to be used in timber for playground equipment or other high-contact structures.

“Following this review, CCA has now been declared a restricted chemical product from 1 July”, APVMA Pesticides Program Manager, Dr Raj Bhula, said.

“This means CCA products can only be supplied to, and used by, suitably trained persons authorised under a relevant State or Territory law from that date.

“The APVMA does not have regulatory

powers to control the use of CCA-treated end-products—our powers extend only to the point of sale of the chemical itself— and this step tightens up the requirements for industry and retailers to ensure users of such products are well-informed of the risks and permitted uses.”

CCA can continue to be used on timber intended for outdoor uses such as telegraph poles, fencing and landscaping.

It cannot be used on high-contact timber structures: this includes garden furniture, picnic tables, exterior seating, children’s play equipment, patio and domestic decking, and handrails.

“The APVMA reminds users and retailers that CCA-treated timber must be clearly identified with the words ‘Treated with copper chrome arsenate’ up to point of first use. This requirement has been in place since March 2005”, Dr Bhula said.

People concerned that they may have CCA-treated product could check with the retailer or builder who provided the product or consider painting the suspect product to prevent any potential leaching.

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Call Norm Nelsen on (03) 9888 4820 to advertise in the Australian Timberman

WOOD DIVERSITY

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 18

Focus on wood innovation – an Australasian first I

NNOVATION – it’s probably best defined as the process of generating and developing new processes or products. Because we’re relatively isolated, small by world standards and our research capacity and funding for the primary and manufacturing sectors has dropped away considerably, a large proportion of new technologies continue to be imported.

For forest products companies, we’ve been successful in developing and fine-tuning manufacturing processes. Innovation is still strong. New equipment, tools and systems have been adopted by local companies to improve their productivity and operating efficiencies.

In most instances, rather than a breakthrough, it’s been a step change.

The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA), has for over 13 years, been running a wide range of independent technology events in Australasia. The focus has been very clear.

As local companies are

distant from many of the larger technology providers in Europe and North America the programs have proved very successful.

Technologies best suited to our industry and the wood being processed is able to be showcased.

Increasingly though local

companies are recognising that to remain competitive they need to “think outside the square”. Squeezing efficiencies out of current manufacturing operations is only a short term fix to remain internationally competitive. To stay in the game, they need to evaluate

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new product innovations that can be adopted to diversify their current manufacturing, their product mix and markets.

Wood plastic composites (WPC’s) are a clear example of just how quickly the game has changed. At the recent Wood Preservation 2012 event run by FIEA, local wood treaters were told how the composites share in the home improvement market has climbed. For products like wooden decks, fences and siding, the consumer market’s tastes have changed. The trend to outdoor living, lower maintenance, better durability and a product that doesn’t include preservative chemicals has meant that the composite market share has jumped 31% in the last 10 years.

Just last month, Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing products, announced its net sales for the first quarter of 2012 had increased a staggering 39% with projections of another 15% for the second quarter. Advanced Plastics Recycling from SA at Wood Preservation 2012 outlined the inroads that it had made in its sales of products like decking, posts, fencing, railing, sleepers, bollards and garden edging. The message was simple. The wood products industry has to look closely at adjusting what and how they’re manufacturing to meet changes in consumer demands and to stay in touch with the competition.

With this in mind, FIEA has been working closely with leading technology providers around the world and R&D organisations that have research programs directly relevant to the local industry. The focus is on

new products that have been commercialised and could be adopted by forestry and wood products companies in Australasia – from solid wood – through to panel products. Wood Innovations 2012 will run in both New Zealand and Australia in mid-October.

company which is one of the principal suppliers of plastics and fillers for the WPC industry - as well as assisting in developing new WPC production facilities in China - will be outlining growth opportunities with this product line at Wood Innovations 2012.

Wood Innovations 2012 will run in both New Zealand and Australia in mid-October “The list of innovators and technology providers taking part in this first Australasian event is comprehensive”, says FIEA director Brent Apthorp. “We’ve been able to identify some of the most innovative products out in the marketplace at the moment. Major tech providers and R&D specialists from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Finland, Austria, the USA and Canada have already committed to Wood Innovations 2012”.

With growing opportunities in wood modification, one of the world leaders in wood acetylation, Accys Technologies from the UK (John Alexander, Head of Product Development) will be presenting along with a leading team from a German University that has been at the forefront of new developments in wood modification in Europe for more than 20 years.

A New Zealand company that has been working with European wood working businesses to promote their fortified or hardened wood will also be detailing the process and their experience in commercialising a local technology on the world stage. For wood plastic composites, a US

In engineered wood products, a relatively young Austrian company, Dasconova, that’s already picked up numerous international awards for its new panel manufacturing process and a Canadian company with patented manufacturing processes for producing structural, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and flooring products from small sized lumber dimensions will be presenting.

For CLT that’s been getting a lot or recent coverage in both New Zealand and Australia, one of the early developers of CLT technology from Austria will be outlining current research and advanced design with CLT from Europe. To complement new R&D around this panel product, the after-dinner presentation in Melbourne will be given by Andrew Nieland, Business Manager of CLT from Land Lease, the company behind the just announced world’s tallest timber high-rise building in Melbourne.

For full details on this unique program, visit www. woodinnovationsevents.com The event runs in Melbourne on 10-11 October and again in Rotorua on 1617 October.

WOOD DIVERSITY

19 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Innovation, product diversity will keep EWPs at top end of market T

HE ENGINEERED wood industry is betting its future on high-tech certified construction materials and tight relationships with customers.

Trouble is, competitors in South America, Canada and Asia are all vying for the same markets.

“We’d better be good,” says EWPAA general manager Simon Dorries who points to a diverse range of engineered wood products that is keeping the sector at the top end of the market. “We’re competing with everyone.”

Dorries is convinced the ‘green credentials’ of plywood and wood panel manufacturers will continue to win substantial Government and private commercial building projects “even though we are competing with imports that often fail Australian standards – and some products that are wood machined in China from native timbers grown in Australia”.

He says through product innovation, unrivalled service and support, and the strictest adherence to Australasian building codes and compliance, the engineered wood industry is well placed for the future.

“EWPAA members have continuously, over a long history, provided the building and construction sectors with a ‘gold standard’ for certified products, a standard unmatched by overseas competitors,” Dorries said.

“The big focus for EWPAA continues to be ensuring EWPs going to market are fit for purpose.”

The association’s quality control program is an industry leader and the benchmark for other wood manufacturing industries.

“In these hard trading times, EWPAA is moving to fortify its base to ensure the association continues into the future, so the industry must be ready to act on competitive products, including timber imports,” Dorries said.

“Forest and wood products businesses that are agile and prepared for the next cycle

 Simon Dorries ..

the big focus for EWPAA continues to be ensuring EWPs going to market are fit for purpose.

will steal the march on their competitors.”

Dorries said conferences such as the recent Frame Australia in Melbourne continued to talk up the diversity and application of EWPs such as innovative engineered flooring (sanded, sealed and coated in the factory with a high quality surface finish, ready for easy installation), structural plywood and specialised products like LVL scaffold planks.

“Our members are analysing their approach and looking at architecture, high-density multi-storey building systems and factory-built components and cross-laminated timber technology to find the most efficient and cost-effective ways to move ahead,” he said.

The expanding role of plywood and LVL in diverse range of formwork applications is also generating high interest.

The formwork market absorbs 40% of plywood and 40% of LVL produced by EWPAA member companies.

One of plywood’s principal attractions for formwork is its workability; it can be sawn, drilled, routed and bent to tight curves and fixed in place with a variety of standard fastenings.

“This workability, together with the range of shapes that large plywood sheets can economically achieve, have extended the frontiers of concrete design,” Dorries said.

“The last 30 years has seen plywood prove its worth in formwork construction against increasingly stringent requirements for load carrying capacity and surface quality.

“Faster construction methods and more vigorous concrete placing techniques have more than doubled the pressures plywood formwork must resist.

“The demands for the concrete surface to have visual qualities in addition to the structural function of the concrete member have been answered by plywoods and LVL with improved surface characteristics and reliable structural design properties.”

Dorries said ever-improving manufacturing technologies together with EWPAA’s total quality control program gave the user confidence that PAAbranded plywood and LVL were products of consistent reliable strength, stiffness and dimensional stability.

He added that plywood’s cross-laminated structure gave great resistance to impact loads.

The versatility of engineered wood is no more evident than in the fit-out of the new $600 million Supreme Court complex in Brisbane where hoop pine plywood dominates much of the building’s design.

 Symbol of excellence .. the EWPAA Sanderson Trophy marks outstanding design in plywood, LVL and

wood panels. Julie Payne of Morris-Nunn and Associates, Hobart, accepts the award on behalf of fellow Tasmanians James Morrison and Yvette Breytenbach at the Australian Timber Design Awards in Melbourne. Admiring the trophy are Richard Stanton, national secretary, Australian Forestry Standard, cricket legend Max Walker, master of ceremonies, and Andrew Dunn, chief executive, Timber Development Association (NSW).

The Multiply sheets for benches and seats – more than 12,000 of them – have been manufactured by Austral Plywoods, Brisbane, using a revolutionary crossbanded engineering process.

The 2400 x 1200 sheets are used for all benches and seating in every court room with thick seven-ply AC hoop pine also used for the walls.

Sales manager Gary Holmes is excited about the use of the crossbanded plywood produced on an Italian 1.2m lathe, representing the best of European technology.

“We used 32mm Multiply for the seating and the benches were three layers of 18mm Multiply making up 54mm thick benches. With the three layers we made the middle sheet as a cross-banded ply so that when the ply was cut and joined it looked like one sheet of 54mm ply. Combined, there were about 40 sheets of 1.5mm Multiply, giving a beautiful edge to the work.”

Austral Plywoods has also supplied about 12,000 sheets of 19mm AC interior plywood for all the wall linings in the Perth Arena an entertainment and sporting complex to open in the city’s centre in November.

An industry-driven organisation, the EWPAA remains fiercely independent of Government support and is voluntarily funded by veneer, plywood, LVL and wood panel manufacturers in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

OUR WORD IS OUR BOND

Don’t give traders who cut corners a licence to sell wood that threatens the lives and livelihood of our workers.

Face the facts

failing Australian standards FACT: All EWPAA structural for emissions and bonding plywood and Type A bond strength and are life exterior plywood have an threatening. emission class of E0 or E1 FACT: Manufacturers, certified under a JAS-ANZ agents and suppliers accredited system. trading in inferior FACT: All EWPAA products quality, unlabelled and have a durability guarantee non-compliant plywood and all EWPAA members and LVL risk damage to carry liability insurance. their business, media FACT: All EWPAA products exposure and high can gain extra Green Star penalties under rating points – one for low Australian law. formaldehyde emissions (E0 or E1) and one for super E0 in office fit out.

Look for the stamp FACT: Not all imported of exceLLence non-certified LVL and plywood meet these requirements. In fact, laboratory tests show many imported non-certified products are continuously

Don’t risk it.

Specify EWPAA products stamped with the approved certification.

Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia Plywood House, 3 Dunlop Street, 4006 Queensland Australia Tel: 61 7 3250 3700 Fax: 61 7 3252 4769.

Email: inbox@ewp,asn,au Web: www.ewp.asn.au

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 20

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Excellence in operations recognised in awards

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer FTMA

T

HE FTMA Australia National Awards Dinner was held on 16 July at the prestigious Park Hyatt in Melbourne and, as promised, it was a fantastic night.

People enter the FTMA Australia Awards for various reasons such as being able to benchmark their business against similar sized plants in Australia or simply to have an independent audit done on their business.

Either way the Awards encourage members to strive for excellence in all aspects of their business which lifts

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the standards of the industry across the board.

The FTMA Australia board goes to great lengths to appoint independent judges and to ensure the criteria is transparent. I would like to thank the board for their input to this process, especially Mark Smiles from MiTek for his great work on fine tuning the criteria and Phil McCormack from McCormack Hardwood Sales for recommending the judges which the whole board unanimously approved.

This was the 3rd National Awards conducted by FTMA Australia and every time we have had different judges who have different views on the criteria, therefore it was more important than ever to ensure the criteria was transparent and clearly understood.

The 2012 judges, who we hope will stick around for the next Awards, were Bob Stubbs and Peter Reilly. Both judges have extensive knowledge in the industry with skills in running a successful plant, designing plant layout, being a production manager, OHS officer and training.

The judges assessed each business against the criteria and compared each business within the same category, i.e. small, medium and large fabricators with the best in each category being awarded accordingly with a heavy emphasis placed on OHS. The winning plants were not simply the ones with the best equipment, the best layout or the best OHS but plants that delivered against all of the six criteria’s and the highest scoring plant overall was presented the National Award.

For the third time BB Truss & Timber from Bendigo won the Overall National Award which is amazing, especially given six different sets of eyes all came to the same conclusion when judging their plant.

New additions to the 2012 Awards were the Employee Recognition of Service Awards. I have visited many plants throughout my years with FTMA Australia and I was always amazed at how many plants had long serving employees which in my opinion is not only a great reflection of our industry but a damn good endorsement of the employer as a good employer who cares for his or her workers.

Members were asked to nominate employees who had worked with them for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years and 25+ years. I didn’t think I would have to continue the 5-yearly breakdowns but I did as there were employees who served 30 years, 35 years and 40 years.

The record holder was Alf Ricci who has worked for Worldwide Timber Traders Pty Ltd in Western Australia

for a whopping 44 years. In total 15 plants nominated 147 people and I must say it was definitely a highlight of the evening as those in attendance were presented their awards and were pleased to be recognised for their commitment to their employer and industry.

Nights like this wouldn’t happen without our sponsors and I truly would like to thank our Principal Sponsors Multinail & Pryda, Classic Sponsors Austbrokers Phillips, Healthcare Insurance, McCormack Hardwood Sales, Hyne Timber, ForestWorks and WoodSolutions and our Support Sponsors Daw Trading, Hundegger Australasia, Osmose, StoraEnso Timber, TimberTrader News, Frame and Wesbeam.

Congratulations to all the plants who entered the 2012 FTMA Australia National Awards and to the employees nominated for the Employee Recognition Awards. Following these Awards, there is no doubt in my mind of the benefits of running professional awards recognising excellence within the industry.

 The winners were: WINNER BEST OVERALL NATIONAL AWARD

1ST RUNNER UP BEST OVERALL NATIONAL AWARD

2ND RUNNER UP BEST OVERALL NATIONAL AWARD

BB Truss & Timber Pty Ltd Victoria

Pine Design Truss & Timber South Australia

MB Pre-Fab Framing Pty Ltd Victoria

WINNER BEST NATIONAL LARGE FABRICATOR

1ST RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL LARGE FABRICATOR

2ND RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL LARGE FABRICATOR

BB Truss & Timber Pty Ltd Victoria

MB Pre-Fab Framing Pty Ltd Victoria

WINNER BEST NATIONAL MEDIUM FABRICATOR

1ST RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL MEDIUM FABRICATOR

2ND RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL MEDIUM FABRICATOR

Pine Design Truss & Timber South Australia

Dahlsens Building Centre Ballarat Victoria

Keith Timber & Hardware South Australia

WINNER BEST NATIONAL SMALL FABRICATOR

1ST RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL SMALL FABRICATOR

2ND RUNNER UP BEST NATIONAL SMALLFABRICATOR

Peak Frame & Truss South Australia

Dahlsens Building Centre Traralgon Victoria

Custombuilt Frames & Trusses New South Wales

INNOVATION AWARD

INNOVATION AWARD

NATIONAL TRAINING AWARD

Keith Timber & Hardware South Australia

Bendigo Truss Company Victoria

Banner Truss & Frames South Australia

NATIONAL DESIGN AWARD

SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD

NATIONAL OHS AWARD LARGE FABRICATOR

The Banner Group South Australia

Pryda Australia National

MB Pre-Fab Framing Pty Ltd Victoria

NATIONAL OHS AWARD MEDIUM FABRICATOR

NATIONAL OHS AWARD SMALL FABRICATOR

Pine Design Truss & Timber South Australia

Eco Truss Company Tasmania

 BB Timber Truss’s Tania Baxter, with of the Best Overall National Fabricator with FTMA Australia judges Bob Stubbs & Peter Stanley.

Owen Truss Victoria

 Kersten Gentle presented the Supplier of the Year Award to Paul Gaiardo of Pryda

 Winners of the Best National Small Fabricators  L-R: Ryan Mansell of Pine Design being presented National OHS Award by Award Sponsor Matthew Fryett of Healthcare Insurance

were: (L-R) 2nd Runner Up Greg Dobson from Custombuilt (NSW), Winner Ben Vannapraseuth from Dahlsens Traralgon (VIC) and 1st Runner up Jamie Walters from Banner Truss & Frame (SA)

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Chain of Custody certification

By Colin Fitzpatrick Chief Executive Officer Timber & Building Materials Association (Aust.) Ltd

T

ABMA PROVIDES access to Chain of Custody Certification services to members and non-members across Australia through an accredited certification body. To this end TABMA works closely with both FSC and PEFC national offices, and has been, and will continue, to provide and sponsor knowledge information sessions with both bodies.

TABMA, as an industry association, is not for or against certification but believes, as part of its charter, it should assist those who require certification.

TABMA works closely with CoC certifying bodies and buyers of certified timber such as the ISIS Group and most certified timber importers and suppliers.

Currently there are 521 FSC certified sites and 410 PEFC certified sites across Australia.

(Information available from FSC and PEFC web sites) TABMA offers a certification consultancy service in each State and the accredited CoC certification

body we work with is Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).

Nick Capobianco of SCS provides the following factual information: “The most reliable way of providing an impartial indication of CoC certification costs is to contact one of the certifying bodies that have that information. There are four CB’s in Australia which have certified 90% of the FSC CoC certificates and these can be found on the FSC website. For AFS/PEFC there are some additional CB’s and typically AFS/ PEFC certificates cost similar or less than FSC. SCS annual audit fees are less than $4,000 for most of our clients. Over and above that are annual license fees for logo use and these are variable and publicly available. Following are examples that apply to medium-sized organisations: •F SC: $880 for manufacturers with sales turnover up to $25M • $ 330 for wholesalers with sales turnover up to $25M •R efer to FSC-POL-20-005 V1-0 available at www.fsc. org.au •P EFC: $250 year 1 and $2500 for sales of certified products up to $10M

Refer to AFS/PEFC Application for Logo Usage License available at www. forestrystandard.com.au Audit fees are a function of auditor time, overhead and travel costs. Therefore costs will be higher where there are many sites to audit or where there are complex audits to verify controlled wood and reclaimed wood fibre.

The costs of achieving certification and implementing systems for CoC will of course be variable and dependent on the complexity of the business. For the majority of our clients, which includes merchants, suppliers, joiners, sawmills etc; existing IT systems, inventory management and warehousing has required a small amount of change because most start off with obtaining certification on a defined range of products rather than endeavouring to certify everything. Once certified, we find most companies take a structured and commercial approach to expand their certified product options, based on factors such as availability of certified products and customer demand.

Obtaining certification on all product lines can

be especially difficult for companies such as timber merchants that sell a very large range of products from many suppliers.

CoC certification is a voluntary system that allows organisations to provide their customers with independent verification of the origin of their products.

Companies seek certification to either remain relevant to customers’ needs for verification of the origin of the timber or to differentiate on environmental and social grounds. CoC certification can also provide a mechanism to demonstrate due diligence in verifying legality. “ TABMA believes it is important to dispel some of the myths being espoused about CoC certification, to make companies aware of the options available and provide accurate information about the costs and complexity in order to help people make informed decisions.

By contacting the writer at colin@tabma.com.au we can provide the names of the many TABMA members who have become CoC certified, so that those considering obtaining certification can obtain an independent comment.

330 years of service at award-winning plant GILLMAN-BASED Pine Design Truss & Timber has plenty of reasons to be happy, winning three national awards and having more than 50% of its staff receive service awards.

In fact the collective years of service amounted to 330 years.

Pine Design was Winner for the National Medium Fabricator, Runner Up for the Best Overall National Award and Winner of the National OHS Award for Medium Fabricators.

A new segment for the FTMA Australia National Awards this year was the Employee Recognition of Service Awards.

“There is no doubt long term employees bring a wealth of knowledge to a business and provide stability within the workforce”, said Kersten Gentle “Fifteen companies nominated a whopping 147 people with one company in Western Pine Design Truss & Timber employs 31 people of which 19 were recognized for their long service from 10 years through to 35 years.

“We were absolutely thrilled to win three

National Awards and this is a great reflection of the commitment and dedication of all the employees who form part of the company structure at Pine Design,” said John Oulton, Managing Director Pine Design Truss & Timber.

Service award recipients were:

• 2 0 YEARS: KERRY GOODYEAR, IAN MOIR, PHILLIP POLLARD, RUSSELL WEGMANN, CHRIS WOOLEY, DAVID WATKINS • 3 0 YEARS: MARK WARD • 35 YEARS: ANTHONY MITCHELL, ANDREW PERRIMAN

Fair Work Australia annual wage review FAIR WORK Australia released the 2012 Annual Wage Review decision under the Fair Work Act, 2009 on 1 June 2012.

This is the third annual minimum wage review to be conducted by Fair Work Australia.

This decision increases modern award wage rates by 2.9% and has increased the national minimum wage to $606.40 per week or $15.96 per hour, up by 2.9% on the current minimum

By Brian Beecroft wage rate of $589.30. This Chief Executive Officer constitutes an increase Timber Trade Industrial of $17.10 per week or 45 Association cents per hour. This also applies to minimum wages for juniors, trainees and apprentices, employees with a disability and to piece rates.

The increased rates will take effect from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2012.

Transitional instruments that are still in existence will be adjusted in line with the 2.9% increase and the minimum casual loading for award/agreement free employees has been increased from 22% to 23%.

A number of submissions in relation to rate rises were received by the Panel; the ACTU proposed a rate rise of $26 per week compared to a $9.40 rate increase submitted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on an award by award basis.

No provision was made for potential carbon tax costs for workers; the Panel held that compensation had already been provided for by the Government via tax cuts and that any further allowance in this respect would be “double dipping”.

Despite submissions received in relation to hardship in the retail and hospitality industries, the Panel did not exempt these employers from the wage increase.

Employers should ensure they meet the new minimum obligations from 1 July 2012. Please remember, the increase is fully absorbable into over award payments.

Timber employers who are TTIA Members have been sent new wage summary sheets. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact the TTIA on (02) 9264 0011.

Update on inquiry into NSW Workers Compensation Scheme

• 10 YEARS: RYAN MANSELL, SUE LIMBURG, BILL BROWN, GREG BUTLER, MARK CRAWFORD, PAULINE GAGLIARDI, MAXWELL STARICK, GARY WARNER • 15 YEARS: CHRIS STARKEY, WAYNE SUTTON

21 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

 Pine Design managing director John Oulton

congratulates 35 year service award recipient Andrew Perriman

Further to our last article on the inquiry into the NSW Workers Compensation Scheme, a number of reforms have been recommended by the Joint Select Committee in an effort to address the scheme’s poor financial performance.

The committee considered several hundred submissions (including one from TTIA and several of its concerned members) and evidence from more than 70 witnesses, which has highlighted the complexity and scale of the NSW Workers Compensation Scheme, and the problems it faces in terms of its financial sustainability and its general performance.

A key theme coming out of the inquiry is that immediate reform is needed to respond to the dire financial position of the scheme. The committee had regard to evidence that a benefit restructure will deliver cost savings, which are necessary to ensure that the scheme is able to continue to meet its key objectives of promoting better health outcomes and return to work outcomes for injured workers.

In particular, the recommendations include enhancements to the benefits available to severely injured workers.

The conclusion of the inquiry is that the complexity and size of the Workers Compensation Scheme, and the issues raised in respect of it, necessitates a considered and thorough review which, given the timeframe, has been beyond the scope of this inquiry. On that basis, the committee recommended that such a review be undertaken. The committee is also of the view that the scheme would benefit from regular review and oversight from an independent body.

It was therefore also recommended that the NSW Government establish a joint standing committee of the Parliament of NSW to undertake an initial detailed review of the Scheme, and to continue to review and oversight the scheme.

The report is on the committee’s website: http://www. parliament.nsw.gov.au/workerscompinquiry.

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 22

NEW PRODUCTS

New player in the engineered timber products industry A

long term manufacturer of engineered timber fences has entered the residential market with innovative products that seem to tick all the right boxes.

The original Loggo® concept came about from the amalgamation of two products developed in isolation of each other.

The first is the ingeniously simple pin connector that forms the basis of Join-TLock, the fencing company’s long-term fencing product.

It was recognised that small diameter true round poles alone would not carry the large loads necessary to compete with the innovative LVL and I Beams that were proliferating within the housing market.

“With laminated beams in mind, the second concept was introduced by using technology adopted from the concrete industry whereby a dowel is chemically fixed into the constituent elements to allow effective bonding at a range of angles,” said Loggo director Pat Thornton.

“This idea was then quickly extended to the application of laminating, effectually forming a webtruss inside the elements,” he said. “And during this marriage of novel concepts an ambitious and stealthy program of capturing as much IP as possible was embarked upon and attained on a global scale”.

From those early days Loggo® began to look at what else could be done with its products. The laminated beam had several advantages over its direct competitors including a high strength to cost ratio; the product was

formed from low value pine poles that were viewed by the industry as a low strength landscape grade product.

“By treating, forming and then laminating the poles Loggo® produced a product that stacks up well on a cost benefit assessment. The development process like any other though had several twists and turns not unlike low grade pine! Grading the poles was an obvious step that needed to be resolved before a consistently engineered product could be produced.

After investigating grading strategies around the world - including visual, machine and non-invasive testing - a system was implemented that includes visual as well as ultrasonic grading,” said Pat. “In any successful engineered wood product both understanding of the component products as well as their interaction with one another is vital. With the technology adopted from the concrete industry there was an obvious disconnection between the properties of concrete and the properties of green pine. Finite element analysis was carried out by engineers to examine the true stress/strain relationship that occurs between the timber, glue and steel pins. That analysis revealed that there were many micro factors that had interplay on the performance of the product.

It was now time to test the theoretical product. The University of Technology Sydney was selected as the test bed for the elements making up the system. The university has some of the leading timber engineering minds in the country on staff.

Early testing looked at the

 Early Days - Fencing and viewing platform at a

southern NSW land mark – Bass Point, Shellharbour

 Albion Park Frame: The first full scale prototype components of the flooring system and framing system have been tested with a range of flooring, cladding and lining materials.

glue bond developed between the timber and steel dowels.

Relationships were developed between embedded length versus dowel diameter to achieve optimum outcomes that were consistent with the inherent component material strengths. Next the unique axial connectors were tested in a range of orientations, grain structures and moisture contents.

Final testing included cyclic testing, tests to destruction, moment fixity tests and a good deal of analysis,” said Pat. “The obvious outcome of the project was that a laminated beam that could be joined in a range of geometries lent itself very well to the residential and commercial construction sectors. Flooring systems were the first obvious product investigated by Loggo®.

The ability to produce extremely stiff flooring systems with reduced sectional depth and widely spaced joists was immediately apparent. The in-plane axial jointing system meant that bearer to joist connections were eloquent and robust. All metal fixings were durable and embedded in the timber with an epoxy envelope which provides enormous benefits against conventional technology from both a fire rating and a corrosive perspective.

Bracing of the flooring system is substantially enhanced by the nested bearing of bearer against joist provided by the scalloped cut which is a feature of the system”. Pat stated.

“From the flooring system development came a desire to find the limits of the product. The next development focused on a portal frame building system.

The inherent strength of the

 UTS – break more than they build! laminated beam made ideal componentry for rafters and portal columns. The dowel jointed connectors provided the necessary stiffness and axial capacity to build trusses. At present trusses of up to 7.2 metre clear span at 2.4 metre centres have been developed, although it is believed the system limits are well beyond there,” Pat said.

Pat is the sole owner and director of Loggo® and has a keenly developed sense of environmental sustainability.

A pharmacist by training, he was keen to ensure that the product provided for environmentally responsible outcomes as well as a structurally viable product.

“To this end Eco Balance, a New Zealand environmental sciences company, was engaged to assess a Cradle to Gate Carbon Footprint of the system. The outcomes of the analysis provided good news and in brief it showed the embodied greenhouse gas emission to be 20.37 kg CO2e / 3.6m beam or for comparison with other materials 680.96 kg CO2e/ m3.

The Loggo® system may not be the universal answer to the house framing future of Australia but it is an interesting and innovative idea that combines low value sustainable material in an engineered approach to produce a consistent product.

“Whether it be a flooring system, a bunch of lintels, a high capacity structural timber framing system or a fire engineered timber frame the capacity lies within this system. The ultimate market for Loggo® is yet to be fully assessed although it seems to be that Loggo® will play a part in the future of the framing market given its cost effectiveness, sustainability ( plantation hardwoods and softwoods), versatility, unique and novel jointing conformations, architectural differences and its adaptability to other conventional building systems,” Pat said.

Loggo® is in preliminary discussions with a number of key players in the Australian house framing market. It has acquired a site in northern New South Wales to build

a full scale prototype threebedroom project-style home to test the economics of the system comparing it with the other surrounding project homes. Export opportunities are also being explored.

“The adaptation of the system to overseas markets with alternate species and end products is an easy leap of the imagination given the diligent preparation in bringing this product to market.”

And such diligent preparation is exemplified in the gaining of patents, design patents, trademarks and domain names in each of the following countries for both Loggo Beams® and I-Logs®: Australia, NZ, Canada, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, China, India and Europe EC. Loggo® is looking for joint venture partners or licensees.

For more product information and business opportunity enquiries please see website: www. loggo.com.au or contact Patrick Thornton at: Ph: 02 42564767 Mob: 0410 504767 Fax: 02 42564558

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

23 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

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TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 6

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E R S P L I S U P

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OHN MITCHELL, chairman of buildingSmart Australasia looked around the room at the FRAME conference in Melbourne and asked if anyone knew what BIM was. Did anyone use BIM? The silence was telling.

Certainly there were people in the audience who had some knowledge while some like Claudelle Taylor of the Leighton Group had experience with BIM but mostly the audience was struck dumb.

As Mitchell went on to say, the building industry is not renowned for its affinity with and use of high tech computer software programs but it is time. Other industries have already embraced similar systems, and other countries are embracing Building Industry Modelling (BIM).

So what is Building Industry Modelling?

“BIM is 3D object model that is like a building database, easily visualized,” said Mitchell. “We can extract significant intelligence out of it.”

Currently there is a lack of integration along the supply chain linking parties and between project phases but it’s not impossible to fix.

As Mitchell said other industries such as the Australian Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association has already started supply chain integration.

Other issues that plague the building industry are its reliance on the lowest bid strategy rather than a value for money proposition. There is poor understanding of optimized and properly documented designs. According to Mitchell the “Getting it Right” study in Queensland in 2005 identified this problem. That was seven years ago and it still lingers.

stems.com.au info@timbersy stems.com.au www.timbersy

S A u U C T mberbiz.com.a R O D Web: www.ti G , P an.net.au S I N norm@timberm C E S P R O 4840 Email: (03) 9888 4820 Fax: (03) 9888 20 Ph: 5 Vol. 2012, Issue

B E R T I M August

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There is also inadequate and ineffective use of technology and a lack of appreciation of the benefits of open communication.

In 2010 Mitchell’s organization commissioned a survey with the Commonwealth’s help that looked at adopting BIM in the Australian construction sector.

Implementation Plan. The starting point was the outcomes of the MESH conferences in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in early 2011.

The roadblocks are these: • Lack of model building protocols • Little product data for BIM object libraries • Legal and insurance impediments

We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources.

“The economic potential is extraordinary, extraordinary, a $4 billion potential per annum - $4 billion productivity potential per annum, this mirrors many other studies around the world,” said Mitchell.

“We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources, we need to be more efficient and deliver higher value for money.”

The lessons from the 2D CAD current technology are clear, after 20 years there are still no common guidelines, no consensus in either government or industry and the documentation instead of improving is deteriorating.

“There is significant risk if we do not align with international BIM developments – it’s a worldwide turn to BIM,” said Mitchell. buildingSMART Australasia was commissioned at the end of 2111 to undertake the development of a BIM

• Poor standards for information exchange • Inconsistencies in information handover protocols • Skills gaps • Lack of strategic research focus • Industry resistance to process change The participants at the stakeholder consultation workshops conducted by buildingSmart proposed key recommendations. First and foremost was that a BIM adoption roadmap should be completed.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should be encouraged to require full collaborative BIM for their building procurements and they should develop procurement processes and assistance packages to encourage its adoption.

Legal and technical instruments needed to support the introduction of BIM should

7 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Lend Lease lends its might to CLT be developed and aligned with relevant international codes and standards. We must think globally.

Education is a must to enable the industry to meet the demands of technology for new workers and re-training for those already in the industry.

Easy access must be facilitated to building product manufacturer’s certified information for use in all types of modelbased applications through an Australian on-line BIM products library.

Open standard data exchange protocols should be established that support collaboration and facilitate integration of the briefing, design, construction, manufacturing and maintenance supply chain throughout the entire life of a built facility.

Governments around the world are seeing the advantage of BIM as it can be used to support automated code checking, ensure buildings meet environmental and energy performance requirements, make certain asset and management information is available at all tiers of government for operational, maintenance, fiscal and strategic planning.

The global construction software industry is well advanced in the change to BIM. All the major vendors Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Nemetscheck Allplan and Bentley Triforma have IFC certification, and now Autodesk Revit has committed to IFC compliance.

Only by adopting BIM, by accepting new processes and by sharing information will the building industry stay competitive.

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FTER LISTENING to Andrew Neiland from Lend Lease it was difficult to understand why it has taken so long for Australia to embrace CLT, and even harder to understand why it has taken the major construction companies this long to make it all add up.

Initially it seemed odd that Neiland, who comes from the accounting side of the Lend Lease business, was presenting to a timberoriented audience at the Frame Australia conference.

That soon passed as he recounted the reductions that Lend Lease faced through the use of CLT in its new multi-storey Forte apartment building in Melbourne.

Admittedly it won’t be just reduced costs – but that’s the main take-away point, the other reductions relate to significantly lower construction noise, less occupational health and safety issues, and a smaller environmental footprint.

The big cost reduction will come courtesy of reduced construction time, reduced truck movements, less labour, reduced building weight leading to reduced foundation requirements and more.

“It’s lightweight, timber is roughly a fifth the weight of concrete,” said Neiland. “[with precast concrete] you only get a couple of pieces on a truck and that’s about it, you can truck a vast number of CLT panels in one go, so get a huge reduction in truck movements.

“In terms of how the site looks the general comments we have from our construction teams is clean, and how quiet and how orderly the site is,” said Neiland.

“One mobile crane, a couple days of CLT ready for installation and a crew of four guys putting it into place - very quiet and efficient process.”

Victoria Harbour was the instigator Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour has been a development hot spot for some time and Lend Lease was trying to make the most of the limited land available. On North Wharf the company was faced with a problem.

“The building conditions are not great, it’s on silt so we looked for a lightweight construction solution and came up with CLT,” said Neiland.

“That was most viable option and we found a lot more benefits than just light weight. So they assembled a team of designers and engineers to go and have a look at it.

“They saw the opportunity immediately – for an all expenses paid trip to Europe.”

It paid off, representatives from Lend Lease visited 14 projects in Europe, they visited the CLT producers and met with architects who had worked on similar projects and came away very impressed.

“They came away very impressed that it was a proven solution where the owners and occupiers really enjoyed the outcome, and really enjoyed living in these buildings,” he said.

Due diligence on the project took three years to complete.

What Lend Lease did discover and what the company has brought into play with the Forte construction in Bourke Street, Melbourne – only a few doors down from Lend Lease HQ – is that using CLT is a design process.

“It’s not taking a concrete building and replacing concrete with timber, it’s a new process. It’s about completing all your design up-front rather designing as your going,” said Neiland.

“It’s about a factory process where you sign off on the drawings, you work out all the crane movements, you work out the logistics, the truck movements then you manufacture. By doing

this we are minimizing waste and reducing errors and building faster.

“If you design it well it will last, if you design it poorly it won’t.”

Australia’s building code doesn’t take into account timber buildings taller than three storeys so for Forte Lend Lease had to undertake a fire engineered solution and that’s not something that everyone can do. It may be a barrier to highrise CLT construction in Australia unless it is addressed.

Forte is nine storeys tall (with a ground floor retail area) with 23 apartments and four townhouses.

Lend Lease was faced with a certain amount of dismay when it came to fire approvals.

“Melissa Chandler who is our building codes expert said it was the most interesting conversation she’s ever had with the fire brigade in her life.

“Saying we’re building 10 storeys of timber, the lift well, the fire stairs and we’re leaving the fire stairs exposed timber. The look on their faces was priceless. We convinced them it was a good idea,” said Neiland. “We did the fire testing of the CLT panels with the CSIRO to achieve our approvals.

“While it is not of a size that requires sprinklers we are installing sprinklers for this one,” he added.

As the ground floor is to be a retail space that floor is designed very differently to the apartments and so it is mounted on a concrete slab which was laid in February this year. The CLT installation started in June and it is anticipated that it will take eight weeks to put up and should be finished in August.

The whole building should be finished in October this year.

Neiland said that for his company it wasn’t just about building a building in CLT it needed to be a step change in sustainability and that is

certainly what has happened. This will be the first 5-star green star building built in a residential environment.

Each apartment is dual aspect and will take 25% less energy to heat and cool compared with a typical apartment, which equates to roughly $300 a year saved. All apartments will have a smart meter to link to an in-home display, which shows real time and historic data on energy consumption.

Not only that, but simply by using timber 1451 tonnes of carbon is saved (cradle to site).

Like every new idea there were challenges, the biggest was the logistics of shipping a building from Europe to Australia. KLH in Europe is the manufacturer of CLT for the Forte construction and so the panels had to be shipped to Australia and then stored awaiting installation.

Out it came – 485 tonnes of timber, 759 CLT panels shipped in 25 containers in two ships.

Lend Lease then did some other due diligence on the project, at 32.17 metres tall was it the tallest timber building in the world?

“We came across Nikolai (Sutyagin) who was friendly old chap in Russia who was lonely and in 1992 he started to build a timber house for himself. He went a couple of storeys up and just kept going and he didn’t stop until he got to about 44 metres.

“So we couldn’t go out with the claim that it is the tallest timber building so we modified it with a clause that it’s the tallest apartment timber building,” said Neiland.

For the future Neiland said that Lend Lease is considering building up to 50% of its residential apartments using CLT. “For us Forte is not a one-off demonstration building,” he said.

You can see live webcam vision of the Forte building under construction at http://www. forteliving.com.au

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Robinson 54” wheels heavy duty bandsaw

50hp motor, Hydraulic feed. $12,500+GST $9,800+GST

We offer a full range of internal combustion on and battery electric lift trucks, a comprehensive ve range nne to 50 of LPG, petrol & diesel units, from 1.5 tonne tonne reach stackers.

3 Machines in 1: Forklift, Sideloader, Reach Truck Safer product handling Saves space – saves time Handles long loads safely Semi rough terrain

Pallet Trucks

MEDIA

Reach Trucks

Combilift

Order Pickers

Counterbalance

Big Trucks

Aisle-Master

Top dogging. Log handling. Remote operator.

Log diameter 60cm – 12cm, 6m - 2.4m.

Hydraulic sizing 30cm – 7.5cm. $188,000+GST

Agria

Customised Materials Handling

MA100004DN

Combilift Long Loads Forklift

Adaptalift Hyster offer a complete range:

The same industry-leading news, views and ad’s you’re reading in this issue are now available on-line as well.

While we know print is the most convenient form for reading in the cab, lunchroom or highlighting an important point for the next reader, we also know that many of our readers want to go straight to websites or send emails from the articles and ad’s they’re reading.

Forano Twin 60” Bandsaw Log Breakdown line

Hyster Counterbalance Forklift ift

Salem Twin 54” Band Resaw

Now available on-line

Roundabout. Operator cabin. Hydraulic sizing, fence, line bar, cant turner and handling equipment.

Sawn timber transfer deck. $279,000+GST

Moreen Johnston 50” Horizontal Band Wing line

With roundabout and wing transfer deck.$44,000.00+GST

Windsor board twin edger

With laser guides, pneumatic sizing and conveyor waste transfer.

Visit www.timberbiz.com.au/atm today to view your copy online

INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

gottstein trust applications for 2013 awards

the Joseph william Gottstein Memorial trust invites applications from interested persons for Gottstein fellowships and Gottstein industry awards.

GOTTSTEIN FELLOWSHIPS Fellowships are awarded to people from or associated with Australian forest industries to further their experience, education or training either within or outside Australia. Project proposals on any relevant topic are welcome. Candidates will be selected on the value of the project, and on their ability to complete and disseminate the information acquired.

FOR SALE

ARI DS-70 MULTI RIP SAW • Fully rebuilt – new bearings etc • 200KW three phase motor • 270mm depth of cut - single arbor • Min board output width 16mm • Feed speed 100 metres p/min • 10 Blades at a time • 40 Blades included - 10 new - They measure 70cm across • Brand new in-feed and out-feed included - never used.

Excellent machine, make an offer

Call 0468 357196

INTERVIEWS Applications for each category will be considered by the Trustees and promising applicants will be selected for interviews in October 2012.

FURTHER INFORMATION Further details may be obtained from the Trust’s website at www.gottsteintrust.org, or from the Secretary.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS The closing date for applications is 7th September 2012.

Applications should be forwarded to: Dr Silvia Pongracic, Secretary, J. W. Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC 3169 Telephone: 0418 764 954 Fax: 03 9545 2139 Email: secretary@gottsteintrust.org

EXCESS EQUIPMENT RELOCATION SALE 54 inch Robinson bandsaw.

$6500

Default docker.

$4000

Posistrut press.

$9500

Mark 4 gang nail truss press.

$12500

Strouds auto glue system.

$12000

Finger jointer FJ INDUSTRIAL. $19500 Appollo automated truss saw.

Austral Timber Group Contact Ken Baker 0438 643 992 kjb@agnew.com.au

FOR SALE Long Established Brisbane Timber Merchant.

• Excellent central location.

• Wholesale & retail sales of Australian and Imported cabinet timbers to Australia wide market.

• Approx $2m + turnover P/A + growing.

• 1500m2 warehouse + hardstand which is available for purchase or lease.

• Suit owner operator & 2-3 staff.

• Established in QLD for 23 years.

Contact - Craig Douglas - MGI STH QLD 07 3002 4800 for more details.

GOTTSTEIN INDUSTRY AWARDS These awards are available to assist workers in the Australian forest industries to improve their industry knowledge and work skills.

Applications focusing on small group study tours will be favourably viewed, although any relevant project topic may be proposed.

Candidates will be selected on the value of the project.

$37,000+GST

$18500

All items excess to needs Location Melbourne Phone. 03 97619266, 08 93998336, 0438466621

FOR SALE 2002 CATERPILLAR 924G Wheel loader 11500 hrs $55,000+GST

BRUNNER HIGH VAC KILN 45m3 capacity Hot water boiler All trolleys, computer system, manuals, etc Great hardwood drying kiln $300,000+GST

TIMBER TREATMENT CYLINDER Ex CCA plant 1.8mt diameter 10mt long $20,000+GST

RANDALL’S PRENTICE 150 LOG GRAB ON EX-ARMY INTERNATIONAL 6X6 TRUCK Mounted on back with own diesel motor and hyd pack $18,000+GST

KOCKUMS FORWARDER 85-35T No grab Good engine, hydraulics, transmission and tyres $15,000+GST

SMITHS TWIN EDGER 2 x 75hp motors Will cut 700mm diameter x 6100mm log $30,000+GST

LARGE STAINLESS STEEL TANK 3.05mt diameter 4.8mt high Some damage

LARGE STEEL TANK 3.6mt diameter 9.2mt high

For all enquiries please call Damien on 0417 570 616

Ready when you are – Researched by Australian Truss Plants – Built for Australian Truss Plants – Demanded by Australian Truss Plants

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For more information please visit

www.multinailmachinery.com Multinail Machinery Pty Ltd

ABN 52 060 402 860

155 Burnside Rd · Stapylton QLD 4207 · Australia T: +61 (0)7 3297 3280 · F: +61 (0)7 3382 0741 · E: enquiry@multinailmachinery.com · W: www.multinailmachinery.com