BUILDERSBulletin B

EXPERT ADVICEBowens Solution to Reactive Soils

PREFAB NEWSCommercial Projects - A Different Beast

10 OF THE BEST Latest & Greatest to get the Job Done!

August 2014 Volume 25 No. 07

bowens.com.au The Builders Choice

120 YEARSCELEBRATING

Time for GrowthThe next adventure for Bowens Read more

on page 2

BUILDERS BULLETIN2

You have heard it all before. On average more than 80,000 people move to Melbourne each year. Over the next 40 years Melbourne’s population is expected to grow from 4.1 million to 6.5 million. It is anticipated Melbourne will eventually overtake Sydney as Australia’s most populous city.

How we accomplish this growth and remain a great city to live in hasn’t been made clear. The State Government has conditioned us into believing outward suburban expansion is evil, as a result residential projects in the Docklands and CBD have begun with frenzied abandon. Meanwhile, in established areas, large scale developments have not been quite as easy to deliver; until now, maybe.

On 16 September, 2013 our Premier and the Minister for Planning announced an initiative that would deliver on many of the state’s strategic planning objectives. With the instigation of community engagement for the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area Draft Vision and the release of the Interim Fishermans Bend Design Guidelines, we were shown it is possible to achieve the goal of housing a large number of people, in one development, within existing infrastructure.

The bureaucrats’ platitudes about the strategy are filled with their usual preferences … three kilometres south-west of Melbourne’s CBD … a reduction in the continued outward growth of the city … more people provided with the choice to live closer to existing jobs … a better use of services … better public spaces … improved public transport connections.

In times gone by it would be fair to accuse me of being more than a little dubious of our various governments’ big ideas. As political leaders come and go so too, it seems, do their major infrastructure planning initiatives – good and bad. This time around, however, I believe what has been proposed will be universally supported.

Port Melbourne is crying out for change. Large manufacturers began leaving the area long ago, many substantial sites are in decay and living environments at the Yarra end, so close to Melbourne’s CBD, fall a long way short of expectations. It is on the city’s doorstep, only separated by some obvious physical barriers. If the plan is to be realised the redevelopment of Fishermans Bend would become one of Australia’s largest in-fill projects.

The official blurb on the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure website suggests the blueprint covers “approximately 250-hectares”, although the area initially specified measures closer to 72-hectares (see shaded sections on the right); by any measure this is a massive project. In 2014 approximately 100,000 people live in the municipality; initial prognostications for this new living space suggest 80,000 residents will be added along with 40,000 high-productivity jobs over the next 30 to 50 years.

And the best part of this initiative? Bowens is going to be right in the middle of it all! For new and old accounts, for those who will contribute to the exciting opportunities provided by the Fishermans Bend development and for those already making a contribution in surrounding parts, we will be there. Before Christmas 2014 our new facility at the southern end of Salmon Street will be open; ready to provide some great service and the best range of building and construction materials ever on offer in the area. I can’t wait!

Places Victoria recognises affordability and housing choice as steadfast priorities for all Urban Renewal Projects; perfect for Bowens. They say Developments must have:

A combination of more compact detached homes, smart townhouses and appropriate apartments to create new living options in existing suburbs. Places Victoria’s approach to affordable living is based on the premise that a development should contain a variety of well-designed housing options to buy or rent and be well located close to quality jobs, community infrastructure, transport and amenities.

It is proposed The Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area will have four precincts. I understand most of the initial work will begin at the eastern end, although this information comes only from the conversations I have had with people closer to the planners than I; there is nothing official in the written words I have researched.

Once the period for consultation with the Victorian public was complete, Places Victoria submitted their conclusions to the Minister for Planning. All of this occurred prior to Christmas and there have been no official announcements since. The staff I have spoken with at Places Victoria were quick to let me know the Minister has not offered them any feedback either and they were not able to provide any opinions on what the next steps will be.

The City of Port Phillip has been a place of change for many years, particularly the past two decades. The Victorian Government’s vision for Fishermans Bend is of a vibrant community created through a genuine mix of residential, commercial, retail entertainment, industry, transport and community facilities. We are hoping Bowens’ newest facility will only add to the look and feel of a great, new living environment.

John Bowen, Managing Director

Time for GrowthA Word From John Bowen

The Next Adventure for Bowens

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Tofindoutmore,contactyourlocalBowensstore

AUGUST 2014 33

Whats New?

August Event CalenderM T W T F S S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Mon 4 & Mon 18 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY RDO’STues 5HIA REGIONAL BUILDING & BUSINESS WORKSHOP

A WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE CLADDING PRODUCT OFFERING SOME GREAT BENEFITS OVER OTHER CLADDING PRODUCTS

Timber Eco Cladding

Bowens Collated Bright Steel Framing Nails 75mm (3000 Box)

$2999

BFN

permatimber.com.au

NOW AVAILABLE IN-STORE

NEW TEAM MEMBERIt is with great pleasure that we welcome Greg Brack to Bowens. Greg has joined our Rowville Sales Team. We are lucky to have Greg join our team as he has 25 years’ experience in the timber and hardware industry having worked for a number of timber and hardware suppliers over his career. Greg’s vast industry experience, along with a proven ability to deliver to customers exactly what is needed, proves him to be a great complement to Bowens’ commitment to delivering the very best service to our customers.

Greg Brack

Sherbourne Tarrace, Shepparton. www.hia.com.au

Thurs 14 - Sun 17HERALDSUN HOME SHOW www.melbournehomeshow.com.au

Fri 22MBAV GREEN LIVING CONFERENCE BLSC, South Melbourne. www.mbav.com.au

BUILDERS BULLETIN4

Commercial Projects: A Different Beast

Featured

AT TIMBERTRUSS, ONE OF THE LEADING AND LARGEST PREFAB COMPANIES IN AUSTRALIA WITH OUR TWO SITES AT GEELONG AND DANDENONG, WE ARE INVOLVED WITH MANY DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY RANGING FROM DOMESTIC HOUSING TO COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.

Our Commercial Department deals with many types of commercial projects, such as multi-unit apartments beyond two storeys, aged care facilities, schools, and the like. Within this department is an Estimating/Detailing Team dealing solely with these projects, overseen by a Department Manager as well as a couple of Account Managers working with a Sales Manager.

With this set-up we can work with the complexity and challenges each job brings striving to ensure our service to the commercial sector is second to none.

The estimating process can take considerable time to complete allowing for all requirements and accurate designs to be achieved within a job, which enables the builder to have a competitive tender price; however, the same can be said in regards to the detailing process; with the attention to detail and quality truss designs making sure all design parameters have been allowed for from the drawings.

From here the shop drawings are sent to the builder for their review and approval, often followed by the job being

forwarded to one of our independent engineers for a Certificate of Compliance. Only after these approvals can we begin the production process, and again with some of these types of jobs and the diversity they bring, will generally require a lot more manning than standard domestic house production.

One such job we have recently completed was for three large apartment buildings (Building A, B, and C) in a retirement village: Victoria Grange, for Buildcorp Commercial P/L on Burwood Highway Vermont South VIC.

We were given the green light on the frames and trusses for this project in May 2013, where each Building was similar in each design with challenges in the roof including multiple/dual/low pitched trusses with large box gutters and raked eaves cantilevering past the frame about 1.6m (refer photo). With such large cantilevers, the hips were required to support structural fascia and steel beam at the perimeter. The lengths of these buildings are approximately 25m wall to wall and 28m eave to eave, so the designing of the trusses for these roofs was going to be a challenge for the detailer.

The man to take this on was David Bartholomew from our Geelong office, “This was one of the most challenging jobs I had ever done.” David remarked. He spent a lot of time on the phone, in addition to a site visit to speak with the Project Manager and Site Manager to work out beam and lintel heights, so the raked eave did not go below the window (refer photo).

The designing of the trusses for these roofs was going to be a

challenge for the detailer.The man to take this on was David

Bartholomew from our Geelong office, “This was one of the most challenging jobs I had ever done.”

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AUGUST 2014 5

“The Buildcorp Commercial team were very helpful in working with me to give me the necessary info to get this right as well.” David said.

All up David estimated he spent approximately 100 hours in detailing the trusses for the three buildings; but, his communication was not only to the Buildcorp Commercial team, highlighting the communication factor working well within the detailing team of the Commercial Department at Timbertruss. As David added, “The trusses can only work as well as the walls supporting it. I spent several hours talking to the frame detailer, Colin Garrett, from our Dandenong office to make sure we were all on the right page. His feedback was essential to make sure the trusses and walls would match.”

The production process was a challenge with the raked eave and high finish of the trusses making this essential to get right.

Truss production took three days for each building starting with the cutting to manufacturing of all trusses. Knowing they had limited room on site and meeting a crane with each delivery, the feedback from Buildcorp to us on how they wanted the trusses packed worked well allowing the crane to be used efficiently with no delays.

On site the installation process took approximately a week each for the frames and the trusses, again highlighting the work required that goes into getting a large project right and bringing satisfaction to Buildcorp’s client’s needs (Refer photo of the finished project).

So going through each stage to get it right, can take countless hours of work, with good communication. This type of job highlights the Commercial world of prefab is ‘A Different Beast’.

AUGUST 2014 5

Onsite installation process which took approximately a week each for the frames and the trusses.

Each design faced challenges in the roof including large box gutters.

The final look using the raked eaves cantilevering past the frame.

High finish of the trusses making this essential to get it right.

Retirement village (Victoria Grange) for Buildcorp Commercial after construction of the first building.

“A roof this complicated would almost be

impossible without using Timbertruss”

Andrew Williams, Nemo Construction

Raked eaves cantilevering past the frame during construction.

BUILDERS BULLETIN6

MULTIPANEL MANUFACTURES A VERSATILE BUILDING PANEL BASED ON A UNIQUE RIGID, HIGH DENSITY, POLYURETHANE PANEL SYSTEM. IT IS A COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR WET AREA CONSTRUCTION, INDOOR & OUTDOOR, AND WHERE LIGHTWEIGHT YET STRONG MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED.

Being 100% waterproof, super lightweight and extremely versatile, this innovative product is currently the most technologically advanced construction panel on the global market. It is a significantly superior alternate to traditional building materials such as cement sheet and particleboard.

MultiPanel is available in 2400 x 1200mm panels and is up to 75% lighter than traditional products, with our 8mm waterproof underlay panel weighing only 5.2Kg and our 30mm waterproof balcony flooring panel weighing only 18Kg per panel. MultiPanel has been used as a substrate in many showers and balconies and has proven to save labour for onsite installation.

Waterproofing accounts for approximately 1.8% of construction costs, yet industry groups and many building experts attribute more than 80% of building defects due to moisture related problems. MultiPanel have developed two systems that offer a total waterproof solution in these

areas, but more importantly give the builder and client the peace of mind knowing that future costly repairs will be avoided.

MultiPanel External Balcony SystemMultiPanel manufactures a revolutionary, high-density, polyurethane composite building panel, ideal for waterproofing balconies as it is the first panel of its kind in the market that is TRULY 100% WATERPROOF. Many other panels are water resistant and hence rely on the need of a liquid membrane to avoid costly repairs later on down the track. With MultiPanel, you have peace of mind knowing that the panel is immune to water and will act as a complete water barrier in all wet area situations.

Super Lightweight — MultiPanel is up to 75% lighter than traditional products. 30mm MultiPanel weighs only 18Kg per sheet (6.25Kg/m2

Labour Saving — All edges of the panel are tongue and grooved for installation convenience. As MultiPanel is so lightweight and can be used without a liquid membrane, MultiPanel can be installed up to 75% faster than alternative balcony systems.

Eco Friendly — MultiPanel has been independently verified by EcoSpecifier as an environmentally friendly material. MultiPanel offers significant insulation advantages which offer increased savings for the total life of the project. There is also no material wastage as off cuts can be joined together using MultiPanel Polyurethane adhesive with joins

Innovation

MultiPanel: The Building PanelThat Does Not Fear Water

AUGUST 2014 7

becoming stronger than the panel itself. MultiPanel can also be joined off a floor joist, helping to minimise wastage.

MultiPanel Internal Wet Area Waterproofing SystemMultiPanel has developed a simple, cost effective WATERPROOF solution for internal wet areas. MultiPanel’s all new shower base kit includes the base with the fall already graded, upstands, flashings and adhesives for installation convenience. Within the hour you are ready to tile your shower base, it’s that simple. As MultiPanel is so lightweight and requires no liquid membrane, MultiPanel can be installed up to 80% faster than alternative Shower base systems.

MultiPanel has recently gained accreditation from the Victorian Building Authority for an Internal Waterproofing System . In conjunction with our shower base, 12mm MultiPanel is used as a waterproof wall lining in the shower area and 8mm MultiPanel is utilised as a waterproof underlay. Implementing this system meets the performance requirements of AS3740, therefore eliminates the need for a liquid membrane which minimizes trades on site, speeding up the overall build time. Essentially a bathroom can be waterproofed in 3-4 hours and ready to tile the following day.

MultiPanel shower base kits are available in three standard kit sizes:

• 900 x 900mm

• 1200 x 900mm

• 1500 x 900mm

MultiPanel Linear shower base kits are available in three standard kit sizes:

• 1200 x 900mm

• 1500 x 900mm

• 1800 x 900mm

Custom Sizes are also available upon request.

Please contact your nearest Bowens for more details www.multipanel.com.au

Essentially a bathroom can be waterproofed in 3-4 hours and ready to tile the following day. It minimizes trades on site and

speeds up the overall build time.

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BUILDERS BULLETIN8

Expert Advice

Last month’s edition of this publication featured an article on slab heave and some major problems confronting many builders, particularly in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, where they have built on areas where the soils are described as reactive. This means the soil can expand or contract, particularly when affected by moisture. In many cases expensive repairs have been necessary. Recently a case went to Vcat and the builder was ordered to replace the house.

Having read the slab heave article, my mind went back to a project sponsored by Forrest & Wood Products Australia, which involved developing a prefabricated floor system, which was intended to be the Timber Industry’s alternative to a concrete slab. Similarly to a slab, when after it is poured, the builder is ready to construct his frame, we now have a prefab floor system that after installation is also ready for framing.

I was part of the FWPA’s steering committee and arranged a pilot job to put into practice the many hours of preliminary testing and theory that had been undertaken. Uppermost in the committee’s deliberations, irrespective of the engineering, was the possibility of floor bounce and the determination to ensure it would not be an issue in a prefab product the industry promoted.

Accordingly, I approached Gary Rickard from Swenrick Homes. He said he was happy to be involved and proposed a job at Heathcote he thought ideal because it was to be built on reactive soil. Swenrick’s soil tests found they had to install foundation piles 3 metres deep to get below the level of soil variation. After studying the various products available, the committee decided Posi-Struts were the most cost effective product to make the panels from, because less foundation points were required.

After Swenrick had the foundations installed, some members of the committee spent a day installing the adjustable metal stumps bolted to the concrete piles and ensuring the heights were ok for the panels to be fixed. The next day the insulated floor panels arrived on the usual prefab crane truck and were then craned into position and in a matter of a few hours the floor was completed. Admittedly the plumber had to then come and make holes in points of the particle board floor and insulation to facilitate the various services. However, since then Bowens have purchased a machine that not only cuts holes for the services, but also speeds up the prefabrication process with enhanced accuracy.

Gary Rickard is perfectly happy to use the floor system again, mainly where the proposed house is to be built on reactive soils or sloping or low level sites.

Obviously, the prefabricated floor panels fit perfectly for first floor construction as well without the worry of installing any floor insulation. However, the FWPA promoted project’s prime objective

Bowens Solution to

was to offer a viable ground floor alternative to a concrete slab and to claw back some market share in that field of construction.

Of course the traditional method of constructing a lightweight timber sub floor (stumps, bearers and joists) is still a good option as well.

Besides the reactive soil issues, other advantages over a concrete slab are;

• Even if the soil moves under a timber floor, repairs are relatively easy by simply jacking up the house. This action is not possible when a house experiences slab heave.

• With minimum cost (compared to a slab) a house can be easily elevated in low areas where flooding could be an issue. For example, the insurance industry stated in the aftermath of the Brisbane floods a few years ago many houses would not have been flooded if they were slightly elevated.

• Houses constructed on sloping sites again can be cheaply elevated by using stumps. As well it opens up the possibility of utilising space under the house. Where a slab has been employed expensive excavation and retaining walls are usually necessary.

If anyone is interested in gaining more information, Jeff Harvey can help. Simply give him a call directly on 0412 550 740 or email feedback@bowens.com.au

Reactive Soils

The next day the insulated floor panels arrived on the usual prefab crane truck and were then craned into position and in

a matter of a few hours the floor was completed

AUGUST 2014 9

Engineered Timber

Sustainable building in the residential industry has made enormous head way over the past 15 years. So much so that last year’s Master Builders Green Living Conference was a sell out and this year’s looks like being the same.

This year, the focus of the conference turns to the latest developments in residential building technology designed to improve outcomes for you and your clients.

Among the topics to be discussed by this year’s guest speakers are:

• Engineered timber floor systems;

• Leaky buildings;

• Building smarter renovations;

• Zero carbon buildings; and,

• New battery technologies and off the grid solutions.

Conference visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and Master Builders’ Sustainable Builder Adviser, Dr Phil Alviano. There will also be a range of product demonstrations so you can test and try the most innovative sustainable building products on the market.

Among the guest speakers will by Pryda’s Nick Cui, who will discuss the evolution of engineered timber products and their use in sub-flooring systems.

“This product has the potential to save builders so much time and subsequently increase the cash flow of their business,” Nick explained.

“Timber also has the great benefit of being a lot cheaper and less environmentally costly [than concrete] to manufacture.”

To hear more, come to the Master Builders Green Living Conference on 22 August at the Building Leadership Simulation Centre, South Melbourne. Call Master Builders for more info on (03) 9411 4555 or visit www.mbav.com.au.

“This product has the potential to save builders so much time and subsequently increase the cash flow of their business”

“Timber has the great benefit of being a lot cheaper and less environmentally costly to manufacture.”

Industry News

RADLEY DE SILVACEO Master Builders Association Of Victoria

A focus of the 2014 Master Builders Green Living Conference

10

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More information, visit your nearest Bowens store or visit www.bowens.com.au

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