Australian & New Zealand Timberman

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND

T I M B E R P R O C E S S I N G , P R O D U C T S A N D S U P P L I E R S

Vol.21 No.2 www.timberbiz.com.au April 2013

• There IS a future!• Back, bigger and stronger

• Revolutionary new building • Need to innovate highlighted

Ph 02 9609 5911

Complete solid timber processing systems

Special offer for Timberman readers-Mention ‘Timberman’ when you [email protected] to request your copy ofHyne Design 7.2, and receive a free gift!

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NEWS

INNOVATION l TECHNOLOGY DESIGNl

TIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 2

Dates for your DiaryPromote your events in this publication (and also on our electronic Daily Timber News). Lodge details at [email protected] or phone (08) 7127 6370.

5-7 April 2013Cabinet Makers and Designers Association. CDMA Conference, Novotel, Melbourne

9-11 April 2013The 8th Dubai International Wood & Wood Machinery Show, to be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.www.dubaiwoodshow.com

9-11 April 2013IPX Russia, Moscow. www.ipxrussia.ru/en/

9-12 AprilDrema Poznan. International trade fair of machines and tools for the wood and furniture industry. Poznan, Poland. www.drema.pl

10-11 April 2013Residues-to-REVENUES 2013 Conference & Expo: Wood Energy and CleanTECH Industry Developments”. Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand. http://woodresiduesevents.com/

15-16 April 2013Residues-to-REVENUES 2013 Conference & Expo: Wood Energy and CleanTECH Industry Developments”. Bayview Eden Hotel, Melbourne. http://woodresiduesevents.com/

18-19 AprilNTCA local government forest and timber industry conference. Bayview Eden, 6 Queens Road, Melbourne. RSVP to [email protected]. 03 9667 5555 by 15 April.

27 April – 1 May 2013PaperCon 2013, Atlanta, USA. www.papercon.org

5- 9 May 2013World Building Congress 2013. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Queensland.

6-10 May 2013LIGNA Hannover.www.ligna.de/home

8-10 May 20132013 Appita Annual Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia. http://www.appita.com.au

9-11 May 20132nd Guangzhou International Wood & Wood Products Trade Show (Wood Guangzhou 2013), at the China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex. www.muyezhan.com

17-19 May 2013Timber & Working With Wood Show. RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane. http://www.biztradeshows.com/timber-woodworking-brisbane/

5-7 June 2013EXPO 2013 – the 32nd Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition, Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Centre. [email protected]

5-8 June 2013 ElmiaWood - Jonkoping, Sweden. http://www.elmia.se/en/wood/

9-10 June 201317th International Symposium On Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry (ISWFPC) Pre-Symposium, Victoria, Canada. www.wse2013.com/

12-14 June 201317th International Symposium On Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry (ISWFPC), Vancouver, Canada. www.paptac.ca

13-16 JuneWood Tech India. International trade fair for wood and wood-processing industry. Mumbai. www.woodtechindia.in

23 July 2013FTMA Australia National Conference 2013. QT, Gold Coast. [email protected]

24-27 JulyAWFS Las Vegas, Nevada. International trade fair for woodworking and furniture manufacturing. www.awfsfair.org

26-28 July 2013Timber & Working With Wood, Sydney. Sydney Showground. http://www.iexh.com.au

4-7 August 201321st International Wood Machining Seminar (IWMS-21). Tsukuba, Japanhttp://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/en/symposium/iwms21/

30 August – 1 September 2013Timber & Working With Wood, Canberra. Exhibition Park. http://www.iexh.com.au

3-5 September 2013WoodEXPO, Albury. www.wood-expo.com

6 September 2013Annual assembly of Eumabois, the European federation that gathers 14 national associations of woodworking technology, tools and accessories manufacturers, Jyväskylä, where the meeting will be hosted by the Finnish association. http://www.woodandpanel.com

3-5 September 2013WoodEXPO,Albury. www.wood-expo

11-13 September 2013WoodEXPO,Rotorua. www.wood-expo

8-13 September 201315th Fundamental Research Symposium, Cambridge, England. www.ppfrs.org

25-26 SeptemberTimber Expo, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK. www.timber-expo.co.uk

25-28 September 2013VietnamWOOD. Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). Drying equipment, joinery equipment, joinery and moulded products, equipment and instruments for furniture industry, abrasive and cutting instruments, equipment and wood waste treating devices, machinery and equipment for primary wood treatment, pneumatic instruments, machinery and equipment for timber, furniture components, raw material, related industry goods.www.biztradeshows.com/trade-events/vietnam-wood

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3 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

There IS a future for Tassie Timber....we just have to be smart about it ...

TASMANIANS HAVE to challenge this ridiculous notion there is no alternative for the Tasmanian forestry industry

other than just locking up forests, according to Coalition Forestry spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck.

“That is absolute rot and part of the solution is right under their noses,” Senator Colbeck said after a visit to the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW).

“The future for timber in Tasmania and nationally is in smart technologies and materials, and high-end, high-value products.”

CSAW operates out of the School of Architecture and Design at the University’s Newnham campus in Launceston. It houses nationally recognised researchers, laboratories, test buildings, and advanced design and fabrication tools.

“Timber is the construction material of the next century. You can build faster, cheaper and with a far lower carbon footprint than other traditional materials such as metal and concrete.”

Senator Colbeck said it was vital to get policy and industry settings right to encourage investment in the sort of technologies and tools on display at the CSAW.

“There is a real plan for the future of forestry in Tasmania. The Coalition has been articulating it for months, it’s just that some people don’t want to listen.

“We’ve said over and over again that a Coalition Government will not recognise any of the reserves created from this sham IGA. We’d be working to build confidence knowing there is a bright future for the forest and timber sectors.”

�Senator Colbeck (right), Associate Professor Gregory Nolan and Professor Stephen Loo (left).

The structure was designed, cut and assembled in two days by participants in a recent fabrication workshop.



Vol.21 No.2 www.timberbiz.com.au April 2013

Ph 02 9609 5911

Complete solid timber processing systems

Special offer for Timberman readers-Mention ‘Timberman’ when you [email protected] to request your copy ofHyne Design 7.2, and recieve a free gift!

Get your FREE gift

hyne.com.au See details page 5.

NEW FORESTS’ purchase of the assets of Gunns Timber Products has seen a name change and a renewed outlook for the former business. The purchase, through Receiver Korda Mentha, includes the softwood sawmills in Bell Bay (Tasmania) and Tarpeena (South Australia) and sales and distribution facilities in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

The business will be rebranded as Timberlink Australia, with Ian Tyson appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Ian brings over 35 years of experience in timber processing, wood products marketing, and timber sales in Australia. Operations will continue on a business-as-usual basis, with 380 employees transitioning to Timberlink Australia.

“The launch of Timberlink Australia is an exciting time for our employees and our customers. Together, we look forward to growing the business as a leading supplier of Australian-grown plantation pine timber products,” Tyson said.

“As a regionally-focused timberland investment manager, New Forests believes that a competitive, domestic wood processing industry is critical to ensuring a sustainable future for Australia’s forest sector. Timberlink Australia will strengthen local supply chains by connecting Australian-grown plantation timber with domestic customers seeking high-quality and environmentally responsible building materials,” said New Forests’ Managing Director David Brand.

And the Receiver, too, was pleased with the result. “This is an outstanding result for all stakeholders. The suppliers, customers, and importantly employees have continued to work with the business throughout the receivership, and we are proud to hand over a thriving business to New Forests. The future of the mills and

the local communities is now linked to a group with a long-term interest in the Australian timber industry,” said Mark Korda.

Korda said the sale of the sawmills business was another significant step in continuing to successfully execute the three-point plan set out at the beginning of the Receivership.

New Forests manages approximately 375,000 hectares of plantations and timberland across Australia, including the softwood timber plantations in Tasmania and the Green Triangle of Victoria and South Australia, which provide the core wood supply to each mill. The establishment of Timberlink Australia creates a unique opportunity to integrate management of timberland, mills, and sales and distribution functions into a fully aligned customer focused business. The new business offers financial stability and opportunities for targeted capital investment to improve efficiency, product quality, and customer service while supplying sustainable, domestic products.

And, according to news from Elders, its wholly owned subsidiary, APT Projects Ltd, has entered an agreement to sell 30,000 hectares of pulpwood standing timber plantations in Albany, Bunbury and the Green Triangle to New Forests Asset Management on behalf of growers.

Standing timber in the following projects form part of this agreement: - Australian Eucalypt Project 1999- Australian Eucalypt Project 2000- Australian Eucalypt Project 2001- APT Project No. 11

Timberlink Australia set to make its mark

NEWSTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 4



April, Vol.21, No.2

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Australian & New Zealand Timberman is delivered with Australian Forests & Timber News, which is a member of Circulation Audit Bureau (CAB).

Cooking classes with solar timbersWHAT’S THE saying – what goes around comes

around. Well, here’s a slightly offbeat version of that, which started with a chef that turned to wood

and finished with a good turn to help a chef with wood.Around 12 years ago chef Allan Hutley had just finished a

tender and was looking around for his next bit of work when his father, who was the sales manager at Australian Solar Timbers (AST), said there was some work going at AST.

“They had some boards here that needed racking, he asked did I want to do something different for a month or two and so I came up and did that and during that time they had some guys who twere absent from the processing shed and I got involved over there and enjoyed it,” said Hutley.

“My wife and I were looking to buy a house and at that time. We needed permanent income to get support from the bank so I talked to the general manager here and ended up getting a full time position.

“I'd planned on it being only for relatively short term and just really enjoyed what I was doing and got some very good opportunities and progressed through the business to where I am now.”

Hutley is now general manager of AST and looks after a company that now employs 50 people.

“When I first started we employed about 100 people but through technology advancement and recently tough economic and market conditions we've had to reduce our staff numbers,” said Hutley.

It’s been about two years that the company has found the market tough going.

“We've had a declining market for the last two years and we saw when the GFC hit that it did actually reach the lowest point. Housing and development in Australia is at an all time low and what we're seeing now it's not getting any worse but it’s also not rapidly improving either,” he said.

“We can't see it rapidly improving in the near future. We're probably predicting somewhere maybe 12 months after the election … we're probably another 18 or 19 months away from seeing any substantial growth.”

It’s not all bad news though, as Hutley says, so long as the market conditions remain the same and don’t get any worse then the company can sustain its current workforce numbers and production levels.

New opportunities are made

AST is not a company that sits back and waits,though, it has been expanding and developing its products to ensure that its future remains bright.

“Our market previously was predominantly the NSW market, which is hardwood flooring and decking but what we've done recently is expanded,” said Hutley.

“Recently, in the last few years, we expanded into the Queensland, Victorian and Western Australian markets as well. We've also produced some new products.”

AST recently launched an overlay product into Western Australia to meet the State’s building requirements.

“We launched a product called Timberlay which was a 12mm overlay product because predominately that market is designed around concrete slabs,” said Hutley.

“So rather than having to put down bearers and joists on top of your concrete slab we designed a product that was designed specifically to be glued direct to the concrete. It’s been very positive.

“We just think there's some opportunities there, and getting a slice of the action in some of those States that we weren't previously, which is an opportunity for us to expand our business and our product offerings into those markets.”

AST offers a product that is unique to New South Wales and one that can find ready markets throughout Australia.

“We have different product in that we only mill New South Wales hardwood. Obviously there's different types of timber that grow in different areas and offering the New South Wales products into other States is a drawcard for people in those other States when they are building their homes,” said Hutley.

“The timbers that come out of New South Wales are some of the densest in the world. They're hard and they're long term.

“We have agreements in place with State Forests NSW who are leaders in world's best practice for sustainability and renewability of hardwood timber.”

Along with expansion comes distribution and AST has expanded its operations.

Whereas in the early days the company was dealing only with agents and distribution in New South Wales it has taken on a national distribution chain in Simmonds Lumber. That move came about around six or seven years ago and has been working very well for AST.

Simmonds has outlets in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and also stock product for the Western Australian market.

“Australian Solar Timbers is committed to continuing to try to diversify its options ... We are more focused than ever in providing what is needed in each State that we are currently in, and we are looking to expand into SA and possibly the NT as well,” said Hutley.

Hutley returns to his roots

This is a long-winded way of getting back to the introduction about Hutley’s roots as a chef and AST’s involvement with cooking but it helps to see how AST works and thinks, to see why it wants to become involved in a new kitchen project at the primary school – Aldavilla Public School in West Kempsey.

It’s not just any ordinary kitchen, it’s part of the

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Schools program. This program introduces students to the pleasures of preparing, cooking and eating a variety of foods they have grown and harvested themselves.

It’s an investment in a generation and provides respect and understanding of where food comes from and how it should be treated which is something obviously close to Hutley’s heart.

“We had done some work with them [Aldavilla Public School] in the past and the principle of the school approached us with a letter, which they did for a lot of other businesses, asking for help and support. What we decided was that we wanted to get involved, we felt it was a very good project.

“It was a project that had longevity and it was going to be there not just for our children but for children coming through in the future. It's a skill that every child should have access to, as well as the nutritional benefits that are going to come with that.

“Australian Solar Timbers over its history has always been involved with the community whether it be supporting National Tree Day or we had the Variety Children's party that we supported, and White Ribbon Day,” said Hutley.

AST organized the supply and delivery of the decking and the builder who was doing the job of setting-up the Stephanie Alexander kitchen put it together onsite.

This was also an opportunity for AST to explain a little about timber and the industry, albeit in a very simple way as it was aimed at primary school children.

“We did a small presentation on timber and where it comes from and a Q&A session at the opening with the children,” said Hutley. “But I don't think there's any specific program currently but what we are aiming for is to get involved more with schools and look at promoting the industry and the benefits of the industry to the community.

“And Kempsey is probably one [location] that doesn't have a great grasp of the advantages of the timber industry, Wauchope's model and the way they expose the forestry there is probably one that needs to be applied where ever it can be, and I think I agree with you that starting in schools is the key.”

A bit about Australia Solar TimbersAustralian Solar Timbers (AST) is a family owned company established in 1919 and one that has operated continuously in the New South Wales hardwood industry.It started as an idea in the trenches of Gallipoli where two ANZAC soldiers, Stan Ball and Douglas Oakley dreamt about opening a sawmill on their return to Australia. They established a sawmill on the NSW north coast then over the next 20 years they established a succession of small sawmills, which concentrated on cutting brushwood timbers.A significant shift in production came in 1940 when in response to a Government request for large amounts of plywood veneer for the war effort and so they relocated from Comboyne to Wauchope. The focus of the mill changed from sawing timber to veneer production, a skill, which endured over two generations until 1991.The company relocated to Kempsey in 1991 returning to sawing and processing eucalypt hardwoods through environmentally sound production techniques, pioneering natural greenhouse friendly solar kiln drying and developing products that achieve maximum utilization of the harvested renewable resource. Perhaps the most significant innovation was the introduction of greenhouse friendly solar drying kilns in 1994. Although slower than industrial methods the results are far superior, not only for the timber itself but also for the environment.

Allan Hutley, Douglas Head (AST owner/Managing Director) centre and David Munday (Aldavilla principle) right. The tram is the Steph Alexander kitchen.

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Significant environmental benefits come with new paper machine

This state-of-the-art recycled paper machine replaces three older machines aged between 43-52 years, reducing water consumption by 26%, energy usage by 34% and the amount of waste sent to landfill by 75%.

AMCOR’S NEW $500 million state-of-the-art recycled paper machine is now up and running. Construction of the

new facility started in 2011, creating more than 800 jobs throughout the project and securing ongoing employment for more than 150 co-workers.

Managing Director of Amcor Australasia and Packaging Distribution, Nigel Garrard, said that the investment of over $500million had brought world-leading technology to the Australasian market.

“This is the most sophisticated recycled paper making machine in Australasia. It produces high-quality 100% recycled brown paper that is stronger, more consistent and has an improved colour for our customers,” he said.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, who carried out the official opening, told those present that the NSW Government understood that a modern manufacturing industry was crucial to a strong economy. “I thank Amcor for making this significant investment in manufacturing in NSW - the largest single capital investment in the company’s 144 year history,” he said.

Packaging innovation is critical to many of Amcor’s customers as they search for new ways to differentiate their product in highly competitive FMCG markets.

“The ability to reduce the weight of the paper over time, while maintaining its strength, gives us opportunities to partner with our customers to create packaging innovations that are simply not possible today. We will be able to offer boxes, for instance, with the same quality and strength, but with less weight,” Garrard said.

The ‘B9’ paper machine, so named as it is the ninth paper machine to operate at the company’s Botany site, will produce more than 400,000 tonnes of paper annually when operating at full capacity and will deliver significant environmental benefits.

“This state-of-the-art recycled paper machine replaces three older machines aged between 43-52 years, reducing water consumption by 26%, energy usage by 34% and the amount of waste sent to landfill by 75%,” Garrard said.

At the official opening ceremony, Garrard thanked the Premier and the New South Wales Government, global pulp and paper engineering group Metso, and the company’s customers for their support.

“This complex project would not have been possible without the support of many of Amcor Australasia’s important business stakeholders. I now look forward to working with our customers to realise

the full potential of this state-of-the-art machine,” he said.

Amcor has a long and proud history of Australian paper making, dating back to 1868 when Samuel Ramsden founded the company’s first paper mill - The Melbourne Mill - on the banks of the Yarra River. The company spent most of its life as Australian Paper Manufacturers Pty Ltd (APM), owning and operating dozens of paper machines across the country. For majority of this time, the company has been supported by a national recycling business, providing majority of the waste paper input for the production of recycled paper.

The Botany Paper Mill, which is located near the shores of Botany Bay in Sydney, started operation in 1902 with two paper machines. Since then a further seven machines have been commissioned on site, the most recent of these being B9.

Amcor Australasia, a division of Amcor Limited, is a market leader and the most diverse packaging supplier across Australia

and New Zealand. With 52 plants located in two countries, Amcor Australasia delivers a broad range of packaging solutions for the food, beverage, grocery, household, personal care and industrial markets. The breadth of packaging manufactured by Amcor Australasia to service these markets includes glass bottles, aluminium beverage cans, plastic and metal closures, corrugated fibre packaging, folding cartons and multi-wall sacks. Amcor Australasia’s commitment to sustainable packaging is also supported by domestic

and commercial recycling services. Amcor Paper & Recycling, a division of Amcor Australasia which is a subsidiary of the global packaging leader Amcor Limited, supplies paper and recycling services to customers across Australia and New Zealand.

With seven plants located in Australia, including one 100% recycled paper mill in NSW, Amcor’s Paper production is supplied by a national Recycling business which services both domestic and commercial customers.

B9 Machine Statistics

• Largest and most innovative recycled paper machine of its kind in Australasia• When operating at full capacity, the B9 machine produces 400,000 tonnes of

paper annually• Produces 1.6 kilometres of paper every minute• The machine itself is 330 metres long, and 22 metres high• Reels of paper weigh up to 47 tonnes and measure approximately 5.7 metres in

diameter

Key Dignitaries tour Amcor’s world-class recycled paper-making facility (from left) Sonny Coleiro (Group General Manager, Amcor Paper & Recycling), Ken MacKenzie (Managing Director & CEO, Amcor Limited), Barry O’Farrell, MP (New South Wales Premier), Nigel Garrard (Managing Director, Amcor Australasia & Packaging Distribution), Bruce Notley-Smith, MP (Member for Coogee).

B9 produces 1.6Km of paper per minute. The view in storage “rolls” on. Outside the modern complex.


THE AUSTRALIAN m a n u f a c t u r i n g industry exists in a

highly competitive business climate. This challenges companies to find creative ways of lowering their costs without compromising the goal of producing high-quality products. And

all the while, they must maintain the required regulatory and compliance standards.

So it’s more important than ever to deliver a sustainable competitive advantage by investing in core business competencies and optimising management of non-core activities.

One such non-core

activity is the life-cycle management of your capital assets and equipment that support your business operations. This is done by optimising their total cost of ownership, or TCO.

Direct and indirect costs

TCO is a concept used to represent all costs — direct and indirect — associated with owning capital assets. It goes through the entire life of the equipment, beginning with acquiring the asset, to maximising its operation, maintaining its performance, and then determining when to properly dispose of it.

Direct costs are usually those planned within a budget, where purchase orders are generated and invoices paid. That makes these costs easier to identify and track than indirect costs.

Indirect costs are typically hidden, and not included in a budget, thereby making them more difficult to measure and quantify. Often they are not factored into the equipment’s TCO. And even if these costs are factored in at the start of a project, very rarely are they

monitored over the life of that purchased equipment to ensure it meets original expectations. For example, purchasing a labelling machine is a direct cost, as is the cost of service, but if it is a return-to-base warranty, shipping costs are usually indirect — as is the downtime caused by the labeller being out of action.

Direct TCO costs points to consider

These are some of the direct costs to consider with coding and labelling equipment:• capital• consumables over the

period• routine maintenance• service contracts• corrective maintenance• spare parts• installation costs

Indirect TCO costs points to consider

Some of the indirect costs to consider are:• downtime if the equipment

breaks down• shipping if the servicing is

return-to-base• downtime due to routine

maintenance tasks• operator training• financing costs if it is a

lease/ rental• cost of disposal• training time

Be proactive with TCO costs

Organisations can save money, increase equipment performance and improve workforce productivity by understanding the life-cycle costs associated with equipment ownership. Implementing effective, proactive strategies and tactics to optimise costs over the equipment’s four-phase life cycle — acquisition, operation, maintenance and disposition — will also be of benefit.

Some of the strategies companies can evaluate to minimise their TCO and maximise the ROI on equipment are:• evaluate the equipment’s

reliability versus the capital

cost vs. cost of downtime• regularly inspect and

maintain the machine, with fixed-price service contracts

• invest in proper operator training

• evaluate the mean time between failure, response times and same-day fix ratesl look at capital cost vs.

ongoing running costs (a low capital cost, but high running cost, is a hidden TCO)

Managers should also ask themselves:• Have the operators received

proper training?• How many different

suppliers (manufacturers and service providers) am I managing?

• Am I buying and standardising on the best equipment available?

• Am I leveraging my purchasing power and volume?

• Have I compared the ownership of equipment from one manufacturer to another to know if I’m getting the best value for money?

• Are my operators trained on how to use all of the equipment?

• Do I know if it’s going to cost more to service a particular equipment than if I was to buy new equipment?

If the answer to some of the questions above is “no”, then you have hidden costs. These can be eliminated by rationalising your asset base and reducing the number of suppliers with whom you do business. These activities will not only maximise your purchasing power and increase your operator performance, but also reduce some of the management and administrative burden talked about above.

Each factor and each business decision made in each one of the equipment life-cycle phases has an impact on the other factors. Companies who are successful in looking at TCO holistically will improve their profitability and sustain a competitive advantage over their competition.

Read more about how preventive maintenance can lower your TCO. http://www.matthews.com.a u / Te ch n ic a l - Sup p o r t /Preventive-Maintenance/Preventive-Maintenence

See also how important total productive maintenance is to Australian manufacturers. http://b log.ma t t hews .com.au /index.php/how-important-is-tpm-tota l-product ive-maintenance-to-australian-manufacturers/

How does TCO affect Aussie manufacturers?By Matt Nichol*

About the author: Matt Nichol of Matthews Australasia is a laser marking expert and has in-depth knowledge of product ID technologies. He is a regular at international trade shows such as Pack Expo and is constantly looking at emerging trends and technologies.About the Matthews blog: This article is from the Matthews’ blog. The blog shares and discusses information, trends, ideas, best practice that is relevant to the Australian manufacturing industry. With articles from industry experts and the latest in global trends, this blog is your one-stop-shop for product identification, product traceability, lean manufacturing in the packaging hall, OEE and a lot more. Matthews welcomes guest features, so if you would like to write a piece that you think would be relevant to this audience, we would love to hear from you. http://blog.matthews.com.au/

ENTRIES FOR the 14th annual Australian Timber Design Awards are now open. This year entries may be considered for seven Application Awards and various Recognition Awards (previously the “Best Use Of” Awards). Additional awards include the Sustainability Award, the Rising Start Award, the Small Budget Projects Award… and the very popular People’s Choice Award.

Entries close 28 June and winners will be announced in mid-September at the Awards Presentation Night in Melbourne.

The 2012 Australian Timber Design Award went to Paul Haar Architect for Candlebark

School Library, an earth-covered library built into the side of a hill in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. The judging panel was greatly impressed by the expert use of engineered timber within the Candlebark building structure. The broad-span timber roof of the library supports a 500-600mm layer of earth--a significant engineering challenge--and is made of LVL billets and massive exposed portal frames. The design is remarkable also for its careful detailing and timber selection. And like many of the finalists, Candlebark makes excellent use of recycled and salvaged timbers.

Entries open for prestigious award

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AUSWEST TIMBERS is on target to re-open its Deanmill jarrah mill near Manjimup this month (March)

following a fire that raced through the mill back in August.

With the re-opening comes a new operating system that could offer a 5% boost in output.

Auswest had bought the mill early in 2012 after former timber giant Gunns shut the near 100-year-old operation in February 2011.

Auswest Timbers managing director Gary Addsion said parts of the mill had been destroyed in the $2 million blaze.

“We transferred most of our shift (Deanmill) down to our mill at Pemberton we were running a jarrah shift there [Pemberton is a karri sawmill] so we were running two separate species through there,” he said.

Despite a lot of building delays at Deanmill, he’s quietly confident the refurbished mill will be back in operation about mid-March.

“We’ve had a lot of delays in rebuilding primarily with the construction of the shed. Really, that’s been our major issue more than anything else ... new regulations, a whole range of safety requirements associated with that type of construction. A whole range of different things seemed to have impacted.

We were also impacted by wet weather. Prior to Christmas on several occasions quite significant storm events happened and that delayed things; like having pads down ready for concreting and then getting washed out. Repairing them and being ready to go with the same thing happening a few weeks later. Just a frustrating process,” he said.

Soon after the fire A.E.Gibson, one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of hi-tech timber processing equipment, had a look at the site and a decision was made to install a new operating system.

“We thought it would be a better option to treat our product through an edger rather than a transfer and roundabout type system,” Addison said.

Basically, Gibson is supplying two systems, the first of which is a combination multisaw that has a fixed bank of 11 saws and 4 moving saws. The machine can cut up to 180mm depth of cut which makes it ideal for wide flooring while also having the versatility to process boards up to 300mm width. Previously the mill configuration had only band resaws and sawbenches so the combination edger will allow for higher productivity and sawing accuracy.

The edger infeed has a fully tapering

linebar and flitch turners for optimum positioning. Edgerview is used for saw positioning rather than laser lines.

The second part of the installation is defect dockers. While there are numerous companies that supply chalk line defect dockers for Dry Mill applications there are vey few with the versatility to handle variable and random sizes from the Green Mill. Gibson was commissioned by Auswest to design and manufacture a machine that could accommodate green timber with widths up to 300mm and thicknesses up to 150mm on a random basis. The machines are designed for defect docking only, but the operator can also mark for grade and the board will be sorted to the appropriate destination.

Installation of the new system is “going in accordance with the construction repair of the building”.

“The building work is the thing that been slowing us down. We could have achieved the installation a lot quicker had the building been up to a faster schedule,” said Addison.

He says that even though throughput of the new system is as yet an unknown quantity he believes there could be between

a 5% and 10% increase in efficiencies, performance and output.

Auswest Timbers is a rapidly growing company manufacturing a diverse selection of timber products ranging from decorative dry products for furniture and joinery, flooring, decking, staircase components, veneer and fence screening; to green structural products for mine, wharf, and rail track construction as well as for floor joists, roofing timbers and roof tile battens.

Apart from its WA operations, Auswest has a sawmill and a processing centre in Eastern Victoria - in the centre of Victoria's mixed species eucalypt forests. Its Orbost Sawmill converts sawlogs to green sawn timber for a variety of applications, including structural and appearance products, scantling and tile battens. Hardwoods from the Orbost Sawmill are then sent to the Bairnsdale Processing Centre for kiln drying in state-of-the-art facilities. The timber is then processed into tongue and grooved flooring, decking, fence screening, furniture timbers and joinery.

It also has a processing centre in Fyshwick in the ACT. It is a highly specialised and efficient facility for the production of radiata pine roof tiling battens for use in the domestic building industry in the Eastern States.

Auswest coming back bigger and stronger

WESBEAM HAS further reinforced its commitment to its Queensland customers with the expansion of its warehouse and distribution facility in Brendale and the appointment of a new Account Manager and Dist r ibut ion / Warehouse coordinator.

The Australian-owned manufacturer of laminated veneer lumber has recently taken possession of two vacant blocks at the rear of the existing warehouse in Brendale, almost doubling the size of the warehouse and distribution centre in Queensland.

“As soon as the pad is down we will fence it off and move all our pack back up stock to this area,” Queensland State Manager Henk Van Zetten said. “Goods in and out will also move to the new site, which will free up more undercover floor space for our full range of Engineered Wood Products.”

“The benefits to the customer of the larger facility will include the flexibility for Wesbeam to develop and hold stock that meets the needs of our customers.

“We will have new racks for holding stock that our customers want regularly, as well as a better location for our work stations, which will allow for safer and easier access, which means a faster more efficient service for our customers,” Henk said.

Distribution/Warehouse coordinator Paul Chester, who joined the Wesbeam Brendale team late last year, will oversee the expanded facility.

“With his 25 years industry experience and a decade’s worth of knowledge of despatch, Paul has already

brought about improvements to our service, making sure our customers get exactly what they want, when they want it,” Henk said.

The appointment of Wendy Boyd as Account Manager is also an exciting development for Wesbeam Brendale and its customers.

With a career spanning more than 20 years with some of the industry’s most well known brands, including MiTek in NSW and Hyne in New South Wales and Brisbane, Wendy brings to Wesbeam a wealth of knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the industry, including Frame and Truss, Merchant, Customer Relationship Management, and the application of technical software.

“I am really looking forward to catching up with all of the customers that have become the back-bone of Wesbeam Queensland to date and forging new relationships with potential customers, detailers, designers, and builders,” she said.

Wendy will cover the City and South Brisbane as well as northern New South Wales.

The expansion of the Queensland facility and team comes less than 12 months after Wesbeam took over the custom-built premises in Brendale, enabling its customers in the State to purchase Wesbeam products direct from the manufacturer.

“The success of Wesbeam has always come down to three key aspects of the business – our people, our products and our facilities,” Wesbeam Sales and Marketing Director Denis Cullity said.

“Our people are the ones

who make sure we are always responsive to our customers’ needs, our facilities are what makes us capable of delivering on our promises – and our quality LVL products keep our customers coming back.

“With the expansion of both the team and the warehouse in Brendale we will be better placed than ever to deliver excellent service and quality products to our Queensland and northern New South Wales customers.”

Wesbeam expands team and facilities in Queensland

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new ground in crafting the first multi-storeyed building in the world to use rocking timber wall panels to dissipate seismic energy. And it wouldn’t have been possible without a relatively new material,

laminated veneer lumber (LVL). The building is on the NMIT campus in Nelson, New Zealand, and houses the Arts and Media Departments.

Nelson Pine Industries Ltd supplied all the LVL for the project. The specification of Nelson Pine LVL was the appropriate choice of

structural material because it has low seismic mass, excellent fire performance, large carbon storage, fast construction and cost effectiveness.

The six shear wall panels, each 14m tall, protect the structure against seismic motion, and are anchored in pairs to the ground with

metal bolts that run inside their full height. Project architect Andrew Irving, from Irving Smith Jack, sees the small dissipaters between each pair of panels as a key element in taking this building onto the next level in terms of earthquake-resistance.

“The intention is that all of an earthquake’s forces are directed through the floors to the shear panels, and the

dissipaters act like springs and absorb the energy. They’re the sacrificial part of the building that distort, bend or heat up to disperse that energy.

“This building is not just meeting the Government’s code for earthquake and wind resistance, it’s designed to survive and continue to function after a significant earthquake. The building structure remains intact,

other than the dissipaters. They’re unbolted, removed and replaced – like a tyre change on your car.”

“This project will be the catalyst for other people taking the step of moving into the multi-storey post and beam construction for commercial use. That’s where its future is,” said Paul Dalzell, Nelson Pine Industries sales and marketing manager.

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ENGINEERED WOOD 11 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

Mountain of shorts = a first class productMagna Glulam is produced by

Singapore timber group ETH Enterprise and their Indonesia

partners who have specialised in processing Merbau for over 15 years.

ETH are committed to investing in modern equipment to manufacture very high quality products from sustainable timber. ETH values the close relationships it has built with distributors in Australia and New Zealand through its agent, Simpson Woodstock Pty Ltd.

Magna Glulam is the name of ETH’s range of Merbau (Kwila) glulam posts, beams and handrails.

The Indonesian mill has specialised in Merbau right from the start but in 2004 an accumulated “mountain” of shorts and narrows motivated ETH to explore making glulam.

At that time some laminated Kwila posts were already coming into Queensland. Some of these laminated posts were of poor quality and de-laminated or rotted out due to the inclusion of sapwood. ETH then decided that they wanted to manufacture high quality glulam on a continuous basis rather than treat it as just a means of using up excess short and small offcuts. In fact today the Magna range typically consists of lamina which are 40mm and thicker with some 2.1m and longer lengths.

We engaged John Muller, the founder of Tasbeam, as a consultant and he recommended

joining the GLTAA which we did in 2010,” said Simpson Woodstock principal Kim Simpson. “In June 2012 the mill received a licence from the GLTAA to produce GL17 and GL 13 glulam to Australian Standards,” he said.

Simpson stressed that only legal and sustainable timber was used to make Magna Glulam. “Our factory was one of the first in Indonesia embark on the Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance which commits suppliers to achieving FSC status in a defined time-frame. The first stage, Verified Legal Origin, was achieved in 2010 and the next stage, Verified Legal Compliance, should be completed by April 2013. In addition our factory was one of the first to gain a Timber Legality Certificate (SVLK) under the Indonesian Government Socofindo scheme.

In May 2012 Magna opened a brand-new purpose built factory on a 3.6 hectare site in Surabaya. It contains five finger-joint machines, 10 presses and employs about 350 workers. The mill contains a fully equipped testing laboratory. The operating manual for the factory was designed to comply with the stringent requirements of the Glue Laminated Timber Association of Australia (GLTAA).

The Magna factory is licenced by the GLTAA to produce glulam in accordance with Australian Standards. This involves periodic site visits and regular structural testing by the GLTAA. Each piece of Magna Glulam has its own quality assurance label.

“Magna Glulam is made by end-jointing small pieces of Kwila timber to make long-lengths which are glued together under pressure using a durable, structural adhesive. It is a high quality timber product with predictable strength and in-service performance. It is available in a large range of beams, posts and handrails which particularly suited to external structures where the beauty of the rich red/brown timber is to be expressed,” Simpson said.

“The high strength of Magna Glulam has been established by initial qualification testing and is checked by daily production testing at the plant. All beam sizes and 90x90/115x115 posts were determined to be GL17 and the rest of the range was classified GL13.

“Magna Glulam is suitable for use in

fully exposed weather conditions known as Service Class 3. This is because it is made from a naturally durable timber using Phenol-Resorcinol Formaldehyde (PRF), a highly durable A bond adhesive.

“Kwila has very low shrinkage rates (0.9% radial and 1.6% tangential) which means that Magna Glulam stays straight in changing weather conditions. It also means that Magna Glulam is much less prone to surface cracking than other timbers.

“ The small pieces of Kwila used to make Magna Glulam are kiln dried to 12-16% prior to glueing which means that even the biggest beams and posts have the same moisture content from core to surface. This factor makes glulam less prone to distortion and moisture sweating than solid timber in large sections,” Simpson said.

ENGINEERED WOODTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 12

THE LAST two years has been challenging market terrain in which to grow a business, but Vicbeam, a

Victorian manufacturer of glue laminated beams, has managed to continue to carve out a niche for its glulam manufacturing business all the while growing its presence and brand in the market.

In February 2011, APTL Beam Builders began trading under the name Vicbeam. This coincided with the installation of a new finger joint line which automated much of its manufacturing process and increased their production capacity considerably.

This article provides an update on a whirlwind two years for Vicbeam and catches up on what they’ve been doing and their direction for 2013.

“Our main focus in the last two years was to take our internal quality processes to a new level. Subsequently, we spent a considerable amount of time and energy in documenting our procedures, conducting in-house testing of our beams and finger joints as well as training our staff in order to ensure greater consistency of quality,” says managing director Joshua Wallace:

“This was all part of a wider goal to attain GLTAA (Glue Laminated Timber Association of Australia) accreditation, which involved a third party audit of our process by the GLTAA inspectorate and third party testing of our product. We were delighted to receive notification in June last year that we passed all the required tests and are now fully GLTAA accredited manufacturers of Glulam beams.

“This was a large enough project on its own to keep the boys at Vicbeam busy, but rarely does life allow you the luxury of being able to focus on just one project at a time, and 2012 landed Vicbeam with challenges on multiple fronts,” said Josh.

Reflecting on 2012, Josh said it was probably their most challenging year in business so far and, strangely enough, also the most rewarding.

“We were determined to attain GLTAA accreditation but the need to focus on this occurred in a market environment which demanded we respond to a number of other issues. For instance, we needed to produce a product that conformed more closely to standards governing H3 treatment of Glulam beams and a recent CSIRO report added some urgency to the matter. Essentially, this required producing a beam from pre-treated timber rather than envelope treating our beams post production. It sounds like a simple change but the implications for our manufacturing operation went on and on - the type of adhesives we use, how we disposed of the treated sawdust, occupational heath and safety concerns for our employees,

sourcing of new material that met the needed specifications and the new costs associated with all of that. We then had to begin the task of working with our clients through all the changes - it was massive!

“Needless to say, we got there and managed to increase our customer base in the process.

“Really, it was a pivotal year for us, and so much of it was about consolidation and preparing the way for growth on a number of fronts. We all enjoyed the breather at the end of the year,” said Josh.

So, what does 2013 hold for Vicbeam?“Although the last 15 years has seen

Vicbeam focus on honing the craft of manufacturing glue laminated beams, the background of the owner, Andrew Wallace (Josh’s father), has always been in the physical building and erection of large span timber constructions on site. With such an intimate knowledge and experience of how our product actually ‘goes together’, there was always the possibility of moving a little more into the commercial space and offering a beam preparation and fabrication component to our business,” said Josh.

In July last year, Vicbeam added a new

premises to its existing manufacturing facility, and in addition to providing space for storage of finished product and source material, the ‘back shed’ is quickly becoming the ‘fabrication and beam preparation shed’.

“We’re very excited about where we are at present and have got some clear goals going forward. As well as there being the supply of regular beams to the market, we’ve seized the opportunity to become more involved in preparing our beams for installation onsite. We have a team dedicated to cutting, notching, slotting, drilling and coating of our beams and we see that the demand for such a service will only continue to increase. In addition to that, we still manufacture specialty curved beams, assemble bolted trusses and supervise the odd installation onsite.

“We took the leap in early February of last year and employed Shane Morrison as business development manager. Again, it was a challenging time to be investing in a new initiative like this, but Shane has seized his role with genuine passion and drive and it hasn’t taken too long for our business to begin to experience the fruit of that which has been fantastic. Shane is committed to taking our brand, products and services to

architects and builders and so far he’s been doing so admirably.”

This year sees Vicbeam with 12 employees, with Caleb Wallace now taking on the role of special projects manager and other brother Tim Wallace on the road full time working with Vicbeams’ merchant and wholesale network.

“We’ve got some other new products we’ll be talking to the market about in due course including an FSC product or two we’re in the late stages of R&D on and we’re very much looking forward to announcing that in the coming months,” said Josh.

He said that in the meantime Vicbeam was committed to maintaining a manufacturing focus and that the process of ‘continuous improvement’ and ‘leaner and cleaner’ manufacturing continues.

“It’s one of things I love about manufacturing. You’ve never completely arrived. You grow, plateau and then grow again to a level you hardly knew existed when you first began. In that sense it’s a great metaphor for life generally - there’s always a more efficient and rewarding way and the challenge is just finding it! I believe if you stay open to that reality, growth is axiomatic”

Prefabrication of GL18 Laminated Beams at Vicbeam

I nstallation of a Vicbeam project on site. Project: Hindmarsh City Council Builder: Behmer and Wright Architect: k20 Architecture Glulam Supplier: Vicbeam Timber Supplier: Ryan & McNulty

Vicbeams installed!

Continued growth ensures business ‘beaming’

vicbeam.com.auTel: (03) 9761 9255 Fax: (03) 9761 9256

Email: [email protected] Web: vicbeam.com.au

WOOD WORKS WELLTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 14

From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood

installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design. WoodWorks, an initiative of the Wood Products Council, presented the awards at the San Francisco Bay Area Wood Solutions Fair in

late January. Winners were recognized across eight categories.

1. Commercial Wood Design Award

• LeMay – America’s Car Museum – Tacoma, WA

• Large Architecture – Los Angeles, CALeMay – America’s Car

Museum is a 165,000-square-foot, $60 million structure designed to preserve history and celebrate the world’s automotive culture. The spacious facility houses up to 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations, and the LeMay collection. To create a roof that spans over 100 feet and is more than

300 feet long, the architect initially assumed that steel beams were necessary. But that would have required fireproofing, which was expensive. To keep costs within budget, the roof was converted to a design-build system. Western Wood Structures designed the roof structure using large glulam beams, which were panelized on the ground and erected into place.

The timber roof offered the advantage of Type IV Heavy Construction, which eliminated the need for additional fire protection. The hue of the Douglas fir glulam also created a warm aesthetic, contrasting nicely with the concrete flooring, while coming in at an installed cost of $41.80 per square foot. This created more than $600,000 in project savings.

2. Green Building with Wood Design Award

• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation – Los Altos, CA

• EHDD – San Francisco, CAAt this 49,000-square-

foot company headquarters in Los Altos, California, extensive use of wood emphasizes the building as a healthy and sustainable work environment for the staff. For the exterior in particular, the design reflects California’s tradition of wood buildings—underlining the emphasis on indoor-outdoor lifestyle and love for natural materials. This is also referenced in the building layout. The building is centered on a wooded

courtyard, with operable doors all around. The wood adds warmth and a smaller scale to the building with its subtle variations in tone and textural qualities. However, the modern application uses dark reveals to create sub-division and larger scale pattern in the facade, resulting in a taut, crisp and refined skin. The selection of wood as the main exterior cladding material, as well as the interior, was an important strategy for reaching the LEED Platinum rating.

3. Institutional Wood Design Award

• Central Oregon Community College Science Center – Bend, OR

• Yost Grube Hall Architecture – Portland, ORThe Science Centre is a

46,000-square-foot, $12.5 million facility. It includes three general purpose classrooms; dedicated labs for biology, chemistry, geology and physics; herbarium; learning resource centre; faculty offices and a wide variety of informal student study areas designed to encourage collaboration and interaction. The campus and region both have a strong tradition of wood buildings, with the surrounding context characterized by structures clad in wood shingles and siding. The Science Centre continues this palette with a more contemporary expression, while taking advantage of the deep reservoir of local experience in wood construction. The use of a renewable resource and certified wood products was a primary focus for the design team and owner

and helped the project to achieve a Gold rating through the Earth Advantage Commercial program.

4. Multi-Storey Wood Design Award

• University of Washington West Campus Student Housing – Seattle, WA

• Mahlum – Seattle, WAAt the University of

Washington, nearly 1,700 beds in three residential halls and two apartment buildings define a new mixed-use

Wood definitely shows plenty of strength, appeal and cost-effectiveness, too!

LeMay – America’s Car Museum … the frame goes up.

LeMay – America’s Car Museum … picture perfect.

Duke School … Lower School commons.

Duke School … Middle School media centre.

WOOD WORKS WELL 15 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

campus precinct, which includes a restaurant, grocery store, conference centre, cafe, fitness centre and academic support centre. Employing an exception in the Seattle Building Code, the project team was able to build five stories of light wood-frame construction over two stories of concrete. This allowed the designers to meet the project’s ambitious goals within the owner’s very tight budget. Using wood as a primary structural material also sped construction times, cut

carbon emissions and utilized local materials. Careful attention to detailing created a building envelope that is air and water tight, thermally efficient, and durable. This project represents a paradigm shift at the university and its first embrace of large-scale light wood-frame construction. The buildings are a testament to the fact that wood construction can save resources, time and money, while creating elegant urban structures that contribute to city and campus vitality.

5. Wood School Design Award

• Duke School – Durham, NC

• DTW Architects & Planners – Durham, NCThe 42,100-square-foot,

$5,000,000 project used a combination of glulam and wood-frame structure to give the owner a cost-effective, long-lasting and low-maintenance facility. The use of exposed wood structure and roof decking created a warm and natural educational environment that is greatly appreciated by students, staff and parents. The school site is surrounded by Duke Forest and the highly visible wood interiors were a natural fit for the project. The use of wood was also an important part of the sustainable design strategy for a number of reasons—including a desire to use renewable local materials, wood’s contribution to energy efficiency, and the fact that carbon is sequestered in the wood products for the lifetime of the building.

6. Interior Beauty of Wood Design Award

• University of Oregon Ford Alumni Center – Eugene, OR

• Opsis Architecture – Portland, ORThe Ford Alumni Centre

is the new gateway to the University of Oregon (UO). The 60,000-square-foot, $28.3 million Centre houses the Alumni Association,

University Office of Development and the UO Foundation offices, all brought together for the first time in an interconnected, collaborative workplace. No finish material better captures the feeling of Oregon than wood. However, perhaps the most important reason to use wood was that it tells the story of the university. Some of the wood was donated by alumni in the timber and manufacturing industries. The red oak was harvested from a campus tree that fell on the provost’s car. The cedar was from a tree that stood for decades in front of the oldest building on campus. The stair treads were reclaimed from a classic Oregon business. And the Douglas fir and Madrone showcase Oregon’s homegrown natural resources.

7. Wood Design Engineering Award

• Wawona Sculpture – Seattle, WA

• Arup Engineers – Seattle, WAThe Wawona Sculpture

has a compelling narrative as it connects Seattle’s rich timber and maritime history with an inspiring vision for innovation and the future. The sculpture utilized Douglas fir wood planks reclaimed from a recently dismantled Schooner, which was built in 1897 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 200 4x12 boards were used, totaling approximately 5,000 pounds of wood. The sculpture is 56 feet tall, suspended as a pendulum from the building’s roof trusses, kinetic, interactive for the museum patrons to touch and walk through, and built to withstand earthquakes in a region of high seismicity—a significant engineering challenge and a unique example of digital design-to-construction technique. The use of reclaimed wood speaks to its sustainability and longevity as well as long-term carbon sequestration.

8. Traditional Use of Wood Design Award

• Rio Roca Chapel – Palo Pinto County, TX

• Maurice Jennings + Walter Jennings Architecture – Fayetteville, ARThe Rio Roca Chapel is

1,080 square feet and seats up to 50 people. Southern Yellow Pine was selected for the structural and exterior elements, and the rich, warm color of clear red oak was chosen for the interior. 4x6 Southern Yellow Pine decking provides lateral bracing between the structural bents, and 2x8 pine flitch beams support the roof. The built-in pews are made from clear red oak plywood and solid stock, and the lectern and registry is clear red oak plywood and trim. Most of the wood is exposed, requiring it to not only serve a structural purpose but an aesthetic one. The wood and steel in the project work in conjunction to provide the structure of the building, using each material’s strengths for the specific application.

All photos courtesy of the individual project teams.

Wood definitely shows plenty of strength, appeal and cost-effectiveness, too!

Wawona Sculpture … CNC cutting Jeff Hudak Studio Fifty50 Duke School … Middle School media centre.

Wawona Sculpture … Full view.

Wawona Sculpture … Interior view upwards

Wawona Sculpture … Planed planks ready.

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SKILLSTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 16

Stage one of new recycling plant is under wayA CEREMONY to mark the start of construction of a $90 million recycling plant at Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill was held on 15 February. Peter Hall (Deputy Premier and Minister for Higher Education and Member for Eastern Victoria) and Jim Henneberry (CEO, Australian Paper) joined Yoshio Haga (President of Nippon Paper Group) at the event that marked the first stage of the massive project.

“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony marks the first stage of construction and Australian Paper acknowledges the confidence that our parent company Nippon Paper, the Victorian Government and the Australian Government have shown in local manufacturing by supporting this plant,” Henneberry said.

“The Maryvale recycling plant is a key part of our strategy, and will create more than 960 FTE jobs during its construction. Once in operation, the recycling plant is expected to contribute $51 million to gross domestic product each year, and support 246 FTE flow-on jobs.

“It is a win for the local economy, a big plus for the environment and an investment that will support Maryvale’s role in the local community for years to come,” he said.

To commemorate the event, a Japanese Cherry Blossom and a Golden Wattle were planted alongside each other at the mill. In Japan, cherry blossom trees, or "Sakura”, are held in the highest esteem. The cherry blossom season is seen as an opportunity to look ahead with enthusiasm and optimism. Australia’s national floral emblem, the Golden Wattle, has been associated with resilience since it was first used on the Australian coat of arms in the early 1900s.

“We are here today to celebrate the enthusiasm and optimism Australian Paper and our parent company, Nippon Paper, share for growing a sustainable business,” Henneberry said.

Guests toured Maryvale Mill and inspected the recycling plant site. Construction work on the site started last month and the plant is expected to be fully operational in early 2014.

The plant will generate 50,000 tonnes of premium recycled pulp each year, diverting up to 80,000 tonnes of wastepaper from Australian landfill; equivalent to more than 16 billion sheets of A4 office paper every year.

“We hope that businesses across Australia will support Australian made recycled paper – not just because it is a great product but because it delivers real benefits in terms of community, the environment and a healthy and sustainable local economy,” said Henneberry.

The Deputy Premier said Australian Paper, as one of the largest manufacturing businesses in regional Victoria, made a significant economic and social contribution to Gippsland and the Victorian economy overall.

“These critical investments form part of the company’s long term strategy to improve efficiency and enhance its competitive position in Australian and export markets. The considerable environmental benefits flowing from these projects are also recognized and appreciated by the Government.

“The Government values its constructive relationship with Nippon Paper and Australian Paper and looks forward to continuing to build on this in the future,” he said.

Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) chief executive officer Lisa Marty said the investment highlighted the confidence held by the Victorian Government, Australian Paper and its parent company Nippon Paper, in the local forest and wood products industry.

“The forest and wood products industry is well-placed to take advantage of increased consumer demand for product stewardship,” she said.

“Our products are completely renewable, carbon storing and on any measure are the environmentally friendly choice.

“By investing in this recycled pulp mill, Australian Paper is showing it takes the responsibility it has for its products, and the demand for more recycled paper products, seriously.”

Marty said this investment was also a show of confidence in the local forest and wood products industry.

“This $90 million investment, along with the recent announcement of a $2.6 million expansion of Australia’s largest hardwood sawmill at Heyfield, show there is a bright future for the forest and wood products industry in Victoria,” she said.

THE AUSTRALIAN forest and timber products industry

remains in a tough position, but opportunities abound in the years ahead if the skills groundwork is laid now to produce a culture of innovation, according to the newly released ForestWorks 2013 Industry Skills Scan.

The Industry Skills Scan is the annual skills research summary of the Australian forest, wood, paper and timber products industry, produced by ForestWorks ISC.

While painting a relatively sober picture of where the industry has been in the last several years, the 2013 Industry Skills Scan highlights the potential of the industry into the future.

Moreover, the report highlights the value of this industry to Australia’s low-carbon economy and emphasises that this value must be effectively and consistently communicated so that it is understood by Governments and the broader community.

“The 2013 Industry Skills

Scan reflects industry views of an industry starting to stabilise after a key period of restructuring, albeit with production and workforce capacities considerably below pre-2008 levels,” said ForestWorks chief executive officer Michael Hartman.

“The current economic environment continues to generate increased uncertainty among enterprises leading to a reluctance to invest, which affects the economic potential of enterprises. And, of course, like other trade-exposed industries in Australia, the historically high dollar continues to bite hard.”

The 2013 Industry Skills Scan outlines a series of medium to long-term opportunities for enterprises. Hartman said the industry finds itself at an important crossroads in 2013. “The opportunity for our industry to grow strongly into the future is undoubtedly there,” he said.

“Forest and timber products are at the forefront

of sustainable materials, including timber elements and structural systems, bio-fuels and bio-energy, with further manufacturing options from cellulose fibre, nano-crystalline cellulose and lignin.

The opportunities outlined in this report are echoed by international building experts, who have stated that, if the 19th century was the century of steel and the 20th century of concrete, then the 21st century is about engineered timber.

“These products can substitute for more emission-intensive building materials, they generate durable carbon storage, and they can replace petroleum-based compounds in a variety of materials, processes and industries, thus reducing the demand for, and the use of, fossil fuel sources such as oil and gas.”

However, Hartman said, the Australian industry will only be able to capitalise on the opportunities presented by sustainable and higher value products if they

can innovate. “The key ingredient to developing innovation is to have the right competences at the enterprise level, gained through learning and workforce development – and that means training and development for all employees, regardless of their role,” he noted.

“That’s the best practice example we see from overseas, especially in Europe and Canada and in other industries. To generate workplace innovation and competitive outcomes, enterprises in this industry will need to consider transforming technical workplaces into learning-intensive workplaces and increasing ‘absorptive capacity’ through organisational learning processes.

“Unfortunately, because the industry has gone through such a tough period, resources to dedicate to this all-important evolution are not abundant.”

“To its credit, our industry recognises the need to create innovative workplaces capable of making the best out of a difficult economic situation and pursuing the utilisation of the unique features of forest and timber products,” Hartman said.

“However, enterprises need to be supported to improve their current workforce development systems to enhance innovative competencies in the workplace.

“ForestWorks ISC is committed to facilitating micro- and macro-innovative environments and learning mechanisms for innovation in this industry, to embed the value of diverse skills, knowledge and collaboration into organisational cultures.”

Skills Scan highlights the need to innovate

ForestWorks chief executive officer Michael Hartman.

CUTTING EDGE 17 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

‘Sawing’ to new heights with EFIThe largest two of the Lucas Mill Swing

Blade range have been upgraded from a Kohler carburettor engine to a

Kohler Command Pro V-Twin Closed Loop Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Engine.

Benefits of this new engine are;• More consistent power• Easy and reliable start in all weather

conditions• Up to 25% saving on fuel consumption• Computerised system to easily identify an

issue with the engine• Reduced maintenance costs • Automatically adjusts for altitude.

For more than 19 years Lucas Mill has been producing high quality, affordable, portable sawmills. Manufactured in Australia, these machines have become well recognised in over 100 countries around the world, and to date in excess

of 13,000 machines have been sold worldwide. Renowned for their versatility, light operating weight and excellent portability, Lucas Mills have contributed to the achievements of many individuals

and organisations across diverse pursuits throughout the world.

Please contact Lucas Mill for a free information pack including a DVD, brochure with pricing and a field day listing.

Kohler Command Pro V-Twin Closed Loop Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Engine.

For more than 19 years Lucas Mill has been producing high quality, affordable, portable sawmills.

TO CELEBRATE seeing in a new year, New Zealand-based sawmill exporter Peterson Portable Sawmills launched its first new product since the beginning of the recession; the Junior Peterson (JP).

Designed with the part-time miller in mind, the JP is a smaller, more simplified version of Peterson’s production range of swingblade mills the company has been distributing worldwide for more than 20 years.

While the ‘Junior’ Peterson may sound like a baby mill, its 13.5hp Briggs & Stratton engine certainly provides enough power to get through a full 6” cut. And like the company’s other models, the JP gives the ability to easily ‘double cut’ with only a slight adjustment of the blade guard. This means that with the blade in the horizontal position, you can achieve a 12” cut giving a maximum beam size of 12” x 4”.

“We did the smaller 4 inch cut with the Skillmill some years back, based on the ATS raised-track system. But the cut was a bit too small for most customers’ needs, and the raised track system in a smaller version just wasn’t as rigid as we wanted. With this JP mill,

its super rigid and gives you the bigger 6” cut as well,” Peterson’s chief executive officer Kerris Browne says.

The JP’s design is based on Peterson’s most popular production model sawmill, the Winch Production Frame (WPF), utilising two ‘Lo/Lo’ track sections that are positioned parallel to each other at ground level. The track levellers can be adjusted according to location, enabling the operator to set the mill up

on uneven terrain. The bed rollers are then placed onto the rails and the centre unit can be pushed up and down the tracks with ease.

Ideal for those wanting to make the most of their own trees for home and farm projects, the JP frame can cut logs up to 3’ (914.4mm) in diameter. It comes with 13’ (4m) tracks as standard, but track extensions are an optional extra making the maximum log length infinite.

Experienced sawyer Ian Abraham from Stratford, New Zealand, reviewed the JP prototype and was suitably impressed with the mill. Ian believes that even those who haven’t milled before would soon gain confidence operating the JP. “It’s like your [Peterson’s] other designs, there’s not a heck of a lot that can go wrong.”

When asked if he could comment on any weak points the JP had, the only thing mentioned was the cut size which Petersons already cater for with their larger mills. “You’re limited in your cut size but you know that,” Ian said. “It’s a 6 inch mill. It cuts a 3’ log and if you’ve got bigger logs you’ll need a bigger mill.”

Ian was so pleased with the mill he said that if he were in the market for an upgrade from his chainsaw head powered 8” Peterson WPF, he would definitely consider the JP. “I’m quite impressed with it, really.

“It’s not a toy. For what I do - which is only part-time for hobby stuff - it will cut the stuff I need and it’s more affordable.”

While the manufacturers always recommend having a second person at the milling site for safety reasons, the JP can be operated by one person. Maintenance is low, with the blade able to be sharpened while still attached to the mill, and blade adjustments can be performed with ease to perfect the finished product.

Differing from Peterson’s production range which is manufactured using aluminium and stainless steel, the JP utilizes steel finished in zinc and powder coating. While these components are economical in comparison, the result remains a robust piece of equipment with a lower price point.

Junior is a serious senior worker!

New Zealand farmer Robert Crafar enjoying his first day’s milling on the JP.

The JP can mill logs up to 3’ in diameter.

Easily loaded on the back of a pickup truck, the JP is highly portable.

The JP can double cut a board up to 12” x 4”.

EDUCATIONALTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 18

Latest round Master Classes in timber designTHE UNIVERSITY of

Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture

with Wood (CSAW) has announced its latest series of Master Classes in timber design. These are two-day Master Classes in timber engineering to AS 1720 Timber structures. The Master Classes will be held in most Australian capital cities in April and May.

CSAW’s Dr Jon Shanks said that the Master Classes had been developed to offer practicing engineers an opportunity to develop design skills targeting commercial and larger structures in timber.

He said the Master Class had been designed to up-skill engineers.

“This is a very important area of professional development given the growing interest from architects, clients and developers in using timber as a structural material in all types of buildings.”

By the end of the Master Class, participants will be able to:• Understand the properties

and behaviour of timber in structures

• Use AS1720.1 – Design methods and have an awareness of AS1720.4 – Fire resistance for structural adequacy of timber members.

• Design timber members and connections.

• Be confident and inspired to use timber in their designs.

• Be aware of resources available to assist them with timber design such as websites, software, and contacts.

• The Master Classes use case studies, tutorials, instruction and interactive sessions to grow knowledge and skills in timber use in buildings. They have been developed and will be presented by:

• Geoff Boughton FIEAust CPEng PhD MEngSci BE

• Geoff is director of TimberEd services, a consulting engineering practice in Perth, WA. He is a member of the Standards Committee that develops AS1720.1 and the relevant ISO committee. He is principal author of The Timber Design Handbook.

• Jon Shanks MIStructE MEng CEng PhDJon has worked as a consultant

engineer designing large timber buildings all over the world, including CLT structures, gridshells and domes. He has a PhD in timber engineering and actively teaches timber at university level. He is passionate about wood and has hand-built a full range of timber structures including a bike and a house.

The Master Class is eligible as Professional Development for the IEAust. Places will be limited in each venue. More information on the program and speakers is available at: www.csaw.utas.edu.au. The two day Masterclass cost is $1200 ($1050 for members of IEAust) including lunch and refreshments. Payment can be made online at:

https://payments.utas.edu.au/cashiering/tranform.cgi?TRAN-NO=125 Jon Shanks.

City Venue Date

Melbourne Engineers Australia, 21 Bedford St, North Melbourne. 2-3 April

Hobart School of Engineering, The University of Tasmania. 4-5 April

Brisbane Engineers Australia, 477 Upper Edward St, Brisbane 15-16 April

Sydney Engineers Australia, 8 Thomas St, Chatswood 18-19 April

Perth Engineers Australia, 712 Murray St, West Perth 2-3 May

H A V I N G COLLABORATED on a number of major sawmill installations around the world, a collection of Finnish manufacturing companies came together with one from Canada and one from New Zealand to present updates on their technologies to audiences in Australia and New Zealand. Operating under the banner of Single Source Alliance, presenters from Valon Kone, NordAutomation, Prologic+, Veisto (HewSaw), Kit-Sell and Tui Technology covered everything from debarking logs through log yard logistics and feeding, scanning for sorting, linear sawmilling to board handling and the automation process required in bringing it all together.

Participants at workshops in Melbourne, Brisbane, Nelson and Rotorua were given insights into the development and operation of some very impressive mills around the world including video of mills in production showing some impressive speeds and solutions designed to handle multiple product dimensions and grades simultaneously.

Each session also had a different guest speaker

either providing insights into science and technology being applied in the Australasian wood processing industry or covering specific topics such as developments in timber use in engineered wooden structures or, in Melbourne, the story behind and progress

being made on the new Dongwha mill at Bombala.

Bart Crawley, Managing Director of Dongwha Timbers in Australia discussed the Bombala project and the background to its development and the parent company’s approach

to investing in the timber industry. With the new Bombala mill due to be commissioned within the next couple of months, the presence of representatives from the major equipment and systems suppliers enabled the Single Source

Alliance project to be put together for the event on both sides of the Tasman.

Organised by HewSaw, these events also had a fun component with attendees invited to participate in a computer-based rally driving competition where

the winner at each event was awarded with a Rally Experience voucher to drive and passenger in a real rally car. Judging by the performance of many of the participants, it’s a good job not all of them spend a lot of time on our forestry roads!

Allies campaign in Australasia

Sam and the winner – Winner of the Melbourne Rally leg, Shane Vicary of AKD being presented with his prize by Sam Rowe of HewSaw

The Single Source Alliance team.

Taina Taskinen and Mirva Veslainen of HewSaw show how it’s done.

Rodney Natty and Brian Donchi of Fennings are all concentration.

Off the shelf solutions, customised for

your mill

From major start-ups to retro-fits, if you want professional service and advice, contact us.

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For over 100 years, we’ve been engineering solutions for the timber industry.

In that time, we’ve designed and built a range of equipment proven to improve mill productivity.

But we’ve yet to meet a client who didn’t need some modifications to make even the best

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TASMANIAN TIMBER SPECIALTY 19 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

Tasmanian Special TimbersBy Rosemary Ann Ogilvie

ONE TASMANIAN timber company looking to the future with confidence is Queenstown-based

Tasmanian Special Timbers. This sawmill specialises in supplying the precious Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) primarily to Tasmanian artisans to create products for the tourism market. Between them, the company’s owners – the Morrison and Bradshaw families – boast seven generations of experience in the Tasmanian timber industry. Historically, each held a crown allocation of Huon Pine, and about 15 years ago, they amalgamated to form Tasmanian Special Timbers, which now has the largest allocation of Huon Pine: 250 cubic metres, more than half of the total allocation of 475 cubic metres.“In the broad outlook of things, the amount of Huon pine sawlog going to sawmills every year is fairly minimal,” says partner Randel Morrison. “Ours is very much a boutique operation, almost completely reliant on tourism. I estimate about 90% of our total timber cut goes to that end.”Past logging operationsWhere in times past they would go into the bush to harvest the timber, these days they contract the timber to come to the gate, and just mill it. “The people in the bush these days are contracted to Forestry Tasmania and have specialised equipment for working in these areas,” says Morrison.Huon Pine grows mainly in the west and south-west of Tasmania among river-bank rainforest and in a few subalpine lake-shore forests, its drought sensitivity restricting it to cool, wet areas. Supplies today come from past logging operations, primarily around the Teepookana plateau on the lower King River, augmented with the occasional green log felled because it was in the way of a transmission line or road works.

“Teepookana was heavily cut over by the sawmillers in the early days,” says Morrison. “A lot of the timber was left behind on the forest floor. Sometimes when a tree was felled, they’d see it wasn’t really what they were looking for: they wanted logs that would cut long straight boat boards, and you can’t always tell whether the tree will produce a log that will cut that until it’s on the ground. So they would leave it and move onto the next tree. Our contractors basically salvage these logs.”Some of the timber is dug out of the ground. “There may have been a jam in a river that caused it to change direction,” Morrison explains. “As a result, that part of the river valley filled up with peat and leaves and other material which composts naturally into soil over the years. Underneath all this are the Huon Pine logs. You might see a log sticking out of the ground somewhere, so you pull it up and there’s another one there, you pull that one up and there’s another one.”Despite having lain on the forest floor for perhaps two centuries, these logs are as good as the day they were felled. The old joke is that the only thing slower than a Huon Pine’s growth is its decay. (It takes 1000 years for a Huon Pine to reach its full height of between 20 and 25 metres.) The reason for this durability is the essential oil, methyl eugenol, which has preservative, waterproofing, and insect-deterring qualities.These qualities make it an excellent timber for building boats, something that was recognised in the early 1800s. In fact, one of the reasons for establishing the brutal convict settlement at Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour was to harvest Huon pine from the Gordon River. From 1822 until 1833 convicts were forced to cut timber and float log rafts from the lower reaches of the river to the Sarah Island settlement, where the logs were pit sawn

into frames and planks to build ships for the Government. Pining continued as a commercial operation in the post-convict era. Even today, boat building is an integral part of Tasmanian Special Timbers business. “Boat builders in this State are experiencing a resurgence,” says Morrison. “We supply the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin with a lot of their material.” Dedicated to preserving the craft of wooden boat building, this school and visitor centre runs the only nationally accredited certificate course in Australia – and possibly the world.

Gifted craftspeople

The rich, golden Huon Pine wood is soft, smooth, oily, lightweight, very easy to work with, and takes a high polish, which means it’s wonderful for furniture, and for pianos and other musical instruments. Tasmania is blessed with the most gifted craftspeople in the country, says Morrison: extremely talented furniture makers, many of whom have trained with the masters in Europe. Rex Heathcote (who has closed his operation), Toby Muir-Wilson, Mark Bishop, and Phillip Blacklow are some of the names associated with the crafting of innovative, superb-quality pieces from Huon Pine, and also the rainforest species often associated with it, including myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii), leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida) and sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum), which the company also mills. Most of this furniture goes to the mainland, although some local people occasionally buy Huon Pine to build furniture for themselves. A number of craftsman – wood turners and

wood carvers – make the small items such rolling pins, bread boards, cheese boards and lemon reamers sold in craft shops.Ten employees work in what Morrison describes as rather a conventional sawmill with a bandsaw operation as well. “The milling of this timber doesn’t lend itself to automated machinery,” he says. “The operators are very highly trained: you spend more time looking at this timber than you do cutting it, because getting the best out of every log is paramount. Our wastage is minimal.”While the Morrisons and the Bradshaws are positive about the future, they recognise political decisions are the wild card that makes it impossible to be 100% certain of what’s going to happen down the track. “But because the product we supply goes into the tourism industry, and because this product is one of the big drawcards for people to come to Tasmania, I feel this segment of the industry is reasonably safe,” says Morrison. “If we weren’t supplying the tourism industry I would be worried.”

Randall Morrison.

TWO SIDES Australia has rebuked Google for what it terms a “disingenuous and grossly misleading” campaign against paper usage. National manager of Two Sides Australia, Kellie Northwood, said it was alarming that Google and others were trying to promote their services as environmentally preferable to print and paper when there was significant evidence that electronic communication, and Google’s activities in particular, carried a significant and increasing environmental footprint.“It is becoming more and more common that big corporations are unfortunately trying for quick wins when implementing sustainability initiatives. As consumers we are constantly being told to change our behaviours, go online, opt for e-statements to be better for the environment. The facts are that this is disingenuous and grossly misleading,” she said.“Conducting a Google search for someone’s contact details emits three times more carbon than

printing and handing out a business card. These facts, among others outlined by Two Sides to Google, unfortunately seem to be forgotten as Google aligns itself with other electronic products and service partners.”Northwood said that letters of complaint were sent to Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google, and local Google representatives by Two Sides Australia, UK and America in response to the newly announced ‘Go Paperless in 2013’ campaign.“E-waste and carbon emission reduction are critical environmental concerns and ones that all Australians should be taking into consideration when purchasing products or services,” she said.

“Smart phones, laptops, web browsers and more all have significant footprints. Two Sides Australia calls for all responsible consumers to investigate, not only the advantages of the product or service, but the environmental commitments from the company selling the

goods and services. Northwood said this latest campaign from Google was surprising. “In the past Google has been open, responsible and proactive in their sustainability initiatives. I’m hoping this is a momentary error and one Google will re-think. They are an organisation who should know better and lead by example as they have done in the past,” she said.

Two Sides was created in 2008 with members from the Graphic Communications Supply Chain creating a forum for the industry to work together and share experiences; improving standards and practices; maximising customer confidence in its products.

In 2011 members of the Australian Graphic Communications industry committed to the Two Sides Principles.

Two Sides Australia is an initiative by companies from the Graphic Communications Value Chain including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, prepress, press, finishing, publishing, printing and distribution.

Two Sides slams Google claims

HISTORY'S PAPER TRAILTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 20

FOR SALE!! New firewood processing equipment

from Whitlands Engineering

Free Call 1800 702 701 www.superaxe.com.au

THE Burnie Pulp and Paper Mill, for years an integral part of the

Burnie community, may be gone but it’s certainly not forgotten. Now, a specially designed Pulp Heritage Walk along the waterfront stands as a reminder of the mill and its workers who in tandem blazed a trail that will never be forgotten.

It’s strange, but there’s a strong connection between Burnie (which overlooks Emu Bay on the north-west coast of Tasmania) and Broken Hill, the Far West NSW city that, too, blazed many a trail to become the mining centre and home to some of the nation’s greatest men and inventions in the industry.

If you delve back into the pages of history this connection (albeit seemingly non-connectable) will become clear.

William Lawrence (“WL”) Baillieu made his first fortune as a real estate agent, but lost it all in the bank crash

of 1891-92. He overcame this and chose to focus his future on mining investments. While the revolutionary process of separating zinc mineral from an orebody by aeration (‘flotation’) was still being studied in the Foster’s Brewery laboratory, WL speculated that it would become an unqualified success and he purchased the Victoria Cross Mine at Broken Hill because it possessed vast heaps of worthless tailings. The tailings would still be worthless if the research had not succeeded.

When Associated Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd (APPM) was formed in 1936, five of WL’s mining companies provided the essential starting capital: North Broken Hill Ltd; Broken Hill South Ltd; Electrolytic Zinc Co. of A’asia Ltd; The Zinc Corporation Ltd; Amalgamated Zinc (de Bavays) Ltd.

Sir Gerald Mussen consulted in 1915 to Broken

Hill Associated Smelters at Port Pirie, one of WL’s companies and came into prominence due to a dramatic demonstration of his views on management:

In 1908, Mussen had been shown the forest resource owned by the Van Diemen’s Land Co south of Burnie. He could not envisage a use for the wood, but he kept the resource in mind. In 1915 the Tasmanian Government engaged an American expert to advise it on how to utilise the State’s large forest resource. This expert wrote that it was not feasible to make pulp or paper from the wood. Mussen decided that if it became feasible, he would build a paper mill at Burnie. Gerald Mussen was knighted in 1939 recognising] the long struggle to get the manufacture of paper from Eucalyptus pulp started in this country.

In 1923 Messrs Boas and Benjamin, two researchers from Western Australia, without any connection to the forestry or paper industries, demonstrated that it was feasible to make very good paper from Australia’s eucalypt fibres. All Mussen had to do now was persuade financiers to back his mill project at Burnie. It took him 12 years before the previously mentioned Baillieu companies combined to form APPM. Along the way, Amalgamated Zinc (de Bavays) Ltd paid for development work intended to aid the application of the discoveries by Boas and Benjamin. It was never a sure thing that a paper mill was going to be built at Burnie and its existence was solely due to these key individuals choosing to stick their necks out and ignoring the going wisdom of the day.

Chronology of Production Events

• 1938 Pulp mill and PM1 (no. 1 machine) start.

• 1939 PM2 starts.• 1949 PM3 starts.• 1951 Hardboards Australia

plant (“HAL”) starts.• 1952 PM4 starts. East Mill

(“Papermakers”) starts with PM5 operating.

• 1953 PM6 starts in East Mill. Eucalypt sawmill starts

• 1954 PM7 starts in East Mill. New continuous pulp bleaching plant started.

• 1955 PM8 starts in East Mill.• 1956 Kamyr No.1 continuous

digester starts.• 1958 PM9 starts in East Mill.• 1960 Kamyr No. 1 begins

countercurrent operation – a world first. PM2 shut down and sold.

• 1962 PM10 starts in space where PM2 had been.

• 1963 Kamyr No. 2 continuous digester starts. Original batch digesters phased out.

• 1966 Prototype Zimpro Wet Air Oxidation plant starts.

• 1978-9 Pulp mill expanded to give 25,000 t more pulp. New Zimpro plant installed

• 1980 HAL shut down.• 1982 No.5 boiler converted

from oil to coal firing. No.6

boiler shut. No.7 and No.8 coal fired boilers start. East Mill (PMs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) shuts permanently. APPM

• taken over by its largest shareholder, North Broken Hill. Trading name continues as APPM

• 1985 DARS plant installed.• 1986 PM 4 and PM10

upgraded• 1988 Mercury process

chloralkali plant replaced by new membrane process

• 1994 Rotary kilns shut down. PM3 shuts permanently. Effluent pipe extended

• 1998 Pulp mill totally shut down

• 2010 Total mill shut downWhen Australian Paper was

sold to Nippon Paper, the sale did not include the Tasmanian Mills, thus the Burnie and Wesley Vale Mills became Tas Paper Pty Ltd.

Paperlinx decided that the mills were uneconomic, and losses were only going to increase with the predicted rise in the Australian dollar. The sale of the Tasmanian Mills was pursued unsuccessfully and the Burnie Mill was progressively closed down from February to July in 2010.

Tas Paper determined that the best way to sell the site

was to demolish the building on the western half of the site. The demolition permit process stalled and Tas Paper went to the Tasmanian Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal to resolve the matter. As part of the agreed Permit, Tas Paper agreed to provide a Heritage Interpretation Plan to remember the significance of “The Pulp” to the people of Burnie.

Tas Paper then proceeded to create an archival record for the mill in general and for a range of specific buildings of notable significance.

As part of subdividing the Burnie Mill site, Tas Paper donated a strip of beachfront land to the people of Burnie to be retained as open space.

From these two actions was born the concept to create a “Pulp heritage walk”.

Hobart-based company Red Arrow was contracted to assist, and together with Nigel Cropp and Karen Pascoe of Tas Paper, the walk was developed, culminating in the official opening on 11 December 2012.

The Burnie Mill site is being subdivided and sold off for re-development.

Memories of trail blazing mill live on in heritage walk There’s a strong connection between Burnie (which overlooks Emu Bay on the

north-west coast of Tasmania) and Broken Hill, the Far West NSW city.

PRINZ MOBILE & CROSSCUT SAWS

Acora is proud to announce that we are now the Australian and New Zealand agent for PRINZ Log Yard Saws and PRINZ Package Saws for stationary and mobile use.

Given Acora’s proven track record in providing solutions for our customers, we will value add to the PRINZ range by offering local knowledge for the adaption of the saw into our customers’ process and provide our well respected technical support to assist with the application, installation and after sales service.

Some key points:-

• All products are developed and produced in Austria• PRINZ are a complete supplier in the chainsaw business and guarantees individual

solutions in all areas of chainsaw technology• Highest quality, precision manufacture and ‘fit for purpose’ applications since 1947• Applications other than wood – stone, paper, plastic, gypsum and brickwork

The robust and durable PRINZ chainsaw technology is a real must for materials that demand much of the machines and their wearing parts.

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For further informationwww.acora.com.au/partners/prinz [email protected]+61 (0)2 6496 122

BUSINESS PROFILE 21 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

LO N G E V I T Y , ACCORDING to the dictionary, means

great duration, length of service or tenure. Why, you may ask, am I on about this word? Well, it’s the best and simplest word to describe two businesses that are a world apart and yet have so much in common.

Acora (Australia) and Prinz (Austria) pride themselves on innovative solutions, and with decades of service both names have become synonymous, especially in the timber industry.

Acora has been in business for more than 40 years. “During that time we have gained a great deal of experience and knowledge. We bring know-how to every new client or project to ensure the best possible solution is offered for our customers,” says managing director Roger Timms.

“We have also consistently expanded our operation to include world class design, project management and manufacturing. Our focus is on solutions, not selling a range of equipment. We prefer to analyse a client’s problems or requirements and then recommend a specific solution,” he added.

To this end, Acora partners with a number of the world’s leading sawmill equipment

manufacturers including Microtec, Springer, EWD, Lucidyne Technologies, Gilbert, Cumberland Systems and more recently Prinz.

Roger explained that Prinz had initially been recommended by one of Acora’s other European suppliers “as a high quality supplier whose products would fit well with our range”.

So, in August last year the Acora/Prinz talks started with the result that Acora is now the Australian and New Zealand agent for Prinz Log Yard Saws and Prinz Package Saws for stationary and mobile use.

“Prinz has dedicated product lines, a high level of in-house manufacturing, universal application of parts (chains, bars and sprockets) with competitive units, constant innovation in design and product quality, and an excellent long term customer service record,” says Roger.

“And, given Acora’s proven track record in providing solutions for our customers, we will value add to the Prinz range by offering local knowledge for the adaption of the saw into our customers’ process and provide our well respected technical support to assist with the application,

installation and after sales service.

“We will provide ongoing service and support, dovetailing this range through our existing spare parts and technical support department,” he said.

As a leading Austrian company in chainsaw technology, Prinz has been developing and producing crosscut saws, accessories and wearing parts for professional use since 1947 ... there’s the longevity connection!

All products are developed and produced at Loosdorf in Austria. The high level of in-house production enables Prinz to react quickly to new market trends and be flexible in considering the wants of individual customers ... and there’s the innovative solutions connection!

“As a complete supplier in the chainsaw business, Prinz recognizes the needs of its customers and guarantees individual solutions for all areas of chainsaw technology.

“Prinz does not just supply the machines and the relevant accessories, but also cutting equipment for all chainsaw manufacturers – all from the one source in the familiar high Prinz quality, because customer satisfaction is paramount,” Roger said.

“Acora is committed to enterprise improvement for its clients, where our expertise in design, manufacture, installation and project management of sawmill and optimising equipment has seen large increases in value adding to maximise the potential value of our precious resources and plantation timber assets.

“To us a project is a partnership between our client and us. We measure our achievement on the success of the solution we have created for them,” Roger said.

Decades of innovative, solution-based business

Proficut in action.

Rex Rogers (Workshop Manager) and Russ Dunne (Customer Service Manager) inspect another load of Acora’s shop tested equipment prior to shipment.

The Prinz manufacturing site in Loosdorf, Austria.

The huge range of Prinz gear includes:• PRINZ: Log Yard Saws• Logstar Combi - Cross cut saws for round

timber• Proficut - Mobile cross cut saws• Powercut - Single operator saw for flexible use• Log Splitter - Horizontal saw• PRINZ: Package Cross-Cut Saws• PC120 - The optimum solution for sawmills

and pallet works• Cutstar - Highest precision, modest space• Mobilcut/Mobilcut comfort - Optimised

lumber production• PRINZ: Saw Chains• Scraper Chains are available in all types and

sizes and suit almost all common chainsaws• Chipper Chains are perfectly suited to cut logs

easily and rapidly• Plasticut - Saw chains to cut plastic with its

special tooth geometry allows it to cut large plastic pipes

• Carbine tipped chains to cut soft stone, ideal for tiles, bricks, aerated concrete and sandstone

• Diacut - Saw Chains to cut concrete and natural stone

• PRINZ: Tools • Rivet breaking and riveting machine - quick

and easy chain repair for chipper and scraper chains.

• Uni and Dolly - Chain sharpeners to grind all types of chains efficiently

• Franzen SA6 - Automatic chain sharpener• PRINZ: Guide-Bars• Prinz offers a wide range of saw blade sets for

all kinds of applications. Prinz cutting equipment does not only

fit Prinz machines but most other common chainsaws too.

CAD CAMTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 22

Digital Fabrication with Timber Studio: a spectacular success!

THE FIRST Digital Fabrication with Timber Studio (DFTS) was held in January in the timber

workshop of the University of Tasmania’s School of Architecture and Design in Launceston, Tasmania with the support of WoodSolutions.

The three day DFTS surpassed the high expectations of participants, lecturers and instructors alike. The short yet intensive studio was a hands-on ‘learning by making’ style workshop in which participants designed, prototyped and constructed a 6.8m high timber tower. The tower was an amalgamation of brainpower of participants from a range of backgrounds including architects, structural engineers and boat builders, all with an interest in digital design and fabrication in timber.

Using laser cutters, CNC routers, 3D modelling software and parametric design tools, the participants learnt and enhanced an extensive range of skills with the key focus being on developing an appreciation of geometrically complex structures in timber.

Students were prepared in advance using online resources to train in technologies and programs to be applied during the intensive three-day workshop. To familiarise participants with the studio environment they each designed and constructed their own chairs using laser cut prototypes, producing the final articles using CNC router technology. Participants then used these chairs during the workshop.

A dozen tower designs were developed and prototyped using laser cutters, with the final tower design based on input from all participants. Core tower components were assembled on the ground, and once fixed the 6.8m high tower was lifted into place.

Meanwhile, participants developed a system for cladding the tower in aluminium. The cladding system was developed with consideration of both the computer coding to CNC rout and engrave

the panels and the manual bending and fabrication details.

The framework of the Digital Fabrication with Timber Studio was structured such that participants could focus on areas of greatest interest to them whether it was computer-coding routines, laser cutting prototypes, connection detailing or constructing in timber. This allowed participants to personalise knowledge and learning gained from participation in the DFTS course.

Participants rubbed shoulders with leading building industry professionals with international experience of timber in building design and were presented lectures by internationally experienced practitioners offering insight into geometry complex buildings. Students developed skills and confidence in design with wood, particularly as a medium for geometrically complex structures.

Students left with increased knowledge and understanding of up to date parametric and 3D modelling tools, as well as skills in using the router and laser cutters.

A time-lapse video of the construction can be viewed at the following link:

h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=7NRwnVE2Omk

Participant’s expectations of the course were exceeded:

• The University of Tasmania gratefully acknowledges the support of the Big River Group, in particular Ausply who generously donated the plywood used in the DFTS.

• This Digital Fabrication with Timber Studio is part of a developing timber education and skills program from the Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW) at the University of Tasmania’s School of Architecture & Design. This program is centred on CSAW’s new Graduate Certificate in Timber (Processing and Building): a four-unit university-level course, available online to students around Australia and internationally.

• Additional information on UTAS, CSAW & Wood Solutions can be found at the following links:http://www.utas.edu.au/architecture-

design/http://www.utas.edu.au/csaw/http://www.woodsolutions.com.au/ For further information on this event

and future events hosted by UTAS in conjunction with CSAW and Wood Solutions, contact UTAS School of Architecture & Design by phone: 03 6324 4488, e-mail or via their website http://www.utas.edu.au/architecture-design/.

(l-r) Robin Green, Workshop Manager, UTAS School of Architecture and Design; Victor Leung, Digital Consultant, PALEAE LTD; Jon Shanks, Research Fellow, CSAW, UTAS School of Architecture and Design; Peter Booth, Architect, UTAS School of Architecture and Design.

“The DFTS was a rare opportunity to get hands-on experience linking 3D design software with the university's state-of-the-art laser cutting and CNC routing machinery. Being able to not only design and manufacture unique building components but then be able to put all the high precision parts effortlessly together gave me a real appreciation for this technology and its amazing possibilities. Three days with a great team that have excited and inspired me.”

- David Reinbold, Architectural Designs

CAD CAM 23 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

THE ESTIMATION and detailing of roof, frames and floor trusses

is very closely related to the manufacturing production line system. The reality within the truss and frame fabrication industry is that a product can’t be made unless it has been detailed first. In addition to this, a job can’t be detailed unless an order has been placed by the client, which usually means that a price for the job has had to be created and then accepted.

When taking a step back, it can be seen that the entire operation of a truss plant is one great production line. There may be many breaks in time and space within this production line, such as waiting time after quoting a job until it’s ordered, waiting time after being ordered and before detailing, and waiting time after detailing but before manufacture. But the end result is still the same, which is to supply the client with fit-for-purpose manufactured goods for profit. As a result, the more functionality the software systems are able to handle within a fabricator plant, the more likely the production flow within their company will be smooth and controlled with the maximum of efficiency.

The next logical step in the monitoring of a production flow is through the automation of cutting and assembly equipment. With the multitude of manufacturers and software options, careful consideration is required to ensure all elements of the production line from detailing, to factory management to job processes can send and receive information in a timely manner. Rather than having an individual station from which CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) can operate, having this inbuilt into your cutting or assembly machines offers you greater efficiencies for job information, job allocation around the plant.

Consequently, a holistic approach to software design needs to be taken to ensure that all the fields of endeavour for which a fabricator is engaged within the truss and frame fabrication industry are provided for and managed by the software. To achieve this aim, the software needs to be correctly designed from the very start so that the user can operate the software in a similar fashion to a “pull system” production line.

By using the methodology of a factory production line when designing software, it is important to remember that the detailing programs will need to be fed the correct

information at the correct time and in the correct order so as to provide a tangible and efficient end result. Although there may be many steps or sub-processes within the detailing programs, if one looks towards the end output and works backwards, it is clear that each process must mesh seamlessly with the next step in the fabrication sequence. That way any bottle necks up-stream of the actual manufacturing processes can be effectively eliminated.

How far you wish to implement such a system is the final consideration for CAM in your production plant. Obviously, one truss cutting saw and one truss jig easily allows one job to be monitored as it is processed from the detailer to the finished product. But, multiple saws, multiple truss assembly stations leaves an infinite amount of possibilities of items being delayed or being more efficient than planned. Managing this system then requires detailed access to information on what is happening and where it is happening allowing a flexible approach to allocating tasks to ensure a more efficient and profitable end result is achieved.

For many years now Multinail’s software department and Multinail Machinery have been working hand-in-hand to ensure a smooth and efficient transfer of data from the detailer to the factory floor. A seamless integration of information and data is achieved through Multinail’s FMS (Factory Management System) coupled with

various Multinail Machinery Automation programs built specifically for many saws and truss jigging options

is assisting Multinail fabricators to monitor and manage an efficient and profitable production line.

Computer-aided manufacturing for timber truss manufacturers

The lines are to reflect network cables and to show connectivity at the workplace.

FMS plant showcase – this is an overview of connecting the Detailing office to the factory manager to the plant.

FMS Plant Cover2 + Cover2 RSA – close-ups of CAM in the factory.

The plant.

ASSOCIATION NEWSTIMBERMAN, April 2013 – 24

THE FRAME and Truss Manufacturing industry covers

three important sectors; b u i ld i ng /c o n s t r u c t io n , manufacturing and of course timber and with all three sectors facing difficult times we used the Timber and Wood Products Display at Victoria’s Parliament House as the perfect opportunity to discuss with both sides of politics.

The Victorian Association of Forest Industries invited FTMA Australia to join them and other industry sectors at the display that filled Queens Hall at Parliament and attend the launch of a new Parliamentary Support Group for the forest and wood products industry.

FTMA Board members Phil Ladson, Peter Wines, Peter Reilly and Steve Priestley joined me in using the opportunity to ask; what can Governments really do to address Climate Change, providing information on the environmental benefits of building timber framed homes compared to other non-renewable and less environmentally friendly products such as steel and concrete and we received a great response.

In Victoria there are 88 members in the Legislative Assembly and 44 of these have at least one frame and truss business in their

electorate, something many politicians had no idea of. Using the data we collected from our survey last year we provided a brochure showing the number of plants in every of Upper House electorate in the State which included: Eastern Metropolitan 5, Eastern Victoria 15, Northern Metropolitan 9, Northern Victoria 17, South East Metropolitan 22, Southern Metropolitan 2, Western Metropolitan 10 and Western Victoria 20.

Furthermore, the timber

industry in Victoria has always been seen as something only affecting rural communities and the Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh pointed out that many truss plants are in fact in metropolitan regions and he urged Members of Parliament to find out what plants were in their electorates and learn more about the industry. This prompted many members to seek out FTMA Australia and ask for details with many wanting to visit plants in their electorates.

This is important as there is plenty of assistance for industry by various Government departments and there is no reason why our sector cannot tap in to this funding. All in all it was a fantastic event and over my 16 years in the ‘timber industry’ I have never been involved in a more united and positive event. The atmosphere was buzzing, especially when keynote speaker, Paul Klymenko, CEO of Planet Ark spoke of the importance of using more wood when building to improve the environment. Paul showed the new Planet Ark TV Advertisement that is beginning to be shown nationally which spells the message out clearly that wood is the best environmental product to use.

FTMA Australia National Conference

The 2013 FTMA Australia National Conference is being held at QT Gold Coast on Tuesday, 23 July, with activities being held on 22 July and the Multinail Machinery Expo following the conference on 24 July and we encourage you to put this date in your diaries now.

Late last year we sent a survey out to all Australian Fabricators seeking feedback on the subjects they would like to see at the conference which is helping us put together an informative program that will be directly targeted at the fabricators.

We have also had an excellent response with more than 35 fabricators indicating their intention to attend the conference so far ensuring this will be

the best attended fabricator conference for a long time.

The FTMA Australia conference, as with all our functions, has been organised to minimise costs to fabricators with the cost to members only being $350 which includes the Ice-breaker BBQ at the Carlton United Brewery, the conference including lunch and the Multinail sponsored Conference Dinner which is described as an Interactive market bazaar with six chef’s cooking a range of food from dumplings, Chinese, seafood and BBQ to name a few.

There will be a great opportunity for sponsors to set up displays, again at reasonable rates that make it worthwhile for suppliers to be involved. If you are interested in sponsoring what will be the biggest frame and truss conference this year please give me a call on 0418 226 242 or email me for further information at [email protected]. The conference program and draft will be distributed in March and we always welcome input from fabricators on what they would like to see at their conference.

FTMA Australia membership

FTMA Australia has continued to build its membership and increase the benefits to members. In December we forwarded all members their new membership booklets which included over $5,000 worth of savings for members. With low membership rates we encourage you to consider

becoming a member by visiting the website at www.ftmaaustralia.com.au or calling Kersten Gentle on 0418 226 242. We exist to support the frame and truss industry and we are positive we could help your business so give us a call.

Timber ... it’s solid in more ways than one!

�The FTMA display.

By Kersten GentleExecutive OfficerFTMA

�Kersten Gentle.

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

www.ftmaaustralia.com.au FOR MORE INFORMATION

CONTACT KERSTEN GENTLE:

0418 226 242


�(L-R) Peter Wines, Steve Priestley, Deputy Premier. Peter Ryan, Phil Ladson, Peter Reilly and David Moore of Britton Timbers.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS 25 - April 2013, TIMBERMAN

AS PART of the review of the Fair Work Act here are some of

the first stage changes that commenced on 1 January 2013:1. Fair Work Australia is

now called the Fair Work Commission;

2. the time limit for lodging an unfair dismissal application has increased from 14 days to 21 days;

3. the time limit for lodging a general protections claim has reduced from 60 days to 21 days;

4. the Commission will have stronger discretionary powers to dismiss an action if an applicant

is non compliant with any directions by the Commission (including non attendance);

5. costs orders will be ordered if an employer can prove that unreasonable actions or omissions by an employee caused the employer to incur costs.Around 14,000 unfair

dismissal cases are being commenced against employers every year under the Fair Work Act. There has been a marked increase in claims since this implementation of this legislation.

TTIA continues to provide a quality in-house service and access to our association solicitor to represent members and defend these matters, many of which are vexatious claims. It is pleasing that

most claims are settled, many involving no payment. Members are reminded to contact the TTIA National hotline on (02) 9264 0011 and seek appropriate advice before making a decision on an employee disciplinary issue.

Superannuation Guarantee charge changes

The Superannuation Guarantee employer contribution will gradually increase from 9% to 12% over six years, with the first phasing-in increment of 9.25% commencing from 1 July 2013.

The phasing-in increment will commence on 1 July each year, with the phasing-in process concluding on 1 July 2019.

From 1 July 2013, there will no longer be an age

limit on employees for whom employers have SG obligations.

In addition, employers need to be aware of the Federal Government’s “My Super” legislation and intent.

The Federal Government describes “My Super” as a simple and cost effective superannuation product that will replace existing default schemes.

“My Super” products are to have a simple set of product features so that fund members and employers can compare funds more easily based on a few key differences.

The Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Further “My Super” and Transparency Measures) Act 2012 is the most recent “My Super” legislation and most of the legislation needed

for “My Super” is now in place. From 1 January 2014, employers will have to make default fund contributions into a fund that offers “My Super”. Default fund contributions are contributions for employees who have not specified a chosen fund. Other changes include:• banning certain entry fees,• criteria being set for the

charging of other fees including financial advice,

• requires superannuation funds to disclose and publish key information in relation to funds, and

• allows only funds that offer a “My Super” product and certain public sector superannuation funds to be eligible as default superannuation funds in modern awards and enterprise agreements.

Modern awards are being varied to remove the names of any funds which do not provide “My Super”. As from 1 January 2014, modern awards will only be able to name funds that offer “My Super”.

TTIA will remind members of these changes again later in 2013 during our Member Seminars.

Recent changes to the Fair Work ActBy Brian BeecroftChief Executive OfficerTimber Trade Industrial Association

EVERY YEAR the national Timber Design Awards showcase the best work by Australian architects and interior designers. The 2012 Awards were no exception, with two outstanding buildings taking out top awards for the use of timber veneers.

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) building in Sydney’s Bridge Street received the award for best office fitout featuring veneers, while the Credit Suisse building in Macquarie Place was awarded best use of timber veneers.

The ASX fitout transformed an existing space into a dynamic, multi-functional facility. The design concept evolved out of the idea of an “urban room”. The client required a space that could adapt from a few people engaged in casual meetings through to large groups for official functions

and media releases, as well as a large ante space for the auditorium below.

The battened wall panelling is a mixture of white oak and walnut natural timber veneer with perforations to assist in the acoustics of the space. The flooring in the ASX fitout is a pre-finished engineered product with a special 6mm oak face for maximum durability.

The Credit Suisse design uses natural timber veneers to define key spatial elements within the interior. Some elements such as the quarter-cut blackbutt wall panelling and joinery items are fixed, while others are moveable such as the openable walls.

The design team from GroupGSA considered the use of the timber clad openable wall system to meeting rooms was fundamental to the concept of open/transparent working, while still accommodating audio and visual privacy needs when required.

In the Credit Suisse

building, timber veneer is a major element in the palette of materials, used by the designers to present a warm, friendly, confident, yet understated character.

The Timber Veneer Association of Australia is proud to see its members’ products used in such imaginative and innovative ways. For more ideas on the use of natural timber veneers, visit the Uniquely Veneer website at www.uniquelyveneer.com.au.

The Credit Suisse building in Macquarie Place was awarded best use of timber veneers.

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) building in Sydney’s Bridge Street received the award for best office fitout featuring veneers.

Veneers are winners in 2012 Timber AwardsBy Peter LlewellynTechnical RepresentativeTimber Veneer Association of Australia

Brian Beecroft.

ASSOCIATION NEWS


APPOINTMENTS, A membership boost, and news of a return of confidence in the market are just some of the matters highlighting this report.

TABMA QLD: We welcome the appointment of Paula Jean (PJ) McFie to the position of field officer Queensland. PJ worked previously with FITEC and has a good knowledge of the group training arena as well as possessing excellent sales skills. We are confident she will be a great addition to our team.

TABMA SA: The placement of trainees and apprentices in South Australia is progressing at a rapid rate under the guidance of Matt Thomas and Lauren Johns. We are expecting a big 2013 from South Australia as confidence in the market seems to be returning in that State.

TABMA NSW: The State is experiencing a spike in membership and membership enquiries. This seems attributable to the many services offered by TABMA, not the least being the exclusive trade credit insurance scheme that we provide through IMC Newbury. This scheme is a must consider for all merchants, fabricators and suppliers who want to minimise losses through bad debts. Trainee and apprentice numbers are also spiraling as a result of the number of pre-employment courses being conducted throughout Sydney under the auspices of Steve Cunningham and his team.

TABMA WEB SITE: We are pleased to announce the launch this month (March) of the new www.tabma.com.au website. Alicia Oelkers (QLD), Lauren Johns (SA) and John Theoharris (NSW) have been working hard at the task assisted by marketing technology group, Pakka.

The new-look site incorporates “responsive design technology” answering the needs of the growing mobile and market tablets who are demanding mobile friendly websites. The new TABMA site is designed to automatically configure and display to your screen size and resolution eliminating the need for zooming.

Structure, content and design have been consolidated for greater relevancy for members, employers, apprentices and trainees with dedicated sections for each interest group. The site will also now have a new extensive employment portal for timber and related industries with online applications and CV uploads.

Exclusive trade credit insurance schemeBy Colin FitzpatrickChief Executive OfficerTimber & Building Materials Association (Australia)

�Paula Jean (PJ) McFie is the new field officer Queensland.

Now available on-line

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

A U S T R A L I A N


August 2012, Issue 5 Vol. 20 Ph: (03) 9888 4820 Fax: (03) 9888 4840 Email: [email protected] Web: www.timberbiz.com.au

XLAM NZ LTD

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NEW ZEALAND

5/42 Clinker Street,

Darra, Qld 4076

Ph: 07 3715 7722

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• Forte story building

• Purpose built plant

• Innovation is key

• CNC technology

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.


TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 6

JOHN 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.

“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

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

• 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

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 model-based 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.

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

FRAME AUSTRALIA

buildingSmart with BIM7 - August 2012, TIMBERMANFRAME AUSTRALIA

AFTER 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 timber-oriented 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 pre-cast 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 high-rise 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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