Unfinished Site Visit 4: Warehouse, Grovedale

Whilst i was driving through Grovedale i stumbled across this warehouse site in Essington Street. I was fortunate enough to get permission, from a group of concreters who were on site, to take some photos. The Builder for this project was David Anderson for the Master Builders

Shows the connection from the purlins to the rafter. You can also see the insulation in this picture.

The connection between the bracing and propping to the concrete tilt-up to the concrete slab.

In this picture you can see the bracing and propping in full length. The cross bracing in the cieling is connected to the rafter along with the purlins. Again in this photo you can see the insulation.

Again the bracing and propping is evident in this photo but you can also see the girts and how they have been connected to the concrete panel.

You can almost see the full span of the rafters in this picture and how the purlins are connected to them. You can also see the extent of the bracing and propping and how it is needed for each concrete panel. The bracing and insulation in the cieling is also evident.

What the tilt-up concrete panel looks like in full close up view.

View of the site from the outside.

Completed warehouse in the neighbouring lot.

Article 6: Keep Construction Sector Watchdog

Source: news.ninemsn.com.au

This article is about the Government's decision to keep the ABCC which oversees the building and construction industry in regards to violence, intimidation and thuggery on worksites. Unions have been pressing to get the ABCC abolished and have found themselves at odds with the overtly union friendly Labour government. Despite the unions putting together a national campaign the Government has stuck by its decision on the basis that the ABCC has nothing to do with Work Choices and has been a huge bonus for the industry in terms of productivity and less disputes.

In terms of keeping the ABCC i totally agree with the Government's choice, there has to be a body within the industry that can keep things in order and ensure that standards are met in all work places. Without the ABCC we could again see a rise in not only disputes but workers disastifaction which could see skilled trades people leaving the industry.

The article:

The proposed abolition of a commission set up to enforce workplace laws in the construction industry would see a "return to the dark ages of militant unionism", the Master Builders Association of NSW (MBA NSW) says.

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) was set up by the Howard government in 2005 and given powers to enforce workplace laws in the building and construction industry...

Read the full article by clicking on the link below:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=568034

OneSteel Online Learning Portal

OneSteel have devised a learning portal which shows you the process involved in steel manufacturing. If you use the link below you can look at a range of options including ore products, iron making, steel making and steel products. I found the information on steel making and steel products particularly useful when doing the major project.

http://www.onesteel.com/onesteel_whyalla/inductions/courses/unit217/topic3/page1/default.htm

Notes and Plans for Brambuk

I was fortunate enough to secure details, plans and notes of the Brambuk Information Centre. Click on each of the pictures to see full scale drawings.

Structural details 1.

Structural details 2.

Strucutral elevations and sections.

Deck layout plan.

General notes and specifications.

Raft slab layoutplan.

Roof structural layout plan.

Model Making

On Wednesday i visited my grandparents at their farm in Euroa. All the materials used in the building of this model are recycled and all the tools were already on site. The model was made to scale using the measurements that were given to me by PJ Yttrup, with the exception of the column. It wasn't feasible to construct a model that was going to be several meters long as i would not have been able to transport it to the university. Instead i opted to give it a reasonable length, with the main component being the actual connecting of the two elements.

The following pictures and descriptions show the process of how the the model was completed.

The steel we wanted to use was to long, so we marked out sections and used 2 and a half pieces to get the correct measurements.

The angle grinder was then used to cut two pieces of steel to the size above. We then used clamps to keep them together to get the desired thickness before we welded the two pieces together.

The welding process then began, first the two pieces of steel that were being used for the base plate followed by the two and a half pieces of steel that were being used for the steel reinforcement inside the LVL column.

A small piece of steel was then cut and placed on top of the steel reinforcement before being welded into place. We then marked up the base plate so that the steel would sit exactly in the middle.

Once the steel was welded a grinder was used to get rid of any sharp edges. We then covered the steel in a plasti-bond filler and sanded it down to fill any holes.

To make the "LVL" column we used several pieces of scrap marine plywood which we cut into pieces then glued and nailed together. Because the steel reinforcement would be going inside the frame we also needed to ensure that it wasn't hollow so we had to fill the frame we had made with extra pieces of timber to make it more realistic.

The steel was spraypainted silver to give it a galvanised look and to hide any blemishes that had been caused during the welding etc. The "LVL" column we originally constructed was finished with some natural wood plywood to give it a nicer finish before we began drilling holes into it.

We used the holes on the column to mark off where the holes would need to be placed on the steel then proceeded to drill the holes into place. Holes were then drilled into the base plate and the construction of the section really began. We had to line up the frame with the pieces of timber inside it and the steel to be able to bolt the entire thing together.

Off-cuts from the natural wood plywood were used to seal the bottom of the column before bolting the base plate to the concrete. The only thing left to do now is varnish the timber.

Article 5: Construction Recovers, Housing Depressed

Source: sharecafe.com.au

This article is about the flucuating state of the construction industry and how at present it is the force of the resources and infrastructure boom that is keeping the industry going strong. In fact construction work increased by 2.3% from last qauter.

It seems at this point the housing sector is the only sector that is really flagging and that is mainly due to the Reserve Bank of Australia's continuining campaign against rising inflation. There has already been two interest rate rises this year and could be another one on the way in the very near future which will inevitably mean even slower months ahead. Unfortunatly this coupled with the rising cost of steel means tough times ahead, especially for smaller builders.

The article:

No real joy for the becalmed home building industry in the latest figures on construction work.
There was some growth in activity in the March quarter, but nowhere near enough to do anything about relieving the pressure on rising rents, house affordability and closing the gap between demand and supply for new homes. Instead the construction work figures showed a rebound in the first three months of the year that was driven by the resources and infrastructure booms...

The above graph shows the fluctuation of construction work from 2002 through to 2007.

Read the full article by clicking on the link below:

http://www.sharecafe.com.au/article_air.asp?a=AV&ai=8828

Unfinished Site Visit 3: Pakington Strand

The Pakington Strand is a new development by Woolworths located on Pakington Street in Geelong West. Apart from a full-line supermarket, the project includes more than 300 car parks, 22 specialty stores, offices and landscaping. The Safeway will be the company's first "green" store with the use of natural light.

This particular site has focused heavily on the use of tilt-up panels. The concrete elements would have been cast into the horizontal position close to the final location. It would then be lifted by a rotating panel until it is in a vertical position that you can see in this picture.

In this picture can see the strongbacks which enable the panels to be lifted into place. They comprise of steel sections that are fixed to the panels. The use of bracing and propping is significant in terms of resisting construction loads, wind loads etc.

When it came to having these particular panels on site the builder opted for stack casting, this is when 3 or 4 panels are on top of each other. A bondbreaker is used to seperate the panels which makes for a more efficent and economical construction process.

Artists impression of the completed project.

Under Construction

Below are some pictures of the Brambuk Information Centre during the construction of the frame.

This picture shows how the LVL column is tapered so the measurement where it is connected at the base plate is considerably different to where it is connected to the rafters and purlins.

Another good example of how the column is tapered. This also gives an indication of how the column will look at completion in terms of its connection to the concrete footing under the floor line of the building.

This photo was taken of the bottom of the LVL column, showing its intersection to the concrete footing through the use of steel that sits inside the column and is connected to the base plate. The steel is actually bolted inside the LVL column to ensure additional stability. This connection is what i have focused on for my model, using the measurements provided to me by the engineering firm P.J Yttrup and Associates.

Article 4: Tilt-up National Code Declared

This article comes courtesy of safetysoloutions.net.au and talks about the the new national code of practice for precast, tilt-up and concrete elements in the building industry which will be introduced officially within two years.

The code will not only ensure consistent safety measures through legislation but will see construction companies enjoy the economic and administrative benefits that come through the efficiency such a code implements.

One of the great things about this code is that it will help companies and people who work with these concrete elements to be able to identify appropriate hazards, risks and control measures. These measures will reduce work place accidents which will also be a major bonus for companies not only in the obvious way but also because less injury time and work site closures inevitably saves money.

The article:

The National Code of Practice for Precast, Tilt-up and Concrete Elements in Building Construction was declared by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) at the end of February 2008.

The code aims to encourage a nationally consistent approach to legislation and guidance material, to prevent fatalities and injuries among those who work with and around tilt-up and precast concrete elements...

To read the full article click on the link below:
http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/news/3148-Tilt-up-national-code-declared

Unfinished Site Visit 2: TAC

On this particular day i got the oppurtunity to watch a concrete panel being lifted into place on one of the upper levels. The panel was inititally laid out on site (along with other panels) before being connected to the crane which hoists them up the appropriate level. A cherry picker is used to carry the employees to the landing where they will secure the panel.

One of the main considerations for a project of this size, and being located in such a central location of Geelong, would be access for craneage and equipment and the delivery of the concrete panels

Timber portal frame

Since i am concentrating on LVL and concrete in my project i thought it would be interesting to look at another project, besides the Brambuk Living Cultural and Information Centre, that the engineering consultants PJ Ytrrup and Associates have worked on.

This one is a store building in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

As you can see from these pictures the rafters and columns are LVL sections with nailed plywood gussets that provide for full moment connections. The purlins, girts and knee bracing are also all made from LVL. This particular portal frame has a span of up to 32m.

When it came to assembling the portal frame progressive crane lifts, a technique developed by Yttrup, was used to construct the crusher, dryer and gluing buildings. The building was fabricated with the column hinged to the rafters with all of the purlins and girts installed. Upon crane lifting the rafters, the columns rotated into position. The press and finishing building was constructed by standing the columns up unsupported on their rigid base connection. The rafters were then lifted into place as half span pairs with purlins attached.

LVL column into concrete slab

Below is a detail of the two intersecting elements i have chosen to concentrate on for the major project:

Major project

For my major project i have decided to do a timber portal frame for the warehouse. I have been lucky enough to get in touch with some amazing engineers, P. J. Yttrup and Associates Pty Ltd, who worked on the Brambuk Living Cultural Centre and the new information centre in Halls Gap. I will be using this project as a basis for the two elements that I choose.

The original architect for the living culture centre was Gregory Burgess Pty Ltd Architects. Below is a picture of the compelted project:

The second picture is of the new information centre which was completed in 2006, this was designed by Wendy Hastrich. Both projects were built by Victorian Department of Conservation and Environment using local contractors and Koori Labourers.

Article 3: Steel Prices Bite

Source: Townsville Bulletin

There has been many articles written on the topic of rising prices of steel recently. In particular there has been much talk about the government's 2030 plan which would see the construction of more residential dwellings and activity centres across Melbourne put on the back burner due to property developers being unable to cover costs and consumers not willing to pay extra for homes in suburbs zoned for high-density development.

The article that I am posting talks about the effects of steel prices on the builders themselves and the lack of certainty as to whether this is the calm before the storm.

The interesting thing about this situation for me is what people are going to do about it. If costs continue to rise then the use of steel is going to become less and less feasible. There have been talks about reducing waste, which is an obvious course of action but it will not minimise the costs in a substantial enough way, especially if prices continue to go up. There have also been talks about using less steel in the average home which opens up the opportunities for other materials to be used, such as timber. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the industry to start looking at alternative options in order to cut back on the costs that have a stranglehold, particularly on residential builders.

The article:

The building industry is bracing itself for for more hikes in the cost of steel which could add up to $15,000 to the cost of an average home.

Suppliers such as OneSteel are holding `information sessions' with clients at present to warn them of the impending increases.

However, what has builders worried is that no one can guarantee just exactly what the price will be in six or 12 months time as used to be the case...

To read the article in full click on the link below:
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/05/28/13425_hpbus.html

Unfinished Site Visit 1: Warehouse, Woori Yallock

On Sunday the 4th of may i visited a site of an unfinished warehouse in Woori Yallock. The warehouse thus far consists of a concrete slab, steel frame and concrete pad footing. At the completion of the project this warehouse will be used to hold farming goods.

The first picture below is a shot of the steel column intersecting with the pad footing and concrete slab.

This next picture shows the intersection of the column with the rafters and purlins.

Photo below gives an indication of the span of the rafters and purlins between each column. If you look closely you can also make out how the apex is pinned and the knee joints.