Uplift on Roofs
Fly me to the moon is a great song, but a terrible option for roofs. By Paul Davis In late June, media reported that a rocket of unknown origin crashed into the moon. I have several theories: instinct suggests that it was Elon Musk landing his secretly designed...
Swift Rafters
Roof cassettes are a valuable addition to the offsite production offer. We talked with Thomas Horsfall of Meyer Timber’s NSW team about their forays into the field. What sent Meyer Timber into roof cassette fabrication? As Meyer project engineer Thomas Horsfall puts...
Healthy Lining Boards
Magnum Board delivers a lining option that lives up to the higher safety standards of most timber buildings. We’re all familiar with the joys of working with timber: it’s a fairly easy and forgiving building material and, aside from not inhaling dust and taking basic...
Asbestos Information
A new campaign is designed to protect buyers and renters. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has launched a new information campaign informing residential property buyers, sellers, renters and landlords of their responsibilities and rights when it comes to...
The State of Work
The latest international Gallup report on global workplaces sheds light on worker engagement. By Peter Maguire Global consulting organisation, Gallup, recently released its State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report, reporting on its latest findings from its annual...
TABMA WHS
With a focus on practical and worker-focused initiatives for the timber sector, TABMA’s new GM for training explains what’s on offer for keeping your staff safe. By Louise Kinloch We all want to keep our staff safe, improve productivity and reduce injury in the...
FTMA Weekend Retreat
After a long Covid break, the 2022 FTMA National Conference was bigger and better than ever with a welcome chance for fabricators to share and learn. By Kersten Gentle The aim of the 2022 FTMA National Conference was to bring the industry back together for some...
Don’t Assume with LVL
When it comes to LVL, decisions should be based on solid knowledge. By Craig Kay The definition of assume from dictionary.com is “to take for granted or without proof”. We all make basic assumptions about things in life, but sometimes these assumptions are wrong. We...
Protecting Timber
For practically every type of timber product you make, pre-oiling can help keep it looking and performing at its best from day one. Pre-oiling is far from the sexiest topic, but like fibre and sunscreen, it’s worth every bit of effort in most cases. For a small...
PieceGiver Productivity
When Multinail realised many of their customers weren’t getting the most out of their linear saw, they engineered a solution. By Warwick Porter In response to our customers’ production needs, Multinail has been delivering highly specialised and technically advanced...
Forest Tales
Designer furniture celebrating under-used timber takes centre stage in Milan. Much as it pains me to admit this, sometimes Americans do things better than we do. The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has brought together 22 recent projects made from American...
Comfortable Safety Boots
The new Blundstone RotoFlex doesn’t sacrifice comfort for protection and comes in a range of fits. The number one reason most people give for not wearing proper PPE is that it’s uncomfortable. Blundstone’s new RotoFlex boot range has been designed to stamp out...
The Wind Bracing Chain
Solving wind bracing isn’t a one-step process and ensuring the adequacy of every link is vital. By Afzal Laphir, Principal Engineer, Meyer Timber Pty Ltd. The saying ‘the chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ is commonly used as a metaphor for the strength of...
Powerful Timber Software
For many timber industry businesses, the single most impactful and affordable change to productivity can come from reassessing your software needs and solutions. By Donyale Harrison Felix Choo spends his days thinking about what the Australian timber industry needs....
New Metsa Case Study
EWP specialists Metsä Wood add their recent Port of Amsterdam build to their online resource kit. Supply of LVL into Australia out of Europe is still limited from many major brands including Metsä Wood. While the company’s recent announcement of a new 250-million-euro...
New Government, New Rules
A preview of some of the probable implications of Labor’s Workplace Relations Plan. By Peter Maguire There wasn’t a lot of talk about workplace relations in the lead up to the federal election and Labor’s intentions in relation to workplace relations wasn’t raised as...
Wind and Roofs
Aeronautics has a glorious history of unlikely aircraft but, speaking as an engineer, these should never include roofs. By Paul Davis Forget the Wright Brothers, an Australian, Lawrence Hargrave was the first person in the world to fly in a heavier-than-aircraft. He...
Traditional Owners and Forestry
VicForests’ focus on sustainability has 60,000 years’ worth of experience backing it. Sustainability Manager for Responsible Wood (RW), Matt de Jongh recently spent a week in Victoria observing an independent, third-party audit of VicForests’ operations. The audit is...
The Other Hardware Store
Mitre 10’s new ad campaign seeks to add more DIY customers to their already strong trade base. The Mitre 10 group has always had an individual way of doing things, but their new ad campaign may be the first time public nudity has played a role. With tongue firmly...
Queensland Timber Awards
As the nation listened to Antony Green, an equally exciting set of results were being announced with TABMA hosting the 2022 Queensland Timber Industry Awards. The evening of 21 May was one of the more exciting this year. While some people might have been focused on...
Robot Construction
Two major unis and a leading building firm have given a trial construction robot its first day on the job. Some construction jobs are worse than others. Screwing 500,000 connections into a mass engineered timber (MET) building is one of the less fun parts, with the...
Reference Checking
Is reference checking worthwhile? Yes, if you do it right. By Peter Maguire Whether or not checking references is worth your time is a question that is often asked and, like lots of things in business, the answer is, “that depends on how you do it.” Properly...
Designing Parapets
This unusual building feature requires a complicated series of design steps – and their related experts – to avoid problems. By Paul Davis Every so often you are going to get a roof to design that includes parapets. Typically, there will be a box gutter behind at...
Cladding with Timber
Timber cladding ticks more boxes in terms of technical performance and aesthetics than any other. We talk to some of the biggest suppliers about what’s hot now. Main image: Porta Contours celebrates the texture of Tasmanian Oak in Strata (wall), Riverine (back wall)...
