The 2017 PrefabNZ CoLab conference day took place at AUT in central Auckland on Tuesday 21 March. Amelia Melbourne-Hayward reports back.

The 2017 CoLab conference kicked off rather differently to previous years, with the launch of PrefabNZ’s new ‘logs4jobs’ initiative, which aims to encourage women to enter the construction industry and to help fill the skilled worker shortage we are currently battling in New Zealand. Warren Quinn, chief executive of BCITO, explained that only 237 women are being trained with the company at present – this equals a measly 2.35 per cent of trainees in construction.

Although the statistics may be grim, the logs4jobs video, which was produced in collaboration with Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts, BCITO and CareersNZ, was one of positivity, with the goals of raising awareness of work opportunities, normalising females in the manufacturing, design and construction industries and demonstrating the realities about these roles. It is a much-needed and commendable call to action.

CoLab’s first international keynote speaker was Helena Lidelöw of Lindbäcks and the University of Luleå, Sweden, who gave a thorough and interesting presentation about the history and current state of design and construction in her home country, stating that “after the much-criticised Million Homes Programme, we had a shift from an architect-driven to a contractor-driven industry. The architect’s role in Sweden is now purely for aesthetics”.Tim Porter (co-chair, PrefabNZ Board) with keynote speaker Helena Lidelöw of Lindbäcks and the University of Luleå, Sweden. Image: courtesy PrefabNZ

Continue to read full article on ArchitectureNow released April 03, 2017   |||

Design standards and building laws will be reviewed in response to an investigation into structural damage to Wellington’s Statistics House in the Kaikōura earthquake, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Dr Smith today released an independent panel’s findings into the performance of the building during the 14 November 2016 quake, focussing on its design and construction, and the land influences on it.

“The performance of Statistics House in the Kaikōura earthquake was unacceptable and could have caused fatalities. This quake was large and unusually long but a modern building like Statistics House should not have had life-threatening structural damage. The building was designed to the industry practice of the time but this did not fully account for the effects of beam elongation during an earthquake, an issue that was deficient in the Concrete Structures Standard at the time of the design.

“The design flaw is quite specific to highly ductile framed concrete buildings with pre-cast floor slabs and particularly those with multi bay frames. We need to follow up on similarly designed buildings through councils and engineering companies so that where it is a problem, it can be rectified. This has already been done in respect of Wellington as a consequence of the preliminary findings in Statistics House but now needs to be followed up elsewhere. We also need to amend the Concrete Structures Standard to ensure newly designed buildings are adequately designed to cope with beam elongation during long duration earthquakes. This will be done this year.

“A compounding factor was geological basin effects that are not well understood but which have also been observed in other earthquakes internationally. This is not to do with reclaimed land but the amplification of ground shaking in a basin. This phenomena is similar to the way sea waves respond to a wall in an enclosed bay. This is an area of seismic science that needs further research, particularly in respect of Wellington, and to be considered as part of a review of the Earthquake Actions Standard.

“There is a building law issue that arises from this report on which I have asked officials to report. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has limited powers to follow up on design deficiencies like those identified in this report beyond those specifically provided for following civil emergencies. This means MBIE cannot require building owners to follow up on these sorts of potentially serious technical problems. I have asked MBIE to report on whether additional powers are needed in the Building Act.

“New Zealand is at the cutting edge of international seismic design standards but we have not yet solved all of the potential ways a building can fail. Most buildings in Wellington performed well despite the ferocity of the Kaikōura earthquake. We need to take the opportunity following such earthquakes to learn as much as we can and to further strengthen our standards and systems to improve building safety for the future.

“These detailed issues over the performance of modern buildings are important for improving design standards but they should not divert attention away from the far more significant risk to life of older buildings. The Kaikōura earthquake was sufficiently distant from Wellington that the city did not get the dangerous high-frequency shaking that poses the greatest risk to life.

“The largest safety gains for Wellington are to be made in the initiatives requiring unreinforced masonry facades and parapets to be tied back over the next year and all earthquake-prone buildings under 34 per cent of Building Code to be upgraded under the new law coming into effect on 1 July.”

The Statistics House investigation report is available at http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/building-construction/safety-quality/statistics-house-investigation

|  A Beehive release  |  March 31, 2017   |||

Engineers say results from the Statistics House investigation will help build more resilient buildings.

New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) President Peter Smith says every earthquake provides new information on how to improve building design.

“Investigations like this are crucial to making our buildings safer. We need to gain access to detailed information on how other buildings performed, to help widen understanding of whole-of-building performance.

“Statistics House illustrated how different factors can combine in unexpected and unprecedented ways.

“In Wellington, this earthquake most severely affected mid-height buildings. Because the earthquake was so far away, only low-frequency waves made it to the Capital. These waves resonated with mid-height buildings, which combined with the earthquake’s long duration meant mid-height buildings experienced severe shaking.

“Basically these flexible, modern buildings experienced a design-level earthquake – an earthquake that met or exceeded what they were designed to withstand.

“At the same time, shorter and stiffer buildings experienced an earthquake that wasn’t even one-third of Code. But these earthquake-prone buildings still pose a significant risk to public safety, especially in an earthquake centred closer to Wellington. It’s really important that vulnerable features on these buildings, such as parapets and facades, are secured during this time of heightened seismic risk.”

Structural Engineering Society (SESOC) spokesperson Paul Campbell says the Statistics House investigation has revealed that buildings with key characteristics may be vulnerable in an earthquake that’s both large and long.

“In a large and long-duration earthquake, these key characteristics are flexible frames in combination with precast floors.

“Flexible frames are designed to bend so that the ends of the beams experience controlled damage.

“But the Kaikoura earthquake has confirmed that if an earthquake is strong enough and long enough, the damage can make the beams grow in length. This means the supports for the pre-cast floor system can move too far apart, potentially causing parts of the floor to lose their support and collapse.

“When Statistics House was built, the Building Code did not allow for this combination of factors – but it does now.

“The Canterbury earthquakes led to Building Code changes – and now more changes are likely given what we have learned from the Kaikoura earthquake.

“Engineers will be working with MBIE to further develop detailed guidance on assessing and retrofitting buildings with these characteristics.”

|  An IPENZ release   |   March 31, 2017   |||

SESOC and NZSEE are IPENZ technical groups.

In a bid to get around terrestrial height restrictions, Clouds Architecture Office has proposed suspending the world's tallest skyscraper from an asteroid, leaving residents to parachute to earth.

New York-based Clouds Architecture Office drew up plans for Analemma Tower to "overturn the established skyscraper typology" by building not up from the ground but down from the sky by affixing the foundations to an orbiting asteroid.

"Harnessing the power of planetary design thinking, it taps into the desire for extreme height, seclusion and constant mobility," said the architects, who have previously drawn up proposals for space transportation and a 3D-printed ice house on Mars.

"If the recent boom in residential towers proves that sales price per square foot rises with floor elevation, then Analemma Tower will command record prices, justifying its high cost of construction."

Continue here on de zeen to read the full article with images |  March 30, 2017   |||

Energetic, enthusiastic, motivating, thought provoking, enjoyable – who’d have thought all these were comments from delegates attending a building-industry conference!

PrefabNZ is a hub for innovative construction. Whether you are looking to build a home, are working within the industry or are just interested in the latest building solutions – this is the place to be.

PrefabNZ CoLab 2017 – held at AUT on March 21st was sold out quickly, and it was not hard to see why. This year’s keynote speakers from around the globe delivered a spectacular array of knowledge and relevant content that held the audience of 170 delegates captive from start to finish. I didn’t see a single yawn.

Helena Lidelow (University of Lulea / Lindbäcks, Sweden) delivered the keynote and quickly gained the attention of her audience by delivering some stark industry facts regarding waste operations on building projects. Just 20% of the time is considered “Direct Work” compared with 35% “Pure Waste” and 45% “Indirect Work”. Talking with some delegates after the keynote, these facts had clearly done their work and the “off-site manufacture” message had firmly taken root! Helena’s presentation went on to compare prefab to the automotive industry and how different the two industries are – but to learn these lessons and understand the industry more, you’ll need to get yourself along to the next events. (http://www.prefabnz.com/Events)

This year, CADPRO Systems provided a 15-minute talk on how people see the world in different ways. Not everyone can read a drawing and yet we still present incredibly technical diagrams to clients and expect them to engage with a project. During the short talk, we introduced virtual reality (VR) and how it brings the only “full scale” immersive experience to potential clients and stakeholders – regardless of their technical ability. Our VR rig in the exhibition area was in constant use by delegates and exhibitors throughout the day. As usual, it was fascinating to see people become so quickly and emotionally connected to a simple model, and their understanding of the potential uses for the technology was inspiring.

| A CADPRO Systems release  |  Wednesday 22 March 2017   |||

Pioneer Construction, formerly known as Canterbury Rebuilders, have been awarded a two-year exclusive contract to build portable cabins for Just Cabins in the South Island.

Following a thorough selection process, Fenton Peterken, owner andFranchisor of Just Cabins, said that Pioneer Construction was thecompany that most closely matched the requirements of Just Cabinsin terms of experience and outlook.

“Although we had several high quality applications from the Christchurch area, Pioneer Construction demonstrated their passion and experience from the outset. We work with a number of partners across the country and we are especially pleased to start this new partnership – two growing New Zealand businesses providing customers with high quality products and service.”

Jarrod Chappell and Mathew Douthett, owners of Pioneer Construction, were equally delighted with the new partnership, saying, “We already have so much experience in building new homes, maintenance work and of course, Earthquake Repairs, so we are looking forward to adding experience of building mobile cabins to our portfolio. We are delighted with the opportunity to work with the Just Cabins team.”

|  A PRNZ release  |  March 25, 2017   |||

A major investment is taking shape to improve facilities at a North Shields factory and safeguard hundreds of jobs.

Fletcher Building is planning to invest tens of millions of pounds over the next three years in Formica Group’s North Shields factory and office.

Formica Group, which employs more than 300 people, produces thousands of different laminate sheets for doors in businesses, schools and hospitals around Europe.

Mark Adamson, CEO of Fletcher Building, was at the factory in Norham Road to see the progress on work bringing all staff back under one roof at the site.

Office space is currently being refurbished to bring sales staff and management from nearby Cobalt Park back onto the North Shields plant.

Speaking to the News Guardian, Mark said: “The investment will be spent in new technology and upgrading facilities.

“The problem with North Shields is that while people were spending money in North America and Asia, this business didn’t get its fair share of capital.

> > > Continue to read full article  |  March 9, 2017  ||

AECOM, the world’s biggest engineering firm, plans to spend billions of dollars on acquisitions amid expectations for growing U.S. funding of road, rail, water and energy projects, Chief Executive Officer Michael Burke said.

“We’ll look to be the largest infrastructure firm in the world -- both construction and design,” Burke said Monday in an interview at Bloomberg’s Los Angeles bureau. “I’ve got to spend $3.5 billion, and we think it’ll be spent on good, solid strategic acquisitions. We will grow organically also.”

Infrastructure spending by the U.S. government is likely to grow because it’s one of the few priorities shared by President Donald Trump, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and voters, Burke said. Trump told Congress last week he wants to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure, a proposal Burke expects to be detailed later this year but that will take years to implement.

“I think a plan will be put in place before the end of 2017,” he said in a Bloomberg Television interview later Monday with Vonnie Quinn. “And then it will be implemented over the course of ’18 and ’19 and forward.”

The last major acquisition by Los Angeles-based AECOM, which reported $17.4 billion in revenue in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, was URS Corp. for $5.6 billion. The 2014 deal “created synergies” of about $325 million, exceeding projections, while also helping AECOM win more bids because of expanded capabilities, Burke said. AECOM has landed $12.3 billion of new projects over its two most recent quarters, he said, putting it on pace to surpass last year’s revenue.

> > >  A Bloomberg release continue to full article

Getting the first three steel girders for the new Kawarau Falls Bridge to Queenstown, from Napier, wasn’t an easy task, says NZ Transport Agency Senior Project Manager Phil Dowsett.

The girders, weighing in at more than 22 tonnes, were fabricated  in Napier by Eastbridge  , a firm which specialise in bridge steel fabrication.

“The original plan was to transport the girders by rail but the 14 November, 2016 earthquake left the main rail trunk line impassable between Kaikoura and Blenheim,” says Phil Dowsett.

“The McConnell Dowell team needed to find another way to get the steel girders to Queenstown efficiently, to ensure the project stayed on track. They looked at sea freighting for part of the journey, but the length of the girders and bracing made this uneconomical. Trucking became the preferred option.”

To minimise the risk of delays, McConnell Dowell constructed a new laydown area not far from site. This enables the project to receive the girders in plenty of time.

Trucking proved to be the best way to get the steel on site quickly. In all, 40 truckloads of steel girders will make the four-day trip between Napier and Queenstown.

A total of 880 tonnes of steel, in lengths of 16 and six metres, will be used in the bridge construction. The longest beam is 16 metres long - ie one-and-a-half times longer than a telephone pole, or eight king size beds laid end on end.

| An NZTransportAgency release  |  February 20, 2017  ||

Anglo-Australian mining titan Rio Tinto announced the award of a US$45 million to the New Zealand civil construction firm Fulton Hogan. The contract, which is for the construction of a dam at the Amrun bauxite project in Cape York, Queensland, was announced last Wednesday.

The project will have Fulton Hogan’s Queensland division constructing a 10.9-gigaliter (2.9 billion gallon) dam as well as an impoundment area, embankment, intake infrastructure, spillway, fishway, and access corridor.

A name for the dam has already been selected as well – “Arraw,” chosen by the area’s Traditional Owners, which is the native population’s name for the emu, Australian flightless and largest native bird.

“As an industry leader Fulton Hogan will bring great expertise to the construction of Arraw dam and create 120 jobs for local workers,” said Rio Tinto Growth & Innovation group executive Stephen McIntosh.

“Fulton Hogan is a renowned leader in building water storage for dams and reservoirs in challenging terrains. We look forward to our successful collaboration on this project.”

“We are delighted to bring our dam building technology and innovation to the Amrun project,” explained Fulton Hogan chief executive officer for construction Peter Kessler. “Our construction teams are experienced in the challenges of working in a bulk water environment and strictly share Rio Tinto’s commitment to a safe work environment.”

According to the press release, the contract is expected to begin by the current quarter’s end on March 31.

The Amrun project, which was announced by Rio in late 2015, is a US$2.6 billion bauxite project on the Cape York Peninsula. It will feature a bauxite mine, processing facilities, and port facilities when production begins in early 2019. The project is expected to employ 1,100 workers, a certain percentage of whom will likely be drawn from other of the company’s bauxite projects that are expected to soon wind down.

|  An AluminiumInsider release  |  February 19, 2017  ||