Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Major Project Model
First Image showing the workings of the reinforcement under the column and slab the second showing the the final product.
Major Project Development 5
Grout placed where still columns will go, gives a buffer area between the base plate and the concrete footing. Giving a flush connection.
Steel Columns are placed with the use of cranes to lift and lower onto the starter bars.
Nuts are used to hold the Steel column to the ground as large forces from the roof and walls travel through these columns.
Steel Columns are placed with the use of cranes to lift and lower onto the starter bars.
Nuts are used to hold the Steel column to the ground as large forces from the roof and walls travel through these columns.
Major Project Development 3
Reinforcement placed on bar chairs and tires together with wire to minimise movement. Trench cage also placed for the footing.
Starter Bars placed for Steel columns, Ready for Concrete Pour
Starter Bars placed for Steel columns, Ready for Concrete Pour
Major Delevlopment 2
50 mm of sand/crushed rock placed for the slab .
Bar Chairs Placed in grid formation for the reinforcement to rest on.
Bar Chairs Placed in grid formation for the reinforcement to rest on.
Major Project Development 1
The prepartion of the site including digging the trench and leveling the site ready for placement of reinforcement.
Millions at stake as towers left up in the air
May 30, 2007
'TWO unfinished apartment towers in Melbourne are in limbo after the $300 million collapse of a Sydney-based financier and property group.
Estate Property Group and its finance arm, Australian Capital Reserve, collapsed late on Monday amid concerns the value of its projects across Australia were overstated. As many as 8600 small investors could lose millions between them.
The two unfinished Melbourne projects are the 41-level neo200 on Spencer Street and the 14-level Grosvenor on Queens in Albert Park.
On Monday night, McGrathNicol were appointed voluntary administrators of Estate Property Group as well as ACR and 24 other companies. A spokesman for McGrathNicol declined to comment on the fate of the company's projects.
Last night an Australian Securities and Investments Commission spokeswoman told The Age that ACR had been investigated for the "possible overstatement" of the value of its investment properties in its most recent prospectus.
Other areas of concern were the lack of information about the valuation of its projects as well as inadequate disclosure in a number of areas, including construction risk.
The spokeswoman declined to say which projects were involved.
Late last month, ASIC placed a final stop order on ACR, which prevented it from raising funds. ASIC did not disclose its reasons at the time.
ACR relied on raising funds from the public that it then lent out to Estate Property Group to fund development activities. In its latest offer it was promising investors a return of between 8.75 per cent and 9.55 per cent. But a copy of ACR's most recently lodged financial accounts show it was fast running out of cash. Between the end of 2005 and the end of 2006, its cash dropped by more than $33 million to $8.7 million.
Most of Estate Property's projects are in NSW.'
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/millions-at-stake-as-towers-left-up-in-the-air/2007/05/29/1180205250376.html
- Two unfinished apartment towers in melbourne, after the collapse of a Sydney based finanicer & property group.
- As many as 8600 small investers could loss millions between them.
$500m park landing at Essendon Airport
May 30, 2007
'THREE major car dealerships in Melbourne's north will relocate to a $500 million commercial park at Essendon Airport, along with several large corporate tenants.
Essendon Fields is a 75-hectare business and industrial park backed by veteran property developer Max Beck and the Linfox Property Group.
The Toyota, Honda and Mazda dealerships will be located side by side on Wirraway Road, in the north of the precinct.
Essendon Fields chief executive Rob Whitwell said the three motor vehicle dealerships would amount to 25,000 square metres, but the area would eventually have up to 100,000 sq m of car yards with eight or nine major dealers.
"What we are establishing there is an 'auto alley'. It will be a significant new-car precinct," Mr Whitwell said.
He said the three dealerships were all relocating from Keilor Road in Niddrie. Building would start soon and was expected to be finished in the first half of 2008, he said.
BusinessDay can also reveal:
■The developers will build a 4500-sq-m mail delivery centre for Australia Post, to open later this year.
■Linfox Logistics will exclusively occupy a 5500-sq-m building currently under construction for its Melbourne headquarters. The company will relocate from Clayton.
■Building will start within two months on a 5000-sq-m 4.5-to-5-star green-rated speculative office block.
■Supermarket giant Coles will anchor the 10,000-sq-m retail development, which includes 15 specialty shops and 700 sq m of offices above. The shopping centre will open in November.
The developers last week opened Essendon Fields House, a $9.5 million 4.5-star green-rated office building at the site. The Essendon Fields developers and Matthews Steer Chartered Accountants will occupy it.
Two government tenants are in final negotiations to lease space in the rest of the building.
The Linfox Property Group and the Beck Corporation bought the rights for a 99-year lease over Essendon Airport in 2001.'
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/500m-park-landing-at-essendon-airport/2007/05/29/1180205250042.html
Image from www.essendonfields.com.au
- Three major car dealership relocated to a $500 million commercial park at Essendon Airport
- With 8 or 9 major dealers eventually occupying 100,000sq meters
- A 4500sq meter delivery centre for Australia Post
- Building Commences in two months on a 5000 sq m 4.5 to 5 star green rated office block.
CityLink caned on toll road
May 27, 2007
KEY POINTS:
'ONE of Melbourne's most prestigious private boys' schools is threatening legal action over plans to widen CityLink's toll road, which will interfere with school property.
Scotch College in Hawthorn accepts it will lose 1600 square metres of land for the road-widening project, but claims more needs to be done to help sound-proof classrooms.
The college is worried construction vehicles could come onto its grounds as early as August and has hired acoustic experts to check on CityLink data related to expected traffic noise levels.
The college also claims more than 100 mature native trees, including river red gums, are at risk. CityLink says fewer than 10 trees will have to be removed.
In a report this month for the college's old boy magazine, Great Scot, editor Tim Shearer revealed the school was determined to pressure CityLink to reduce traffic noise.
"Scotch College is examining all possible means, including possible legal action, to require Transurban/CityLink to meet higher noise protection standards than it currently intends," Mr Shearer wrote.
"The college council regards the planned tollway widening as the single greatest threat to the college's operations and long-term security."
The expansion will bring traffic four metres closer to the college's main learning areas.
The college is also concerned about an anticipated increase in traffic, from 160,000 to 300,000 cars a day, which, it says, would have a damaging impact on Scotch's environment.
It wants "enhanced noise walls" to be built to reduce noise pollution.
Mr Shearer said in the report Transurban/CityLink had "only committed, so far, to provide noise barriers across Glenferrie Road and maintain the enhanced acoustic protection Scotch College paid for in 1998-99".
CityLink spokeswoman Jane Calvert said yesterday the company had been meeting with Scotch College weekly "to identify all issues of importance to the school with the hope of minimising the project's impact both during and after construction".
"We're trying to co-ordinate the main construction start date with their September holidays to minimise disruption, but we're still finalising the detailed design of the project at the moment," Ms Calvert told The Sunday Age.
She declined to comment on the college's threat of legal action.
The State Government announced plans last August to expand the tollway from six lanes to eight — four each way — for improvements to the southern end of CityLink. The $166 million project will be funded by Transurban and construction will take seven months.
The project forms part of a $900 million Government plan to improve capacity and ease congestion along the 75-kilometre route between Werribee and Narre Warren, expanding virtually all of it to four lanes each way by 2010.
Speed limits along the section of freeway next to the school will drop from 100km/h to 80km/h.
The strip of land to be compulsorily acquired is less than four metres wide and stretches about 400 metres along the college's southern border.'
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/citylink-caned-on-toll-road/2007/05/26/1179601737346.html
KEY POINTS:
- Legal Action could be taken over plans to widen Citylink roads
- The school wants more to be done about sound proofing the classrooms
- Widering the freeway will bring the traffic 4 meters closer to the learning areas
Union blames Comcare for crane incident
May 25, 2007
Saftey is the most important factor in the construction industry and when something happenes that affects people's saftey it is a big issue. This will affect the whole construction industry as it will mean tighter and more in depth checks on constrution sites. Comcare should stay out of the inspection of construction sites espically if they are using under qualified inspectors.
'The construction union has pointed the finger of blame at the national workplace safety body after a massive crane became unstable on Friday at the National Portrait Gallery construction site in Canberra.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) construction national secretary Dave Noonan said the crane began tilting on its base, putting workers and the public at risk.
Work at the site has been shut down.
Mr Noonan criticised the safety response, saying the operation at the John Holland site was bungled, forcing the dismantling of the crane.
"John Holland's have recently shifted from the ACT WorkCover Scheme to Comcare, which has only 32 workplace safety inspectors nationally," he said in a statement.
"When the Comcare safety inspectors arrived, it emerged they had little or no experience in construction safety and had to seek advice from union officials.
"The incident highlights the dangers of expanding Comcare into the construction industry. We need an inspectorate properly resourced and experienced."
Mr Noonan said CFMEU officials were at the site assisting inspectors.
A Comcare spokesman later said there was no incident that put workers or the public at risk.
"John Holland dealt expeditiously and appropriately with a potential safety hazard," the spokesman said.
"Cracks were discovered in the concrete footing for a newly installed crane that had not yet been put to use.
"The site was immediately closed off and all appropriate steps taken to protect workers and the public. Comcare investigators attended the site quickly."
The spokesman said independent inspection confirmed there was no immediate threat to safety and that timely and safe action was taken to dismantle the crane.
"CFMEU officials were in attendance during the dismantling as were Comcare investigators," he said.
A Comcare investigation of the matter had begun, the spokesman said.'
KEY POINTS:- Large Crane Become Unstable at the National Portrait Gallery Construction site in Canberra.
- Put workers and public at risk
- Under qualified Inspectors being used by Comcare
Saftey is the most important factor in the construction industry and when something happenes that affects people's saftey it is a big issue. This will affect the whole construction industry as it will mean tighter and more in depth checks on constrution sites. Comcare should stay out of the inspection of construction sites espically if they are using under qualified inspectors.
How Steel Is Made.
Diagrams from - www.uksteel.org.uk
Shows how steel is Constructed From Start To Finish and What parts are recycled
Construction workers could boycott Blundstone boots
The construction arm of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is urging its 100,000 members to only buy Australian-made safety boots.
"We are calling for construction workers around Australia to exercise the choice of not buying Blundstones," CFMEU national secretary Dave Noonan said.
Mr Noonan said he was outraged this morning to learn that Blundstone would shift production to India and Thailand, where labour costs are a fraction of what they are here.
"Lots of workers will feel that it's a betrayal of a national icon to go overseas based on cheap labour costs," he said.
Trade policy blamed for Blundstone move
The textile union is blaming the Federal Government's trade policies for the imminent closure of Blundstone's boot factory in Hobart, and warns more jobs in the sector will go if changes are not made.
Blundstone will shut its doors within months after 137 years of operation and move to Thailand and India to reduce high manufacturing costs.
Up to 300 workers in Tasmania and 60 in New Zealand will lose their jobs.
The company says rising costs have forced the Australian icon offshore.
"Since 2003, we have not been able to pass the price increases - fuel increases, inflation, and labour - on to consumers," Blundstone manager Steve Gunn told News Ltd.
"If we hadn't made this decision, the market would have determined Blundstone boots irrelevant in a relatively short period of time."
Mr Gunn said it was not worth asking governments for further assistance and said Blundstone would not be the last manufacturer in the sector to close onshore operations.
"I would make the point that we are not the first Australian manufacturer to make this call; there are others that have been identifying the need to do it," he told ABC Radio.
"I don't believe that manufacturing in Australia is a sensible option."
Tony Woolgar, national secretary of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union, said the Federal Government's trade policies were ruining Australia's manufacturing industry.
"We've got a Government hellbent on doing a free-trade agreement with China, we're allowing a flood of imports into Australia from China in the TCF sector, and unless the Government is prepared to change its policy on trade, then I think you'll see this sort of thing continue to happen," Mr Woolgar told ABC Radio.
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the Government was disappointed, but said Australian companies found it difficult to compete with lower wages in Asian countries.
"The textile, clothing and footwear industry in Australia has been under big pressure since the mid-1980s and that pressure has come from right around the world, as other countries have moved and Australia's standard of living has continued to rise and ... wage rates rise, making this industry a little uncompetitive compared to that product coming out of Asia.
"We have committed almost $1.5 billion as a Government towards supporting the textile, clothing and footwear industry in Australia and the company itself has been a recipient of many millions of dollars worth of assistance."
All workers are expected to be paid their full entitlements.'Link-http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/construction-workers-could-boycott-blundstone-boots/2007/01/17/1168709787245.html
KEY POINTS
- Production of Australian made Bludstone Boots going overseas to Thailand and India
- Construction, Forestry, Mining, Energy Union urging members to only buy Australian Made Boots
- There are lower manufacturing costs in Thailand and India
- This is due to the increase in living expenses in Australia and the increase in wages.
Another Australian Icon having to move overseas in order to survive. These steel cap boots are icon in the construction industry, a lot like speedos are in the swimming world. This will mean Australian jobs going overseas.
Victoria's construction industry gives value for money
'7 May 2007
http://invest.vic.gov.au/News/News/construction+competitiveness.htm
KEY POINTS
The Building Industry Comparative Index (BICI) presented clear evidence that Victoria was on a par with key domestic competitors, such as New South Wales and Queensland, when it comes to productivity and safety in construction.
Having previously suffered from a perception of lower cost-competitiveness, this study, based on seven years of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, State and Federal governments and private organisations, shows Victoria is highly competitive across a broad range of industry indicators.
The study shows Victorian construction sites to be
Furthermore, the Victorian Government introduced savings in last week's state budget that will bring average workers compensation premiums down to 1.46 per cent of payroll – the second lowest in the country – and
Also included in the budget are land tax reforms that will provide Victorian companies with the lowest land tax levels in
These excellent conditions fostered strong growth, with building approvals continuing to break the billion-dollar-barrier each month. In 2006 they were worth A$16.7 billion, up 8.9% on 2005, and breaking the $15 billion barrier for the third consecutive year.
Also launched today was a publication called Building Perspective, which documents the cooperative work practices adopted by five significant building projects in
There are fundamental and overriding reasons why investors are coming to
http://invest.vic.gov.au/News/News/construction+competitiveness.htm
KEY POINTS
- Victoria has safest construction sites in Australia
- Lowest level of time lost due to injuries
- Industrial Disputes at an all time low
Portal Frame Under Construction
Crane on-site to move and place steel components. Steel beams and columns already come prefabricated from supplier.
Scissor Lifts uses so the workers can connect the components together.
Steel components that are not being used remain on site out of the way.
Portal Frames
Portal Frames
Definition-“A continuous rigid frame with a restrained joint between the column and beam.”
Portal frames can be used for many building types such as commerical and industrial, such as in this project a warehouse. Which is a large span open area, which makes steel portal frame a perfect option. Portal frames work where the frame acts as one structural entity where stress is distributed through the frame.
Advantages of portal frames:
- Portal frames are simple in construction, where limited number of trades and skills are required to construct.
- It has a very large spanning comabititly where it can span 15-45m column free.
- It can constructed quickly and easily through its basic shape.
Types of Portal Frames
There are three types of portal frames these are rigid bases and 2 Pin and 3 Pin portals.
Rigid Bases
- There are lower bending momnets in frame which means the frame can be lighter and have a heavier footing.
- The maxium bending moment is at the apex knee and base of the frame.
Pinned Based (2 Pinned & 3 Pinned)
- These are ralely used anymore as the rigid bases are the perfered option.
- It has a simplified footing where the bending moments are transmitted vertically to the ground.
- This option is more suittable for poor foundations then ridged bases.
Choosing Pinned Base or Rigid Base depends manily on the economics of the construction project where rigid base is more economical for smaller spans.
References:
www.lbstructures.co.uk/metspan.htlm
Why Use Steel ???
Why Steel?
Steel has many advantages and disadvantages when choosing it as a construction element over other elements such as timber. When it comes to the construction on a factory, using it in a portal frame. These advantages can include:
- The accuracy of the engineered computations in calculation sizes and lengths.
- Its recycabiltiy and life-cycle costs as most buildings are also designed for demolition.
- Unlike timber that can be whether delayed steel can be worked on under roofing.
- Steel does not creep as much as timber which can become a problem in the long run for timber construction.
- All connection of steel members can be calculated by engineers.
- It has much greater spanning capability then other elements as far as span/section depth.
- It has much better quality control where it can be produced off-site and constructed on-site.
Even though steel has many advantages over other building materials when it comes to construction of a factory. There are still disadvantages that would make people selected different materials. These can include:
· Sometimes there is limited availability of certain sections.
· With steel there are many treatments and protection that is needed if the construction is going to last such as; anti-corrosion treatment and fire protection.
· If there was a fire heavy timber section perform better then steel as it can fail under the heat.
· There is a greater level of skill required then just carpenters if timber was being used.
· Higher degree of accuracy required because errors and changers are harder to correct.
Even though steel is more recyclable there are much greater environmental damages.Refernces:
www.steel.org.au
www.bluescopesteel.com.au
www.smogonsteel.com.au
Trip To Bunnings
Bunnings Warehouse uses Long Span Steel Construction for its Warehouses. Allows them to have open spaces without columns in the way.
This shows how open the warehouse is, see many of the components that go into the construction including the columns, Universal beams ect.
This is the intersection of two beams as the span is too great. It shows the Apex, Haunching and the bolts holding the components together.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Week One Long Span Construction
Warehouse in an idustrial estate occupied by a company called Activ Concepts is an example of long span construction with the use of steel.
Interior view of the warehouse showing the long span construction about a 30m span across.
Close up showing the apex joint the two universal beams bolted together.
Close up of the universal beam connection with the tilt up panel.
Shows the safety mesh as well as the steel cross-bracing bars.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)