The project, 55 Southbank Boulevard is a defining new landmark  in Melbourne, being crowned as the the worlds tallest timber building extension, with a 10 storey cross laminated  structure sitting on top of an  existing 7 storey concrete building.  The technical challenges, of building one of Australia's tallest timber buildings on top of an existing building has significant technical challenges, and we were lucky to speak with the builder, Rob Debrincat, the Manager of Innovation at Atelier, the architect Julian Anderson, a  director at Bates Smart and Nathan Benbow, a senior Structural Engineer at Vistek. In part one of this two part discussion:

• The unique project challenges, such as cranage requirements with limited site access, building with minimal occupant disruption and the strengthening of the existing building
• How early contractor involvement was key for solving design issues, and ensuring efficient design and construction
•  Designing and detailing with other materials such as the steel core, and concrete transfer deck

 

Hope you enjoyed this episode. Stay tuned for next weeks episode where we talk about digital design, fabrication and lessons learned on the project.

 

If you want to use timber on your next project, there are over 45 free technical guides found at the WoodSolutions website. Technical guide 37 which focuses on the steps to deliver a mid-rise timber building is a good start.

www.woodsolutions.com.au/articles/technical-design-guides