Construction

For Australian homegrown ‘nuts n’ bolts’ enterprise Speciality Fasteners (SpecFast), the classic Paul Kelly lyric rings true: From little things, big things grow. 

A global collaboration, including researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), has shown how liquid gallium can be used as a cost-effective way to capture and convert CO2 greenhouse emissions. 

Ahrens continue to provide cutting edge and innovative manufacturing solutions for their clients through the delivery of a new warehouse facility for Electrolux, an industry-leading global appliance company. 

The Australian Paint Manufacturers Federation (APMF) has backed calls for fiscal stimulus for home building and renovations to aid Australia’s economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. The APMF said economic stimulus was needed to help construction workers and tradies who have lost their livelihood during the recent health crisis get back to work. Australia’s … Continue reading Australian paint manufacturers voice support for construction and renovation stimulus →

Many property owners struggle to supply enough parking and need flexible and fast solutions to accommodate their customers. At the same time, other owners have more parking than customers—particularly large retail spaces challenged by the rise of Amazon. Now, modular parking structures are becoming an increasingly popular solution, but are typically quite limited in scale. … Continue reading Elevating modular parking →

Engineers Australia has called for a comprehensive industry policy as part of a plan to help businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. A policy should focus on strategic engagement with international standard bodies, support for scaling up existing manufacturing industries, development of onshore capabilities for manufacturing and materials supply. Engineers Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans … Continue reading Engineers Australia releases COVID-19 recovery plan →

The South Australian government has announced $10 million to fund upgrades for 1000 SA Housing homes across the state. Work ranging from painting, lighting and roofing maintenance will begin immediately across metropolitan and regional areas, including in Mt Gambier, Port Augusta and the Riverland. Human Services minister Michelle Lensink said the upgrades will create more … Continue reading $10 million boost for SA home upgrades →

A new type of concrete made out of waste materials that can bend under load has been developed and patented by researchers at Swinburne. “Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world,” Dr Behzad Nematollahi said. “In fact, it is the second-most consumed material by human beings after water. Its quality has … Continue reading Bendable concrete developed at Swinburne →

Lindsay Le Compte, general manager, Construction and Infrastructure, at Ai Group outlines how the organisation is taking steps to prepare the industry for the infrastructure boom. In August 2019, the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) established the Construction Supply Chain Council (CSCC). It brings together businesses in areas such as steel, concrete, cement, aggregate and … Continue reading The need for a construction supply chain council →

Ahrens’ extensive experience in upgrades and refurbishments was crucial in delivering a 3,000 sqm warehouse extension for Laminex within eight weeks. Extensive experience in upgrading and expanding existing facilities, combined with excellent scheduling and planning was invaluable when it came to meeting the client’s expectations for this project. Ahrens were able to successfully deliver a … Continue reading Fast, safe, professional – Ahrens deliver 3,000 sqm warehouse extension →

Thinking about outcomes when supplying can lead to innovation, explains Innes Willox, CEO of Ai Group. Outcomes-based procurement has attracted significant attention over recent years both internationally and across Australia. It has, for instance, been incorporated into Queensland’s Procurement Policy which now requires Queensland government agencies to pursue opportunities to develop innovative supply solutions, either … Continue reading Using innovative approaches to deliver value for money through outcomes-based procurement →

Working at the intersection of digital and physical systems, Total Construction is primed to integrate Industry 4.0 into a manufacturing facility. Manufacturers’ Monthly explains. Thinking about installing Industry 4.0 systems in your plant? It’s time to talk to your builder. This is the message from Rob Blythman, general manager, Engineering Construction Group for Total Construction. … Continue reading Early involvement ensures smooth integration →

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) is working with a West Australian hemp producer, MIRRECO to speed up the production of hemp for a variety of uses. Hemp has been proven to store carbon, improve soil condition, be useful in the production of a range of consumer products, while growing rapidly, with one season for … Continue reading Manufacturer uses hemp as construction materials, carbon storage →

Ahrens demonstrated why they are leaders in the delivery of heavy engineering facilities with the completion of this fit-for-purpose facility. Ahrens continued their excellent relationship with leading South Australian business, Cavpower, with the design and construct of their new $20-million-dollar Service Operations Centre. With extensive experience in designing and building fit-for-purpose facilities for the heavy … Continue reading New Cavpower Service Operations Centre built with enhanced customer experience in mind →

Construction has started on ABB‘s robotics manufacturing and research factory. Located in China, the facility is expected to open in 2021 and is the result of a US$150 million ($218m) investment by the SIX Swiss Exchange traded company. Located in Kangqiao, near Shanghai, the facility will involve machine learning, digital, and collaborative solutions. According to … Continue reading ABB begins work on future robotics factory →

The potential for hemp fibres to be used in industry is the subject of a new taskforce, created by the Victorian government. Today, the food industry uses hemp products, however, the taskforce hopes to expand the number of industries that can use the environmentally friendly and sustainable product. “Hemp has huge potential in so many … Continue reading Taskforce to investigate hemp for industrial uses →

As part of the Metro Tunnel project, the Victorian government has constructed an $18 million purpose-built factory to produce concrete segments to line the walls of the tunnel. The segment manufacturing facility can produce roughly 150 curved segments each day, at a rate of one every seven minutes. The plant employs 70 people, many of … Continue reading Metro building drives Victorian manufacturing →

The process of pultrusion has been used by at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) to create composite materials for the oil and gas and transport industries in Australia and overseas. Pultrusion involves creating continuous lengths of composite material by pulling fibre-reinforced profiles through a cross-section of die, resin, and heating and cooling zones. Working … Continue reading Pultrusion creates consistency, productivity →

A consortium bid has opened the way for the advanced manufacturing of buildings and construction in Australia. The $28 million bid is a cooperation between Monash University, Lendlease, The University of Melbourne, and Donovan Group, steered through the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program. Entitled Building 4.0, the initiative will put the customer at the centre … Continue reading Bid to advance building and construction processes →

The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has partnered with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Brisbane surveying company Monitum to manufacture smart sensors for the construction industry. Using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) techniques, the sensors will provide cheap and reliable monitoring of infrastructure projects at a higher level of precision than currently … Continue reading Industry partnership to manufacture low power sensors for construction industry →