The catastrophic events of Black Saturday on the 7 February 2009 have resulted in a number of revisions to building codes in Australia. A contributing factor to their implementation is an attempt to ensure the tragic loss of life and property experienced that day is never repeated.

To ensure new homes, alterations and additions are located and constructed with greater bushfire protection, the new Australian Standard AS 3959-2009 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas now applies in Queensland, Victoria and ACT and will apply nationally in 2010.

Given the extent and the significance of these changes to the Australian Standards educating individuals and local communities will play an important role in bringing everyone up to speed with the new standards. To facilitate this education process Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia (CHH) has recently produced an electronic guide that helps explain the new standards in detail.

This electronic guide also details the extensive range of products offered by CHH that can be used to build Standard compliant floor, wall, deck and roof systems.

People may mistakenly believe that they have no option other than building with brick or steel if they are in a high risk area. This electronic guide demonstrates that timber is still a very viable option when it comes to achieving a BCA compliant home in a high bushfire risk area. Regardless of where you live, CHH wood products remain the natural solution for you.

Download a copy of A Guide to Bushfire Compliant Construction

» Bushfire Protection Microsite
 

One of the benefits of this document being produced in an electronic format is that it allows CHH to quickly update the guide whenever there are subsequent changes to the Standards in the future.

Should you have any technical questions in relation to this or CHH's range of bushfire compliant products please call our Timber Technical Expert on 1800 808 131 or » E-mail.

Award(s):
Australian Timber Design Awards: Special Judges Award

Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts is a supplier of FSC certified products. FSC available on request. Certified products can contribute to Green Star credit points. FSC The mark of respoisible forestry. SCS COC 001316. www.fsc.org © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council.

Sometimes the most challenging jobs, end up being the most rewarding. This was certainly the case for architect Shaun Carter of Carterwilliamson when commissioned to create an outdoor area and 'smokers terrace' in Sydney's Blues Point Hotel. The curved façade of this Art Deco hotel provided the initial inspiration to create an extraordinary 4.8 m tall, walled and acoustically attenuated outdoor room.

Challenged with planning constraints, acoustic constraints, budget constraints, concerns from neighbours and a 30 m tall Norfolk Pine, Shaun and his team rose to the challenge. The fluid curves of the courtyard's SHADOWclad® façade undulate to provide a contemporary contrast to the heritage of the old hotel. Originally specified as zinc, cost became a factor and SHADOWclad was the perfect replacement material. "We needed something that looked fantastic," said Shaun - not to mention something that was tough enough for the façade, could be curved around the structural steel frame and house hi-tech acoustic insulation. » more