Product News
The design of hospital facilities plays a crucial role in patient care and recovery, with factors like noise reduction, natural light, and thoughtful layout contributing to a healing environment.
Recognising this, Campbelltown Hospital in New South Wales underwent a $632 million refurbishment in 2023, led by CPD Builders, to create a state-of-the-art healthcare facility for its community.
The renovation focused on modernising the hospital's infrastructure and services to transcend traditional healthcare settings.
This included the construction of digital operating theatres, an expanded ICU, a new dental department, an enlarged cancer therapy centre, an expanded maternity department, and an enhanced mental health services department with specialised units for different patient groups.
A key challenge of the refurbishment was meeting stringent requirements for noise reduction, ... more
Potential balcony crisis in Victorian homes raises safety concerns
Victoria is facing a potential balcony crisis, prompting experts to urge proactive measures to assess and address structural issues before they become hazardous.
Timely inspections, maintenance, and necessary repairs are key to mitigating risks and ensuring the safety and longevity of these properties.
"Analysing the timber species and waterproofing systems used could be a crucial step in understanding why these issues are occurring, especially if the buildings are around 10 years old," said Professor Tripti Singh, Director of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life.
While timber is a durable and predictable material, it requires ongoing maintenance.
Defective balconies are a significant concern for buildings constructed in the last 15 years.
Homeowners can prevent such damage by taking proactive steps to maintain their balconies and other timber elements... more
Autodesk launches new tool to drive sustainability in AECO industries
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has unveiled Total Carbon Analysis, a new tool aimed at helping architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) professionals in Australia and New Zealand accelerate sustainability strategies and manage costs.
Total Carbon Analysis is part of Autodesk's AEC Collection and offers real-time carbon analysis tools to track the carbon footprint of a building from planning through detailed design.
The built environment is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of emissions annually.
Total Carbon Analysis for Architects, available within Autodesk's AEC Collection, includes Embodied Carbon Analysis in Forma, supported by AI capabilities, to help architects understand and test the carbon impact of their early design decisions.
The expansion of Autodesk's Esri alliance brings new integrations... more
Big River Group’s Grafton timber factory receives major upgrade
Big River Group's Grafton timber factory has unveiled a significant upgrade, bolstering the supply of high-quality timber products to the construction industry in New South Wales.
The $20 million project, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, marks a crucial step forward for the region's timber industry.
Big River Group CEO John Lorente stated: "We understand just how important the factory is to our workforce and the Grafton community and will remain future-focused on continuing to create opportunities to diversify with new value-added niche products and remain sustainable into the future."
The upgrade, which includes a $10 million contribution from Big River Group, has enabled the factory to increase its supply capacity to 8000 cubic metres of timber products annually.
This enhancement comes as a boon for the co... more
Replace paper timesheets with an easy to use mobile app
Phil Martin is the former owner of a demolition company. Frustrated by the time wasted on collating his staff’s paper timesheets, explains how he developed a simple timesheet app that transformed his business - Tradietimesheet.com
In the fast-paced world of construction and trade, time is of the essence. Every minute spent on administrative tasks is a minute taken away from essential projects and client relationships. As a former owner of a demolition company, I experienced first-hand the challenges of managing a team spread across multiple sites, especially when it came to collecting and processing timesheets.
The traditional paper-based timesheet system was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and inconsistencies. It was frustrating to find incomplete or inaccurate timesheets, leading to delays in payroll processing and disgruntled employees. I knew there had to be ... more
Access COINS builds on success with global acquisition
Construction management software company, Construction Industry Solutions (COINS), is experiencing significant growth in Australia, with the announcement of eight new industry-leading customers and a recent acquisition by global software business, The Access Group.
Martinus, Australia’s largest privately owned rail infrastructure company, is adopting COINS ERP software across its operations in Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, and other international projects. Industrial and commercial construction market leader CIP Constructions Group, and well-established, innovative civil construction and mining services contractor, RJV, are also new customers.
Martinus Chief Operating Officer Ryan Baden says COINS will provide a fundamental business management system across its multinational entities to assist with operational consistency and reporting.
"COINS will allow the... more
PlanRadar’s SiteView revolutionises project documentation
PlanRadar, a digital platform for construction, real estate, and facilities management, is set to launch its innovative AI-powered SiteView feature.
This new feature enhances the platform's documentation, communication, and reporting capabilities by allowing users to capture 360° imagery of their projects while navigating the site.
These images are seamlessly integrated into a 2D plan, providing a meticulous visual archive of project progression at every phase of development.
PlanRadar Group Co-CEO Ibrahim Imam stated: "This feature is a game changer for PlanRadar users, combining an easy-to-use experience with the highest levels of accuracy.
“It makes it possible to achieve complete visual as-builts and field progress documentation, replacing the need for taking thousands of photos.
“In addition to our core documentation, communication, and ticketing platform, SiteVi... more