STORIES
- Osmose celebrates its 75th anniversary
- NEW RAINCOAT™ TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
- Osmose process control system update,a must for efficient timber treatment
- THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CONNECTIONS
- Bush fire resistant timber and the 'bush fire' standard
As another year draws to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for their support over what has been a difficult year for not only the timber industry but for the building supplies industry in general. The year is finishing with markets improving for structural sawn timber as housing construction is showing signs of recovery. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rural and agricultural markets for treated timber. These markets have been negatively impacted by subdued farm earnings, drought and the apparent oversupply of wine grapes which has impacted on the planting of new vineyards. We are hopeful that there will be a continued recovery in the economy as a whole and in the market for treated timber products as we move into 2010.
The Osmose team and I would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, safe and successful 2010.
Elias Akle, GM Osmose Australia
NEW RAINCOAT™ TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Click image above to download PDF
Raincoat™ is one of the most popular products in the Osmose Timber Care range and is a favourite for the protection of timber in decks and other situations around the home. Originally developed for use with treated pine, it can be successfully used on hardwood timbers with a little care to ensure that the timber is able to absorb the product into its surface, particularly if the timber has been freshly laid or may not be seasoned – Raincoat can only be applied to dry timber. Some imported hardwoods may need care to ensure that the product is compatible. For further advice refer to the revised Raincoat Technical Data Sheet.
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NATIONAL RED ALERT ON DANGEROUS DECKS
The collapse recently of a timber balcony injuring 20 elderly people at a house in the north eastern Perth suburb of Ballajura was the second deadly timber deck collapse in a few days.
The Perth deck collapse follows the collapse of a timber deck at Morayfield, north of Brisbane on 28th October, where seven people were injured and taken to hospital, when about 15 people were on the timber deck, which was about three metres off the ground, gave way.
Archicentre’s pre-purchase home inspection statistics show that approximately 6% of Australian homes have a timber balcony or deck and that about 2% of these are potentially fatal.
These figures indicate around 8,000 balconies in Australia could be life threatening and there is a need for people to inspect their decks and balconies for rotting timbers and rusty corroding steel fittings which could lead to life threatening balcony collapses.
Archicentre urges everyone with a balcony or raised deck, whether it’s timber, concrete or features steel supports, to check it out carefully for safety, including an inspection for rotting timbers, shaky hand rails and balustrades, rusting bolts and brackets, rust stains and cracking in concrete balconies.
Archicentre has information available from the website on How to look out for a Balcony Collapse at http://www.archicentre.com.au/Balconytips.pdf
The third edition of Australian Standard AS 3959 - Construction of Buildings in Bush fire-Prone Areas, was released earlier this year after the Victorian Bush fire Disaster and introduced a number of changes from the last edition including the concept of Bush fire-Resisting Timber (BRT). Bush fire-Resisting Timber is deemed to be acceptable in specific construction up to the Bush fire Attack Level (BAL) BAL-29 where the BAL is an indication of the maximum expected radiant heat level, in this case, 29kW/m². Timber construction such as brick-veneer and timber framed roofs can be used in almost all BAL levels, however, Bush fire-Resisting Timber is concerned with the use of the timber in external situations where the flammability of the timber could be a risk to the structure. Timber can attain BRT status through its inherent physical properties, by the use of a fire-retardant chemical or the application of a fire-retardant coating or substrate. Timber species that qualify through natural fire resistance and listed in the standard are:
Silvertop Ash
Blackbutt
River Red Gum
Spotted Gum (three botanical varieties)
Red Ironbark
Kwila (Merbau)
Turpentine
For timber to qualify as a BRT, it must be tested to AS/NZS 3837 – Methods of Test for Heat and Smoke Release, with limits on the results as specified in AS 3959. If the timber has been altered by chemicals, eg by using a fire-retardant or intumescent paint system and the timber is not protected from the weather, then it must additionally be subjected to accelerated weathering before the fire testing. This is clearly to ensure that timber claiming to be BRT will still perform after a period of time exposed to the sun and rain, which tend to leach or deteriorate the fire retardant systems. Timber is deemed to be not exposed if it is protected by a verandah or roof projection or similar as defined in the Timber Framing Code, AS1684. If timber is not exposed then it does not need to be subjected to accelerated weathering before the AS/NZS 3837 testing.
The Victorian Bush fire Disaster has focussed our attention again on the very real danger of bush fire in our community. The Bush fire Standard aims to assist in the protection of life and property by prescribing appropriate construction based on the risk and severity of a fire by assessing the conditions at individual sites. Bush fire Resistant Timber can be used in situations up to BAL-29 with the expectation that the timber will provide the appropriate level of protection. It is important that the timber industry ensures that the products it sells are appropriate to their purpose. There is potential for the inappropriate and potentially lethal use of BRT timber that is not tested for exposed conditions to be used in these conditions and therefore not perform to protect the structure and occupants as a fire front threatens.