3D printing technology can combine timber waste products and recycled plastics to transform them into a high-performance construction element, as results from research conducted at the University of Sydney show. The Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA)-supported research is the focus of the latest episode of WoodChat, and is being conducted by a team led by Professor Sandra Löschke, Director …
First mass plywood panel approved for 18-stories
Located in Lyons, Oregon, Freres Lumber has been in business for nearly a century. After starting out producing standard lumber projects, the company moved into wood veneers some 60 years ago and in 1998 purchased a plywood plant. Now, it’s made another step: getting U.S. and Canadian patents on its mass plywood panel (MPP), the first veneer-based mass timber panel …
Latest quarterly Timber Market Survey released
The December quarter Australian 2018 Timber Market Survey (TMS) has seen mixed price movement results for untreated structural pine products. Price movements for MGP10 and MGP12 products were within +/-0.7%, with most products showing downward price movements over the quarter. Treated sleeper and decking prices continued to trend upwards over the quarter, with price movements ranging between 2.2% and 3.2%. …
Trimble Unveils Next-gen Mixed-reality Device with Microsoft HoloLens 2
Trimble has announced a new wearable hard hat compatible device that enables workers in safety-controlled environments to access holographic information on the worksite—the Trimble® XR10 with HoloLens 2. In addition, an expanded set of Trimble software and services will be available to provide field-oriented workflows that leverage constructible 3D models and mixed reality to solve daily work tasks. The announcement …
Windsor Engineering acquires RCR Energy
The business and assets of RCR Energy Ltd have just been sold to Windsor Engineering Group Limited. The sale secures the future of this vital New Zealand business in the energy boiler sector, ensuring continuous employment for over 60 staff and numerous contractors and uninterrupted service for customers. Maurice Davies, Director for Windsor, noted, “RCR Energy, as Australasia’s largest thermal …
Hospital to move from coal to biomass fuel
New Zealand’s Health Minister Dr David Clark says two new woody biomass boilers for Christchurch Hospital will improve the Canterbury DHB’s resilience and environmental sustainability. Polytechnik Biomass Energy, based in Austria, has been awarded the contract to design, manufacture and install replacements for the current coal-fired boilers. The total budget for the project is approximately NZ$45 million. “The existing boiler …
NZ sawmill closes its doors
Sixty-five jobs have been lost with the closure of a small South Taranaki town’s biggest employer. The Waverley Sawmill, which has traded since at least 1932, has been sold and the new owner has decided it is no longer viable, South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop said. “It’s been a very valuable business in our district and has employed lots …