AT1 A- MATERIALS REPORT Advanced diploma building design (architectural)

AT1 - Part A - Materials report

Manufacturing & embodied energy

Alannah Lodder & Ruby Vercoe

Standard Clay Brick

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

PGH Bricks & Pavers is one of Australia’s largest Manufacturers, founded 2014, located all throughout Australia, with manufacturing locations in, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

PGH Bricks & Pavers create their standard Clay Bricks by firstly, clay is extracted from a quarry, the clay is then ground and crushed then either pressed ( a process of pressing clay into moulds)or extruded( a process of extruding a damp mixture of clay through a die and then cut into ‘bricks’ by wires) into the standard brick size of 230 x 110 x 76, the shaped brick is then placed in a kiln /fired at up to 1200 degrees c. drying/firing/cooling cycles is a process carried out over 4 -7 days. the bricks are then stacked to allow for initial rapid expansion for approximately two weeks. finally, the bricks are then delivered to the construction site.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a clay brick?

The Raw Materials that are required and used in making standard Clay Bricks include, Clay, Shale, and other minerals. Which is then moulded together to form the brick shape, and fired (cooked) at a temperature of 1200°C.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

PGH Bricks & Pavers, is one of Australia’s largest manufacturers, supplying materials including Standard Clay Bricks to construction sites all across Australia, although PGH Bricks & pavers don’t specifically specify the location of where their raw materials are sourced, PGH Bricks and Pavers stated that “At the beginning of 2019, we organized for the clay waste dug out during the excavation of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Parkville Station project to be converted into 30,000,000 bricks for residential construction’’. Concluding, that for the past 3-4 years, PGH Brick's raw materials have been sourced from Melbourne Victoria.

https://www.pghbricks.com.au/inspiration/the-wall-blog/bricks-built-to-last

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling.

PGH Bricks & Pavers have manufacturing facilities all around Australia, for easier transport to construction sites in each state, however, although there are manufacturing facilities in each state, possible limitations and constraints within transportation, storage, and handling still occur.

One possible limitation is during transportation, due to bricks being singular items, although they only weigh roughly 2.5kg individually, bricks get transported on a semi–trailer in loads of 12 pallets, 500 per pallet, (6000bricks) or 6 Pallets (3000bricks). So pallets need to be strapped and secured properly to the pallet and on the load to prevent the bricks from falling and crashing while being transported in the semi-trailer, this could happen if the truck went over a bump, turned a corner too quickly, or simply if the pallets were placed in the truck incorrectly, or bricks were stacked on top of one another incorrectly.

Another possible limitation during the handling process is that the bricks are individual items, so handling can be tricky, if I building site is on a hill, and the bricks are delivered to the bottom of the property carrying and installing the product would be a tedious process that could slow down the construction building process of the house.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

PGH Bricks & Pavers have already partially solved the transportation issue, as they have built manufacturing facilities all over Australia to produce quick and efficient product deliveries to construction sites in Australia, meaning the trucks will not have to travel long distances, reducing the likelihood of bricks getting damaged on the way, however, PGH Bricks and pavers can invest in better quality trucks, more straps, better quality pallets and training of their employees to ensure everyone involved in the process of the transportation of the bricks are properly equipped with the knowledge to make it run smoothly.

1g.Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
PGH Bricks & Pavers SDS

Glass in Australia

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

Oceania glass manufactures over 150,000 tonnes of raw float glass at its Victorian based plant in Dandenong South.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

A batch of raw materials is weighed and mixed to tight tolerances using a formula specific to the glass that is being produced. The batch is then transported to the furnace via conveyors.

The next step involves melting, refining and homogenising which takes place simultaneously in the furnace.

The melting process can last as long as 50 hours, then delivers the glass to the float bath at 1100 degrees Celsius. This eliminates imperfections and bubbles.

The glass spreads out on the flatness of the tin so that the upper and lower surfaces of glass remain parallel.

An atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen in the float bath prevents oxidation of the tin.

While the glass is still at an approximate temperature pf 730 degrees Celsius, a gaseous chemical mixture is brought in contact with the glass substrate.

Almost instantaneously when the gas is turned on, a reaction occurs on the surface of the substrate. Often referred to as a ‘hard coat’, the chemical layers bond and become a durable part of the surface of the glass. Finally, the annealing lehr removes stresses in the glass by cooling the ribbon of glass from 600 degrees Celsius to an ambient temperature. Then the glass is cut and stacked, ready for customer delivery.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a glass?

A mix of raw materials (known as the batch) is composed of three main components: soda ash, dolomite/limestone and silica sand.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

Like most glass manufacturers, Oceania Glass does not disclose their specific raw material sources. However, most of their materials are sourced domestically with the largest categories being sand and dolomite. Other sources are purchased through a local distributor who sources their materials from the United States.

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling

Despite Oceania Glass applies careful packaging procedures, there is significant risk of breakage during transportation which can lead to delays, customer dissatisfaction and additional cost to both the company and the customer.

Additionally, glass is sensitive to environmental factors such as heat, moisture and dust. On-site storage facilities must provide adequate coverage to prevent the glass from exposure that may compromise quality.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

Oceania Glass utilises a glass transportation system known as the “Floatliner”. As transportation can create damage to the glass through exposure to the elements and stress from handling. The floatliner enables there to be less handling and direct contact from staff and customers. Additionally, there is greater protection from dust and moisture that may cause incidental damage.

1g.Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
Comfort Hush - Oceania Glass SDS

Steel in Australia

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material

BlueScope steel Limited is an Australian manufacturing brand in Australia, know for supplying steel for some of the most beautiful & essential buildings & structures. Founded in July of 2002, the company is based in Melbourne, Victoria, BlueScope Steel Limited owns ColourBond Steel, TrueCore Steel & Zincalume Steel. With major manufacturing facilities in, Port Kembla, NSW – Western port in hastings, VIC – New Zealand Steel, Glenbrook – Orrcon Brisbane Mill, Sailsbury, QLD – Orrcon Precision Tubing Mill, Adelaide, South Australia.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

BlueScope steel Limited is a manufacturing brand that manufactures steel for ColourBond, TrueCore and Zincalume steel.

Steel is made up of Iron Ore, Coal (in the form of coke), and limestone, all together produce molten iron through a blast furnace, a basic oxygen iron and steelmaking process (BF-BOS process).

in particular, ColourBond steel is made from ‘Zincalume’ a material that is a mix metal with 55% aluminium and 45% Zinc, with the aluminium providing a protective barrier compared to Zinc, which prevents the spread of corrosion.then a corrosion inhibitor is baked on, followed by a tough painted finished that seals in the material.

The steel is then shaped, this can be in the form of:

Rolling: forcibly shaping of metals into various profiles, hot or cold metal rolled into shapes between rollers.

forging: process of hammering hot metal into shapes, also known as blacksmithing.

Extruding: forcing of metal through specially shaped dies, steel and aluminium are major metals where this method is common.

Drawing: drawing metal through a die to form elements such as tubes and wires.

Colourbond specifically uses extruding to create corrugated sheet roofing, gutters & fascia's, garage doors, walling, fencing and water tanks.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up structural steel?

The raw materials used and involved in making BlueScope Steel, according to the NSW Government, is Iron Ore, Coal (in the form of coke) and Limestone.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

BlueScope Steel source their materials from a mixture of areas, the main one that produces materials for steel in Australia is Illawarra, here they make up to about 3million tonnes of steel per annum.

1e.Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling.

BlueScope Steel Limited has major manufacturing facilities in, Port Kembla, NSW – Western port in hastings, VIC – New Zealand Steel, Glenbrook – Orrcon Brisbane Mill, Sailsbury, QLD – Orrcon Precision Tubing Mill, Adelaide, South Australia. Although they are located all across Australia, there is still limitations that can apply to the transportation, storage and handling of the steel product.

One Limitation is that the transportation of the steel can become tricky and requires a good amount of trainings on employees, workers and drivers of the materials to ensure it is handling with care, the possible limitation or constraint with transportation is its size, due to the steel coming in larger panels and sizings for roofing and even shed walls.

The steel is tightly wrapped in waterproof wrapping to prevent water ingress between coil wraps or sheets in the wrap. So there is a possible limitation with both the handling and the transportation, if the material is not wrapped or placed in the air tight truck properly it can caused damaged to the steel and cost the manufactures money and the builders time during the construction materials.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

BlueScope Steel Limited have already invested in the proper vehicle and extra materials to further protect and prevent damage on the Steel. However more can always be done, although they may have the correct materials to protect, BlueScope needs to invest in training for all the workers involved from the packing, transportation and final destination of delivery, to guarantee that every step is taken to prevent the material from becoming damaged.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
BlueScope SDS

Timber in Australia

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

Pentarch Forestry is Australia’s largest timber and fibre producer with woodchip mills based in Eden, NSW and Burnie, Tasmania.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

Logging – involves the process of cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp.

Milling – each tree that is cut down is milled so that the largest amount of timber can be used.

Transport – timber is delivered to the associated factories where it is then sorted. Then they’re distributed to a kiln to be dried. This can take up to 4-6 weeks.

Machined – processed by a machine to specific design requirements.

Packaged – ready to be installed and sent to project site.

1c. What are the two main types of timber harvested for the building industry and what is the required moisture content of general construction timber?

Trees are the raw material used to make timber, they are defined as softwood or hardwood. In Australia, Eucalyptus. Monterey pine, Australian blackwood and Tasmanian myrtle are commonly used in timber production.

The moisture content of the fibres should be 28%. If it becomes more saturated then the timber becomes vulnerable to decay.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their timber is sourced to produce this building element/material.

Pentarch Forestry sources their materials from plantations managed by Pentarch Forestry services as well as the State Government agencies. These include Forestry Corporation of NSW and Sustainable Timber Tasmania. Additionally, other sources are privately owned such as plantations managed by Snowy Mountains Forests.

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling.

Relating to handling, Pentarch Forestry outlines that timber is a natural material and therefore needs to be acclimatised to its new environment. Otherwise, conditions such as heating, cooling or direct sunlight may have effects on the moisture content of exposed surfaces. If the surfaces are not acclimatised then issues such as buckling, cupping and gapping can occur.

Another limitation regarding handling is the improper installation. This can result in damage to the material and additional costs to the customer.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

Pentarch Forestry recommends acclimatising the timber to avoid damage from exposure. The process of acclimatising involves storing the timber in a controlled environment with a stable temperature and humidity levels. These should closely resemble the conditions that the timber will be installed in. The acclimatising period varies in time according to the specific timber being used. During this time, the wood absorbs or releases moisture to reach equilibrium with the surrounding environment.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
SDS - Hardwood timber floors for cladding

Portland Cement

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

Boral cement manufactures produces Portland Cement, to construction sites across Australia, their main manufacturing sites operate in Victoria and New South Wales, with some more scattered around Australian states.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material

Boral cement creates its Portland cement by firstly, quarrying and crushing limestone and clay, which is then burnt in a rotary kiln, at a high temp of 1500°c, at this temperature, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in a mixture of silicates and aluminates. the product from the kiln is a Portland cement clinker, the clinker is finely ground with an added small amount of gypsum, resulting in a powder known as Portland cement.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a the basic construction product cement?

The raw materials used I creating boral cement Portland cement includes, Limestone, Shale, irone ore, sometimes sand and clay.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

Boral Cement sources their limestone mainly from Broal Cements Mines at Marulan South in New South Wales. With the remanding of the elements, sand, clay, shale, iron ore etc is locally sourced from wither the same area as Limestone or in other local areas around Australia. (it can change from time to time)

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling..

Boral Cement is a manufacturing company that is based in Australia with main manufacturing sites in Victoria and New South Wales, and additional ones located in other states, including Perth, Queensland. This can come with quite a few limitations, Cement is transported in bulk, in paper sacks or one – two tonne polypropylene bags, they transport by both road and trains, once again, this in the transportation process can be tricky.

The size of the cement is dependent on how much the construction site needs, it comes in its dry form powder, so a limitation includes that during the handling process, the bags can become damaged and possible tear, causing product to be wasted and construction sites to be polluted with the powder.

Another limitation is fairly obvious, depending on how much each construction site needs of the Portland cement, the transportation needs proper equipment, supports and trucks to ensure that the bags of cement are handled with care, so, if the cement bags are not secured properly, a truck could go over a bump, a bag could fall during transportation and break, and the bags could not be strapped in properly, many possible constraints could come with not properly ensuring the material is supported during transportation.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

Boral Cement can simply invest in training for employees, workers, and drivers to ensure that the bags of cement are checked on different steps of the transportation process to ensure that bags have not torn or broken during a step in the process, as well as possibly changing their material that the cement is stored and transported in, by possibly switching to a more highly durable material as opposed to the typical paper or polypropylene bags, cam reduce cost in replacing damaged products and lower the risk of damaged products.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
Boral Cement SDS

Plasterboard

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material

Gyprock is a brand of plasterboard produced by CSR limited. They’re based in North Ryde, New South Wales.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

To make plasterboard (Gyprock specifically), gypsum is combined with a foaming agent to create a wet plaster mix. This mixture is then applied onto a sheet of thick paper. The edges are then wrapped around the plaster, the paper wrapped edges are the long sides and the ends are cut.

After this process, a sheet of linerboard paper is then placed over the top “sandwiching” the plaster mixture.

The “sandwich” is then oven dried before being cut into specific lengths and shipped to stores.

Additionally, some manufacturers may implement quality checks so that the plasterboard meets industry standards.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a plasterboard?

Plasterboard is made from gypsum, paper and a small amount of additives. Gyprock uses a paper liner hat is made from recycled newspaper. The additives are made from starch, foam and other non-toxic substances including fungicides which inhibit mould growth.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

Gyprock sources their raw materials from gypsum mined from Jurien Bay which is to the north of Perth.

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling..

Gyprock outlines that Plasterboard is relatively fragile and prone to damage from impacts, bending, or bending during handling and transportation.

Additionally, condensation can become a limitation when stored on-site as plasterboard contains cellulose fibres which may be subject to surface mould if left unpainted or unsealed.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

Gyprock highly recommends that designers undertake a condensation risk analysis during building design to prevent mould or condensation damage. However during on-site storage a dry, well-ventilated area should be considered to protect the plasterboard from moisture as well as moisture resistant coverings.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
Gyprock plasterboard, cornices and panels SDS

Composite material - fire resistant decking

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

GRM Australia is an Australian Manufacturer of Composite Materials, Biowood Australian Classique, and BAL-29 -Rated premium ranges of composite decking. the Manufacturer is reportedly, located in Sefton, NSW.

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.

Timber is made through the process of:

Logging – involves the process of cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp.

Milling – each tree that is cut down is milled so that the largest amount of timber can be used.

Transport – timber is delivered to the associated factories where it is then sorted. Then they’re distributed to a kiln to be dried. This can take up to 4-6 weeks.

Machined – processed by a machine to specific design requirements

GRM Australia creates their fire-resistant external decking by order, meaning they follow what the customers order, this varies from wood, finishes, and size.

they firstly gathers the correct amount of wood needed in order to carry out the process, ( types of wood in question 1c), the wood is then inspected for any possible defects, rooting, knots, breakage of the wood fibers etc. The selected wood is then shaped into the desired customers size, this comes in ‘140 mm wide boards with a thickness of 28 mm and 25 mm. Offered in lengths of 5.85 metres’, the wooden panels are then transported to the construction site where installation is carried out there.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a composite fire resistant decking?

GRM Australia’s fire-resistant external decking comes in a wide variety of wood. Including, SpottedGum, WeatherWood, DriftWood, Black Japanese, Merbau, American Walnut and Natural Oak, that can come in a variety of colours and finishes.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

GRM Australia Australia is an Australian Manufacturer of Composite Materials, Biowood Australian Classique, and BAL-29 -Rated premium ranges of composite decking. GRM Australia get all their wood materials local in Australia, specifically from multie-use public forest located in, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling.e?

GRM Australia is an Australian Manufacturer of Composite Materials, Biowood Australian Classique, and BAL-29 -Rated premium ranges of composite decking. the Manufacturer is reportedly, located in Sefton, NSW, seeing as though GRM Australia only has one distinct location for their manufacturing facilities, limitations can come with the transportation, storage and handling.

One clear limitation that can come in play when having one distinct manufacturing location is that transportation has to be organised efficiently and correctly, meaning that if the incorrect delivery of either the material or quantity, can cost the manufacturer money and the customer, builders and architects time, and possibly money.

Another limitation is that during the storage, either during transportation, awaiting collection at the manufacturers and at the construction site, the storage facility or area needs to be adjusted so that the wooden planks are not exposed to much water moisture and are safely stacked to avoid any damages.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

a way in which GRM Australia can enhance their storage facilitys and knowledge of the employees and workers, is to provide adequate training and written information and instruction to state the storage requirements of the product, aswell as investing in facilitys on their manufacturing site, so that the wooden planks have adequate temperature, lighting, sizing and care that is needed to prevent the material from getting damaged.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
GRM Australia SDS

Adhesive - for external light wall frame cladding

1a. Provide the name and location of an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.

Sika Australia - Wetherill Park New South Wales

1b. Provide an outline of the manufacturing process for this construction element/material.?

Preparing raw materials – typically a light frame cladding adhesive (such as 1-component polyurethane) is made up of polyols (polyether or polyester), isocyanates, additives and solvent or carrier liquids.

Mixing – the raw materials are then measured and placed in a batch reactor or continuous mixer, dependent on the scale of production.

Reaction and polymerisation - following being mixed, they undergo the chemical reaction of polymerisation to form the polyurethane adhesive.

Addition of additives - during or after polymerisation, additives such as fillers, thickeners, UV stabilisers and adhesion promoters may be added into the adhesive mixture to improve adhesion and durability.

1c. What are the raw materials that make up a adhesive for fixing external cladding?

- The raw materials used in panel cladding adhesives can vary depending on the specific requirements of an application as well as the manufactures formulation.

- Common raw materials include but are not limited to: polyols (polyether or polyester), isocyanates, additives and solvent or carrier liquids.

1d. Using a specific Australian manufacturer as an example, specify where their raw materials are sourced to produce this building element/material.

Sika group sources their materials both locally and globally. Some materials are only available from international suppliers and therefore must be imported. As there is an extensive amount of raw materials, there is no primary source that Sika sources from.

1e. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, provide 2 examples of limitations relating to transportation, on-site storage and/or handling.

Shelf life - some adhesives have limited shelf life. For example the Sikaflex-221 which is a 1-component polyurethane, has a shelf life of 12 months. This may prove to be a limitation as it may require timely deliveries and almost immediate use of the product.

Environmental conditions - most adhesives require specific storage conditions to maintain their quality.

1f. Using a specific Australian manufacturer, identify recommendations addressing one of the issues identified in the previous question.

Due to sensitivity to environmental conditions, Sika recommend their products to be kept at an optimum temperature. The Sikaflex-221 for example requires an optimum temperature of 15 – 25 degrees Celsius.

1g. Provide a URL (weblink) to the safety data sheet for a specific product from an Australian manufacturer for this building element/material.
Safety data sheet

Bibliography

Image credits

All images from Adobe Stock and licensed under RMIT Adobe Education License