winning-archeng-students

BRANZ ArchEng workshop – collaborating from strength to strength

The annual ArchEng workshop continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to co-operation with industry associations such as HERA. A CCANZ initiative that began in 2011, it expanded this year to involve the timber and steel sectors. Now that all three major building materials, concrete, steel and timber, are involved, ArchEng is poised to…

vibrate-it-app

DIY vibration testing

The two most advanced design guides on floor vibrations are SCI Publication 354 and CCIP-016 for steel-framed buildings and reinforced concrete buildings, respectively. Both design guides permit engineers to predict the response of structures due to human-induced vibrations to enable comparisons to be made with acceptance criteria contained within standards such as ISO 10137. Standards…

jing-cao-hera

Welcome to Jing Cao – our new Senior Structural Systems Engineer

HERA is pleased to welcome Dr. Jing Cao to the Structural Systems division. Jing graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from Tongji University in Shanghai, China. He obtained his PhD from the University of Southampton, UK, which was fully supported via EPSRC research funding. He has design and assessment experience in the UK, China, Australia…

procurement-contract

Notice – Meeting new government procurement rules in steel construction

The recent tender round for a Christchurch cornerstone project highlighted the need for clarity around what information is required to allow the procurement decision makers to comply with the new Government Rules of Sourcing whose 3rd Edition came into force on the 1st July 2015. On 1st February 2015 an additional 103 crown entities joined the 29…

fire-contour

Notice – Temperature distribution in typical composite slabs under standard temperature-time fire condition

Temperature-time (T-t) curves and temperature contour plots due to the ISO 834 standard fire loading curve for typical New Zealand composite floors have been calculated and presented in tabulated format. The temperatures in 10 minute intervals up to the requested fire resistance rating have been reported for the slab top face and along the thinnest…

oasys-vote

Call for comment – Design software for composite design standard AS/NZS 2327

As the new design standard for composite construction AS/NZS 2327 nears completion, consideration is being paid to what software tools will be needed by designers. Our General Manager Structural Systems Dr Stephen Hicks has encouraged Arup’s software house Oasys to implement the new AS/NZS 2327 within their Compos programme, which enables users to design composite beams…

17aic-2015

Design rules for steel and composite structures using overseas product standards

As an extension to the Australian Journal of Structural Engineering paper that was reported in last month’s HERA News, the paper entitled ‘Australasian Advances in Steel & Composite Structures to Enhance Cross-Border Practice’ was delivered by Prof. Brian Uy (CIES Director and Chair of IABSE-Australia) at the 17th Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines…

publication-review

Recent HERA publications internationally peer reviewed

A number of journal papers have recently been published that have been co-authored by our  General Manager Structural SystemsDr Stephen Hicks. They’re now available to members from our library. Details for each of these papers are given below.   Safety Factors for the Resistance of Steel Sections Australian Journal of Structural Engineering, by Kang WH, Hicks…

web-post-buckling-cellular-beam

Resource – Fire protection of beams with web-openings

Beams with web openings can include cellular beams fabricated from rolled sections or plate girders with circular or rectangular openings cut in the webs. Typical long-span floor beams of this nature are designed to act compositely with the floor slab, which greatly increases their load carrying capabilities. Authored by Prof. R Mark Lawson of Surrey…

moho-building-multi-storey-light-steel

HERA successful in $100K research bid

HERA is delighted to announce its success in obtaining research funding from the 2015/16 Building Research Levy Investment Programme for the project entitled “Specific Design for Multi-storey Light Steel Framed Housing”. Working closely with the National Association of Steel-framed Housing (NASH), whom will also be funding this initiative, the project is in response to the…