BlueScope Lysaght Design and Construction Business Adds Value For DFO

Location:	Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory
Country:	Australia
Builder:	Contexx Pty Ltd
Products Used:	LYSAGHT W-DEK®

BlueScope Lysaght's Design and Construction business is showcasing its specialist skills on a new construction project in Canberra by achieving major savings in concrete, steel and labour.

The unit specialises in projects where innovative design and construction techniques can have a major impact on cost, efficiency and speed.

In the Australian Capital Territory it is supplying a suspended composite slab and slab on ground package for Melbourne based Contexx Pty Ltd, design and construct builder on the A$100 million Canberra DFO & Homemaker Hub project.

The major Direct Factory Outlet retail complex in Fyshwick will sit on a 100 metre by 600 metre suspended concrete slab with parking beneath for 2,000 vehicles when it opens in late 2008.

BlueScope Lysaght's Design and Construction business is applying its unique package of design skills, expertise, planning, project management, financial strength and innovation to complete the slab package.

"Optimising the use of concrete and steel to create suspended composite slabs is what we do best," Manager, Brent Poll said. "With our experience and the technical expertise of BlueScope Lysaght Research we are able to achieve significant time and cost savings."

The solution proposed by BlueScope Lysaght's Design and Construction business for the Canberra project anticipated significant savings in concrete and reinforcing steel without any reduction in quality.

"We redesigned the slab to achieve considerable saving on reinforcing, studs, concrete and the thickness of the composite decking," Brent Poll said.

The projected efficiencies were so significant that the design and construct builder Contexx Pty Ltd only agreed to the new design after having it reviewed and validated by engineering specialist group ARUP.

Work on the suspended composite slab is now proceeding with a three man team easily achieving installation rates of 400 square metres per day for the 0.75mm LYSAGHT W-DEK® structural decking.

"Connecting concrete to steel using LYSAGHT W-DEK® profile for the slab effectively achieves a saving of 40mm of concrete over a conventional 150mm slab," Brent Poll said. "There is also a much reduced requirement for reinforcing steel.

"Extra savings flow on from that because the reduced slab weight means the steel fabricator doesn't even need to camber the supporting beams."

The efficiencies are possible because of the engineering firepower which BlueScope Lysaght's Design and Construction business brings to each project. Its specialists have wide experience in optimising designs rather than simply producing a result.

"We will achieve everything in our package with a team of just fifteen people to handle 60,000 square metres of LYSAGHT W-DEK® structural decking, 16,000 cubic metres of concrete and 1,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel," Brent Poll said.

"Our aim is to deliver value and speed plus a high quality finish, so that the concrete slab can remain uncovered for those tenants who want to keep the Direct Factory Outlet ambience."

Project Manager, Elvis Fantov, who has vast experience in concrete consulting, is co-ordinating pours of up to 1,500 square metres per day using a concrete specification designed to minimise shrinkage and produce a quality finish.

"In every aspect of the project we are achieving maximum productivity with a minimum amount of labour," Brent Poll said. "For the concrete pours we are using laser guided screeding machines with ride on toweling units and with just an average of eight concreters per pour.

"That's just one example of how we can add value for a builder, but it's typical of how we can use innovation and experience to deliver a great outcome."