Investing in Education

Location:	North Ryde, New South Wales
Country:	Australia
Client:	Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales
Builder:	PBS Building Website: www.pbspropertygroup.com.au
Fabricator:	Webhall Steel Frames & Trusses Website: www.webhall.com.au
Products Used:	TRUECORE® steel

Universities in Australia are known as some of the best in the world, and now, thanks to steel building frames made from TRUECORE® steel, the facilities themselves are being invested in to produce top quality, innovative and long lasting designs.

Macquarie University in North Ryde, New South Wales, which is building 104 double storey houses as student accommodation, has turned to steel building frames made from the recently launched material TRUECORE® steel to ensure that the core of the buildings remain structurally sound in the years to come.

Recently developed by BlueScope Steel, TRUECORE® steel allows builders to create building frames that are lightweight, extremely durable and won't burn, rot, warp or twist over time. Also, the frames can't be eaten by termites, another factor that gives builders, developers, and their customers, peace of mind.

The houses being built at Macquarie University will accommodate five students each and will be supported by additional facilities including laundry and administration blocks, also using frames made from TRUECORE® steel.

"At the heart of the project lies the need for quality and long term durability," explained Peter Carter from PBS Building, the builders on the project. "This is a substantial investment by the university, so they need to be sure that the houses will continue to perform well and give the students top quality accommodation for generations to come.

"The frames will remain straight and true which helps improve the ongoing performance of the houses. Every element in their building needs to support this continuing quality and TRUECORE® steel will certainly help do this."

The framing company, Webhall Steel Frames & Trusses, installs the frames six at a time for maximum efficiency. "We are using a kind of leap frogging process," said company director Tony Halliday. "The six month building program requires a systematic manufacturing and installation schedule to maintain continuous work on site. This means for instance that we can deliver 'batches' of ground floor frames that are stood and fixed off which allows for the brick laying to begin. Then once scaffolded, the upper floor and trusses are delivered for installation."

Tony further explains: "Webhall's steel frames and trusses made from TRUECORE® steel G550 high tensile steel coil ensures extremely high strength to weight ratios. This translates into a fast and safe working environment on site."

Webhall Steel Frames & Trusses operates across Australia and provides precision engineered steel wall frames and roof trusses to a wide range of applications from project homes and luxury apartments through to community centres and hospitals. Residential frames and trusses made from TRUECORE® steel that are designed and manufactured by Webhall Steel Frames & Trusses come with a warranty of up to 50 years*.

"It's no surprise that steel framing has become so popular in the Australian residential building industry", says Mark McCarthy, market development consultant at BlueScope Steel. "Although every project has different challenges and priorities, long-term security will always be a central consideration as it is with Macquarie University. Consequently, TRUECORE® steel will continue to play a vital role in giving builders and developers' peace of mind that their investments will continue to be as safe and secure as is possible."

* For more information on warranties please view our page Warranties for Peace of Mind.