No Sleepless Nights for ResMed Formwork Contractor

Location:	Sydney
Country:	Australia
Client:	ResMed
Architect:	Toland Williams
Engineer:	Taylor Thomson Whitting
Builder:	AW Edwards
Fabricator:	Wideform Pty Ltd
Products Used:	LYSAGHT BONDEK®

Construction of a new Australian corporate headquarters and research facility for ResMed at Norwest Business Park in Sydney has links to an adjacent project.

ResMed is a fast growing respiratory medical device manufacturer, specialising in products for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disordered breathing and also specialising in ventilation products.

It operates through direct offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Singapore, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Finland, Australia, and Austria, and through a network of distributors in more than 60 other countries.

Sydney architectural practice Toland Williams worked closely with ResMed's project manager, Michael Leech on the masterplanning, architecture and interior design for ResMed's 12 hectare campus site.

When completed the site will consist of office towers and a low-rise manufacture and warehousing facility, set amongst landscaped grounds and lakes, with extensive staff amenities including creche, gym, indoor pool, canteen, and recreation room.

Current stage two construction comprises two floor plates of three thousand square metres joined by several pedestrian bridges beneath a large glass atrium.

Three levels of basement car parking will accommodate 450 vehicles below four levels of office space.

Traditional formwork was originally specified for the project by structural engineers Taylor Thomson Whitting, but formwork contractor Wideform Pty Ltd and BlueScope Lysaght suggested a switch to LYSAGHT BONDEK® structural steel formwork.

The suggestion was adopted by Taylor Thomson Whitting, builder AW Edwards and ResMed's project team when the advantages became apparent.

The building consists of a post-tensioned concrete frame, with slabs formed on LYSAGHT BONDEK® structural steel formwork spanning between concrete band beams over a majority of the floor area. BlueScope Lysaght has developed innovative accessories to ensure total compatibility for BONDEK® installations with post-tensioned concrete frame construction.

"We had used LYSAGHT BONDEK® formwork extensively on the large Woolworths Support Office project nearby," Peter Martinovich, project manager for formwork contractor Wideform Pty Ltd, said.

"The success on the Woolworths project made us keen to use the system again, because there were a lot of advantages for us in terms of speed and ease of installation, but the decision wasn't ours to make. Taylor Thomson Whitting, AW Edwards and ResMed's representatives became involved and a visit to the Woolworths site was made to inspect the BONDEK® finish first hand. The architect liked what he saw with the finish of the carpark soffits and approved BONDEK® structural steel formwork for all levels of the ResMed project."

Structural engineers Taylor Thomson Whitting had specified both buildings with conventional formwork, but project engineer Barry Smith confirmed the change to BONDEK® specification had been straightforward.

"It's up to the builder and formwork contractors to decide on the preferred formwork system, and on these two major projects the preference was for BONDEK® steel decking," he said.

Wideform project manager Peter Martinovich said that his workers had achieved impressive productivity increases at the ResMed site over what could have been achieved with conventional formwork.

"We are in the final stages of installing almost 24,000 square metres of BONDEK® decking and our speed here is even better than on the previous project. Our crew is on target to complete our 22 week contract in just 20 weeks. The BONDEK® steel decking is going on so easily that I'm sorry the building only has seven levels."

AW Edwards site manager Peter Sullivan has also seen the benefits of the switch to the BONDEK® formwork solution and believes that some will be ongoing. "Even while the building is going up there are major advantages on site," he said.

"There is a lot less materials handling than would be the case with conventional formwork, but the big benefit for a site manager is the very small amount of waste which needs to be removed. On a project this size that saving can easily reach a five figure sum."

Peter Sullivan said that the 7.2 metre spans of BONDEK® structural steel decking provided unexpected advantages.

"In my opinion the finished appearance of the BONDEK® steel decking, particularly in the basement levels where it will be permanently on view, gives a better result than you would get by using conventional formwork," he said.

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