The benefits of pre-fabricated timber
Located right on the water in Rippleside, Geelong, Balmoral Quay is a collection of beautifully designed and magnificently appointed townhouses and apartments that connect residents to the very best Geelong has to offer.
The project is being developed by Supalai and delivered by Gersh Development Services and Hub Property Group. Construction works at Balmoral Quay commenced in March 2022. As part of our design & construction methodology , prefabricated timber was used as a core element in the construction of the townhouse structures across the project.
Hub recently sat down with Timber Design Studio’s Managing Director, Dayne Davis to find out more about the benefits of prefabricated timber…
Q: What system was used on Balmoral Quay?
A: We used a prefabricated, lightweight wall and cassette system for the townhouses. This system is a system traditionally used in Germany and Switzerland and provides an environmentally beneficial and optimized detailing for a quick assembly on site.
Q: Where has the timber been sourced from?
A: All of the timber has been sourced from a sustainable FSC-certified forests and purchased from a local sawmill in Victoria. We used solid MGP10 studs for the walls and solid MGP10 joists for the floor cassettes which were optimized for both transport and assembly on site.
Q: What are the environmental benefits between prefabricated timber and other building materials (eg. Concrete)?
A: The major benefit is significant carbon reduction in the project by using locally sourced timber which will be replanted and regrown so that future generations will have a timber supply to produce further structures.
There is also no waste generated on-site. Our design was to within millimeter tolerances and that means that no waste is left on site and instead can be used to make other products in the prefabrication factory off-site.
Q: What are the construction/ project benefits between prefabricated timber and other building materials (eg. Concrete)?
A: Other benefits are the lightweight nature which greatly reduces foundation loads, especially on this site which is so close to the waterfront.
Also, speed and cost reduction were major considerations. When constructing with Concrete you have a lot of manpower to put together an FRP concrete structure and then have to wait 28 days for the concrete to cure. With timber structures like this, it can be assembled with 6-8 carpenters on site and a townhouse structure can be completed and ready for fit-out and facade installation every 3-4 days which significantly reduces prelim time and construction time exposure on site.
Q: What is the future of pre-fabricated timber in Australia?
A: The future of prefabrication is exactly what has been designed and executed on this great project. Working with the design team to come up with a true 100% design solution and then using sustainably sourced building materials to put together a structure in a matter of days greatly reduces the overall exposure and risk on site and allows the building team to get structure off the critical path as quick as possible and start to get into MEP reticulation of each townhouse in a matter of days.
The key to this style and nature of prefabrication is early engagement with companies like ours who can create a ‘kit of parts for each project and work with the producers to find the most economic and construction-friendly solution for projects across Australia.