Proposed Design Detail for 380 Collins Street Melbourne Facade |
Facades |
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With costs of facade cladding reaching 12-15% of commercial building costs, (equal to the mechanical services costs) the need for an experienced Consultant on the Design Team is an essential requirement. What is lacking in buildings that show defects in the form of water entry, degradation of materials and spalling, is technology. True technology is the understanding of materials and their suitability for the purpose they are intended, and the compatibility between them and their long term behaviour in their assembly. The typical service we perform is to take the Architect's design and facade elevations and produce a set of drawings with concise details, forming a set of tender drawings together with a detailed specification of materials, workmanship, performance and testing requirements. Testing of systems is by means of the CSIRO |
Testing of pressure equalised and drained joint designs would be done by the application of an external pressure box and water spray. This was developed by the CSIRO. In the case of single seal assemblies the internal suction box with outside water spray is the appropriate method. Following the calling of tenders we analyse the submissions to determine the best contractor for the complex works, including any modifications to fabrication processes that are offered by the tenderers. These are then tested against our own details and specifications. The checking of final shop drawings from the fabricator is then followed by Quality Assurance programs in the fabrication yards. Much of our work also deals with diagnostic analysis of the water tightness of existing building skins that have shown deficiencies in masonry, stone, metal and glass. |
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Proposed Design Detail for 380 Collins Street Melbourne Facade |