We’re excited to let industry know that Fanqin Meng has joined our Structural Systems team to assist with our focus on structural fire performance research. Fanqin is joining the HERA Structural team for a six month period to contribute to two key structural fire projects. These projects will be conducted in collaboration with the University…
We’re excited to announce that HERA’s long-anticipated Composite Design Software is now available for our members. In 2019, our Steel Research Panel identified it was important to develop electronic tools to support AS/NZS 2327 to allow our membership to better exploit the benefits of this standard. Responding to that feedback, we are pleased to release…
Data on the cool down phase for timber structures is something designers and regulators need to consider when it comes to load carrying capacity of CLT structures. This thinking comes about after noting an interesting paper in the recent issue of Fire Safety Journal highlighting the critical aspect of the cool down phase for timber…
While critical technical aspects associated with treated timber in construction remain unsolved, the ‘wood first policy’ is the wrong decision at the wrong time. There needs to be better science based understanding of fire safety and health and environment issues. We need only look at treated timber data in New Zealand, issues associated with treated…
A recent technical study has come to HERA’s attention as it highlights our stance that you should choose infrastructure material based on design parameters. The technical study that we refer to was performed by the structural engineering firm Cary Kopczynski & Company in Seattle, WA. It compared the affordability of a hypothetical 10-story residential building…
A recent John Hopkins University Report validates our concerns at HERA around the lack of data and baseless assumptions relating to mass timber performance in high rise buildings. This is not a new conversation for HERA. We have previously raised concern about the lack of research relating to the fire performance of building materials generally…
We want your ideas – because our HERA sustainability fund is now open for ideas from our members! 2021 is going to be an exciting year for us at HERA in the space of sustainability. Even more so, because we’re so very excited to announce a $80K research fund for projects aimed at improving steel’s…
In order to achieve a durable, high strength, structural steel (weathering steel) in the unpainted condition, some requirements for designing, fabrication, construction, site climate condition, inspection and maintenance need to be taken into consideration. Weathering steel, or to use its technical title of “structural steel with improved atmospheric corrosion resistance”, is a high strength, low…