Hyspan LVL tops off the amazing, new face of Australian portraiture
Hyspan LVL
The under-construction National Portrait Gallery in Canberra will provide an ideal, permanent home for 500 portraits of people, who have shaped and continue to shape Australia.
The single level design was selected from an open, international architecture, competition won by Johnson Pilton Walker (JPW).
The design features vast open spaces, inviting public areas and lofty ceilings with an arresting roof structure. According to JPW, “It draws inspiration from Canberra’s climate and ideal natural light, the essential character of many Australian rural structures, the institution’s art collection and purpose: to increase the understanding of the Australian people through portraiture.”
In creating the vast spaces for the building, Architect Graeme Dix of JPW was keen to maximise the use of timber in the roof structure.
Initially specified with hardwood glulam beams, Bernie Wilson of Trussme Truss Fabricators recommended they be replaced with Hyspan Structural LVL. Considerable financial savings were the result and a simpler construction of the roof forms.
Carter Holt Harvey needed to put on an ideal run of Hyspan for this order amounting to over 250 cubic metres supplied through Meyer Structalam.
Trussme regularly use Hyspan in trusses as it is one among the LVL products certified for truss applications by nail plate manufacturer Mitek. And as Architect Dix puts it, “Hyspan is dimensionally stable. The tolerances are good.”
John Holland, Project Manager, Paul Van der Plaat has also used Hyspan a number of times before. John Holland says, “It is good to work with, quite easy.”
And with the amount of Hyspan on site, that is just as well. The roof structure was trucked on to site and craned into position partially assembled – quite a task.
The lighter weight of LVL was another benefit and as Van de Plaat points out, “We could get better spans using Hyspan, with reduced section sizes.” And reduced sections mean reduced weight, time and costs.
It is good to know that the new face of portraiture in Australia is also environmentally aware. Hyspan is produced from 100% plantation pine. And 100% of every tree is used, making it a better product for the future.
5-May-2008