LSAA Lightweight Structures

Updated AS 4174 for Shade Fabrics

An updated Second edition of AS 4174:2018 "Knitted and woven shade fabrics" has been released.

It replaces the first edition published in 1994.

The main contents are:

Section 1 Scope and General

Section 2 Horticultural Shade Protection Fabrics

Section 3 Human Shade Protection Fabrics

Appendices - 6 Appendices

LSAA 2020 Conference Planning

It is most likely that the LSAA 2020 Conference and Design Awards will be held in Melbourne at Swinburne in the latter part of 2020.

See this link for a description of the main campus at Hawthorn. Venue will be at the Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre.

It is anticipated that further details about the Conference Dates, Venue, Theme, Sponsorship Packages and Keynote Speakers will become available in August 2019.

For the Industry respected Design Awards, structures completed since October 2018 will be considered. You can download a draft of the RULES and ENTRY FORMS for 2020

LSAA has a Facebook Page which you are encouraged to "like" and contribute posts about projects and other items of news for our industry. There is also a newish page on the LSAA website where links to posts, videos and articles are listed.

Dual Skin Safety Netting Tension Drop Structure

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APPLICATION OF PROJECT:
Innovative architectural alternative to Safety Hoarding for the construction industry

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Dual-Skin Safety Netting Structure made from tensioned fabric is changing the way the construction Industry looks at traditional hoarding and safety nets.

Using architectural fabrics and tension membrane engineering outside the square to provide aesthetic cost saving safety control measures.

By providing a safety net structure that could protect the public from the works above saved the client almost 1 million in overtime costs when they would usually be working a night. This solution provided the client the ability to work during the day without closing down the area with the exclusion zones. Prior to the solution, the client could only do these works at nighttime as this project is in one of the largest high-rise buildings in the Sydney CBD.

Fire Issues for Fabric Structures

Following several major building fires around the world there has been a reaction in Australia to introduce restrictions into various regulations that will affect the fabric segment of our industry.

The LSAA is taking a lead role in the formation of a task force to address these changes.

Several of the changes brought on by perhaps ill-informed wording could have a serious impact on the use of fabric in structures.

A fact finding exercise is being planned for 2018-19 followed by steps to have our industry have a voice before future changes are introduced to the NCC.