The Timber Committees are working through a number of standards of importance to the industry. Below is a summary of work currently in progress.
- AS 1720.4 Timber structures – Fire resistance for structural adequacy of timber members
A revision of this Standard is currently being undertaken -tems for consideration: the inclusion of new adhesive types apart from the existing phenol/resorcinol based glues, a design approach considering differences in timber density for similar species grown in Australia and New Zealand, designs incorporating fire-grade lining protected timber and assigning fire performance of lightweight timber framing.
- AS/NZS 1328.1 Glued laminated structural timber – Performance requirements and minimum production requirements
This Standard is currently being reviewed and will address a number of product and conformity requirements such as: formaldehyde emissions, fire performance, material joint design properties and qualification testing.
- AS 6669 Plywood Formwork
The drafting of this Standard is now complete and will shortly go to the Committee for balloting. The key changes proposed are: the alignment of characteristic of structural properties for stress-grades with AS/NZS 2269.1:2012 Plywood Structural, alignment of the specified methods for the determination of stress-grades with AS/NZS 2269.0:2012 and manufacturing practices and the inclusion of formaldehyde emission classes for plywood formwork.
- AS 1604.1 Preservative-treated timber – Sawn and round timber
A review of this Standard has been completed with changes made to address Standards Australia drafting guidelines and provide additional clarity. The standard will shortly be finalised and will go to Committee ballot.
- AS 1605 Methods for sampling and analysing timber preservatives and preservative treated timber (Parts 1 to 4)
These Standards have been reviewed by a Working Group that was asked to incorporate new test methods where available and update the drafts as required. This work has been completed and compiled and is awaiting the final drafts to be provided to the Committee for review.
Building Standards
- AS 5113 Fire propagation testing and classification of external walls of buildings
This Standard is at voting stage and is being considered by the Committee. It sets out the procedures for fire propagation testing and classification of external walls of buildings according to their tendency to spread of fire via the external wall and between adjacent buildings. External walls include façades, outer skins, core materials, cavities and attachments. It describes a test and a classification system that could be applied to combustible external walls of buildings; subject to acceptance by regulatory authorities.
- AS 3610 Formwork for Concrete
This current series of Standards (2 Parts) are being revised and are proposed to now consist of 3 Parts being:
− Part 1: Specification and Supplement 1
− Part 2: Design and construction
− Part 3: Falsework
These Standards will set out the requirements for project, formwork (including plywood) and proprietary documentation through to the evaluation of concrete surface finishes.
