EXPAN – a wealth of timber technology put into action

Aug
16

EXPAN Structural Timber Solutions are proving their worth in practice. The new technologies are the result of a unique partnership between the academic arena (Canterbury University) and the research and commercial group, the Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC).

Within a matter of months a number of building projects have been completed or started, showing off the advantages and potential of EXPAN Structural Timber Solutions. People can now see the benefits these systems offer in terms of architectural design, sustainability, comparative cost efficiencies and speed and ease of construction.

The world’s first commercial EXPAN Pres-Lam engineered timber structure is the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Arts and Media building, combining laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and a leading edge earthquake resistant design, post-tensioned rocking sheer walls, for a multi-storied wooden building.

The new STIC offices on the University of Canterbury campus are a reconstruction of the two-thirds scale, three-storey prototype originally constructed at the University of Canterbury’s Engineering Structures lab, which uses the new EXPAN post-tensioned timber structural beams and columns.

The thousands of aftershocks and earthquakes since September 4th and February 22nd have proven to be no match for the EXPAN technology – no surprise, given that the first structure withstood more than 30 simulated Magnitude 8 quakes in its research and development phase.

Building Research Association of New Zealand Inc (BRANZ) opened their new Nikau building this year. Constructed with largespan LVL portal frames and plywood shear walls the single-storey building was designed using the same EXPAN post-tensioned structural system.

Due for completion in November, TUMU ITM’s new builder’s supply depot is to be the world’s first commercial building to be designed and constructed using the EXPAN Quick-Connect engineered timber portal frame system. This quick-connect system alleviates the need for thousands of nails, and with most of the fabrication happening on the ground, then lifted into place, there is a huge reduction in construction time and costs.

More information can be found about all these buildings at the links below:

General information about STIC and EXPAN systems
NMIT Arts and Media Building (NZ Wood website case study)
NMIT Arts and Media Building (EXPAN Website)
STIC Offices (EXPAN Website)
BRANZ Nikau building (CHH brochure)
TUMU ITM Depot (EXPAN Website)