A timber portal bracing solution from Tilling helped replace steel bracing in a narrow residential house design for the builder Melisi Projects.
For their new two- and three-storey townhouse project, Melisi Projects sought to reduce the use of steel. The very narrow townhouse design initially required a lot of steel for bracing, impacting costs as well as a smooth build flow since installing steel in the project would have necessitated the use of cranes, riggers and welders.
Tilling’s SmartFrame Design Centre was engaged by Melisi Projects to revisit the architectural and engineering drawings and find a solution that would reduce the need for steel within the building’s structure. SmartLVL 19, a hardwood laminated veneer lumber (LVL) product from the SmartFrame range was recommended by the Design Centre with generic steel plates for connections.
The result was a full housing solution for bracing and design, which eliminated all the steel elements.
Tilling’s timber portal bracing solution enabled Melisi Projects to use their own carpenters to install the structural elements, reducing trades on site, and significantly improving lead time for materials and thereby, the overall build flow.
Since SmartLVL 19 is readily available ex-stock from Tilling, Melisi Projects was able to receive all their materials in a single delivery at the site, helping them save time.
To find out more about using SmartFrame engineered timber products for structural requirements, please contact the Design Centre team.
