BRANZ

Exciting news! 🎉 We are thrilled to announce that Peter Whiting, our Senior Fire Engineer and Fire Testing Team Leader, has received the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award at the FireNZ Conference & Tradeshow last night!   This prestigious recognition highlights Peter's outstanding contributions and commitment over his extensive career in Fire engineering through his research and testing, involvement in codes and standards development in both New Zealand and Australia, and the part he's played in the significant redevelopment of our fire testing facilities and capabilities. Congratulations, Peter for your hard work and commitment. Kei te whakahīhī mātou ki a koe – We are incredibly proud of you. 👏👏

Exciting times at the FireNZ Conference & Tradeshow! Our team is hard at work, connecting, learning, and sharing insights. It’s FREE to attend the FireNZ 2024 tradeshow, doors are open until 5.30pm today and 8.00am-1.30pm tomorrow. #FireNZ #FireSafety #FireProtection #FireNZconference2024

This post is straight 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 🔥 (contained – don’t worry)   Today we hosted delegates from the FireNZ Conference, which is taking place in Wellington this year, hosted by Fire Protection Association New Zealand. Two busloads of attendees made their way to BRANZ to see our new fire lab and hear about how the state-of-the-art facility will improve fire safety in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.   Check out the demonstration fire test we held in our old fire lab to show attendees some of the work BRANZ fire engineers carry out.   #FireNZ #FireSafety #FireProtection #FireNZ Conference & Tradeshow

Do you know where to take your construction waste? If not, try our Resource recovery map 🗺️📌 Check out our video on using the tool and learn some great features that make finding where to take your building waste a breeze.   Developed in partnership with Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao.   Use the map here today 👇 https://lnkd.in/gb56F-Bh   #waste #reduce #recyclingweek24 #recycling #construction #buildingwaste

Today marks the start of Recycling Week ♻️ We are excited to see the work Reclaim | Serious About Recycling is doing in sustainability, advocating for processes you can implement both at home, and at work. Recycling, and reducing construction waste is a key focus of BRANZ and we have been refining our Reducing building material waste toolbox to help companies on their own sustainability journeys. It provides: ♻️ Waste minimisation plans ♻️ Waste reduction guides ♻️ Waste transfer plans ♻️ Step by step guides ♻️ Our new Resource recovery map   Don’t delay, kick start your waste journey with our refreshed toolbox this Recycling Week! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gGhdz5Ma #recycling #recyclingweek24 #constructionwaste

This morning was the karakia (blessing) of our new Fire Lab. It was a beautiful moment and way to signify the mahi ahead with Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated (the mandated iwi authority of Ngāti Toa Rangatira) and our collaborators around Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.   Our new Fire Lab means BRANZ and our collaborators can do more research and testing to help reduce the risk from fire in buildings. With the capability to test larger structures, we can better address the challenges of higher-density construction.   This means deeper insights into how different materials, products, and systems withstand fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide. This mahi is essential to keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, workplaces, schools, and public spaces for generations to come.     Thank you Hohepa Potini for leading our karakia, and to Helmut Modlik and the kaimahi and whānau of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, for supporting this milestone. 

This morning, we had the pleasure of hosting Hon. Chris Penk MP, Minister for Building and Construction. We took him on a whistle-stop tour of our research and testing laboratories, which can simulate the impacts of fire, earthquakes, extreme winds and rain on multi-storey buildings. During the visit, we highlighted some exciting new building research and testing that’s underway and demonstrated the real-world application of what we do, and how it is improving the quality, performance and resilience of the building industry and the built environment here in Aotearoa. Our investment in state-of-the-art facilities ensures that we stay at the forefront of research and testing, benefiting not just New Zealand but also the wider global community. In collaboration with Hon. Chris Penk and the broader sector, we're excited to work towards a future filled with affordable, resilient, sustainable and quality buildings. Thank you Hon. Chris Penk, for your engagement and support! #BuildingResearch #HousingAffordability #Construction #Sustainability With Claire Falck

Thank you Simpli Centre of Excellence. It was great to discuss the proposed regulatory changes and the role of regulation in the building industry. We also enjoyed sharing some of our research projects, like streamlining the consenting process and our recent waste initiatives with REBRI. Plus, it was exciting to discuss the developments in remote digital inspections with Artisan.   We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration and driving positive change in the sector together!

Thank you for hosting us HERA. It’s great to see a focus on important research areas like structural fire, hybrid design, and low carbon solutions. #Collaborating in these fields has the potential to make a real impact on the #building and #construction sector in #Aotearoa.

Recent economic forecasts indicate multi-unit dwellings will make up the majority of new #dwellings in Auckland and Wellington for the rest of the decade. When it comes to acoustics, inter-tenancy floors must meet or exceed an Impact Insulation Class (IIC) of 55, as per Building Code clause G6. However, complaints about sound transfer between units are common. To ensure client satisfaction, consider going beyond the minimum requirements. There are floor systems in New Zealand that boast an IIC rating of 60 or higher. Here are some tips: • Avoid placing bathrooms above living areas or bedrooms to reduce noise from above e.g. from dropped items. • Use materials like concrete floors with carpet and thick rubber underlay, or cross-laminated timber (CLT) with a cement screed layer for better sound insulation. • Specify suspended plasterboard ceilings on flexible resilient metal rails with thick acoustic absorbent insulation. • Minimise floor or ceiling penetrations of piped services and recessed downlights to prevent acoustic issues and potential fire risks. Check out our latest Guideline for more information 👇 https://lnkd.in/gh2gqZxD #BuildingStandards #Construction #MultiUnitDwellings #Acoustics #BuildingCode #ClientSatisfaction