May 2010 | Top

June 2010 | Top

Thank you to all who visited the Helifix exhibit at DesignBuild 2010, held in Melbourne at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, June 23-25.

All Helifix systems were on display and experienced Helifix staff were be on hand to answer all questions. The exhibit included a demonstration masonry wall and beam to enable visitors to view and tryout our unique remedial wall tie systems and installation techniques.

HeliNews: March 2010 | Top

Based near Doncaster in the UK, PWM have a well established reputation in Europe as designers and manufacturers of high performance, high quality dust control systems. Helifix Australia was recently appointed Australia's PWM distributor, and is looking foward to helping build its profile down under.

TV50 Dust Control Vacuum

The TV50 vacuum is the heart of the PWM dust control line-up. Specifically designed to meet the demands of builders and contractors involved with restoration work and users of hand held power tools, the TV50 features a number of elements that set it apart from the pack.

At its centre is a high specification cartridge filter constructed from a superior fabric that enables dust control to 0.2 micron. The TV50 design in turn positions the cartridge inside a distinctive tall cyclone to ensure that the filter's full potential is not wasted on the collection of heavy particles which are instead allowed to fall to the bottom of the unit.

A unique "reverse pulse" filter cleaning mechanism ensures easy filter cleaning and long filter life. Running the vacuum with the inlet port closed off allows a negative pressure to develop above the filter. Allowing air at atmospheric pressure to then enter the system through the reverse pulse valve causes air to rush into the inside of the filter and dust to be displaced from the outside of the filter. Simple and efficient.

Dust and rubble collection is equally simple and effecient. With particles falling to the bottom of the cyclone, the TV50 utilises a simple flap mechanism to allow material to be collected in strong, low-cost plastic bags, ready for easy disposal.

The TV50 is powered by a double-insulated, 1400W motor that provides excellent airflow/vacuum characteristics and is mounted to a steel frame trolley for great maneuverability. At only 19kgs the TV50 can be easily carried onto scaffolding or across site...Read more »

HeliNews: March 2010 | Top

Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings form a significant and rapidly diminishing part of New Zealand's collective heritage and there is a growing concern that appropriate retrofit repair and reinforcement steps be taken to preserve these structures for future generations.1 In Auckland, threats to the longevity of URM structures include salt, wind and seismic loading.

Using a range of Helifix remedial systems, structural integrity was re-introduced into this building, situated in central Auckland, and strength added in anticipation of future seismic events. The original construction materials and character were retained through the use of non-disruptive Helifix installation techniques. The deterioration of the facade included corroded wall ties, failed lintels, cracked, bowed and unstable brickwork...Read More »

1. Goodwin C., Tonks G. and J. Ingham (2009). Identifying heritage value in URM buildings. URL: retrofitsolutions.org.nz (Accessed: March 2010)

HeliNews: March 2010 | Top

Architect Harry Seidler considered Blues Point Tower to be one of his best buildings,1 and his many admirers would no doubt agree. But following its completion in 1962, Blues Point Tower has attracted more than just devotees. Salt, moisture and exposure to Sydney's harbour environment have all exacted a toll on the building's facade.

The building comprises a concrete frame structure and cavity brick infill panels. Weathering and building movement have contributed to the development of a number of problems requiring remediation including masonry cracking and corrosion of the original wall tie system. In 2000, two Helifix repair schemes were called upon to help with works conducted to repair the building's southern elevation. DryFix ties were used to reconnect the external and internal brickwork leaves of each infill panel while RetroTies were used to connect the edges of each panel to the surrounding concrete superstructure.

A new round of work organised to repair the remaining three elevations is now under way...Read More »

1. Lacey S. (2002). Towering Ambition. Sydney Morning Herald, September 28.

Published Nov 2009 | Top

Construction sites must be managed to the minimum standards required by national and local occupational health and safety (OHS) acts and regulations. Helifix is committed to helping site managers and users of Helifix products develop and maintain safe work practices and comply with OHS provisions.

As an expression of this commitment, Helifix has produced a safe installation guide that specifiers and product users may reference when preparing Helifix wall and pinning tie installation strategies.

The Helifix Remedial Wall and Pinning Tie Safe Installation Guide lists relevant OHS standards and codes of practice, and presents a number of steps that may be followed to identify, assess, eliminate and control remedial wall and pinning tie installation hazards.

HeliNews: Nov 2009 | Top

A collaborative project investigating the seismic retrofitting of masonry buildings, involving researchers from both sides of the Tasman, continues to make headway. Led by engineers at the Universities of Auckland and Canterbury in New Zealand, in conjunction with colleagues at the Universities of Newcastle and Adelaide in Australia, the Seismic Retrofit Solutions project has targeted the development of cost-effective guidelines and solutions to retrofit unreinforced masonry (URM) structures.

The wording and implementation of a full list of solutions and formal provisions has yet to reach fruition, but the research, which is now at an advanced stage, has produced compelling results and there is a growing expectation that a suite of technical seismic manuals will result. As part of the project, researchers have investigated the performance of a number of different retrofitting systems. Shotcrete, fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheeting and shear truss systems, among others, have received attention. Helifix has also supported a coordinated series of studies into its own Helibeam System of masonry reinforcement...Read more »

HeliNews: Nov 2009 | Top

The architects behind this new development at Sydney's Mater Hospital complex envisaged a striking building encased in seamless brickwork, unspoiled by the appearance of structural components. They also envisaged a building shaped by a series of interwoven straight and curved walls, and where a variety brick types, colourings and glazings might be used to highlight different features.

Grand in design, the construction process presented contractors with a number of interesting problems. One such problem was how to construct a curved brick panel above an opening such that the supporting concrete slab/lintel structure might remain completely concealed and only the full face of the coloured soffit brickwork fully visible...Read more »

HeliNews: Nov 2009 | Top

The DryFix remedial wall tie system has been used to repair buildings at the former artillery school, Manly, NSW.

Situated atop North Head, the former artillery school plays host to a number of buildings which look out over a large parade ground and harbour views. And though military personnel are no longer housed here, boot camps, of a kind, are still the order of the day with the barracks and parade ground providing the backdrop in recent times to a popular reality television exercise and lifestyle show.

But like other buildings in the area, age and exposure to salt air has taken its toll. Some time ago, a storm that passed through the area generated wind gusts sufficient in force to bring down the gable end of one of the buildings where wall tie corrosion had compromised structural integrity....Read more»

World HeliNews | Top

Helifix has delivered innovative repair solutions to the construction industry for over 25 years worldwide. Helifix materials and repair strategies have been used for masonry repairs undertaken in all types of buildings from the Opera House in Sydney, to the Musesum of Natural History in London, to the historic Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, to the 650 year old Bouzov Castle in the Czech Republic.

Visit our UK head office website to download a copy of the latest UK HeliNews newsletter and for further details of Helifix projects conducted worldwide. Visit www.helifix.co.uk. (Link opens new window.)