This section contains information on timber design and construction compliance related to fire, acoustics, building classes, environmental impact, thermal performance and quality assurance. Additionally, it specifically covers MRTFC (Multi-Residential Timber Framed Construction) and AS 1684, a four-part Australian Standard covering compliance for timber framing.
Mid-rise Publications
This page contains links to publications and reports that may be useful for those looking to design and build over three storeys in height with structrual wood products.
Mid-rise Timber Resources
The most recent update to the Australian National Construction Code in May 2019 made it even easier to build compliant timber framed or massive timber buildings of Classes 2 to 9 to an effective height of 25m (usually 8 storeys). Go to resources about the change.
MRTFC - Multi-Residential Timber Framed Construction
MRTFC (Multi-Residential Timber Framed Construction) is a certified fire and sound rated timber construction system conforming with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia for multi-residential buildings.
Quality control
Quality control over grading is important to ensure that products are able to deliver the performance that designers expect. This applies equally well to both appearance grading and structural grading.
R-values for timber
Authoritative estimates of the R-value of common building construction elements incorporating timber-framed construction.
Termites – management and control
The durability of timber is reliant on the ability to minimise the effects of insect attack. Requirements for the protection of houses from subterranean termites are defined in Part 3.1.3 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
Thermal and energy efficiency
Timber is a very energy efficient building material. Its low thermal conductivity minimises the potential for thermal bridging, which makes timber a great material for energy efficient designs.
Timber joint design
A review of joint designs to create timber connections that are both economic and elegant.
Visual stress-grading
Visual grading is the traditional method of determining a stress grade. It is still used for many structural products in Australia, including most seasoned and unseasoned hardwoods, and unseasoned and thicker seasoned softwoods.