50 | TIMBER INDUSTRY Red Stag Timber T T Kelly Deeks Top timber construction on display Red Stag currently produces 650,000 cubic metres of Radiata pine and Douglas fir lumber per year, with a focus on structural timber products for residential and commercial markets, both locally and internationally. Red Stag Timber is setting a new benchmark for timber construction in New Zealand with major projects now underway at its expansive Rotorua site, and visitors are invited to come and see the results for themselves at an upcoming ‘Mid-Rise Wood Construction Programme Site Visit’. Red Stag Timber engineering manager Neale Kent says the business is strongly committed to leading from the front when it comes to using timber in industrial and midrise construction. “We are a timber manufacturing company, so whenever we put up a new building, we look to use timber wherever we can. It’s good for the environment, reduces the carbon footprint, and showcases what’s possible to achieve when you design and build with timber,” he says. Two standout projects on the site are nearing completion. A new mobile plant workshop, designed by Auckland’s Enovate, and built by Max Edkins Builders, will service Red Stag’s large fleet of forklifts and log loaders, which are supplied, operated and maintained by Rotorua Forest Haulage. The new building will provide a clean, sheltered environment for servicing work, some of which was previously done outdoors due to the size of the equipment. The workshop is a showcase of timber design. Other than the concrete foundations and gantry crane, all structural elements, including portal frames, columns, beams, walls, roof, and mezzanine floor, are made entirely from Red Stag’s cross laminated timber (CLT). Special design attention was paid to minimise exposed steel connections, letting the natural beauty of the timber shine through. Elsewhere on site, a new large clear-span timber storage building is also taking shape. Measuring 90m x 65m with a 15m-high apex (the equivalent of a five-storey building), the structure features CLT columns and Glulam roof trusses spanning the full 65m width. “This is a significant example of timber engineering in the construction of a large industrial building,” Neale says. “The clear-span design gives us flexibility for future use, such as processing-plant operations, without any internal posts to limit equipment positioning.” These projects are part of an ongoing expansion programme at Red Stag Timber, which has included the construction of several other major buildings using mass timber, including remanufacturing plant, pressure treatment plant, dip plant and trimline and stacker building. Red Stag currently produces 650,000 cubic metres of Radiata pine and Douglas fir lumber per year, with a focus on structural timber products for residential and commercial markets, both locally and internationally. The company is a driving force behind the Mid-Rise Wood Construction Programme, a joint initiative with the Ministry for Primary Industries aimed at encouraging greater adoption of timber in mid-rise construction. This six-year, $6.75 million initiative has helped showcase mass timber’s benefits, including strength, low carbon footprint, seismic resilience, and cost-effectiveness, through projects such as the new Waikato Regional Theatre in Hamilton and the Clearwater Apartments in Christchurch. Neale says in Europe, engineered timber has been used in larger-scale buildings for decades, and Red Stag is committed to helping New Zealand adopt far wider use of timber and engineered wood products in the construction of larger-scale buildings. “It’s not just about residential housing anymore,” he says. “Engineered timber can replace steel and concrete in mid-rise buildings and large-span industrial structures.” Red Stag’s site-visit day will offer a unique opportunity for industry professionals, designers, and the curious public to see first-hand what can be achieved with CLT, Glulam and structural timber at industrial scale. “We’re excited to show what’s possible and inspire others to think timber first.” FOR ALL YOUR REINFORCING NEEDS Supply, Cut, Bend & Install Residential • Commercial • Industrial MOB: 021 999 375 14B Constance St, Waiwhakaiho N.P. www.taranakireinforcing.co.nz Kawerau Engineering Limited is proud to support Red Stag Timber Located in the heart of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Kawerau Engineering Ltd was established in 1965 as a plant maintenance provider and general engineering works. Now in its sixth decade of operation, the company still provides the same high quality integrity based service that it was founded on. +64 7 323 8402 12 Manukorihi Drive, Kawerau info@kaweraueng.co.nz www.kaweraueng.co.nz
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