Month: August 2025

The ARC Advance Timber Hub are pleased to advise we have a HDR Opportunity available at The University of Queensland- St Lucia Campus.

Hub Node: Design for Extended Building Life
Hub Project: Circular (re)design to enable disassembly and reuse of mid-rise timber buildings.
Program: PhD
Location: The University of Queensland- St Lucia Campus
Research area:
This research project aims to advance the understanding and adoption of circular design strategies in timber construction by examining the relationship between architectural design, circularity levels, and environmental impact in Design for/from Disassembly of mid-rise mass timber buildings (MTBs), and identifying implementation pathways suited to the Australian timber construction sector, including the development of frameworks, design guidelines, and tools.

Key research areas include:

• Circularity Assessment: Exploring design for adaptability, disassembly, reuse, and other circular strategies to extend the lifespan of MTBs and optimise resource efficiency.
• End-of-Life Scenarios: Evaluating the deconstruction, disassembly, and reuse potential of existing mass timber structures to assess long-term sustainability and resource recovery.
• Research by Design: Applying and validating new fundamental knowledge to develop more integrated design approaches for circularity in MTBs.

Link to opportunity:

Circular (re)design to enable disassembly and reuse of mid-rise timber buildings in Australia

Image courtesy of AJ_MOLLER

Calling all timber industry professionals who design timber structures and joints in Australia. You are invited to complete a SURVEY to help establish the current understanding of connection design and common joint details in Australia.  The survey results will inform research for the ARC Advance Timber Hub Project – “Connection Systems for Extended Building Life“, led by Dr Lisa Ottenhaus, with the aim to provide clear technical guidance and input for the revision of AS/NZS 1720.1 Chapter 4. Your participation is voluntary, anonymous, and the survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete.

In a collaborative initiative between The Advance Timber Hub, Aurecon & The Engineers Australia Structural College Board, Brisbane recently hosted an exclusive technical seminar on the seismic design of timber structures, delivered by internationally acclaimed expert Professor Massimo Fragiacomo from the University of L’Aquila, Italy.

Professor Fragiacomo, who stayed on in Brisbane after attending the 2025 World Conference on Timber Engineering—thanks to an invitation from Professor Keith Crews and financial support from the Advanced Timber Hub—generously offered to share his expertise with the local engineering community before continuing his travels to New Zealand. His presentation drew strong interest from structural engineers. The focus of the afternoon was on the recent, comprehensive updates to the Eurocodes, highlighting key changes in Eurocode 8 (design for earthquake resistance) and its alignment with Eurocode 5 (timber structures). The seminar facilitated rich discussion and a highly engaged Q&A session, with participants eager to explore how these updates could be applied in local design contexts.

The seminar marked a successful exchange of global knowledge with local impact. Attendees gained deep insights into seismic design strategies for timber structures, enhancing their understanding of evolving international standards and their practical application.