Rising to new heights
with Hibond® 80
Dimond Structural’s Hibond® 80 zinc-coated steel flooring was a cost-effective choice for The Rise, a multi-level development that includes retail, commercial and parking space.
A new architectural statement for Titirangi’s ridgetop shopping centre
The Rise is a welcome addition to Titirangi’s compact shopping centre, which sits on a ridge at the edge of Auckland’s forested Waitakere Ranges. Its neighbour to the west is the historic Lopdell House, a 1930s Art Deco structure described as a ‘castle on the fringe of heaven’. Architect for the project, RCG Architecture, wanted to create a statement building that would sit comfortably alongside this Titirangi icon and complement the location’s sweeping views.
The result is an energy-efficient building that adds visual excitement to the village, while also providing eight retail units at street level, 650m2 of commercial space upstairs and 43 car parks at ground level.
Engineer recognises Hibond® 80 as a ComFlor® alternative
As a member of the structural engineering design team for the project, Vivienne Jones of TD Structures originally specified ComFlor® 80 for the upper suspended floor within The Rise. Then the contractor drew her attention to a new player in the composite steel floor deck market – Hibond® 80 by Dimond StructuralTM.
Hibond® 80 is ideal for projects that need a strong, lightweight decking system. Its deep profile allows longer un-propped spans, which simplifies beam layout.
“The Dimond® team supplied all the information and design software I needed to confirm that Hibond® 80 was an appropriate substitute for the project. For buildings similar to this, we’d been specifying ComFlor® because it was the industry go-to and we were familiar with their design software. But when we saw that Hibond® 80 is more cost-effective it was an easy substitution to make.”
Installation team pleased to be working with a versatile new product
Leading the flooring installation team was Will King, operations director at Remarkable Studwelding and Metal Decking. He was impressed with Hibond® 80 and is pleased there’s another player in the steel flooring market.
“Hibond® 80 is a very capable product that’s suitable for everything from residential buildings through to large high-rise projects. Given the increasing need for lightweight structures, we’re very pleased to have this product available to us.
For The Rise, we had a small team – just three guys – and the install took four days. Loading and unloading in the middle of a shopping centre always has its challenges, but Hibond® was easy to handle and get into place. No crane or hiab required.”
Proprietary software makes specifying Hibond® 80 easy
Since Hibond® 80 was specified for The Rise, Dimond StructuralTM has issued proprietary software to assist specifiers.
Developed in conjunction with the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA), the software is versatile, intuitive and easy to use. The software tackles the hard stuff for design efficiency with single, multiple span and cantilever configurations for the construction stage and the composite stage. It also provides the flexibility to analyse unequal spans in one application.
About Hibond® 80
• Roll-formed from high strength zinc-coated steel coil to AS1397, Hibond® 80 complies with the procedures and limit states in AS/NZS 2327, based on detailed analysis by the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) and comprehensive physical testing.
• Hibond® 80 is available in four thicknesses - 0.75mm, 0.95mm. 1.05mm and 1.15mm – and is supplied with a range of compatible components including end caps, edge form and rake-cut edge flashings.
