Low-carbon concrete: what builders can specify, and what changes on site
Concrete is the biggest source of embodied carbon in most houses, and almost all of it comes from the cement. Here is how low-carbon mixes work, how to specify them, and the site practices that make them perform.
8 min read
The PointCPD blog
Building industry news and articles
What is changing in Australian building, and what it means on site: construction technology, materials, energy, regulation, safety, contracts and the housing market.
Low-carbon concrete: what builders can specify, and what changes on site
Concrete is the biggest source of embodied carbon in most houses, and almost all of it comes from the cement. Here is how low-carbon mixes work, how to specify them, and the site practices that make them perform.
8 min read
Five Sydney social housing projects approved: almost 700 social and affordable homes
Planning approval for five Housing Australia Future Fund projects in Caringbah, Belmore, Punchbowl, Hillsdale and Pagewood will replace 209 old dwellings with 826 new homes. What it means for builders chasing social and affordable housing work.
6 min read
Rangehood and exhaust fan ducting: getting local exhaust out of the building
A rangehood or exhaust fan is only as good as the duct behind it. If the duct stops in the roof space, the moisture it collects is discharged straight into the coldest, least ventilated part of the building.
11 min read
Psychosocial hazards on building sites: the WHS duty many builders are still missing
Long hours, impossible deadlines, bullying of apprentices, aggressive clients and isolation are WHS hazards, not personality problems. The law now says so explicitly. What builders are required to do, and what actually helps.
8 min read
Critical stage inspections in NSW: what gets inspected on a house, when, and how not to fail
Footings, slab, frame, wet areas, stormwater and final: the inspections a NSW house must pass before it can be occupied. What the certifier looks at, and the preparation that gets you through first time.
8 min read
Lodging DBP declarations without holding up handover
A declaration is only as good as the documents behind it. Build the lodgement pipeline early, reconcile it against the regulated design, and handover stops being a race against the portal.
11 min read
Robotic bricklaying: can Hadrian and other construction robots fix the brickie shortage?
Bricklaying is the scarcest trade in Australia. A Perth-built robot can lay the walls of a block house in a day, and other robots are tying rebar and marking out slabs. What they can really do, and what they need from builders.
8 min read
TPAR for builders: who must lodge by 28 August, what to report and what to leave out
If your business is primarily in building and construction and you pay contractors, the ATO expects a Taxable Payments Annual Report by 28 August. Here is who must lodge, what goes in, what stays out, and how to avoid a penalty.
8 min read
Marketing a residential building business in NSW: lead generation and conversion that holds up
Most small builders do not lose work because nobody called. They lose it because the enquiry was never qualified, the quote went out flat, and nobody followed up. Here is how to fix the pipeline before spending more on ads.
12 min read
RBA holds the cash rate at 4.35%, but warns housing momentum has shifted
The Reserve Bank kept rates on hold after three increases this year, but its statement flagged falling house prices in some capitals, a noticeable drop in new housing loans and fuel-driven inflation. Here is what that means for builders.
6 min read
Heat pump hot water: a builder’s guide to sizing, siting, noise and getting it signed off
Heat pumps are now the default hot water choice on many new homes. How they work, how to size them, where to put them so the neighbours don’t complain, and the details trades get wrong.
9 min read
Shower and bath setdowns: getting substrate geometry and waste layout right
A setdown is a substrate decision that locks in the fall, the finished floor level and the waste position long before anyone rolls out membrane. Get the geometry wrong and the waterproofing cannot rescue it.
10 min read
Construction management software for small builders: what it should do and how to choose
Spreadsheets, a paper diary and a phone full of photos will run a building business, until they don’t. What construction management software should do, what it costs you to switch, and how to pick one without regret.
9 min read
Free site templates for builders
SWMS, JSA, Take 5, inspection checklists, site diary, variations and payment claims. Word and PDF, free for commercial use.