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Collecting Drinking Water from Roofs in Five Steps

In New Zealand, approximately 10% of the population relies on rainwater collected from roofs for their daily water needs. There are also an increasing number of projects looking for sustainable and cost-effective solutions to harvest rainwater as a reliable source for drinking water. The key to ensuring the safety and quality of water lies in proper collection, storage, adherence to regulatory standards, and the crucial step of effective filtration.

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22 April 2024
30 May 2022

What is the Missing Middle?

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While we are now building individual homes at greater density, we need to go much further. Not just two-storey townhouses, but building a minimum of three storeys, everywhere. This is where the art of the missing middle, multi-storey, multi-unit design comes into play.

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30 May 2022

Encapsulation of Mass Timber Structures with Intumescent Coatings

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Comprehending mass timber structures — a foundation to a reliable passive fire solution, Part 1 of 3.

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30 May 2022

Understanding Drainage in Food and Beverage Production Facilities

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A commercial kitchen, or food production facility's success or failure will often hinge on the layout.

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30 May 2022

What is a Fire Resistance Rating or FRR?

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We have all heard the terms Fire Rated, Fire Resistant and Fire Retardant. But do they all mean the same thing? 

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30 May 2022

Should MBIE Extend the Transition Period for Insulation Settings for New Housing?

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MBIE would like your feedback on whether the transition period for the proposed insulation changes to new residential housing should be extended.

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26 April 2022

How to Keep Projects Moving Despite Plasterboard Shortages

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Plasterboard is typically required on site before plumbers, electricians, fire and HVAC contractors can begin to carry out their works, so what happens when you don’t have the plasterboard?

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26 April 2022

From White Picket Fences to Medium Density Housing

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As New Zealand finally embraces medium density housing, it's time to resolve key issues, design well, and build better. 

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26 April 2022

Drainage in Podium Areas and What’s Happening Below

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When looking across a paved area toward a drain it seems like a simple equation that surface water will be directed across this plane, through the channel and then be moved away to the stormwater. In fact, if this is a podium area or suspended slab with a habitable or dry space below, there is a lot more to consider.

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26 April 2022

Thermoplastic Elastomer Ether Esters: What are They, and How Do They Work?

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TEEE membranes actively transport water vapour through molecular diffusion across the thickness of the TEEE film.

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20 April 2022

Will New Zealand’s Energy Supplies Need to Go Nuclear?

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Aside from the, (continually and largely ignored), urgent warnings from climate scientists, the current rapid and dramatic changing political upheaval in Europe has caused society to finally face the reality of, and need for, swift and fundamental changes to the usage, sources and security of its existing energy supplies.

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