Top Marks for Dubbo Campus Extensions

Construction of Stage II of the Dubbo Campus of Charles Sturt University in central western New South Wales has proven to be an educational experience in more ways than one for a local roofing contractor.

The A$5 million Stage II project has provided the campus with additional teaching and learning spaces, including a tiered lecture theatre seating up to 100 students, two lecture rooms each with 50 seats, a science laboratory, nursing clinic, curriculum room and office space for 18 staff.

A computer lab, function room with seating for 130, student recreational area suitable for live band performances and a café style eating area complete the new facilities, which make extensive use of steel wall and roof cladding supplied by BlueScope Lysaght.

Dubbo region businesses were successful in the tendering process, with local firm Rawson Constructions winning selection as the building contractor and Dubbo City Plumbing appointed to carry out roof and wall cladding.

"The new buildings are quite striking in their design and continue the theme which the architects established with the initial campus development," said Warwick Rapley, Director of Dubbo City Plumbing.

Environmentally sustainable design was also on the agenda for the selection of materials, again to match the original campus buildings.

"When we first saw the plans for the new buildings they represented quite a challenge," Warwick Rapley said. "Some of the buildings are semi-circular in shape and they are linked by covered walkways which resemble the shape of a football. We consulted BlueScope Lysaght when we realised that it would be necessary to produce some of the cladding as tapered sheets."

"This is something which we had not experienced before in Dubbo City Plumbing's 20 years of operation, but for BlueScope Lysaght it wasn't a problem. They provided all the technical support we needed and then arranged to have the product specially rollformed in Sydney."

"The campus project involved 3,000 square metres of roof and wall cladding in LYSAGHT SPANDEK®, LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB®, LYSAGHT MINI ORB® and tapered sheets of LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305®. Some of it was rollformed in 18 metre lengths, so BlueScope Lysaght made special arrangements for escorted delivery by road direct to the construction site."

The original specifications called for another, considerably more expensive cladding from another supplier to be used, but Warwick Rapley said the cost savings were not the only reason he favoured the switch to the LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305® profile in COLORBOND® steel.

"We drew our cladding plans and worked out the tapers required for the sheets and then BlueScope Lysaght not only delivered the product but also provided the technical support and advice which simplified the task for our installers."

LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305® is a strong and durable, concealed fixed roofing and walling cladding suitable for roofing with a pitch as low as one degree.

Dubbo City Plumbing's installers proved to be quick learners at the Charles Sturt University Dubbo Campus. As proof that the company passed the test of installing tapered cladding sheets it has recently been asked to perform a similar installation elsewhere in regional New South Wales.

The campus project made extensive use of steel cladding from BlueScope Lysaght. Apart from the tapered sheets of LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305®, used to roof the walkways between the buildings, the architect also specified LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® in ZINCALUME® steel as external wall cladding and LYSAGHT SPANDEK® for fan-shaped roof sections.