Galston Aquatic Centre

The Galston Aquatic Centre was refurbished in 2021-22 and Vicbeam was engaged by Westbury Constructions to provide the Tasbeam 15 H3 Hardwood GLT members.

The project included H3 treated rafters for the new gymnasium, mullions, purlins, and the centre piece of the project – the bowstring trusses.

The trusses, spanning over 20 metres across the width of the pool, were constructed using Tasmanian Oak Hardwood laminated to 495mm high by 130mm thick. To achieve the length a complex and meticulous splice was designed by Partridge Consulting Engineers. The splice detail involved 40 steel pins epoxied through the timber, and steel splice plate on site.

The on site installers (Savcon Construction) used the prefabricated glulam beams and the steel to bring the beams together and then added the ‘bowstring’ – a steel tension cable to bring the trusses into the correct alignment required by the engineering.

The collaboration between steel and timber fabricators, alongside the structural and architectural teams, showcased precise coordination through 3D models to ensure a perfect fit on-site and alignment of the tight-fit holes.

The geometry of the roof meant that the Tasbeam 15 H3 GLT beams were fabricated to such precise angles that where the glulam beams met in the ‘V’ meant the beams needed to be tapered from 130mm thick down to 5m. The complex cuts and angles were completed on Vicbeam’s Essetre 5-axis CNC machine, allowing for the precision required on site.

The hours of offsite planning, drawing, checking, rechecking, and finally fabrication, meant that the onsite installation was achieved with minimal fuss.

The glulam beams were H3 treated with Trucore technology to prevent mould and decay and then coated with Cutek extreme Eco to ensure the beams were well protected for their installed environment.

The Galston community now have their long awaited-for swimming complex and it will able to be enjoyed for generations to come.