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Contents
Introduction 3
The UB System explained
Purchaser Opportunity
Intellectual Property
10
UB Projects
23
Design Guide
39
Floorplan Examples
40
Contact 41
Introduction
The Unitised Building (UB) System is a state-of-the-art modular construction technology that since
2008 has been used to construct internationally recognised building projects across Australia.
Established by world-renowned Architect Nonda Katsalidis (Eureka Tower, MoNA) and developed in
partnership with Australias most innovative builders, the Hickory Group, the UB System has been
used to produce over 1,200 modular units to date across residential, remote housing and hotel sector
projects.
Independent research* has proven the UB System to offer significant advantages in construction
speed, sustainability, cost, quality and safety including:
50% faster construction times
Up to 90% less construction waste
91% more recyclable materials
Up to 90% more thermally efficient buildings
Safer, higher quality work environment on the ground floor of a factory
Numerous cost advantages from financing and finding savings to reduced project consultant
and variation costs
An unprecedented opportunity exists to purchase a complete, custom-built UB plant and equipment
kit and technology user licence to produce patented Unitised Building modules in Australia and New
Zealand.
This system is capable of producing architecturally unique, high-quality accommodation projects
of up to 15 levels, and the UB brand is internationally recognised as a leading force in advanced
modular building technology and construction innovation.
*Research conducted in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Curtin University
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While the manufacturing process is underway off-site, construction works at the project site can be
progressed in parallel. The nature of these on-site works will vary by project but typically involve the
construction of a buildings lift core, basement and ground level concrete sub-structures.
The UB System recognises that buildings have elements that lend themselves to being constructed
off-site, as well as those that do not. The system does not attempt to be an exclusively off-site
construction solution and only elements that suit prefabrication are manufactured in this manner. The
system gives primacy to design flexibility over standardisation and modularity. Moreover, the layout
(or unit mix) can be varied from floor-to-floor with little impact on structure or services. Once onsite works are finished, the manufactured units can be transported to site where they are lifted into
position and affixed to one another. Depending on the configuration of the site and factors such as
traffic access, 12 to 20 units can be installed per day per crane. This allows the assembly phase of a
typical sized medium rise apartment project to be completed in 810 days (assuming only one crane
is used).
Unlike alternative modular systems, the fabricated units are shipped with final building faades
attached. Further on-site works are therefore generally limited to finishing touches such as the
final fit-out of lobby areas and the connection of each units pre-installed plumbing, electrical and
exhaust services. This will typically take a few weeks of on-site post-assembly work.
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Day 1
25 units in place
Day 5
40 units in place
Day 8
64 units in place
End of Day 1
Day 7
56 units in place
Day 9
68 units in place
Completed Project
Purchaser Opportunity
A unique opportunity now presents itself to purchase a turn-key manufacturing kit including plant and
production license for this ground-breaking technology.
Currently located in Brooklyn, Victoria, the manufacturing kit includes the following plant and
equipment (further details for each item on page 10):
1. Twin Head Bridge Welder / Spot Welding Machine
2. Intermediate Conveyors and Floor Side Shift Station
3. Assembly Jig #1
4. Assembly Jig #2
5. Column Welding Cell
6. 20 tonne Monorail Crane
7. Spray Booth
8. Moving Fit Out Line
9. Travelling Single Phase Power Bus Bar
10. Transport Equipment
11. Lifting Equipment for Module Installation
12. Out-feed Cranes
Together with this operational equipment a production licence will be transferred to the Purchaser
at the time of sale which will enable the Purchaser to manufacture modules in Australia and New
Zealand. The details and limitations of this licence are to be determined.
This equipment is proven to deliver multi-unit residential and hotel projects up to 9 stories high (see
project details on page 21) and can be specified for projects up to 15 levels.
2. Assembly JIG
The assembly JIG is a semi-automated piece of equipment which
holds and welds the various UB panels into a complete structural
units ready for fit-out. It also incorporates a sophisticated spatial
laser system which facilitates the accurate placement of the
column structures to the units. The assembly JIG was designed
and built by UB and is a dual-sided system providing for the
assembly of two steel structural units contemporaneously. The
assembly JIG is capable of producing a complete structural unit at
the rate of approximately two per shift.
3. Fit-out
Once a structural unit is welded together, it is transported to a
separate area of the factory to be fitted out. The fit-out sequence
takes the steel structural unit to the point of a completed
apartment which is essentially ready to move in once delivered
to site with fully painted walls, carpets, tiles and with kitchens,
bathrooms and other appliances installed (according to the clients
specifications). Importantly, the accuracy of the UB technology
permits all windows and faade elements to be affixed in-factory.
This allows UB to completely finish the outside of the building
as well as the inside. This is a key competitive advantage
which UB has over other modular systems. Fit out cycles at
the manufacturing facility are currently 16 days. This compares
favourably to a typical construction site sequence of more than
100 days, leaving aside potential weather delays.
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Intellectual Property
The proprietary technology underpinning the UB System was invented by Nonda Katsalidis.
The IP associated with the UB construction methodology is held by EKCO Patent and IP Holdings
Pty Ltd (EKCO Patent), a member of the Nonda Katsalidis controlled group of companies. The UB
System is patented both in Australia and internationally.
A technology user licence will be transferred to the Purchaser at the time of sale which will enable the
Purchaser to manufacture UB modules in Australia and New Zealand. The details and limitations of
this licence are to be determined.
TBC - The Purchaser will also be granted the rights to use the various trademarks associated with the
UB System.
This machine is fully automated and was purpose built for the automated panel production of the
Unitised Building sheet steel panels. This system is capable of producing panels 4m to 16.5m in
length and 2.4m to 5.2m wide. Positional information, weld positions and weld data is all passed into
the PLC directly from CAD software through a CSV file. The system has a pallet magazine system
that holds all of the components to produce a panel and is automatically decanted from the pallet
to the welding table using a 2 axis automated pick and place with magnets and hooks for picking
the product. The completed panel is then carried away from the welder by a 16m long dual chain
conveyor that is also synchronised with the infeed drives. The system has been welding G350
galvanised material with thicknesses ranging from 1.8mm to 4mm thick and achieving spot weld
nugget sizes between 6mm and 10mm depending on the materials.
Below is a list and a brief description of hardware that is used in this system.
Allan Bradly L45E PLC with device net communication
Allan Bradly HMI screen
Samos Pro safety controller
6 sets of safety light curtains
4 safety gate switches
Roughly 28 motors and drives all SEW
Spot welding equipment is Obara including 2 Obara tip dressers
The infeed drive has a left and right gearbox drive with 3 clamping knurled rollers on each side;
both sides are synchronistic dual drive
4 servo driven spot weld heads capable of producing one weld every 3 seconds per head
Spot weld force of up to 900kg
Weld capacity 16,000ka
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UB Projects
UB successfully constructed and delivered its first building project in June 2010 a 9-storey
apartment complex in Russell Place, Melbourne CBD known as Little Hero. Acting as subcontractor to Hickory, UB was responsible for the manufacture of all 63 apartments in the complex,
which comprised a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and several duplex penthouses.
Utilising the UB System for all residences (which required the manufacture and fit-out of 75 individual
UB units), UB was able to deliver this project on time and on budget whilst facilitating an estimated
4050% reduction in the overall duration of the projects construction timeline.
On the back of the success of the Little Hero project, UB was awarded contracts for an additional
three buildings in Victoria during the same year, representing 630 units (355 apartments) and
revenues of over $46 million.
The largest of these projects was The Nicholson, a 199-apartment building in Coburg, developed
by VicUrban. The Nicholson is a significant milestone in UBs early history a complex building with
multiple structural elements, detailed and innovative faades and numerous complexities in roof
detail. Significantly, this building was designed completely without regard to the UB System a
testament to the flexibility of the system to interpret and reflect ultimate architectural design.
Following the successful delivery of the first 4 residential Melbourne metropolitan projects, UB was
awarded a 240 room hotel project in Port Hedland, WA. The hotel was manufactured in 2012,
however not delivered to WA as intended due to the developer falling into financial difficulty. The
project was repurposed by UB and utilised by Asian Pacific Group as a 128 room Art Series hotel in
Bendigo, adjacent to an extensive new hospital project.
UB has also been used to construct the 3:East apartment project in Richmond, comprising 57
apartments, the One9 development in Moonee Ponds Victoria, a 9 level building erected in site in 5
days, and several other projects in Perth, Port Hedland and Karratha, WA.
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27
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Centvm - Preston
D
esigned by BBP
Architects, Centvm is a
Bensons Group project
comprising a total of
109 apartments
Comprises 3 five storey
high buildings made up of
219 UB modules
Meets a minimum BCA
5-star standard rating for
energy and efficiency
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3:East - Richmond
5
7 apartments (comprising
63 UB modules) installed
on site in just 11 days
U
sing UBs parallel track
building technology
dramatically reduced
disruption to the local
community during
construction in this busy
inner city suburb
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UB Onsite (3:East)
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UB Onsite (One9)
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Design Guide
Whilst some maximum spacial paramenters apply, the UB system does not have fixed module sizes
or layouts, and is suitable for a range of low to medium-rise projects including:
Apartments
Hotels
Remote mining & resource villages
Student accommodation
Aged care accommodation
Healthcare projects
Having delivered 16 separate projects and documented design typolgies and detailed schemes for
dozens more, a part of this sale will include the provision of a detailed design guide containing sample
module layouts, floorplates and parametric models.
VALUE
16.4 m
5.45 m
74.0 m2
3.0 m
3500 mm
2400 mm
3m (Subject to engineering
check)
Unit weight
Average unit/no side wall/no roof per m2
280kg/m2
Floorplan Examples
APARTMENT
REMOTE ACCOMMODATION
HOTEL
40
Contact
To enquire about this exclusive opportunity,
contact Todd Chadwick, Production Manager.
M: +61 407 597 633
E: t.chadwick@hickory.com.au
Hickory Group
101 Cremorne St
Richmond VIC 3121
T: +61 3 9429 7411
F: +61 3 9428 7376
hickory.com.au
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