2 March 2018: Hilti Australia, The University of Technology Sydney, and Engineers Australia hosted a brand new event, Connecting Minds. Taking place at the new ProtoSpace facility at UTS, the objective was for experts in fastening technology and design to come together for an exchange of knowledge and experience.

What was Connecting Minds all about?
Connecting Minds brought together engineers, academics and industry professionals. It was an extremely diverse crowd, both in terms of background and expertise. Through a number of presentations, hands-on exercises, physical demonstrations and formal discussions, we were treated to a holistic view of the anchoring cycle - from regulatory framework for design through to risk mitigation strategies for installation.

As many of us in the audience work solely at one stage of the process, it was both interesting and rewarding to contextualise our respective roles in the larger process of design, specification, and installation of concrete anchors. The aim of the event was to influence safer construction practices in Australia, and by providing us with a space to exchange knowledge and discuss critical issues in the industry with genuine leaders in the space,. Connecting Minds was simply a fantastic event.

What happened on the day?
The event was kicked off with speeches from:
●     Greg Ewing, General Manager of Engineers Australia
●     Anne Gardner, Associate Professor at the UTS School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
●     Michael Leung, General Manager of Hilti Australia


Greg Ewing, GM of Engineers Australia kicked off the day's events.

Professor Emad Gad on SA TS 101
Following the opening speeches, the first guest speaker, Professor Emad Gad, took to the stage for his presentation discussing the development, implications and future of SA TS 101:2015, the new standard that covers design of post-installed and cast-in fastenings used in concrete. As a Chair of the Board for AEFAC (Australian Engineered Fasteners and Anchors Council), the body responsible for developing the standard, we were treated to a thorough run-through from one of the pre-eminent experts on the crucial new standard.
After Professor Gad's presentation, an open networking session took place, where we were invited to interact with real-life examples of the topics discussed in the presentation. This was a great supplement to Professor Gad’s presentation - it can be so easy to get bogged down in the conceptual, so providing those concrete examples really drove his message.

Peter McBean on seismic applications
The next speaker was Peter McBean, one of the leading seismic structural engineers in Australia and joint Managing Director of Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec. Peter's presentation took a detailed look at design for seismic applications, from the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes through to how seismic concerns were addressed during construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. Peter discussed the way the Hilti team addressed the unique requirements of the hospital and delivered anchor solutions that would ensure ultimate performance even during seismic events.
Following Peter's presentation, we were again taken through some working demonstrations of anchoring under cracked and seismic conditions in order to put the concepts discussed into context. After this, we broke for lunch where we were treated to something special - a 1.8-tonne Volkswagen Amarok suspended from a single Hilti M10 mechanical anchor. Many of us were left speechless at this awesome testament to Hilti’s innovation and commitment to quality.


1.8 tonnes of Volkswagen Amarok suspended by a single 10M mechanical anchor.

Mike Coburn and Barry Kaknics on rebar design
After lunch, Hilti Australia's own Mike Coburn and Barry Kaknics presented on rebar design theory and installation methods. Mike and Barry focused on a number of strategies to mitigate risk in installation. This was met particularly well by the designers and specifiers in the crowd, as we typically don’t see much in the way of installation. That closer look at installation was invaluable - it showed many of us how our designs come to fruition.

Marc Schaeffer on developments in anchor design
The last speaker was Hilti's Head of Development for Mechanical Anchors, Marc Schaeffer. With 25 years’ experience in fastening technology research and development, Marc brought a huge amount of insight to the world of anchor design. Marc has been a driving force of innovation in Hilti’s anchor portfolio, and his informative talk on the latest developments in this area was fascinating.
It’s not often that you get to hear about the design process of someone who develops the tools we work with every day. It also allowed many of us to step back from viewing anchors as a means to an end (albeit, an important one), and to actually think about them in terms of a product that was designed and refined to meet the stringent demands of their varying applications. Marc delivered a truly eye-opening presentation.

An expert panel
The last presentation of the day was a discussion panel featuring the previous speakers. During the day, we used an app where we could engage with each other to discuss key points or ask questions. The app allowed us to vote for the best questions for the panel. Because of this, the panel addressed the queries most relevant to everyone. The resulting discussion was compelling, engaging and a great way to end the event. We were engaged all day, and all attendees had wonderful things to say about Connecting Minds. Many of us felt that it was the best industry event we’d attended due to the high quality speakers, physical demonstrations and the ability to network within the engineering community.



About ProtoSpace
The brand new ProtoSpace facility at UTS was a fantastic venue for Connecting Minds. The advanced manufacturing facility is state of the art, and drives inventive collaboration between disparate sectors and disciplines. This incredible space is the largest of its kind in Australia, and many believe it'll be ground zero for the next wave of Australian innovation.

Connecting Minds was an excellent event. All credit to the organisers, to UTS, to Engineering Australia and of course Hilti for providing the opportunity for this meeting of minds.