Australian Engineered Fasteners and Anchors Council

Introduction

The Australian Engineered Fasteners and Anchor Council (AEFAC) is an industry initiative seeking to enhance the specification, selection, design and installation of structural anchors and fasteners in the Australian construction industry. AEFAC is a consortium made up of Founding Board Members, namely Swinburne University of Technology, Ancon Building Products, Hilti (Aust.), Hobson Engineering Co, ramsetreid, Powers Fasteners Australasia and Wurth Australia; and Supporting Members, namely Allthread Industries and Simpson Strong-Tie Australia.

AEFAC was formed in 2012 through the efforts of Emad Gad and James Murray-Parkes and the support of the Founding Board Members

AEFAC aims to:

Develop standards for the selection, specification and application of anchors and fasteners in the construction industry
Provide appropriate training and education for design engineers and specifiers
Improve installation practices via training and accreditation
Safeguard the quality of anchors and fasteners through standardisation of specification and certification of products
Conduct research and development to advance the industry

Swinburne-AEFAC collaboration wins International Education Award

The success of the Swinburne-AEFAC collaboration has again been acknowledged as part of Swinburne winning the 2016 Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame International Education Award.

The judges noted:

"Creating partnerships with industry is integral to all of Swinburne’s teaching and research. A best practice example is the Australian Engineered Anchors and Fasteners Council (AEFAC), which brings together eight industry partners to develop safety standards and training for industry. Working collaboratively, Swinburne continues to develop new products, education innovations and more productive, sustainable businesses."

Swinburne-AEFAC collaboration wins award

The Australian Financial Review Higher Education awards presentations were held in Sydney on 27th October, 2015. Swinburne University of Technology was announced as the 2015 winner in the category of Industry Engagement for the Swinburne-AEFAC collaboration.

The judging panel provided the following comments

"Concrete fasteners may not be the most glamorous topic, but AEFAC is a model of targeted effective engagement with industry that is not only delivering tremendous practical gains, but also saving lives by improving safety standards. The number of activities undertaken, the extent of collaboration between competitors and the far-reaching implications for industry make this entry a stand-out."

Swinburne would like to acknowledge the generous donations made by the AEFAC Founding Board and Supporting Members that have made these outcomes possible. Swinburne and AEFAC would also like to thank the Australian Financial Review for recognising the value and impact of the work undertaken, and TechnologyOne for supporting this prestigious award.

Swinburne University Vice-Chancellor's Award

Swinburne University of Technology Vice-Chancellor's Industry Engagement Award

AEFAC is very proud to announce that the Swinburne-AEFAC collaboration has again won an award for industry engagement, this time being recognised through the Swinburne University of Technology Vice-Chancellor’s Industry Engagement Award for 2015. This award recognises outstanding initiatives relating to Swinburne’s engagement with industry, community, government and alumni. It recognises achievement towards fostering deeper engagement at Swinburne, in creating new and innovative opportunities, ideas, relationships and partnerships for the future.

Congratulations to the team at Swinburne University of Technology and to all AEFAC Members for contributing towards the very valuable outcomes of this partnership.