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Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Centre of Excellence – HASSLACHER Glued Laminated Timber
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Centre of Excellence at Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney is being built with a long-span roof structure made of 113 m³ of spruce glulam in strength class GL24h. The HASSLACHER group manufactured the 14 main beams, each 26 m long, at its Kleinheubach site and delivered them to Australia in full component length. On behalf of Savcon, HESS TIMBER GmbH coordinated planning, production and delivery; the architecture is by HB Architecture & Planning.
Key Facts at a Glance
• Location: Belmore, Sydney, Australien
• Project type: Centre of Excellence for elite sport and use by the local community
• Use: Training, medical, recovery, education, and administrative areas
• Material: 113 m³ of spruce, visual grade quality, strength class GL24h
• Structure: 14 main beams, each 26 m long, without intermediate joints
• Prefabrication: full component length with integrated steel connections
• Logistics: MAFI roll trailers and sea freight containers for installation-ready delivery
• Planning coordination: HESS TIMBER GmbH, on behalf of Savcon
• Architecture: HB Architecture & Planning
Modern Timber Construction for Elite Sport
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Centre of Excellence is being developed at the historic Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney, 90 years after its establishment. The project combines modern sports infrastructure with a long-span timber structure designed for professional training operations and use by the local community.
Sports facilities place particular demands on architecture and structural design: large, open spaces, flexible usage options, and a pleasant indoor environment. Timber as a building material meets these requirements exceptionally well. It creates bright, welcoming spaces while enabling the column-free areas that modern sports facilities require.
To achieve these spans, a total of 113 m³ of spruce in visual grade quality, strength class GL24h, was used. The scope of supply includes 14 main beams, engineered as glue-laminated beams with a length of 26 m each, along with additional columns and bracing elements made of glue-laminated timber. The strength class GL24h offers a balanced relationship between load-bearing capacity, material efficiency, and architectural quality, making it particularly well-suited for long-span roof structures in sports and leisure facilities.
Production and Prefabrication in Kleinheubach
The HASSLACHER group manufactured the glulam beams at its Kleinheubach site (HASSLACHER Holzbauteile GmbH & Co. KG) and delivered them in full component length without intermediate joints. Steel connections and fasteners were already integrated during prefabrication, significantly reducing on-site assembly work.
On behalf of Savcon, HESS TIMBER GmbH, a company of HASSLACHER group also based in Kleinheubach, supported the planning phase and coordinated the technical requirements across production, prefabrication, and delivery.
Logistics for Long-Span Glulam Components
The exceptional dimensions of the timber components required a precisely coordinated transport concept. The 26 m long timber beams were transported as complete units on a MAFI roll trailer all the way to Australia, while columns, bracing elements, and other components were shipped in sea freight containers.
This combination of a high degree of prefabrication and well-planned logistics reduced on-site workload and ensured a safe, installation-ready delivery.
The project exemplifies how long-span timber structures, a high degree of prefabrication, and coordinated international transport solutions can come together for demanding sports infrastructure. Sustainable timber construction thus becomes a load-bearing element on the other side of the world as well.
| Project information | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Belmore, Sydney, Australien |
| Customer: | Savcon |
| Architect or planner: | HB Architecture & Planning |
| Builder: | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Rugby League Club Ltd. |
| Year of building: | 2027 |
| Used wooden products: | 113 m³ glulam beams in visible quality, strength class GL24h |
| Sites HASSLACHER group: | HASSLACHER Holzbauteile GmbH & Co. KG, Kleinheubach HESS TIMBER GmbH, Kleinheubach |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who realised the timber roof structure of the Bulldogs Centre of Excellence? The HASSLACHER group manufactured the glulam beams at its Kleinheubach site in Germany. HESS TIMBER GmbH, a company within the group, supported the planning phase on behalf of Savcon and coordinated production, prefabrication and delivery to Sydney.
Why is timber construction particularly suitable for sports facilities? Glulam enables large, column-free spaces that adapt flexibly to training, competition and community use. Exposed timber also creates a pleasant atmosphere, and the high degree of prefabrication significantly speeds up the construction process.
What makes strength class GL24h special? GL24h is a homogeneous strength class for glue-laminated timber in accordance with EN 14080. It combines reliable load-bearing capacity with dimensional stability, efficient material use, and an appealing visual quality for exposed timber structures such as sports halls.
How long are the main beams of the roof structure? The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Centre of Excellence features 14 glulam main beams, each 26 m long, manufactured as continuous glue-laminated timber beams without intermediate joints.
Why are large spans important in sports buildings? Large spans create flexible, column-free interior spaces suitable for a variety of sporting and community uses and allow future changes of use without altering the structure.
How were the long timber components transported to Australia? The 26 m main beams travelled as complete units on MAFI roll trailers from Germany to Sydney, while columns, bracing elements and all remaining glue-laminated timber components were shipped in sea freight containers.
