rodjohnstonaus@gmail.com

Quasar Management Services (not-for-profit consulting engineer and management consultant, a wholly-owned subsidiary of charitable NGO Partner Housing Australasia) has revised and published its Papua New Guinea public school staff housing designs and details. The standard architectural and engineering designs, construction details and bills of quantities are available for free as PDFs from https://RodJohnston.com.au/training/ for use … Read more

It is too easy to focus on short term issues, and to ignore the history that has led to current problems throughout the world. Greed and fear have combined in a toxic cloud that obscures clear vision and forward thinking. The link below describes how long-term greed of UK, Russia and (since 1953) USA turned … Read more

 Understanding the behaviour of connections is of major importance.   As a young engineer 52 years ago, I worked for nearly a year in London in a consulting engineers office analysing the friction grip bolted connections of the REDESIGNED Westgate Bridge in Melbourne, which had previously collapsed during construction, resulting in 35 fatalities. As the calculations … Read more

Australia faces a challenge, to wean ourselves off fossil fuel dependency for our own consumption and as a source of income.  The New South Wales government has just announced a ban on approving new greenfield coal mines. Australians are a smart compassionate caring and adaptive people. We are up for this challenge and should embrace … Read more

The delayed draft NCC 2025 will be published 1 May 2026 but can be viewed on the ABCB website now.  The Part B1 changes mandate acceptable quantified probabilities of structural failure (expressed as reliability indices). In the short term, there will be little practical effects on most designs, because most designers use Australian Standards which … Read more

Since 2005, I have been advocating through the Building Codes Committee, and previously through Standards Australia committees, for quantification of structural requirements. In May 2026, the NCC 2025 QUANTIFIED Structural Performance Requirements will be adopted. This is a very important and long-overdue improvement to the building code, because it levels the playing field for all … Read more

Australia say “No” Iran now … China next. Australia is being lured inexorably into World War 3 by American imperial ambition. Now is the time for Australia to opt out, to embrace military non-alignment before it is too late. Fiction … or prophecy? Here is a direct quotation from “Queen’s Pawn to D4”, published last … Read more

21 years of voluntary professional engineering and building services by Partner Housing Australasia to Australia’s Indo-Pacific neighbours Yes …  it is now 21 years since PHA was born … and we are celebrating. PHA is a very successful international engineering and building NGO. We rely entirely on volunteers … YOU … and greatly appreciate your … Read more

Australia has much expertise that it can share with Timor-Leste and our other near neighbours. Practical Standards and Building Regulations are just one way, albeit an important way, of improving living conditions and increasing regional security. Standards rely on probono expert input to maintain practicality and relevance  For more on Timor-Leste, read “Queen’s Pawn to … Read more

Now is the time for Australia to stand up for what is right. We must not endorse the ongoing Israeli-American obliteration of Palestine … Gaza now … West Bank next. Say NO to American imperialism. Australia must work for a peaceful world, and we can only achieve this by adopting a NON-ALIGNED foreign policy. ANZUS … Read more