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Course 01 · All staff · No experience needed

Hebel, from zero.

Hebel is one of the eight products BarXact schedules — and this course takes you from "what is this stuff?" to confidently selling it, quoting it, or handling it. Ten short modules, instant-feedback quizzes, real take-off exercises. Pick your role in Module 1. Your progress saves as you go.

RebarRediwallWaffle PodsBluedeckHebelNRG GreenboardBrickConcrete

Module 01

Welcome

This course assumes you know nothing about Hebel, and nothing about building. If you already know some of it, the quizzes will let you move fast. By the end you will be able to explain what Hebel is, why customers choose it, how to stay safe around it, and how to do your part of the job — whether that's selling, quoting, or handling it.

How it works

  • Nine short modules, each ending in a quick check-yourself quiz — pick an answer and you get instant feedback and a plain-English explanation. Wrong answers are fine; that's how the course teaches.
  • Module 08 has calculator exercises — type a number, hit Check. Estimators must do these; everyone else is welcome to try.
  • Then a scored final assessment: 10 questions, 8 out of 10 to pass, retakes allowed — and a pass earns your BarXact Academy certificate.
  • Join the team board (sidebar) so your manager can see you've completed it.

First — what's your role?

Everyone does all ten modules. Your role just switches on "For your role" flags so the tips that matter most to you stand out.

No role picked yet — you can change it here anytime.

Check yourself — Module 01

1. What happens when you pick a wrong answer in this course?

Module quizzes are for learning, not scoring. Only the final assessment is scored — and even that can be retaken.

Module 02

What is Hebel?

Hebel is a brand of lightweight concrete. The material is called AAC — autoclaved aerated concrete. Three long words, one simple idea:

  • Aerated — during manufacture the mix rises like bread dough, trapping millions of tiny air bubbles. Think of the difference between a solid chocolate block and an Aero bar: same ingredients, a fraction of the weight.
  • Autoclaved — the risen material is cut to size and then steam-cured under pressure in a giant oven called an autoclave. That's what makes it strong.
  • Concrete — the ingredients are ordinary: sand, lime, cement, water, plus the rising agent.
Normal ConcreteDense, heavyVSHebel AACAbout 1/4 the densityMillions of tiny air pores - solid, but light
Why it is light — solid, but full of tiny air pores

The result is a solid masonry product that is about one quarter the density of normal concrete — light enough for two people to carry a wall panel, solid enough to build homes, apartment buildings and factories from.

Hebel is made by CSR — the company behind Gyprock and Bradford — at its plant in Somersby, NSW. CSR is described as Australia's only AAC manufacturer, so Hebel is the locally-made option in this category.

Panels and blocks

Hebel comes in two basic forms:

  • Panels — big flat pieces, typically 600mm wide and 50 or 75mm thick, with steel reinforcement mesh cast inside (like bones in the panel). The steel is why panels can be big, and also why you can't cut them just anywhere.
  • Blocks — solid bricks of AAC, no steel inside, laid like oversized bricks but glued with a thin bed of Hebel Adhesive instead of thick mortar joints.
Panel Anatomy Steel Mesh Inside 600 mm T&G Edge SQ Edge 50 / 75 mm Thick
Panel anatomy — steel mesh inside, 600 mm module, T&G or SQ edges

Why customers choose it

  • It doesn't burn. AAC is non-combustible — a property of the material itself, not a coating. It's used up to the most severe bushfire zone.
  • It's quiet. Solid masonry blocks sound far better than sheet cladding — that's why it separates apartments and lines corridors.
  • It's fast and light. A rendered solid wall without bricklaying: panels go up on a frame and get coated. No heavy crane, less trade time.
  • It insulates. All those air bubbles resist heat flow.
  • Pests don't eat it. It's inorganic — termites and rot have nothing to chew.
  • Weather doesn't stop it. Construction is described as not affected by wet weather.
For your roleOffice note

When a caller asks "what actually is Hebel?", the one-breath answer: "It's a lightweight solid concrete, made in Australia by CSR — you get a rendered masonry wall that's fireproof, quiet and quick to put up." That sentence is accurate and you now know why each claim is true.

One honest caution

"Non-combustible" is about the material. A fire rating (how many minutes a wall holds back a fire) belongs to a complete tested wall build-up, never the panel alone. Module 06 explains this properly — it's the single most common claim people get wrong.

Check yourself — Module 02

1. What makes AAC so much lighter than normal concrete?

It's solid all the way through — just full of tiny closed air pockets. Roughly a quarter the density of regular concrete.

2. What's inside a Hebel panel that is NOT inside a Hebel block?

Panels are steel-reinforced; blocks are not. That steel is why panels have cutting rules — you'll meet them in Modules 05 and 08.

3. Who makes Hebel, and where?

Made in Australia by CSR (the Gyprock and Bradford company). Locally made is a genuine selling point.

Module 03

Meet the products

One material, one naming trick, a dozen products. The trick: the word tells you the job, the number tells you the thickness in millimetres. PowerPanel50 is a 50mm wall panel. PowerFloor goes on floors. PowerFence is a fence. You already speak most of the catalogue.

NamePlain-English jobWhere you'd see it
PowerPanel5050mm wall panel for house external walls, walls between townhouses, and walls right on the property boundaryNew housing estates, duplexes
PowerPanelXL75mm wall panel for external walls — the workhorse of house claddingRendered "masonry look" homes
PowerPanel75mm panel for inside big buildings — walls between apartments, corridor walls, lift-shaft walls — and high-rise facadesApartment towers, hotels
PowerPatternWall panels with decorative grooves machined into the face at the factory (Track lines, plus Geometric, Prism, Organic and Lineal designs)Feature facades
PowerFloor75mm floor panels laid over joists — "the feel of a solid concrete floor without the cost", installed by ordinary carpentersUpper floors, ground floors on joists
PowerBlock / PowerBlock+Solid blocks laid like brick — "the ideal alternative to double brick"Solid masonry homes, internal walls, DIY BBQs
PowerFenceModular fence: panels + steel posts, no concrete strip footing to digBoundary fences, acoustic fences
SoundBarrier / PowerShield / CIWSThe big-infrastructure family: highway noise walls, power-station walls, factory and warehouse wallsFreeways, industrial estates

The supporting cast

Panels never travel alone. Every job also uses some of:

  • Top hats — hat-shaped steel rails screwed across the wall frame; panels screw to them. (The name is literal: the profile looks like a top hat.)
  • Hebel Adhesive (20kg bag) — the glue between panels and blocks, spread 2–3mm thin with a notched trowel.
  • Hebel Mortar (20kg bag) — a thicker bed used to level the first course, or wherever the slab dips more than 3mm.
  • Hebel Patch (10kg) — fills chips and screw holes.
  • Anti-corrosion paint — dabbed on any steel exposed when a panel is cut.
  • Plus screws, brackets, angles, sealant, insulation and plasterboard depending on the system.
For your roleWarehouse note

Adhesive, Mortar and Patch look like three similar bags. They are not interchangeable — picking Mortar when the docket says Adhesive stops a job. Same-day fix-up runs usually trace back to exactly this mix-up.

For your roleSales note

Learn the one-line job of each product above and you can field 90% of "what do I need for…" calls. House walls → PowerPanelXL or 50. Between units → the intertenancy systems. Floor → PowerFloor. Fence → PowerFence. Decorative → PowerPattern. Then hand the details to the estimator.

Check yourself — Module 03

1. A customer says: "I want that rendered masonry look on my new house." Which two products are the natural starting points?

External house walls are the Panel-50/XL territory. The number is just the thickness: 50mm or 75mm.

2. What is a "top hat" on a Hebel job?

Panels don't fix straight to the studs — they fix to horizontal top hat rails. How many you need is worked out from tables (Module 08).

3. The slab has a 6mm dip where the first blocks will sit. Which bag does the installer reach for?

Adhesive is a thin 2–3mm glue line; over a 3mm gap the rule says a Mortar bed. Patch is for cosmetic repairs. Three bags, three jobs.

Module 04

Safety — the one rule everyone must know

Here's the whole module in two sentences. Hebel that's sitting there is harmless — carry it, stack it, lean on it, no mask needed. Hebel being CUT is hazardous — the dust contains silica, and silica dust destroys lungs permanently.

Why the dust matters

AAC is 20–40% quartz. Cutting, drilling, grinding or sanding it releases respirable crystalline silica — dust so fine it reaches deep lung tissue. It's a known carcinogen, and long-term exposure causes silicosis: irreversible scarring of the lungs. The legal exposure limit is tiny — 0.05 mg/m³ averaged over a working day. You can't see or feel a harmful dose. That's why the rules are absolute, not judgement calls.

The rule

No controls = no cutting

Cutting only happens with the dust controlled: wet cutting (water fed onto the blade) or a saw with on-tool dust extraction into an M or H class vacuum — plus a fit-tested P2 mask on a clean-shaven face. Never dry-cut without extraction. Never cut in an enclosed space without ventilation. A P2 mask alone is NOT enough — even fitted perfectly, it must be used together with the wet-cut or extraction controls. And never dry-sweep the dust — wet sweep or HEPA vacuum only.

For your roleWarehouse note

The trap that catches people: trimming "just one panel" in the shed with the doors closed. Intact panels all day = fine. One uncontrolled cut = the hazard. If a customer or workmate asks to "quickly cut one down", the answer is the controls or no cut.

For your roleSales note

If you hand out the DIY project sheets (BBQ bench, letterbox), know that the old 2014 sheets say "P1 or P2 mask" — that guidance is superseded. Current rule: fit-tested P2 plus engineering controls. Give the current silica fact sheet along with any DIY guide.

Good news for the everyday

  • Hebel products are officially non-hazardous and not Dangerous Goods — no special transport or storage classification.
  • The material itself needs no special storage. (The liquid coating products do — cool, dry, away from ignition; the Base Sealer is flammable with a 64°C flash point.)
  • Poisons Information Centre, for any product exposure: 13 11 26 (Australia).
Check yourself — Module 04

1. When does Hebel become a health hazard?

Intact = harmless, no respirator needed. Machined = hazardous dust. That single distinction is the whole safety story.

2. A worker has a properly fit-tested P2 mask. Can they dry-cut a panel in the corner of the warehouse?

The published rule is blunt: the mask is the last layer, not the control. No controls = no cutting.

3. There's fine Hebel dust on the floor after a controlled cut. How is it cleaned up?

Dry sweeping (and blowing) just puts the silica back in the air. Wet it down or HEPA-vac it; bag the waste.

Module 05

How a Hebel wall goes up

You'll never be asked to build one — but once you can picture the build, everything else in this course makes sense: why the order has forty part lines, why cutting rules exist, why the render isn't optional. Here's the external-wall story in nine steps, straight from CSR's installation guides.

The nine steps (PowerPanel50 & PowerPanelXL external walls) 1 Build the house frame and trusses as normal
2 DPC — a damp-proof strip along the bottom plate
3 Wall wrap over the frame, overlapping the DPC
4 Top hats screwed horizontally across the studs (counts from tables)
5 Cut any part-width panels (controlled cutting; paint exposed steel)
6 Adhesive on the full panel edge with a notched trowel
7 Control joints — flexible sealed gaps that let the wall move
8 Panels up: corner first, screwed to top hats, glue oozing at joints
9 Sand, then render/coat — the finished "masonry" look
External Wall Build-UpPlan View75 mmRender + Coating75 mm Hebel PanelTop Hat Rail (Steel)Wall WrapStud Frame + InsulationPlasterboard LiningOutsideInside
The external wall build-up, inside to outside

Five details worth understanding

  • The glue ooze is quality control. Adhesive should slightly ooze from a joint when the next panel butts up — visible proof there's enough. Too little adhesive causes hairline cracks later.
  • Control joints are deliberate gaps. Buildings move; a 10mm sealed flexible joint decides where the movement happens so cracks don't. Render must never bridge across one.
  • The coating is part of the wall. These are "face-sealed" systems — no drainage cavity behind. Weatherproofing lives in the render and sealant, which is why coating is a required system component, not decoration.
  • Cut panels have rules. Because of the steel inside: on PowerPanel50, panels are normally no narrower than 270mm, and anything down to the 100mm minimum must sit between full panels with reinforcing mesh over it. You can't ask for a sliver.
  • The base matters. Panels bear on the slab edge; if the gap under a panel exceeds 3mm, it must sit on a Mortar bed instead. Ground clearance minimum 25mm.

Handling and storage — the rules that protect the stock

  • Panels live and travel on edge — never handled flat. Flat is the direction they're weakest.
  • Bundles of ten; stack a maximum of two packs high with the timber cleats lined up vertically.
  • Keep dry, preferably undercover; store off the ground on a level base.
  • Approved lifting gear only, with lifting tags. Unload as close to the work as possible — every extra move is a damage risk.
  • Damage in lifting or moving is the lifter's responsibility — repair, or replace if it's bad. That sentence is printed in the guides.
For your roleWarehouse note

Two-high maximum, cleats aligned, on edge, never on footpaths or council strips — those are the printed rules. And the liability line above means careful handling is literally money.

For your roleOffice note

Delivery promise you can safely repeat: "next day in eastern capital cities for standard items, 3 days regional." Standard items only — custom/made-to-order items have no published lead time, so those get a "we'll confirm" not a guess.

Check yourself — Module 05

1. Why should adhesive ooze slightly from a panel joint?

The guides call it out specifically: full-edge adhesive with a notched trowel, and a slight ooze on assembly is the check that it happened.

2. A customer asks: "Can I leave the panels unrendered for the industrial look?"

No drained cavity behind the panel means the coating and sealants carry the weather performance. Unrendered isn't a style choice, it's an incomplete wall.

3. How do panels stack in the yard?

On edge always — flat handling loads panels the way they're weakest. Two packs maximum, cleats aligned so the weight passes straight down.

Module 06

Paperwork, ratings and promises

Hebel lives in a world of certificates and performance numbers. You don't need to be an engineer — you need to know what each number means, and the golden rule that keeps every promise honest.

The ratings, in plain English

Tap each one:

FRL — how long a wall resists fire
Three numbers in minutes, like 90/90/90: how long the wall keeps standing / keeps flames out / keeps heat out. A dash means "no requirement for that part". The rating belongs to a complete tested wall build-up — panel + frame + lining + fixings — never the panel alone. Top of the range here: 180/180/180, which requires specific linings and tighter fixings.
Rw and Rw+Ctr — how much sound it blocks
Decibels of sound reduction; higher is better. Rw+Ctr is the tougher version that penalises low rumbly noise (traffic, bass) — it always reads about 5–7 points lower than Rw. A corridor wall at Rw 58 is noticeably quieter than one at 52. Always ask: is the number for the bare panel or the whole wall? They're very different.
R-value — how well it insulates
Resistance to heat flow; higher is better. The "Total R" of a wall adds up every layer — panel, cavity, insulation batts, plasterboard. There is no single R-value for "Hebel": the tables list dozens of build-ups.
Wind class — N1 to N6, C1 to C4
How windy the site is: N for normal regions, C for cyclonic, bigger number = windier. On Hebel jobs the wind class drives how many rails and screws hold the panels on — it changes the shopping list, not just the engineering.
BAL — bushfire attack level
Six levels from BAL-Low to BAL-FZ ("flame zone" — direct flame contact). Because AAC doesn't burn, Hebel systems are claimed to meet or exceed all six; PowerPanel50 is rated suitable to BAL-FZ.
CodeMark — the certification stamp
A national scheme certifying that a specific system, built a specific way, meets the Building Code. Certificates have numbers (like CM40233), expiry dates, and binding conditions — swap out a listed component and the certificate is void. Hebel's residential wall and floor systems carry them.

The golden rule

System, not panel

Every rating above belongs to a complete tested system. "Hebel is fire rated 90/90/90" is not a real sentence — "this wall build-up achieves 90/90/90" is. Before repeating any number, know which system, which build-up, and which document edition it came from. This one habit prevents almost every over-promise.

The honest bit — the paperwork argues with itself

Our team reviewed all 46 CSR Hebel documents line by line and logged over a hundred places where they contradict each other — two different weights for the same panel, a certificate disagreeing with its own guide, a lapsed expiry date on one facade certificate. You don't need the list (estimators get the detail in Module 08). You need the culture:

  • Check the document, don't trust memory — and note which edition you used.
  • If two sources disagree, don't pick silently — flag it, quote your basis, ask CSR.
  • If the number isn't published (some genuinely aren't — like custom-order lead times), say "I'll confirm" instead of guessing.
For your roleOffice note

Warranty questions: you can say Hebel systems are "warranted by CSR", coatings 7 years, structure "for the life of your home". The terms and exclusions aren't in any document we hold — those questions go to CSR, never improvised.

Check yourself — Module 06

1. "What's the fire rating of Hebel?" — the correct instinct is to…

System, not panel. The material is non-combustible; the FRL depends on the exact build-up, from -/60/60 to 180/180/180.

2. A wall is quoted at "Rw+Ctr 50" in one document and "Rw 50" in another. Are those the same promise?

Rw+Ctr ≈ Rw minus 5–7. Mixing them up misquotes the wall by half a dozen decibels.

3. Two CSR documents give different figures for the same thing. What's the house rule?

Declared basis beats silent choice in every direction — it keeps quotes comparable, honest and defensible. Over a hundred such conflicts are already logged for CSR.

Module 07 · Sales track

Selling it

Everyone does this module — office staff field the same questions, and estimators hear the same objections. Sales people: this is your core.

The story that sells

Lead with the claims that come from the material itself, because nobody can argue with them:

  • It doesn't burn — non-combustible material, systems used up to BAL-FZ.
  • Solid and quiet — real masonry acoustics, not sheet cladding.
  • Fast — rendered masonry look without bricklaying; not affected by wet weather; PowerFloor installs by ordinary carpenters.
  • Termites don't eat it, rot can't touch it — it's inorganic.
  • Australian made — by CSR at Somersby; green manufacturing waste goes back into the mix, and the product is recyclable as clean fill.

Product one-liners worth memorising: PowerBlock is "the ideal alternative to double brick". PowerFloor is "the feel of a solid concrete floor without the cost". PowerFence needs "no excavation or strip footing" — two people can build it.

Questions to ask before promising anything

The qualifying five 1 Where is the site? → wind class, bushfire zone, coastal?
2 What's the wall/floor for? → external, between units, fence…
3 Any fire or sound target? → FRL / Rw+Ctr needed (and which basis)
4 Standard sizes or custom? → custom = made-to-order = confirm lead time
5 Who's engineering the frame? → the frame is the engineer's, not CSR's

Promises to make carefully

Careful claims

Lead times: "next day metro / 3 days regional" is for standard items only — custom items have no published lead time, so it's "I'll confirm", never a guess. Warranty: "warranted by CSR", coatings 7 years — but terms and exclusions aren't published, so specifics go to CSR. Cyclone regions: the systems are not certified for windborne debris impact in cyclonic regions C and D — projects there need CSR's input. Termites: the panel resists them, but termite inspection-zone compliance at the slab edge is the builder's job — say both halves.

For your roleSales note

The one commercial claim to double-check before your next brochure line: company experience is printed three different ways across current documents ("30 years", "over 25", "over 20"), and two different 1300 numbers appear on 2025-dated flyers. Use the number and figure your manager confirms — not whichever old document is closest.

Check yourself — Module 07

1. The safest claims to lead with are the ones that…

Material-level claims can't be argued down by a certifier or competitor. System numbers need their build-up named; material facts don't.

2. A customer wants custom-length panels and asks "how long will they take?"

The only published lead times are next-day/3-day for STANDARD items and one "allow 2 weeks" on a single custom block. Everything else custom: confirm, don't invent.

3. "Is the wall frame covered by CSR too?"

Printed in the certificates: stud frame design by a qualified structural engineer. Knowing this boundary saves awkward warranty conversations later.

Module 08 · Estimating track

Estimating it

Estimators: this is your module — do the exercises. Everyone else: skim it and you'll understand why "how much do I need?" is never answered off the top of the head.

The shape of every Hebel take-off

The pattern 1 Get the governing facts → wind class, heights, spacings, targets
2 Look up fixings in tables → top hats & screws are NOT per-m² constants
3 Count panels → area or length ÷ the 600mm module, + waste
4 Add consumables → adhesive, mortar, sealant, patch
5 Add the kit → tracks, brackets, angles, insulation, lining

The one fully-published method: PowerFloor

HELIT017 Appendix B — as published TFA = (L − 0.095 − 0.095) × (W − 0.095 − 0.095) ← 185mm Hebel walls
TAFA = TFA × 1.05 ← 5% waste
Panels = TAFA ÷ 1.08 (a panel is 1.8 × 0.6 = 1.08 m²)
Screws = 6 × TFA @600 joists | 8 × TFA @450 joists
Adhesive bags = TFA ÷ 20 (20 m² per 20kg bag)
Constr. tubes = TFA ÷ 10.8 (≈10 panels per tube)
Round everything UP. Screw packs: 100 or 250.

Worked example: house 12.19 × 8.19m → TFA = 12.0 × 8.0 = 96 m² → TAFA 100.8 → 94 panels, 576 screws (@600), 5 bags adhesive, 9 tubes.

600 PowerFloor Fixing Pattern Butt Joint - 2 Glue Beads 2 Screws / Panel / Joist Joists @ 600 mm Stretcher bond - overlap at least one joist space (min 450 mm)
PowerFloor fixing — 2 screws per panel at every joist, stretcher bond
For your roleTrap — the guide argues with itself (C-82)

The panel step uses TAFA (waste in) in Appendix B but TFA (waste out) in the same guide's worksheet — about 5 panels different on a 100 m² floor. Until CSR rules: pick one and write which one on the quote. (Screws use TFA in both — no waste on screws, unexplained.)

Walls: tables, not formulas

Wall fixings come from the design tables in HELIT181 (PP50) and HELIT016 (XL), keyed on wind class + stud spacing + panel height, with tighter values near corners. Panel counts use the 600mm module (length ÷ 0.6 per course) — that arithmetic is a working convention, not a printed CSR rule, so own it on the quote. Cut-panel rules (min 270mm typical / 100mm absolute, placed between full panels, meshed) shape the layout before the price.

Order-line triggers people forget

  • Base gap over 3mm anywhere → Mortar bed line.
  • Two-storey on timber joists → 35mm clearance joint + trim line (+35kg/m² on the lower frame).
  • Intertenancy walls → brackets @600 centres, deflection tracks @600 max (max 100mm from ends), insulation to FILL the cavity, fire/acoustic sealant.
  • Every cut panel → controlled-cutting labour + anti-corrosion paint + possible mesh.
  • PowerFence → posts = bays+1, piers, brackets, capping (post centres = panel + 10 + 75 = 1885mm for 1800 panels).
For your roleThe estimator's conflict shortlist

Documented contradictions that change quantities — declare your basis when you touch one: panel formula TAFA/TFA (C-82) · take-off tables where cut types F/G show counts but their parent stock C/D shows "–" (C-109, in four documents — query, don't guess) · trimming allowance "150mm each end" vs "5–30mm" (C-110) · block ties every 2nd vs 3rd course — a 50% swing (C-91/92) · seven SKUs with two printed pallet weights, one with three (C-11) · duplicate product codes, one code covering two colours (C-100). And two numbers that simply aren't published: the 2-vs-3-vs-4 screws per top-hat rule, and wall adhesive coverage — both go to CSR.

Exercise 1 — Panels. Floor 8.19 × 6.69m overall, 185mm Hebel walls, 5% waste, TAFA method. Panels to order?

TFA = 8.0 × 6.5 = 52 m². TAFA = 54.6. 54.6 ÷ 1.08 = 50.56 → 51 panels. (The TFA method gives 49 — two panels fewer from the same guide. That's C-82 in action.)

Exercise 2 — Screws. Same floor (TFA 52 m²), joists at 600mm. Screws before pack rounding?

6 × 52 = 312 → then round to packs of 100/250. Screws use TFA — no waste factor, as printed.

Exercise 3 — Wall panels. A 24.0m boundary wall, 600mm module. Panels per course?

24 ÷ 0.6 = 40. Flag the module rule as your working assumption on the quote — it's convention, not a printed formula.

Exercise 4 — Track fixings. A 12.0m deflection track: fixings at 600mm max centres, max 100mm from each end. Minimum fixings?

Ends sit 100mm in → 11,800mm between → ÷600 = 19.67 → 20 spaces → 21 fixings. End-distance rules always add one over naive division.

Pier - 300 Dia, Embed 600 1885 Centres 1800 Panel + 10 Joint + 75 Post 3 x 600 = 1800 High PowerFence Set-Out
PowerFence set-out — 1885 mm post centres = 1800 panel + 10 joint + 75 post

Exercise 5 — Fence posts. A 13,195mm run with 1800mm panels (centres 1885mm). Posts?

13,195 ÷ 1,885 = 7 bays → posts = bays + 1 = 8 (plus 8 piers, 21 panels at 1800 high).

Check yourself — Module 08

1. Why is there no "screws per square metre" answer for walls?

6–8/m² is the FLOOR formula. Walls read from the design tables every time.

2. What's the single habit that makes a documented conflict safe to quote through?

Padding hides risk and loses work; waiting stalls everything. A declared basis is visible, priceable and defensible.

3. A take-off table shows cut types F and G with quantities 8 and 2, but their parent stock panels C and D show "–". You…

Zero risks nothing to cut from; a guess risks dead stock. It's a logged open question for CSR — treat it as one.

Module 09 · Warehouse & service track

Handling it, delivering it, helping customers with it

The warehouse rules on one page

  • On edge, always. Lift on edge, store on edge (long edge on timber bearers when horizontal), never handle flat.
  • Bundles of ten, two packs high max, cleats vertically aligned, dry and off the ground, never on footpaths or council strips.
  • Approved lifting gear with tags only. Unload close to the work. Damage in the move belongs to the mover — repair or replace.
  • No uncontrolled cutting, anywhere, ever (Module 04). The shed with the doors shut is the classic trap.
  • Coating products (Base Sealer, paint) store cool, dry, away from ignition — the Base Sealer is flammable (flash point 64°C). The panels themselves need no special storage.
Trap — pallet weights (C-11)

CSR's own Product Guide prints two different pallet weights for seven products — e.g. code 118014 appears at 804kg, 630kg AND 631kg on different pages. A ~175kg surprise matters to forklifts and truck loading. Until CSR fixes it: confirm actual weight before planning a load, and never argue from "the book says" — the book says both.

For your roleWarehouse note

Order-desk trap worth knowing: the Reid SwiftLift lifting clutch that PowerPanel+ lifting lugs require is not sold by CSR — customers source it from big building suppliers. And lifting-lug positions must be nominated when the order is placed; they can't be fixed on delivery.

Answering the common customer questions

They ask…You can say…
"Is it fireproof?"The material doesn't burn at all; each wall system carries its own tested fire rating — tell me the system and I'll quote its number.
"Will it stop the neighbours' noise?"It's solid masonry — corridor walls test at Rw 52–59 depending on build-up. The build-up decides the number.
"When can I get it?"Standard items: next day metro, 3 days regional. Custom: made to order — I'll confirm the lead time.
"Can I hang a TV on it?"Yes — rated fixings hold 10–40kg each depending on type and panel; keep fixings 100mm from edges and joints.
"Do I need to paint it?"It must be coated — the render system is part of the wall, it's what keeps weather out.
"Is it safe to cut at home?"Only with dust controls — wet cut or vacuum extraction plus a fitted P2 mask, outdoors. Never dry-cut it in the garage. I'll give you the safety sheet.
"What's the warranty?"Warranted by CSR — structure for the life of the home, coatings 7 years. For terms and exclusions I'll get you CSR's answer rather than guess.
For your roleOffice note

That table is your phone script. Notice every answer either states a material fact, names its limits, or promises to confirm — none of them guesses. That's the whole trick.

Check yourself — Module 09

1. A pallet's weight is needed for the truck plan and the book shows 804kg on one page, 630kg on another. What do you do?

Seven product codes have this exact problem in CSR's current guide. A 175kg surprise on a forklift is a safety issue, not a paperwork issue.

2. A homeowner asks if they can trim a panel with a circular saw in their garage. Best answer?

It cuts easily — that's exactly the danger. The dust is the hazard, and an enclosed garage is the worst place. Helpful AND honest.

3. Which of these is a real printed rule from the handling guides?

Printed in the guides, word for word in spirit: the mover owns the damage. On edge, two packs high, cleats aligned — the rest of the rules protect you from ever testing that clause.

Assessment

Final assessment

Ten questions across the whole course. Answers lock as you pick them. 8/10 is a pass — reset and retake anytime.

0 / 10  

Assessment

1. In one sentence: what is Hebel?

Aerated + autoclaved + concrete. A quarter the density of normal concrete, solid all the way through.

2. When is Hebel a health hazard?

Intact = harmless. Machined = silica dust. No controls = no cutting; a P2 mask alone is not enough.

3. "What's Hebel's fire rating?" The right reflex:

The golden rule of Module 06: system, not panel.

4. Which product line answers "I want a solid masonry fence without digging a strip footing"?

The name tells the job. And now you even know its set-out formula.

5. Why can't the render be skipped on a Hebel external wall?

No drainage cavity behind the panels: the coating carries the weather performance.

6. Floor 10.19 × 7.19m, 185mm Hebel walls. TFA = 10.0 × 7.0 = 70 m². With 5% waste (TAFA), panels to order?

73.5 ÷ 1.08 = 68.06 → 69. A panel is 1.08 m², and divisions always round up.

7. How do Hebel panels stack in the yard?

On edge always; two packs maximum. Flat is the panel's weak direction.

8. A customer wants custom-routed PowerPattern panels and asks for a delivery date today. You…

Next-day/3-day covers STANDARD items only. Confirmed beats invented, every time.

9. Two CSR pages print different pallet weights for the same product code. The professional move is to…

Seven codes genuinely have this problem. Conflicts get flagged and confirmed — not silently picked.

10. The one habit this whole course keeps teaching:

Sales, estimating, warehouse or office — the professional answer states its source, its limits, or its follow-up. That's the course.

After the course

Your desk reference is the Hebel Internal Onboarding Guide — every figure here, plus the full product data, part codes and the register of documentation conflicts, lives there. When in doubt: the guide first, CSR second, memory last.

Team

Team progress

Everyone who joins the tracker from the sidebar appears here, live. Progress counts all questions and exercises; Passed means 8/10 or better on the final assessment.