In short: Big Berwick homes rely on engineered parts. On two frames we found a girder truss sitting on cement sheet packers and a bolt smaller than the engineering specified.
A girder on the wrong packing
A girder truss gathers load from the trusses around it and puts it down on a small area of wall. On a Berwick frame in November 2025 we recorded cement sheet packers used under the girder to bring it up to height. Cement sheet is not rated for that kind of point load, so the bearing may crush over time.
A bolt one size down
On a different Berwick frame in May 2026 we measured the bolts in an engineered post connection with calipers. They were smaller than the engineering detail called for. From a metre away the bolt looks right; only measuring shows it is not.
Why both were found at frame
Both items sit inside what will become ceilings and walls. At frame stage they are in plain view and the fix is a matter of new packing or new bolts. After plaster, reaching them means cutting linings, and many owners would never know they were there.
What to ask your builder
Ask for the engineering for your lot and for frame inspections to be allowed in the contract. In Berwick estates such as Alira and Minta Farm, double storey homes with complex roofs are common, so connections like these come up often.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Berwick. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
