“I work across a whole range of projects, from education to infrastructure and everywhere in between.”
In his role within the Moddex sales team, Birch is supporting clients with handrail, barrier and accessway solutions, from design to delivery. “We work with architects and designers right at the start of the design process and support them right through to project completion. This includes producing shop drawings, manufacturing the products they need, and installing them on site.”
As Australasia’s leading manufacturer of innovative commercial handrails and balustrades, Moddex provides pre-compliant, modular solutions that meet Australian and New Zealand Standards, BCA, and WHS regulations. “Moddex is offering the only modular solution of its kind in New Zealand,” Birch says. “One of the big advantages of our pre-engineered, modular solutions is much shorter lead times, with turnaround times being as little as two to three weeks on large accessway, handrail and balustrade packages. It’s also worth noting that their modular nature means that the componentry is standardised, so architects and designers can work with us to create a solution they like and then implement it across a number of projects without having to design something bespoke each time.”
In particular, Birch is working with clients to implement the Moddex Ezibilt™ Ramp, Walkway and Stair system which, he says, is the ultimate pre-engineered, offsite-manufactured solution for fast-tracked and compliant construction of access ramps and walkways. “Ezibilt™ is meeting an industry need for compliant substrates in which to fit handrails. We still come across non-compliant ramps quite a lot, so it’s a priority for us to get this product into the market.”
Traditional ramps and stairs can fail to meet width and loading requirements, resulting in non-compliant access routes, Birch says; modular, Ezibilt™ solutions address those challenges and can prevent costly and time-consuming compliance issues on site. “Accessible ramps need to be a minimum of 1200mm wide in order to be compliant. Many get built to those dimensions but then cannot maintain that full width once the handrails are installed. This can lead, at best, to a failed inspection; at the other end of the spectrum, non-compliant ramps and walkways can lead to serious injury or worse.”
Schools are an especially good fit for Ezibilt™ solutions, Birch says, as many are in need of quick and efficient accessibility upgrades. “It’s not uncommon for a new student to enrol who has accessibility requirements that a particular school hasn’t had to meet before. They then need to implement a solution before the student arrives on site, which can lead to quite a quick turnaround; Ezibilt™ is perfect for this scenario.
“We recently completed a project of this nature at Fielding High School where they had existing steps but no access point for a new student who was going to be attending school in a wheelchair. Moddex was able to design a compliant ramp solution using the Ezibilt™ product, fit the componentry, send it flat-packed to site, and install it within two weeks, from start to finish. This was a really effective and efficient solution for them, and we were able to match the existing architecture with our available decking and cladding options. We offer a range of finishes, including timber and FRP, and we can powder-coat the handrails and balustrades to match a variety of aesthetic preferences.”
To complement the Ezibilt™ramp system, there is also a modular stair system, Birch says, that Moddex is working to implement in more New Zealand commercial and infrastructure projects. “The Ezibilt™ EB140 stair product is the same idea: standard componentry and modules that we can configure in any way to meet on-site needs. Again, it’s a real time-saver with guaranteed compliance. Ezibilt stairs have proven useful for projects such as wastewater treatment tanks, data centres, and accessibility upgrades to schools. Moddex's stair systems are pre-engineered to heights of four metres; anything above this is looked at on a case-by-case basis, with site-specific PS1s easily achieved.”
Moddex is also working on developing an aesthetically appealing, modular flat bar balustrade system. “That will be a great addition to the range,” Birch says, “which we’re expecting to launch by mid-2025. In terms of big projects, we’re currently doing design for the new Christchurch Stadium with a number of different products. Our expectation is to be on the ground there doing the installation early next year, which is very exciting.”
To learn more, connect with Birch, or get specification support, e-mail birch.raikes@moddex.com or give him a ring on 027 279 2647, visit https://moddex.com/, and follow Moddex on LinkedIn.
