March Steel News: Construction delays, boutique steels demand
ACRS Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels
Stay steel safe with Australasia's most rigorous certifier
It’s been a notable first quarter for 2023, in respect of industry developments, both good and bad.
Recently, there have been several reported cases where materials concerns or fabrication issues have impacted construction. These unfortunate incidents are reminders of the importance of bookended, independent steel certification that importantly covers both the material and the processing/ fabrication. Generically materials are often blamed, but this position may or may not be an accurate assessment, and therefore is the reason that both specifiers and builders should look closely for independent certification of the manufactured material and the subsequent processing/ fabrication of components in order to prevent construction delays.
On the better news front, ACRS are delighted to bring you an early update that digital certification is coming to steel. We are commencing the move to digital certification this July. Stay steel safe, and as always, please contact use with any questions or concerns.
Demand for boutique steels continues
With the various governments placing an emphasis on growing local manufacturing capabilities, demand for boutique steels continues. Examples are stainless steel - needed for manufacturing rollingstock, including for buses and trains - and structural and reinforcing steels for corrosive zones. Stainless steel is one of a handful of?boutique steels not currently being produced in Australia?at scale – but included in structural applications still requiring certification to specific standards.?ACRS certifies stainless steel to European and British standards. If you are using boutique steel, make sure you understand the standards it must meet or that the steel is certified by someone who does. Specifying ACRS steel >?
Coming soon: digital certification
From July 2023, ACRS will be rolling out its new digital certification system. This process will see our ACRS product certificates and tags carrying a digital code to enable quick digital verification of validity of certificates – supplementing the existing online and PDF certification system. As the industry progresses into the digital realm, you will see the PDF system being replaced by the digital solution, for enhanced ease, certainty, and accessibility.
As part of the ACRS digital certificate roll out, we will also be releasing apps for various devices that will enable onsite verification of tags, thereby demonstrating that the material has valid certification and providing markings and range of product for confirmation.?
New Zealand steel update
Steel is increasingly used across New Zealand to deliver earthquake safe buildings. Most steel used in NZ is imported, via long supply chains, and processed separately after manufacture. This obviously makes it very challenging to know whether the steel being used meets NZ Standards, project requirements and specifications without having an end to end independent certification process.
Recently ACRS Executive Director Dr Andrew Wheeler spoke to the? Building Officials Institute of NZ via its BOINZ TV channel to share his insights on the safety and conformity of steel, as well as the growth in demand from both industry and government alike for steel with environmental credentials.
Steel standards on The Specification
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“There’s a common misconception that steel is steel. It’s not: there are various different grades. You need to make sure you are getting the right grade, because the codes are fairly explicit: if you don’t get the right grade, you’ve got to downrate your structure.”
Dr Andrew Wheeler also discussed steel standards in the region on Episode 33 of? The Specification podcast. He discussed the structural and reinforcing steel supply chain, and what architects, designers and builders need to consider when specifying steel and inspecting sites. Listen to podcast >
Compliance/quality concerns can impact construction
As you may have recently seen in the news, there continues to occur some incidents during construction associated with alleged defects in steel elements for structures, highlighting the ongoing importance of using construction steel and fabrication processes that meet Australian standards.?
These problems can be due to manufacture, supply chain transparency concerns, or issues with welding. Generally, what appears to be happening, is that not all building materials are being manufactured, processed, or fabricated to the minimum performance requirements of AS/NZ Standards.
For steel, it’s not enough to think that just because steel has been ordered to an Australian Standard that the delivered product will automatically conform. Building designers, builders and Specifiers as part of their roles should be doing everything practicable to maximise building resilience. Adequate knowledge of materials conformity requires expert technical validation of materials conformance, independent of the product supplier.
Find more information on understanding steel conformance and how it is certified at steelcertification.com/importance-of-steel
Likewise for processing or fabrication of steel products, various standards govern these processes and outline the testing/inspection requirements. Hence, to ensure quality and conformity of these products, a similar rigorous process to the ACRS material scheme, by an independent third party, should be applied to the fabrication processes. More on steel standards >?
Steel snapshots
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About ACRS
ACRS was created in 2000 by consumer associations and peak technical bodies, that remain members to this day, including?Engineers Australia, the?Australian Institute of Building, and?Austroads.
ACRS annually certifies over 100 steel producers and processors, issuing over 200 certificates that cover close to 300 production sites, spanning 24 countries. The ACRS audits and review process is carried out by its own qualified and experienced metallurgists and engineers. Certified firms include the leading Australian suppliers?InfraBuild?and?BlueScope; members of the?Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia; and premium overseas suppliers like?Nippon Steel Corporation,?POSCO, and?Hyundai Steel.