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Compliance Toolbox

The globalisation of supply chains for construction materials and prefabricated structures has sparked concern over the quality of such products, particularly those sourced from low-cost economies such as South East Asia. Substandard materials and workmanship have the potential to be the next ‘leaky building’ crisis confronting the construction sector if this risk is not properly managed.

Led by SCNZ, New Zealand’s structural steel industry has developed and implemented a suite of initiatives over the past five years to reduce the risk of sourcing non-compliant structural steels and fabricated structural steel sections for local building and infrastructure projects.

The aim of this strategy is to strengthen the relatively weak compliance regime that exists in New Zealand. While manufacturers and importers are obliged to supply products that meet the relevant requirements of the Building Code, there is no requirement for third parties to be involved in assessing the capability of manufacturers or the quality of their products.

The Compliance Toolbox contains a list of industry publications that address the sourcing of steel products and fabricated structural steelwork. This information is relevant for both structural steelwork fabricated in New Zealand and offshore.

Links to the Toolbox resources can be found below:

Toolbox Resources

STEEL PRODUCTS
Product Type Publication Title Reference
Structural Steel New Zealand Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Steels Report No: SCNZ 111:2018
Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Steels Fact Sheet FS4:2018
Evaluation of Product Conformity Fact sheet FS2:2017
Basis for and Implications of key changes to 2016 Structural Steel Product Standards Steel Advisor MAT1009
Structural Steel Product Standards 2016 Fact Sheet 2017
Conformity of Structural Steel Products and Structures SESOC Journal – Vol 29 No. 2 September 2016
Structural fasteners Practice Note on the Sourcing of Compliant High Strength Structural Bolts Steel Advisor MAT1010
Anchor bolts Practice Note on the Sourcing of Threaded Rod Used for Foundation Bolts Steel Advisor MAT1011

 

FABRICATED STRUCTURAL STEELWORK
Publication Title Reference
AS/NZS 5131: 2016 Fabrication and Erection of Steel Structures Standard Fact sheet FS3:2018
New Zealand Structural Steelwork Specification in Compliance with AS/NZS 5131 Report No: SCNZ 112:2018
New Zealand Structural Steelwork Specification in Compliance with AS.NZS 5131: Key Elements to Manage the Quality of Fabricated Structural Steelwork Steel Advisor FAB2001
Ensuring Compliance of Structural Steelwork – Regardless of Origin* Steel Advisor QLT1001
Checklist for Imported Structural Steelwork** Steel Advisor QLT1002
Steel Fabrication Certification for Specifiers Brochure
Imported Fabricated Steelwork: Case 1 – Glass Barrier Bridge Truss Case Study
Imported Fabricated Steelwork: Case 2 – Establishing the Traceability of Imported Steel Case Study
Imported Fabricated Steelwork: Case 3 – Countdown Supermarket Case Study
Imported Structural Steel Issues and Consideration SESOC 2017 Conference Paper

*Ensuring Compliance of Structural Steelwork
– Article is based on fabrication and erection to the requirements of NZS 3404.1:1997 and NZS 3404.1: 2009. These standards have been superseded by NZS 5131:2016.
– Discusses the use of alternative steel grades not recognized in NZS 3404.1:1997.
**Care is required in using this article for the following reasons:
1. The article is based on fabrication to the requirements of the superseded NZS 3404.1:1997 standard.
2. The material conformity requirements have been superseded by the guidance in the NZ Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Steels (Report No: SCNZ 111:2018).
The checklist requirements would be more suitable for the construction category 2 requirements of AS/NZS 5131.
Addresses the use of alternative grades of steel not recognised in NZS 3404:1997.

Note:
– SCNZ publications are available in hardcopy format by contacting SCNZ.
– Building consent authorities may have additional requirements to those presented in the publications listed in the Compliance Toolbox fact sheet. Check with the relevant consenting authority for further information.

If you still require assistance after reviewing the SCNZ Compliance Toolbox we recommend the following:
1. For general enquiries related to good practice sourcing or standards requirements, contact SCNZ directly.
2. For assistance with establishing the conformity of steel products or fabricated structural steelwork for a specific project, seek the assistance of an appropriate expert or conformance assessment body. This could include a metallurgist, material testing company or inspection company.