News

New NZ specification for durability of steel structures

1 March 2018

MARCH 2018

A new technical specification has been released by Standards NZ, which sets out the requirements that are necessary to provide the required level of durability to steel structures and their component parts.

SCNZ’s Zahid Hamid, Structural Engineer, sat on the committee that prepared the new SNZ TS 3404 Durability requirements for steel structures and components, which covers the corrosion protection of structural steelwork exposed to New Zealand atmospheric and non-atmospheric environments.

Asset owners, engineers, architects, contractors, specifiers of corrosion protection systems, and the surface coating industry can use this technical specification, which provides an advanced framework for specifying the durability requirements for steel structures and components, and will enable durability requirements to be met without over-specification or under-specification of coating systems.

SNZ TS 3404 Durability requirements for steel structures and components updates the information contained in section 5 of NZS 3404:1:2009 and is republished as a standalone technical specification.

It is a simplification of the design procedure for durability determination given in Heavy Engineering and Research Association Report R4-133:2011 New Zealand Steelwork Corrosion and Coatings Guide.

The specification has been written to ensure that structural steelwork is sufficiently durable to satisfy the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code Clause B2, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Bridge manual, and the NZTA Protective coatings for steel bridges; as well as remain compatible with NZS 3404 Parts 1 and 2:1997. It should be used in conjunction with AS/NZS 2312:1:2014 and AS/NZS 2312:2:2014.

As the fabrication and erection provisions of NZS 3404 are in the process of being superseded by AS/NZS 5131 and AS/NZS 5100.6, SNZ TS 3404 is also written to be compatible with those documents.
SNZ TS 3404 supersedes in part NZS 3404:1:2009, specifically section 5 on corrosion protection.

For more information about this new technical specification or to purchase a copy please click here.