Steel Construction New Zealand
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Benefits of Using Local Industry

Led by the Christchurch rebuild and a fast-growing Auckland, New Zealand’s construction industry is set to experience its busiest period in more than 40 years. Established for more than 100 years, the local structural steel industry is well placed to meet the growing demand for steel. Years of investment in research, technology and people means the industry has both the capacity and the quality systems to deliver significant volumes of top-quality fabricate structural steel to building and infrastructure projects nationwide.

Innovation

The New Zealand structural steel industry invests significantly in research, technology and people:

  • Investment in cutting-edge fabrication and 3D-modelling technology has driven cost down and improved quality
  • World-class R&D programmes, in partnership with Auckland and Canterbury universities, has led to world-first advances in seismic load-resisting systems and performance-based fire design methodology
  • Thanks to this investment in innovation, local structural steel fabrication capacity has increased from 20,000 to 80,000 tonnes over the past 20 years.

Quality

The New Zealand structural steel industry operates within a robust quality assurance framework, consistently delivering a quality and compliant product:

  • Strong focus on industry-wide compliance
  • Reliable and transparent supply chain, including third-party material certification
  • Product quality assured by joint AS/NZS standards
  • A new Steel Fabricator Certification scheme, modelled on overseas best practice, has been launched
  • Local fabricator workshops are easily accessible for compliance inspections.

Value

New Zealand’s local structural steel industry delivers good value to its customers:

  • Fabricators are flexible and can accommodate last-minute design changes
  • Early involvement allows fabricators to offer value-add engineering advice
  • Free advisory and preliminary design service through SCNZ
  • Shorter construction programmes possible through reduced transport times and less risk of delays due to defect repair
  • Cost competitive when considering whole-of-life costs and full compliance requirements
  • Over 80 fabricators nationally ensures healthy competition
  • Local steel fabricators use a just-in-time process to meet delivery deadlines.

Certainty

The New Zealand structural steel industry provides certainty of quality, delivery and accountability:

  • Locally fabricated steel is easily traceable
  • Industry collaborates nationwide on large projects
  • Local firms are here, ‘on the ground’ and accountable
  • Less risk of cost escalations due to foreign currency fluctuations
  • Less risk of programme delays due to defective product and additional requirements to demonstrate compliance
  • Serving New Zealand’s construction market for over 100 years
  • Established, trusted relationships
  • No language or geographical barriers.