Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) has published two new compliance documents.
SCNZ, New Zealand’s pre-eminent industry organisation, says the globalisation of structural steel supply chains for New Zealand building and infrastructure projects means more robust procurement practices are required to demonstrate product conformity than are currently stipulated in the relevant material supply standards and the New Zealand building regulations.
Accordingly, SCNZ has developed the New Zealand Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Steels, in collaboration with the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA).
“The Guide will simplify the local practice for demonstrating the conformity of structural steels,” SCNZ manager Darren O’Riley says.
“It applies a risk-based approach to determine what evidence of conformity is warranted for structural steels.
“In particular, it identifies if project-specific, third-party testing of any steel is required.”
The second publication is New Zealand Structural Steelwork Specification in Compliance with AS/NZS 5131.
This document standardises the specification of structural steelwork requirements across New Zealand.
Significant efficiency increase
“This document will significantly increase efficiencies in project delivery and cost, improve quality and compliance, and provide long-term value,” Mr O’Riley says.
“Combined with Steel Fabrication Certification (SFC), an industry-led quality assurance scheme for SCNZ structural steel contractors that was launched in 2014, our community can expect minimised risk, and fit-for-purpose and value-engineered outcomes for structural steelwork projects in New Zealand.
“This specification document has been configured to apply to general structural steel framing for buildings and structures.
“It is intended to be the implementation tool to embed the requirements of the recently published New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 5131 (Structural Steelwork – Fabrication and Erection) into New Zealand engineering and steelwork procurement practice.”
Mr O’Riley says that to enable ongoing improvement, the document has been designed to be updated regularly, based on reviews and user feedback.
These compliance milestones follow 2017’s announcement to make SFC a mandatory condition of SCNZ membership from 2020, to this year extending SFC to include site erection.
For further information about SFC and to download copies of the documents, visit scnz.org.
