Recent changes to Australian Standards for structural steel have been introduced to address industry concerns about product quality, identification and traceability. Key changes to the standards include mandatory requirements for material marking, test certificates and approved testing laboratories. An example of the material marking requirements is that rolled sections to AS/NZS 3679.1 must have a rolled in mark which is a raised marking identifiable after painting or galvanising. Hollow sections to AS/NZS 1163 must have identifying information marked including manufacturer’s name, site identification and traceable text identification (such as date/time of manufacture).
Most builders, developers and designers will use the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards, but ensuring that steelwork products meet the Australian Standards and requesting test certificates will reduce the risk for all parties involved.
