AS / NZS 5131– Structural

Steelwork Fabrication and

Erection

Technical Presentation 26th July 2016

Overview

Welcome – Jon Holliday ICE NSW Fellowship Officer

Planned event on Infrastructure Planning in NSW had to be cancelled at

late notice

Technical Presentation - format:

Topic: AS/NZS 5131 – Structural Steelwork Fabrication and Erection

Q&A.

Vote of Thanks – Jon Holliday

Speaker: Dr Peter Key (National Technical Development Manager) Australian Steel Institute

Our Speaker

Dr Peter Key:

Peter is National Technical Development Manager for Australian Steel Institute(ASI). His academic achievements include a Bachelor of Engineering from TheUniversity of Sydney with 1st Class Honours and University Medal. Postgraduatequalifications include a Doctor of Philosophy from The University of Sydney. Peteris a Member of the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Peter has previously worked for more than 20 years in the design and constructarena, specialising in large span steel structures. He has been involved inprojects in Australia, America, Asia and the Middle East, balancing designresponsibilities with on-site review and construction guidance.

Peter is a member of a number of Standards Australia Committees dealing withboth steel and composite structures and is on the Engineers Australia NSW Civiland Structural Panel.

He is the author of a range of technical publications including the new StructuralSteelwork Fabrication and Erection Code of Practice and the Structural SteelTubular Design Guide Suite and is a regular presenter for ASI on steel design andconstruction aspects.

Design and procurement

of steel structures

The new risk-based approach in AS/NZS 5131

An engineer’s perspective

Outline:

• Introduction

• ‘Setting the scene’ – why you

need to mitigate risk

• Engineers risk exposure

• The new AS/NZS 5131

• Implementation guidance

• NSSCS – benefits for

engineers

• State Government supportASI

Introduction

• Our WTO obligations open the door to

international trade

• But… who polices that door, and how and

when?

• It worked for Australian sourced product

because we have a legal system

• Legal measures are not easy internationally…

Construction product compliance is not trivial!

ASI

‘Setting the Scene’Why you need to mitigate risk

• Non-compliance is across all construction

products:

“The replacement of sub-standard glass at the 150 Collins St building

project is estimated to cost $18 million, the CFMEU said today.

Grocon has revealed today it has to replace half the glass in the $180

million building. The glass came from Chinese supplier, China

Southern Glass.”

Plywood delamination

Why you need to mitigate risk

• Steel examples:

‘Silastic’ welds!Poor galvanising

results

Water-filled

members!

Bolt failures Bolt failures

Boron

‘spiking’

Why you need to mitigate risk

• Steel examples:

Poor workmanship

Poor painting Poor weldingMaterial cracking

Weld cracking

Pressure vessel cracking

ASI

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305313/bypass-bridge-steel-found-to-fail-tests

Why you need to mitigate riskHuntly bypass bridges – New Zealand

Sixteen hundred tonnes of steel from China found too weak

for four bridges

Contractors…..chose a very low bid for the steel tubes

But the test certificates for them have turned out to be wrong..

It was only after the 3rd set of steel tests that the contractors

found out…

First tests done in China by steel mill and tube manufacturer

2nd test done in NZ on samples sent from China

3rd tests done in NZ on sample after steel tubes ‘ballooned’

during installation – 3rd tests failed

Contractors now looking to buy replacement steel tubes,

but who pays?

If you are asked anywhere in this process to ‘certify’

the steel, then your risk exposure has just ‘ballooned’!

ASI

‘Welding quality statement’!

Why you need to mitigate risk

The pareto problems we see in the market:

1. Some overseas steel falsely represented as being produced to full

compliance with Australian Standards.

2. Deliberate fraud.

3. Ignorance and substantial non compliance with Australian welding

standards.

4. A lowering of standards and quality locally.

5. Lack of definition of responsibilities for critically evaluating

compliance documentation and approving product.

6. Engineers infrequently contracted for site or product surveillance.

7. Use of non-prequalified fabricators by the contractor in defiance of

the contract requirements.

8. Lack of transparency with NCP problems – most are hushed up.

What do we know?

• Ai Group Report (http://steel.org.au/key-issues/compliance)

• APCC report (http://steel.org.au/key-issues/compliance)

• Construction Products Alliance (http://productalliance.com.au/)

• NSSCS (http://steel.org.au/key-issues/compliance/asi-in-compliance/)

• ACRS (http://www.steelcertification.com/)

• AS/NZS ISO 3834 (http://wtia.com.au/)

ASI

All this information and available tools means

industry does not have an excuse for ignorance.

‘Ignorance is not a defence’

Australia’s conformance hierarchy

National Construction Code (NCC)

ASI

Construction Specification (CS)

Australian Standards (AS)

Workplace Health & Safety (WHS)• Regulatory (mandatory)

• Overarching – applies to all project types

• Regulatory (mandatory)

• Applies to commercial / residential construction

• Contractual

• Project specific

• Voluntary

• Made contractual by reference in CS

• Some called up in Regulation

What is your risk exposure?

NCC:

ASI

CS:

AS:

WHS: • Your ‘duty of care’

• ‘Codes of Practice’ provide implementation guidance

• Peer accepted industry awareness is admissible in court

• Ignorance is not a defence

• Standards route is ‘deemed to satisfy’

• Alternative solutions are acceptable but must meet performance

intent

• Performance intent is not always straightforward to do properly

• A legal obligation

• Project specific

• The ‘quality bar’ used to judge against community expectation

• The technical reference typically used by the above systems

Get it wrong => ‘go to court’

Get it wrong => ‘go to court’

Get it wrong => $$; PI insurance claims

Get it wrong

What is your risk exposure?

ASI

IN SUMMARY:

• Standards may be voluntary but they are the most fundamental

basis for our technical conformance framework

• Meeting the ‘performance intent’ of Standards is your best

defence to mitigate risk

• ‘Performance intent’ may be met either by ‘deemed-to-satisfy’

(the Standard itself) or by ‘alternative solution’

• ‘Alternative solution’ is often not straightforward, including for

example steel and steelwork compliance assessment

• If you ‘get it wrong’, the consequences can be fatal, can lead to

incarceration, can be costly and can ruin your reputation

How to mitigate your risk exposure?

ASI

Easy! Meet the ‘performance intent’ of

Standards!....or is it?

• The system requires you to perform ‘duty of care’

• Your client wants cost effective (ie ‘cheap’) solutions

• Cheap solutions often do not meet the true performance

requirements or intent

• You will be pressured to accept something less than what

your duty of care dictates

• If you are not careful this mismatch in expectations will

become your responsibility (ie risk)

Your biggest risk is the ‘human factor’ -

Why?:

How to mitigate your risk exposure?

ASI

A very simple question:

• How can you, as an engineer, ‘certify’ a structure

is safe when you cannot establish the veracity of

the steel and steelwork in that structure??

This question goes to the core of your ‘duty of care’ obligations

How to mitigate your risk exposure?

ASI

What can you do?

• Keep yourself informed (ignorance is not a defence)

• Inform your client (ignorance is not a defence for him either!)

• Utilise Standards to the fullest extent possible (finding or

condoning loopholes is not an ‘acceptable alternative’!)

• Know what you don’t know or realistically cannot perform properly

• Adopt and recommend available tools that provide accepted

solutions (more on this next)

• Be a ‘champion’ for what you believe is right – the courage of

your convictions combined with support of accepted industry

practice is a powerful tool

What is ASI doing about this?

• Address compliance issues with

structural steelwork

• Provide stakeholders simple effective

solutions – AS/NZS 5131

• Create the NSSCS and certification –

Steelwork Compliance Australia

(SCA) (http://www.scacompliance.com.au/)

• Develop implementation tools

AS/NZS 5131 Overview

• Based on ASI ‘Structural Steelwork

Fabrication and Erection Code of

Practice’

• Represents international ‘good

practice’

• Overlays a risk-based fit-for-purpose

approach

Let’s look at the overall structure…

AS/NZS 5131 Structure

Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Title Scope Referenced

Standards

Terms &

Definitions

Specification,

documentation and

traceability

Materials Preparation,

assembly &

fabrication

Welding

Risk-

based

aspects

• Nomination of

CC

• Extent of

documentation

• Levels of

traceability

• QMS scope

• Grade

designation

• Level of

traceability

• QMS scope

• Tracking

system to

support

traceability

• Cutting,

holing

• QMS scope

• Welding plan

• Technical

requirements

‘Good

Practice’

‘Business as usual’

AS/NZS 5131 Structure

Section 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Title Mechanical

Fastening

Surface

treatment &

corrosion

protection

AESS Erection Geometric

Tolerances

Inspection, testing

& correction

Site

modification..

Risk-

based

aspects

• QMS scope

• Supervision

• QMS scope

• Traceability

• QMS scope

• Supervision

• Requirement for

ITP

• Inspection for

welding

• Extent & type of

NDE

• Inspection of high

strength bolted

connections

‘Good

Practice’

‘Business as usual’

AS/NZS 5131 Structure

Appendix A B C D E F G H I

Title

Bib

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Co

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tru

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Sp

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ati

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Dete

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Co

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Ca

teg

ory

QM

S E

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Co

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Qu

ali

ty P

lan

Ge

om

etr

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p f

ac

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tes

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Ins

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on

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Ins

pe

cti

on

of

we

ldin

g &

bo

ltin

g (

NZ

on

ly)

Risk-

based

aspects

• Content

related to

CC

• Assessment

of CC

• Content

related to CC

‘Good

Practice’

‘Business as usual’

What is the Construction Category (CC)?

• The engineer assigns a ‘Construction

Category’ – Simple!

For engineers, this de-risks the process and makes life easier!

Farm sheds

Low risk

CC1 CC2 CC3 CC4

‘Usual’ structures Fatigue,

earthquake

Post disaster

National interest

Least risk / consequence Most risk / consequence

Importance Level

From NCC or

AS/NZS 1170.0

Service Category

Table C1 of AS/NZS 5131

Fabrication Category

Table C2 of AS/NZS 5131

Construction

CategoryTable C3 of

AS/NZS 5131

• From NCC for

domestic/residential/commercial structures

in Australia

• From AS/NZS 1170.0 for structures outside

scope of NCC

• From AS/NZS 1170.0 for New Zealand

Importance Factor

From NCC or

AS/NZS 1170.0

Service Category

Table C1 of AS/NZS 5131

Fabrication Category

Table C2 of AS/NZS 5131

Construction

CategoryTable C3 of

AS/NZS 5131

Table C1 Suggested Criteria for Service Categories

Categories Criteria (Simplified)

SC1 • Quasi-static actions

• Low seismic activity

SC2 • Where fatigue assessment influences design outcomes

• Regions of medium to high seismic activity

Message: Most Australian projects would be SC1

Importance Factor

From NCC or

AS/NZS 1170.0

Service Category

Table C1 of AS/NZS 5131

Fabrication Category

Table C2 of AS/NZS 5131

Construction

CategoryTable C3 of

AS/NZS 5131

Table C2 Suggested Criteria for Fabrication Categories

Categories Criteria (Simplified)

FC1 • Non welded components

• Welded components less than or equal to Grade 450

FC2 • Welded components above Grade 450

• Site welded safety critical components

• Components receiving thermic treatment during manufacturing

• CHS end profile cut components

Message: Most Australian structures would be FC1

Determination of the Construction Category:

Note: Guide only. To be assessed by the engineer for each project

Table C3 of AS/NZS 5131:

Importance Level 1 2 3 4

Service Category SC1 SC2 SC1 SC2 SC1 SC2 SC1 SC2

Fabrication

Category

FC1 CC1 CC2 CC2 CC3 CC3 CC3 CC3 CC3

FC2 CC2 CC2 CC2 CC3 CC3 CC3 CC3 CC4

Agricultural

buildings,

gates,

handrails

Commercial,

residential, educational

buildings not

exceeding 15 storeys;

small hospitals;

warehouses; industrial

buildings

Bridges; commercial,

residential,

educational buildings

exceeding 15 storeys;

larger hospitals

Structures with

extreme consequences

of structural failure;

special structures

(long span bridges,

power stations etc)

Potential classification of typical structures:

Message: The final categorisation will become industry accepted

and only out-of-the-ordinary projects will require detailed

consideration

Construction

Category

Typical structures

1 • Gates, handrails, agricultural buildings (no people congregating),

greenhouses

2 • Commercial, residential, educational buildings, not exceeding 15 storeys

• Small hospitals

• Warehouses

• Industrial buildings

3 • Bridges

• Structures designed for fatigue actions

• Larger hospitals

• As specifically required in authority construction specifications

4 • Structures with extreme consequences of structural failure

• As required by National or project specific provisions

• Special structures (long span bridges, power stations etc)

Stakeholder requirements:

• Select the appropriate ‘Construction Category’ for the

structure as a whole and individual assemblies where

appropriate, based on the Standard and industry guidance

and accepted practice

• Ensure Specifications for the project correctly implement

the AS/NZS 5131 requirements

• Where contracted, provide support to builder/client in

reviewing project compliance documentation consistent

with the requirements of the Construction Category

Designers:

Stakeholder requirements:

• Provide test certificates with steel supplied. Where not ACRS

Certified and requested by the fabricator, provide ‘Declaration of

Compliance’

• Maintain traceability through necessary documentation (Note

traceability on ancillary steel for CC3)

• If a distributor is a ‘steel processor’, then they are required to

undertake some of the requirements of the certified fabricator (to

maintain integrity)

Distributors:

Stakeholder requirements:

Fabricators:

• Ensure processes and documentation are consistent with the

Construction Category for the project or the component being

fabricated/erected

• Provide necessary project specific documentation as and when

needed

• Provide the Declaration of Compliance (DoC) for the products

covered

A Compliance Scheme for Australia

To implement a new Australian Scheme, we need to have:

• Normative requirements in Australian Standards

• An Australian Standard covering fabrication/erection to certify

against (the new AS/NZS 5131)

• Conformity assessment framework (EN 1090-1 equivalent)

• A certification scheme (to implement the above)

• The will and industry support to make it happen!

Message: The new NSSCS is based on technical rigour and

approaches proven internationally

√

√

ASI

NSSCS overview:

Where are we up to?

• Standards committee BD-01 has created the draft

AS/NZS 5131 ‘Structural Steelwork - Fabrication and

erection’ based on the COP

• AS/NZS 5131 has closed for public comment and

committee review finalised – next step is balloting, then

publication

• Fabricator certifications commenced 4th quarter, 2014

and are ongoing

• Projects are now being specified with construction

categories

Where to from here?

• Fabricator certifications are continuing

• Stakeholders need to review their processes

and prepare (the Standard IS coming out soon!)

• Implementation and training

• Alignment with existing schemes (Austroads

prequal etc)

Implementation support for engineers

• ‘National Structural Steelwork Specification’

• Alignment with NatSpec

• Standard drawing notes

Where do I get help?

• Visit our compliance websitehttp://steel.org.au/key-issues/compliance

• Download Tech Note TN-011 http://steel.org.au/elibrary/asi-technical-notes/

• New eLearning modules!

• Support – training, publications

• Email me: peterk@steel.org.au

• Join our mailing list

Steelwork Compliance

SCA Manager – Alan Nightingale http://www.scacompliance.com.au/

Steelwork Compliance Australia

Certification involves:

• For CC1 need to successfully complete the Stage 1 (Desktop)

Audit

This provides the opportunity for a gap analysis before

proceeding to the site audit.

• For CC2/CC3 need to successfully complete the above and the

Stage 2 (site) audit.

– Increasing levels of control, documentation and

management systems

• Annual Surveillance Audits

• Special Audits (where we have market feedback)

http://www.scacompliance.com.au/

NSSCS and SCA Progress:

• Commenced in late 2014

• Currently have 40 fabricators certified , in progress or strong

expressions of interest

• Recent strong interest with various State Governments

supporting the Scheme

ASI

Steelwork Compliance Australia

SA State Government support

Contract Surveillance Auditing:

Project documentation:

confirm ACRS certification specified for reinforcing and

structural steel in contract documentation

check for correct Construction Category

check project documentation for SCA Certification for

fabricators

Project implementation:

Check contractors employed are SCA Certified to correct CC

Check certified material is being ordered

Check correct documentation is being collected

http://supportoursteel.com/#supporting-our-steel-industry

NSW State Government supporthttps://arp.nsw.gov.au/pbd-2016-03-construction-standards-and-conformance

Construction standards and conformance

“The Board is concerned that non-conforming and non-

compliant building products and construction materials

are potentially affecting the quality, safety and whole of

life-time performance of buildings and structures

constructed for the NSW community”

“Ensure compliance with relevant standards is assured

by contractors, including where relevant by third party

independent certification.”

“Contractually require compliance with relevant standards

for building products, construction materials and

construction or manufacturing processes”

•set a timetable for steel fabricators and erectors to

demonstrate that they can achieve compliance with

AS/NZS 5131

•recognise certification schemes or other arrangements

which will be taken as evidence of compliance capability.

AS/NZS 5131

Thank You!

Questions?

Email me: peterk@steel.org.au