Reinforced concrete structures often use the “seismic” grade of reinforcing bar 500E (to AS/NZS 4671). The designation “500E” means the reinforcing rebar must meet specific requirements in regards to mechanical properties to ensure the bar will have adequate performance under earthquake loading. The yield strength must be between 500 – 600MPa, the minimum elongation is…
Due to prevailing market dynamics and the recent Christmas period production shutdowns at some certified firms, some due ACRS assessments remain pending for completion. ACRS will be undertaking these pending site assessments during January and February 2017 to bring the affected certified firms up to date with their requirements under the ACRS scheme. The status…
We’re saddened to hear of former Steel & Tube CEO Nick Calavrias’ tragic passing in Taupo on Saturday 7 January, and would like to send our thoughts to family, friends and work colleagues during this time. Aged 67, Nick’s career was paved with success, and as an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit…
2016 has been an encouraging year, fuelled by an exceptional demand in steel construction in response to rebuild and immigration pressures. In June 2016, the reported New Zealand annual heavy steel consumption stood at 170,697 tonnes, exceeding FY2015 with a total annual growth of 8.4%. This reflects a healthy industry responding to strong market conditions,…
We’re sad to announce the passing of our former Executive Board member Kevin Spring at age 83. Kevin had a close association with HERA, first in the form of being an advocate for steel construction from a structural engineer’s perspective, and then in a governance role as a member of our Executive from 1994 to 2006. This…
A week on from the announcement that John Key is stepping down as Prime Minister we’ve had some time to digest the news and perhaps form an opinion on what it all actually means for not only the country, but the metals industry as well. In this short time, we’ve seen the National Party quickly…
Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) has appointed Darren O’Riley as its new Manager – based in the organisation’s office in South Auckland. Darren’s knowledge and expertise are a strong fit for SCNZ as the organisation moves forward. He has 28 years of sales and marketing, and business development experience – gained largely in the building…
In February 2016, Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels or ACRS asked industry and stakeholders to have their say on “The Future of ACRS.” Asking “What do you think of ACRS? What should ACRS be doing? Or not doing? What steel and related products should ACRS assess and certify, and how?” Initial responses…
Structural steel hollow sections can be well suited to structural applications because they have a higher strength to weight ratio than open section profiles such as “I” beams and columns, channels or angles, and a lower area to be covered by a protective coating. Although they are more expensive than open section profiles on a…
Using innovative technology originally developed for cultural conservation, our member Opus International aims to detect rust on steel structures from up to 100m away. The idea for developing the technology originally came from Opus structural materials and corrosion engineer Raed El Sarraf, who has undertaken numerous assessments of steel structures to determine levels of corrosion,…
Over 100 representatives of the NZ pressure equipment community are coming together for the 2nd Pressure Equipment Workshop to share, discuss and debate issues that are of interest to the industry as a whole. Presentations will be given by industry people on a range of topics including fitness for service and risk assessment, application of…
In the recent Steel Research Panel’s annual workshop, HERA agreed to launch quarterly workshops focused on the 5-to-10 year strategy for New Zealand steel research. Based on the themes of fire, seismic, robustness/reliability and productivity – the first one-day workshop is now confirmed to be held at HERA House on 14th November on the theme of FIRE.…