Steel construction booms

By - , Build 149

Steel is currently enjoying strong demand in construction. Investment in innovative production methods and a modelling tool to match capacity and demand are backing this growth.

Steelwork on the new Forte health building, Christchurch.

LED BY THE REBUILD of Christchurch and a fast-growing Auckland, New Zealand’s construction industry is experiencing its busiest period in over 40 years. In response, industry must meet the demand for quality, capacity and innovative construction solutions.

Canterbury demand high

In the past two decades, demand for steel construction solutions has grown substantially. Today, structural steel’s market share is more than 50% nationwide, and in Christchurch, due to its seismic performance, its share of the multi-level construction market has grown to almost 80%. This is up from virtually nil before the Canterbury earthquakes.

Driving this growth has been the industry’s focus on innovation, particularly in steel fabrication.

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Investment in high-tech fabrication

The current appetite for prefabricated structural steel is similar to the 2007 peak. Since then, New Zealand structural steel fabricators have kept pace and invested substantially in high-tech fabrication technology.

BIM use spreading

There have been significant advances in machinery design, robotics, data management and 3D scanning. These have been driven by the challenge to build projects faster and cheaper using technologies like building information modelling (BIM) and tablets.

While structural steel detailers have been using BIM technology for 15 years, it is unfamiliar to the balance of the industry, which is now getting up to speed. This is revolutionising the way buildings and infrastructure are planned, designed, built and managed.

Steel fabrication management software StruMIS harnesses BIM-related project information to manage the massive amounts of data required to cut, drill and build steelwork, and its uptake in New Zealand workshops is increasing.

Integrated with the latest computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines, it provides cost- and time-saving efficiencies, project status, budget transparency and increased productivity.

For example, where 2D drawings are required for each section of steel, the entire model can be exported to the CNC machine, sidestepping the shop drawing stage. This reduces human intervention and errors.

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3D laser scanning improves precision

3D laser scanning is another exciting development. It digitally captures the dimensions and spatial relationship of objects using laser light. The scanner outputs a point cloud image, replicating the scanned objects.

Driven by the need for precision, steel fabricators are embracing 3D scanning. It allows them to easily determine the accuracy of on-site construction. For example, 3D scanning can identify the precise position of cast-in bolts fitted on site by the builder. The fabricator can then compensate for any variation before the steelwork leaves the workshop.

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Automated welding increasing quality

Automated welding is also having a significant impact in local workshops. Semi-automated processes such as submerged arc welding have increased quality, consistency and productivity compared with other welding techniques.

Analysis of Statistics New Zealand data shows there is a clear swing from manual welding to automated alternatives.

These advances in fabrication technology are substantially improving the local industry’s competitiveness.

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New model forecasts demand

The steel construction industry is developing a capacity model to forecast demand. Using fact-based labour resource data combined with construction intelligence sourced from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, engineers, builders and developers, the industry is building a project database.

This will allow the structural steel industry to anticipate demand and make informed decisions about future investment in training, plant and equipment, recruitment and collaboration.

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Industry collaboration locally and trans-Tasman

Collaboration, too, is playing a growing role in the successful delivery of structural steel projects. For example, steelwork for the Forsyth Barr Stadium was fabricated in Auckland and Christchurch and transported and erected on site in Dunedin.

The industry is also exploring how it can collaborate with Australian operators, particularly when looking to resource the sizeable Auckland projects in the pipeline. Clients will benefit from having a local fabricator on the ground to oversee the project while tapping in to additional capacity across the ditch, when necessary, to ensure an uninterrupted supply.

Steelwork on the new Forte health building, Christchurch.

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Certification tackles compliance issues

The recent boom in construction has seen more imported steelwork entering New Zealand, increasing the risk of non-compliance. There have been cases of missing paperwork or steelwork that doesn’t meet the specification, leading to costly project delays.

Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) is an industry-led quality assurance scheme to address this compliance issue. Launched last year, SFC ensures participating fabricators manufacture product to the specified quality standard and have appropriate personnel and quality management systems in place.

As with other construction materials, the current compliance regime for structural steelwork relies largely on self-inspection and self-certification. Based on international best practice, SFC raises the bar by providing independent, expert certification of New Zealand fabrication companies.

Importantly, SFC creates a point of difference for locally fabricated steel. This provides procurers and specifiers – such as engineers, architects and contractors – with certainty of product quality and significantly reduced compliance risk.

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Articles are correct at the time of publication but may have since become outdated.

Steelwork on the new Forte health building, Christchurch.

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