AustralianSuper is the country’s largest super fund with 2.6 million members and $261 billion at 31 March 2022 in members’ assets. A wide range of investment options ensure your super can benefit from growth opportunities around the world, across di erent types of assets.*
AustralianSuper invests in a broad range of asset classes including:
• Listed shares
• Unlisted infrastructure
• Private equity
• Credit
• Direct property
• Fixed interest and cash
Buying listed shares means buying parts of companies listed on a stock exchange, like the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Listed shares make money when the share price goes up and from the dividends they pay.
Private equity involves investing in companies that aren’t listed on the stock exchange. These can be larger investments (with lower costs) that may perform better than listed shares.
Direct property is residential, retail, industrial and commercial real estate investments. Returns are generated from rising property values and rental income.
Unlisted infrastructure
Infrastructure investments are assets that provide essential public services like bridges, roads, airports and power plants.
Credit is like a loan. Credit investments involve providing finance in exchange for a return.
Fixed interest investments provide income from interest payments. These investments are defensive and can protect against market volatility.
Cash investments are short-term money market instruments. These are issued by banks, governments and companies and are considered low risk, with lower returns.
For a comprehensive look at where your super is invested visit: australiansuper.com/investments/how-we-invest
*As at 31 March 2022.
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steel Australia is published by the Australian Steel Institute (ASI)—the peak national body of the steel industry. The ASI works to increase the awareness of the benefits of steel and promote Australian made steel as the material of choice. Increasing the competitiveness of the Australian steel industry and its member companies is central to that vision. The organisation conducts engineering seminars and disseminates relevant, timely and detailed information. Expert technical advice, a library and a resource centre are available to all members, along with a range of other member benefits. For further information, please visit: https://www.steel.org.au
Message from the Chair
Message from the Chief Executive
Ray Horsburgh AM
As many of you will be aware, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) has just wrapped up the 2022 Australian Steel Convention. With over 260 people in attendance, the Convention was a great success. It was not a Convention where we asked everyone to sit back, relax and to enjoy.
Rather, it was a Convention where we asked everyone to sit forward in their seats, open their minds, and visualise the type of industry that steel needs to be.
The theme of our Convention was VITAL and ADAPTIVE.
Both words combine to reflect the importance of the steel industry to Australian society.
The need for ADAPTABILITY in our industry is best visioned by drawing a line in the sand—here in 2022—and reflecting on what has changed in the three or four years leading up to this point. We have seen several disruptions occur and it is worth considering the need for being ADAPTIVE.
We are now in an inflationary environment which is very different to what we have experienced in the last decade. Our suppliers are experiencing cost escalation, our own businesses are experiencing cost escalation and our customers are experiencing cost escalation.
Yet our industry must ADAPT and find innovative ways to offset that escalation such that we can offer cost competitive steel solutions to society.
Central banks have increased interest rates to contain inflation, and this is very different to the last decade. Money is no longer effectively free. Uncertainty around interest rates and future currency values is impacting decision making regarding whether projects should proceed, be paused, or be abandoned.
The labour market is the tightest that many of us can recall and this is unlikely to abate in the near term. As an industry we must ADAPT to this situation and find innovative ways to attract and retain critical skills within the industry. We must come together with imaginative programs to enthuse and motivate those coming through high school, our technical colleges, and our universities to aspire to careers across our industry.
The rate of technological change— 5G networks, the Internet of Things, robotics, and automation—has had a profound effect on the way we work and the way our industry operates.
If we consider the 2030 Australian Steel Convention, we will look back and consider that the early 2020s were pedestrian at best. We must ADAPT and prepare ourselves now, for the future of work. We must consider how our customers and suppliers will want to work with us. And, more importantly, how our employees will demand the work be done.
Let’s combine technology with the other discontinuities to visualise the need for ADAPTABILITY in our thinking.
I, like many in the steel industry, can recall technology investment debates in the past. Debates that centred on
questions like how much can I reduce labour costs? How much I can minimise the capital investment? Can I take a ‘slowly as we go’ approach?
The adoption of technology is now a revenue enhancement decision.
Many businesses are operating at 90%, 80%, 70% capacity due to the skilled labour constraints. Consider a competitor who has embraced technology and can run their business at 100% capacity, and above, and circumvent labour shortages – that is the type of ADAPTIVE thinking we must all have.
And so we reach the second half of the Convention theme: VITAL.
Billions of dollars are being invested in infrastructure, housing, agriculture, defence and to meet the public and private needs of Australian society. This is the base economy. Our industry is VITAL to helping society meet each of its aspirations.
On top of the base economy, Australian society has chosen a path forward that is focused on decarbonisation. A focus on renewable energy sources, more carbon efficient buildings and structures. A focus on less carbon intense supply chains.
This is not the world of the future. This is the world of the present. Anything that we have seen to date is minuscule compared to what we will see over the next 20 years.
The architectural and design fraternities are being aggressively pushed to deliver less carbon intense outcomes and they are literally pleading with industries such as ours to innovate, collaborate, and accelerate our efforts towards meeting future needs.
It is VITAL that we heed their calls and act now to position our industry for 2030 and beyond.
Tony Schreiber (Chair, Australian Steel Institute)
The feature of this edition of steel Australia magazine is the 2022 Australian Steel Convention. The Convention was held from 9 to 12 October 2022 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. It brought together key industry leaders and innovators to discuss opportunities, showcase industry successes and examine what the future can, and will, look like.
With over 260 people in attendance, the 2022 Convention was our most successful yet. Just some of the speakers included the Hon. Ed Husic (Minister for Innovation and Science), Professor Veena Sahajwalla (Director of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, University of New South Wales), Davina Rooney (Green Building Council of Australia), and Dr Phil Commins (Facility for Intelligent Fabrication). A big thank you to all of our speakers—all the presentations were highly enjoyable and engaging.
The social program was equally as enjoyable, with the Welcome Reception held at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, and entertainment by Diesel at the Convention dinner.
I'd like to thank all our sponsors and exhibitors, without which the Convention would not have been possible. For further details, please see the article on page 36
The ASI continues to advocate on behalf of the Australian steel supply chain on key issues. Energy pricing and security of supply are a critical issue for a tradeexposed industry such as Australia’s domestic steel value chain. We continue to work with all levels of government to address this issue.
We're also aware that the shortage of skilled employees remains high on the priority list for the entire industry. We are working on various fronts to help address this problem. ASI attended two round table meetings in Canberra in the lead up to the Jobs Summit in September.
The first meeting was with the Hon.
Tim Ayers (Assistant Minister for Heavy Industry) and 15 other industry participants to discuss jobs and skills needs for heavy industry. Interestingly, ASI was the only industry association invited. We were able to stress the immediate need for increased skilled immigration. We also highlighted the risk to current employment that high energy costs pose.
The second meeting was with the Hon. Chris Bowen (Minister for Climate Change and Energy). At this meeting, ASI advocated for local steel content in renewable energy infrastructure, including wind towers, solar racking, transmission towers and offshore wind projects. We stressed the need for sovereign capability to mitigate supply chain risks.
The ASI is also advocating on behalf of members in the area of bans on the export of unprocessed scrap. In conjunction with the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council, we recently presented our case to members of Department Industry, Science and Resources, and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. We received very positive feedback following these meetings,
Cain Chief Executive Australian Steel Institute
with our position and aligning with government policy.
The Federal Government recently published its Safeguard Mechanism Reforms Consultation Paper, which sets out its proposals to reform the Safeguard Mechanism to drive emissions reductions from Australia's biggest emitters. This is in line with Australia's commitment under the Paris Agreement of reducing CO2-e emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030.
The ASI reviewed the Federal Government's proposed reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism, and undertook consultation with our steel manufacturer members to ascertain the steel industry’s overall position. As a result, we made a formal submission to the Government.
The ASI was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on the National Energy Plan, led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. As well as emphasising the need for globally competitive energy costs, ASI put forward the need for local manufacturing capacity for renewable energy infrastructure.
MarkIn late August, Federal, State and Territory Building Ministers agreed to endorse the latest National Construction Code (NCC). NCC 2022 has been developed over the last three years under the leadership of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB).
The changes associated with NCC 2022 are significant and broad ranging, particularly with regard to management of condensation and energy efficiency requirements. Given this complexity, earlier this year ASI wrote to Building Ministers to recommend a 12 month implementation period prior to full implementation of these more complex elements. Pleasingly, this call has been heeded.
An NCC 2022 industry communication strategy was developed at a half day meeting, attended by approximately 30 industry representatives. NCC 2022 contains a number of significant changes directly impacting steel roofing and walling applications. This will require substantial upskilling of the complete steel product supply and installation value chain to efficiently achieve compliance. To support this effort, a comprehensive communication and awareness raising initiative will be implemented, coordinated by the ASI.
Steelwork Compliance Australia (SCA) has been audited and was awarded JAS-ANZ accreditation in late August 2022, for the full scope of AS/NZS 5131 Structural steelwork - Fabrication and erection. SCA is
currently the only Certifying Body with accreditation to the entire Standard. With SCA as the single Certifying Body to utilise the National Structural Steelwork Compliance Scheme (NSSCS), the supply chain now has another level of surety that services provided by SCA are approved and monitored by JAS-ANZ. For further information, please see the article on page 20.
I am also pleased to report that VicRoads has recently specified that any fabrication work tendered by them needs to be certified to AS/NZS 5131; clearly the NSSCS is gaining more and more momentum across the industry.
With increasing sustainability demands, the ASI's Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) is undergoing a significant transition process. The ESC will transition to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program. The SSA program engages the entire steel value chain by verifying upstream steel producers supplying the steel feedstock and certifying the downstream suppliers against best practice environmental, social and governance.
SSA will adopt the GBCA’s new Green Star Responsible Products Framework, and enable SSA certified companies to access a far greater number of Green Star credit points for building and construction projects, whilst driving best practice sustainability improvements across their operations.
The SSA program has been approved by the GBCA and will go out for public consultation. For further
information, please see the article on page 16
Judging for the ASI Steel Excellence Awards is well underway. The 2022 Awards will adopt the very successful format that was introduced in 2020. This saw state-based award presentations take place online. With a huge digital reach, finalists and winners will also be celebrated via video presentations, as well as the ASI website and social media channels.
All state-based finalists and winners will then be invited to attend the 2022 Australian Steel Excellence National Awards Gala, which will be held in Sydney on Tuesday 22 November 2022. This year’s award categories include:
• Buildings (Large Projects)
• Buildings (Small Projects)
• Steel-Clad Structures
• Engineering Projects
• Innovative Cold Form Steel Building
• Young Designer, Detailer or Tradesperson
We have introduced a new category this year: Innovative Cold Form Steel Building in recognition of the enormous expansion in this space.
Be sure to keep an eye out over the coming weeks for the announcements of the State Award winners. The Summer edition of steel Australia will also feature the National Award winners.
Australia’s
1. Over the years, the
10.5% in 2022. It will continue to rise by 0.5% a year to
Whether your employees work on a full-time, part-time or on a casual basis (including those on temporary visas), if they’re aged 18 or over, they’re generally eligible to receive super.
There are different rules around employee entitlements, including paying super for contractors.
From 1 July 2022, the minimum super rate for eligible employees is 10.5% of their salary2. Sometimes, a higher percentage of super is agreed by an award or employment agreement. For award rates information, please visit Fair Work Australia.
Ordinary time earnings (OTE) is the amount employees earn for their ordinary hours of work. This generally includes annual leave, sick leave and long service leave. If loading, allowances, overtime and commissions are part of an
employee's pay, calculating the ordinary time earnings can be more complex. The ATO’s OTE checklist identifies payments which could be salary or wages, and highlights if they're part of OTE3
You can use an employee’s OTE to calculate their super. Simply multiply the employee’s OTE by their super rate.
Overtime is generally excluded from super payment calculations because it falls outside of OTE. But overtime counts as OTE in some instances4
In some cases, you may need to pay super on overtime.
With so many different types of leave, it can be confusing to know who’s eligible for what. Paying super on leave depends if it’s part of OTE.
Leave types generally included in OTE:
• Annual leave
• Sick leave
• Long service leave.
Leave types generally excluded from OTE:
• Parental leave (maternity, paternity, adoption)
• Unused annual leave, sick leave, or long service leave as part of a termination payment
• Jury duty
• Defence Forces reserves leave.
Please note: you can choose to pay super on some of the above excluded leave types. For example, parental leave.
If you offer your employees bonuses on top of their regular wage, you may also need to pay super on bonuses.
Super payment frequency for employees is at least once a quarter. You can choose whether it’s one payment, or multiple payments across the quarter. The frequency may depend on whether there are award or employment agreements that set out a specific payment frequency.
1. apra.gov.au - History of super
2. Changes to this rate were legislated at 1 July 2022
3. australiansuper.com - Your super obligations
4. ato.gov.au - Super for employers
Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.
This information may be general financial advice which doesn’t take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about AustralianSuper, you should think about your financial requirements and refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. A Target Market Determination (TMD) is a document that outlines the target market a product has been designed for. Find the TMDs at australiansuper.com/tmd. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.
This article was supplied as part of a paid advertising package.
superannuation system celebrated its 30th birthday in 2022 and since its introduction in 1992, it’s been recognised by the World Bank as the ‘world’s best practice for the provision of retirement income’ super guarantee has increased in small increments and currently sits at reach 12% in 2025.The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ray Horsburgh AM, following his recent passing.
Ray was a highly regarded Australian businessman with vast experience in the steel industry. So much so that he was awarded an Order of Australia in 2006 for service to the steel industry and service to disadvantaged youth.
At the time of his passing, Ray was Acting Board Chairman and lead Independent Director of InfraBuild, and served on the LIBERTY Steel Group Board and GFG's Global Advisory Board.
GFG Alliance Executive Chairman, Sanjeev Gupta said, “Ray will be remembered as a much-loved member of our family. He was not only a great supporter of GFG in every way possible, he was also a friend, mentor, and father figure we all relied upon. It feels like a great light has suddenly gone from our lives.”
“Ray was a passionate advocate of the Australian steel industry and Australian manufacturing, and a true ambassador for our business in every sense of the word,” Sanjeev said. “He was a giant of our industry and we are incredibly grateful for his service to the business and the positive contribution he made to the careers of many of our staff.”
Ray was also the Chair of Arbitrium Capital Partners, AFL Victoria and the Bill Hutchinson Foundation, and an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Ponting Foundation—the organisation established by former Australian Test cricket captain Ricky Ponting to help in the fight against childhood cancer.
Ray had a highly decorated 30 year career with Australian Consolidated Industries. He started his career as a chemical engineering cadet at the ACI Glass factory in Spotswood. When Alan Jackson took over ACI in 1998, he appointed Ray as his Chief Executive. Under Ray's management, ACI expanded rapidly, including into international markets.
Ray then served as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Smorgon Steel Group for 15 years, which in 2007 joined the group of businesses that later became InfraBuild.
Mark Vassella (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BlueScope Steel) worked with Ray at Smorgon Steel. Quoted recently in The Weekend Australian, Mark said, "[Ray] was a remarkable man - generous, funny, smart, down to earth, supportive. A slap on the back and a 'she'll be right mate' was his standard pick-me-up. He loved his family, his footy, his cricket and helping people."
"He had a knack of seeing the big picture more than most, which I think many people underestimated. It wasn't only about the short term. He had the vision to put the pieces in place to create significant value in the long run. And he had the patience and confidence to back you over that longer term."
"From a business perspective I've never met a better connected guy. Everyone loved being around him and knowing him. He was larger than life. It didn't matter what you needed, he had a contact somewhere and given his generosity, most were in his debt and only too happy to help. He could operate at the very highest level and yet when he was in a less environment, with our people, engaging directly with them - telling stories, listening to them - he was masterful," Mark said.
Later in his career, Ray transitioned into the role of company director seamlessly, taking on roles such as Chair of ASXlisted Toll Holdings and Calibre Group, and Independent Non-Executive Director of ASX-listed CSR, Pact Group and Traffic Technologies.
Ray was also well known in Australian Football League circles. A longstanding, passionate and dedicated Club benefactor, Horsburgh joined the Essendon Football Club board in 2003 and served as President from late 2005 to 2009.
Ex-Chief Executive Xavier Campbell extended the Club’s condolences to the Horsburgh family. “A proud Essendon man, Ray will be truly missed by the entire red and black family,” Xavier said. “Our club is a better place for the service of passionate individuals like Ray. Ray brought plenty of joy to a lot of Essendon people in the way he went about his involvement at the Club. He will be terribly missed by so many within the four walls of the club."
Source: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/australian-industryheavyweights-mourn-onceinageneration-leader-ray-horsburgh/news-story/0ec18 3c442bc660b034ddd5494dd6faf
Although we’ve had four RBA interest rate hikes this year that have taken the official cash rate to 1.85%, many consumers and businesses are yet to feel the full impact.
The last three rate rises (June, July and August) are only just starting to flow through to borrowers, as banks and other lenders pass on each successive rate with a sufficient notice period. So while Aussies are quite subdued by the knowledge that cheap money has ended, many may not feel the cumulative effect in their bank accounts until around November.
Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn is also quoted as saying the record low level of bad debts is a lagging indicator. Both are compelling reasons to avoid complacency and look to revisit your business forecasts.
Current predictions are that the RBA will continue to lift the cash rate to between 2.5% and 3% until inflation (currently at 6.1%) peaks at 7% to 8% later this year, then falls back to the top of the 2% to 3% target range by some time in 2024.
This has been the fastest annual growth in inflation since 2001, forcing consumers and businesses to shell out more for everything from fuel to food. We haven’t seen inflation grow this fast since the introduction of the GST, so many steel manufacturing businesses haven’t experienced running their business in such an environment.
And while supply chains are beginning to normalise, rolling lockdowns in China can still have an impact. Some suppliers are favouring larger markets like the US, causing headaches for Aussie businesses that need to pivot to different sources.
These and other challenges have the potential to eat into profits and impact your business’ viability. Let’s look at some tactics for mitigating them. This assumes you already know what your margins and operating costs are.
Increasing your prices is the obvious option, but the amount of increase depends on what your market will bear. Regular small price increases might be the way to go, rather than a large price hike. Try testing small and bigger increases on different products to see
how your market responds. If you do increase prices, consider a value-add to keep customers on side. Clear customer communication is essential when you introduce a price increase, as clients are more likely to be supportive and stay with you if they understand the reasons. Keep track of their feedback and watch your sales data.
Can you switch to alternative cheaper business functions or processes? Negotiate with suppliers or explore others who offer better deals.
hours, by adjusting shifts or staffing to match times of high demand and managing with less at times of low activity. That said, hang on to good, effective employees and keep them motivated. Having to replace people in the current tight labour market is costly. Invest in technology that can streamline your business processes and improve efficiency. This could be developing a mobile app to make it easier for customers to order and pay from your business, or 3D printing to get around some supply disruptions. Also look at downloading apps to help you run your business on the go. Many, such as Invoice by Wave (streamlines your invoices), Expensify (helps you quickly upload business expense receipts) or Thrive (helps you keep track of your small business data in real time) are free from the App Store.
Think about stocking up on inventory now to beat further price increases and get ahead of random supply chain disruptions at peak season.
Keep investing in projects that will ultimately boost sales or improve productivity.
Regardless of the tactics used, strong cash flow is essential to help you manage the inflationary headwinds and continue investing in your business. According to Xero, about one in five small businesses experience a cash flow crunch –where expenses exceed revenue – at least 50% of the year. Business loans can help cut through that crunch with the cash you need to move forward, whether it’s managing your supply chain, investing in new assets or simply covering unexpected expenses.
With business loan interest rates rising, and residential property prices set to dip, you’d want to think long and hard before taking out a loan secured to your home or business property. Instead, explore the nonbank lending products out there, like Banjo’s Flexi Working Capital loan, that is much more adaptable to the needs of smaller, high-growth businesses in the steel sector.
This article was supplied as part of a paid advertising package.
The trials and tribulations of the economy, business and personal life has taken many turns over the past two and a half years. It has been one of the most challenging periods for businesses and individuals to navigate through.
But what are the current top concerns of CFOs and Credit Managers and what keeps them up at night?
After surveying hundreds of our clients, they have given us an insight into their top 3 concerns for 2022.
Anyone who's building a house will no doubt know the pains of supply delays and increasing raw material costs! In a recent case someone waited an additional eight months beyond their original completion date and had variations of over $50,000 to complete their build. But, the building industry is not the only sector experiencing increases in costs. Food, services, and energy costs have hit the hip-pocket of individuals and increased the expenses on businesses’ P&L.
This naturally leads to higher overall costs and end product increases to the consumer.
Everyone has a story of needing to quickly rebuild or replace positions post the pandemic. The disruptions to the business environment in many sectors led to layoffs or redirection of labour throughout 2020 and 2021. Look at the
challenges facing the travel sector in trying to quickly replace labour to deal with the current and future demands.
Labour short ages also bring a lack of skills in specialist sectors and industries, placing pressure on existing wages and acquisition of new labour.
Many businesses are having higher than ‘normal’ levels of staff changes which compounds to recruitment, training and workflow pressures.
3.
non-payment 21% of survey respondents highlighted their concerns about increasing overdue debts and non-payments from their customers.
This is a trend which many economists predict will increase further over the next year. Businesses have experienced extremely low insolvency rates and, with government incentives through the pandemic, businesses seemed to be flush with cash.
Recent ASIC administration data shows there has been a rebound in business insolvencies and our own NCI data highlights overdue reporting rates increased dramatically at the beginning of 2022. Led by the building construction sector this is a tell-tale lead into further insolvencies.
Cashflow issues, rising interest rates and lower predicted sales revenue were other factors which were concerning our clients.
Whilst sourcing materials and costs, as well as transportation factors, are easing, labour shortages and overdue debts seem to be ongoing factors we will all need to deal with.
So where does your business sit on these concerns?
NCI, with our full range of trade credit services, can support businesses in preparing and sleeping better at night, by removing the worry relating to predicting, and protecting yourself against, non-payment or insolvencies.
Ask yourself these questions:
• When was the last time you conducted a full health check on your customer list?
• What was the impact on your customers throughout the pandemic?
• Do they have the same level of capital and cashflow to maintain their business in a healthy environment?
NCI’s unique database, and ‘secret intel’ can provide a business with early warning signs specific to your customer list. We alert you to those customers who may not be in a position to pay into the future and allow you to make early changes to avoid non- payment and bad debts into the future.
This article was supplied as part of a paid advertising package.
Product customisation is generating more demand for fabrication work. B2B customers are increasingly expecting customisation – material options, delivery schedule, iterations, endless what-ifs. All this impacts your projected price.
This means higher product variations for manufacturers. It also means the need for faster and more accurate quotations, sometimes multiple in a day. Combine that with an expanding product range with multiple complex pricing models, and you have a recipe for confusion and inefficiency among manufacturing and sales teams.
When manufacturers offer hundreds, thousands, even millions, of product options, things can get complicated. This is where Configure-Price-Quote, abbreviated as CPQ, can be a game changer.
CPQ software helps companies quickly and accurately generate quotes for orders. It reduces inefficiencies in the sales to manufacturing process and gets every employee—from the top floor to the shop floor—working on the same page.
The configuration process is guided by your product rules set up in the backend rules engine. These rules codify the knowledge and expertise of your manufacturing and operations teams, making them instantly available to your salespeople in real-time. When product and manufacturing knowledge is built in the system, sales can be confident with
generating quotes, knowing what is sold is optimised and free from error.
Once configured, CPQ software calculates prices based on advanced pricing rules. Considerations are given automatically for volume and bundle pricing, promotional and tiered discounts. Additionally, with CPQ software, quotes can be instantly generated, formatted according to unique brand guidelines, and sent to customers with little, if any, additional modifications.
Another significant advancement in this field is visual CPQ. With visual CPQ, customers, salespeople, and engineers can see lifelike visualisations of custom products as they are being configured. Bypassing technical jargon or indecipherable hand-drawn sketches, visual CPQ reduces miscommunications and misunderstandings due to translation. Remember, errors in the sales to manufacturing handoff process can cost you time and money.
Instead of filling out forms and making sketches, salespeople can simply point and click to change dimensions, colors, materials, parts, and more, watching as their product evolves on screen.
CPQ automates all the formatting and number-crunching, saving vast amounts
of precious selling time while eliminating the errors inherent in manual processes. It is impossible for salespeople to configure technically or financially nonviable products. They are guided through a series of calibrated questions and prompts (via upsells and cross-sells) that ensure every configuration is perfectly optimised.
Integrating CPQ solution with the production system allows the synchronisation of complex data that influences supply, demand, and fulfillment. This information can be gathered from the supply chain, eCommerce store, plant floor, and warehouse to get sales and manufacturing working together. Apart from saving time and improving accuracies, the other big benefits of CPQ include scalability, and enhancing the overall customer buying experience.
Sales and manufacturing are more complex than ever before. B2B customers want product customisation and a frictionless path to purchase. With CPQ software, you can provide both.
This article was supplied as part of a paid advertising package.
Sustainability in the building, construction and industrial markets plays a significant role in business practices—in much the same way as safety and quality did decades ago. Momentum in this space is now shifting up a gear, with sustainability quickly becoming a licence to operate. In response, the ASI's Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) will transition to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program in late 2022—a new sustainability certification program that engages the entire steel value chain.
According to the World Green Building Council, 75% of annual global greenhouse emissions are from the built environment (encompassing buildings and infrastructure). Buildings are responsible for approximately 30% of global energy consumption, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and, on average, 50% of emissions in major cities.
In June 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to cut carbon emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030, up from the previous government's target of between 26% and 28%. Prime Minister Albanese also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. The new target brings Australia more in line with other developed economies' Paris climate accord commitments.
All these factors make the building and construction sector a high priority target for decarbonisation. Momentum for change is being driven across a broad range of fronts: all tiers of government, large corporates such as BHP and Lendlease putting their supply chains on notice, influence from a growing array
of not-for-profit and community groups, ‘green finance’ such as the global green bond market, and super funds targeting investments in public companies with high sustainability credentials.
We are seeing increased sustainability credential demand in a broadening range of building projects. A growing number of project proponents, builders and government departments are requiring steel supply from fabricators, rollformers, reinforcing suppliers, small manufacturers and steel processors that are members of ASI’s Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC). These projects include major infrastructure, utilities such as water, sporting structures, office complexes, commercial and apartment buildings and even churches.
The Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) was established in partnership with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) in 2011, with the objective of delivering ongoing meaningful improvement to the environmental footprint of certified steelwork fabrication and steel processing companies, reducing the reliance on fossil fuel derived energy, waste minimisation, broadening participation in the circular economy, protecting the environment, and the management of air contaminants on the shop floor. Participants plan and log environmental sustainability projects which often measure the effectiveness of new processes and technological enhancements on energy reduction. The ESC has experienced rapid growth over the last three years, and is widely recognised as the premier sustainability certification for downstream steel fabricator and processing businesses. Performance is documented through an online environmental management
The ESC is undergoing an indepth revision and will transition to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program in late 2022.
The revision aims to:
• Respond to the increasing demand for more sustainable, and responsibly sourced materials in the construction industry
• Meet current and future expectations of multidimensional sustainability (ESG) requirements across the broader steel supply chain and support participating steel suppliers with a program that demonstrates compliance
• Align with the Responsible Products Framework under GBCA's revised Green Star rating tool
system (EMS) which is verified annually by a third-party auditor and certified to a level of performance. An ESCcertified steel supplier attributes 1 credit point towards a Green Star project under GBCA's Green Star Design and As Built rating.
With increasing sustainability demands, ESC is undergoing a significant transition process, and will soon adopt the GBCA’s new Green Star Responsible Products Framework.
A broad array of new Environmental Social Governance (ESG) initiatives will enable SSA certified companies to access a far greater number of Green Star credit points for building and construction projects, whilst driving best practice sustainability improvements across their operations. We believe Green Star credit points and proof of sustainability accreditation will be in growing demand for construction projects.
The key principles of GBCA’s New Green Star Responsible Products Framework are:
• Responsible: the manufacturer is transparent about its product’s impacts and contents.
• Healthy: the manufacturer’s products are low or nontoxic and drive valuable social outcomes.
• Positive: the manufacturer’s processes avoid significant environmental impact, and deliver net zero products.
• Circular: the manufacturer is ready for low-carbon production and the circular economy.
As part of the ESC’s next stage of evolution, it will transition to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program. The SSA program engages the entire steel value chain by verifying upstream steel producers supplying the steel feedstock and certifying the downstream suppliers against best practice environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators (as shown in the table below). SSA will offer:
• A tiered certification model providing 4 pathways to achieve certification. Levels 1 and 2 (2A and 2B) will be active in the first release (late 2022), and Level 3 will be released in a further iteration
• Compliance to broader sustainability indicators including environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements for steel producers and downstream fabricators, rollformers, and reinforcing processors
• Alignment to the revised Green Star tool by complying to the Responsible Products Framework, allowing certified SSA suppliers to contribute up to five Green Star credit points* towards the structure on a project
The SSA program has been approved by the GBCA and will go out for public consultation. To keep up to
date with the latest SSA news, visit steelsustainability.com.au by scanning the QR code below.
• Provides assurance to customers that the steel supply is reducing its environmental and social impact
• Competitive advantage for members enabling them to stay current in the market
• Ability to contribute up to five Green Star credit points* towards the structure on a project
• Potential cost savings by identifying and implementing operational efficiencies
• Access to sustainability resources such as a Life Cycle Analysis tool when SSA Level 3 is released
• Enables members to build a strong sustainability brand through a suite of relevant and fit for purpose ESG, circular economy and carbon reduction initiatives
Current ESC members, and new members that join prior to the SSA taking affect, will be certified to the existing ESC until 30 June 2023. ESC members will have from the release date of SSA (late 2022) to next year's audit (April-June 2023) to prepare for their chosen level of SSA certification (Level 1 or 2).
* Refer to the GBCA website for further information on theGreenStarprogram
FICEP is a world leader in the production of automatic systems for the steel construction industry. The company has designed, manufactured and installed more than 150 fully automatic layouts in different configurations worldwide.
Safety First is a mantra that resonates in all industries with heavy production processes. The automation offered by FICEP helps shift employees away from strenuous and dangerous work. This improves safety in the workplace for employees, as well as their overall health and wellbeing.
Automation also addresses another important critical issue that the industry is currently facing: the shortage of skilled workers. By automating production processes, employees can be redeployed to higher value-added tasks.
The automation of processes improves speed and efficiency, as well as time-to-market savings. Automation can also improve quality, precision, accuracy and repeatability of processing.
As an integrated technology partner, FICEP offers VALIANT in combination with the KATANA sawing machine. When integrated with advanced automatic handling systems (like roller conveyors and cross transfer tables), this technology meets the production needs of the steel construction industry. By increasing automation, this technology boosts productivity and provides a safe working environment for operators.
FICEP's VALIANT drilling center is capable of handling beams up to 1,200 mm. It guarantees top production performance in processing all profiles used in civil and industrial steel constructions.
VALIANT can position the beam and perform all programmed processes without repositioning. The new extended subaxis spindle positioning enables simultaneous drilling on all three surfaces even when the holes are not aligned. It can be equipped with three automatic 14-position tool changers, one for each spindle, which provides superior performance with a significant reduction in cycle times.
Multi-functionality and versatility are among the most appreciated aspects of VALIANT. An example is the 4-axis underside scribing device with sub-axis positioning to permit up to four-side simultaneous scribing operations. Other processes like tapping, countersinking, milling (slot and cope) save many working hours while increasing productivity.
VALIANT technologies can achieve weld access holes also known as rat holes and weld preparation greatly reducing or eliminating secondary processes at the ends of the beams. The latter makes it possible to increase the degree of precision of the beam joint, eliminating the subsequent finishing phase, which is often carried out manually. VALIANT requires only one operator to carry out several operations yet is also flexible to allow manual intervention to be bypassed completely when required.
FICEP's revolutionary Direct Drive spindles—that transmit 100% of motor power to the tool—offer maximum processing performance. They meet even the most demanding requirements and heavy-duty cycles with great efficiency.
VALIANT automated systems can be supplied 'stand-alone' or combined with the KATANA sawing system, FICEP's latest evolution in the field of band sawing. The KATANA has a closed loop feedback, making it one of the fastest cutting in the market. KATANA can perform cuts up to 60° mitered in both directions and at the highest quality. KATANA is integrated with an automatic unloading device with a magnet that allows the processed short pieces to be unloaded automatically. This is done without the intervention of an operator, improving workplace health and safety; this task can be particularly dangerous when handling heavy pieces.
Both the VALIANT and KATANA can be operated by a single numerical control developed in-house by FICEP. Pegaso guarantees better performance and a substantial reduction in cycle times. Pegaso is equipped with a powerful processor, expanded memory, up to 15 controlled axes and multiple communication protocols (Canbus, Profinet, Ethercat). It also comes with an innovative, easy-to-use offline programming software.
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Allthread Industries is delighted to announce that its wind-turbine anchor cages were awarded the Gold accolade in the engineering category of the 2022 Australian Good Design Awards. The Awards are the highest honour for design and innovation in the country, recognising projects that demonstrate excellence in design and highlight the impacts of a design-led approach on business success, social and environmental outcomes.
Allthread’s low-impact anchor cages are revolutionising costs, environmental impacts and productivity in the local wind farm industry, significantly reducing the time, labour and safety challenges involved in installation. This is especially important in an increasingly carbon-constrained, renewable energy-powered economy.
In announcing the award, the jury commented, "Great to see this safe and environmentally-conscious innovation contribute to such an important area of our economy and society. Congratulations on this way to improve productivity and strengthen local industries!"
Allthread is an Australian manufacturer, prioritising not only the environment, but local manufacturing as well. This results in improved quality and products, reduced environmental impacts, and benefits to the local economy and industries. Its anchor cages are designed, manufactured and preassembled in the Allthread factory in Sydney, then delivered for on-site installation. (Most anchor cages are made in China and imported as flatpacks.)
Local, sustainable solutions are prioritised: all steel and 98% of each cage’s total content is Australian, with 50% also recycled.
"We are thrilled to have our achievements recognised’, said Simon Preston (Group General Manager, Allthread Industries). "This accolade is an acknowledgement of the innovative design solutions we use to produce better, safer, cheaper and more reliable anchor cages, at the same time slashing environmental impacts and supporting the local economy."
Wind-turbine anchor cages are an important component of wind power developments. These enormous steel cages are installed below ground and filled with concrete, their weight keeping the massive turbine towers stable, even under huge wind forces. Designs vary, but thick steel baseplates with hundreds of bolts attached (4 metres long, 50 kilograms) are put in pits and buried in concrete, the bolts are then attached to the turbine’s base.
The Good Design Award is the latest recognition of Allthread’s innovations, which have drastically reduced delivery and installation times, costs and environmental impacts while supporting local industry. Some of the benefits of Allthread cages include:
• Decreased costs: For example, on the Murra Warra 2 Wind Farm, the Allthread anchor cages were approximately $200,000 cheaper than imported
alternatives (around 5% of cage costs, including installation and labour).
• Reduced installation time: 90 minutes using two workers plus a crane, versus two days with six workers and heavy machinery.
• Phenomenal time savings: one example is at Murra Warra 2 Wind Farm, where installation was completed two weeks early, despite commencing two weeks late.
• Reliable delivery: trucks versus shipping (seven weeks versus three months).
• Supports local industry and jobs: manufactured locally with 98% Australian content.
• Increased safety: no reported incidents. All manual lifting and finger pinch opportunities eliminated, and working at heights minimised.
• Increased environmental sustainability: including half the carbon footprint.
• No waste on delivery, saving 15 tonnes of landfill per project.
This award comes in what has already been a great year for the company. A recent Independent Life-Cycle Assessment study showed that Allthread’s anchor cages have a far lower overall environmental impact than similar overseas products, including a 47% lower carbon footprint.
Since beginning to supply the Australian market, Allthread has shipped more than 1,200 anchor cages, with current contracts for 332 anchor cages across MacIntyre, Clarke Creek and Goyder wind farms.
The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) continues the journey to ensure clients, engineers, architects, constructors and fabricators have the tools to ensure compliant outcomes for structural steelwork.
ASI congratulates Steelwork Compliance Australia (SCA) which has now been audited and awarded JAS-ANZ accreditation for auditing to the full scope of AS/NZS 5131 Structural steelwork – fabrication and erection. SCA is currently the only Certifying Body with the entire standard accreditation.
AS/NZS 5131 defines good practice for the fabrication and erection of structural steelwork for projects in Australia, using a risk-based fit-for-purpose approach. It provides the technical basis for the National Structural Steelwork Compliance Scheme (NSSCS) and establishes a quality benchmark that is responsive to the needs of both projects and clients.
With the ASI authorising SCA as the single Certifying Body to utilise the National Structural Steelwork Compliance Scheme (NSSCS), the supply chain now has another level of surety that services provided by SCA are approved and monitored by JAS-ANZ.
ASI championed the revision of AS 4100 which now references AS/NZS 5131. As a result, AS/NZS 5131 is set to become law, with the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 revision due to be published in October 2022.
By engaging an SCA certified fabricator, clients, building contractors and engineers can significantly de-risk their projects. Certified fabricators that have been audited fully to AS/NZS 5131 and certified to demonstrated elements, are listed on the SCA website, ensuring currency of certification is easily verified.
Gaining your certification will demonstrate to clients your ability to fabricate and erect structural steelwork in accordance with AS/NZS 5131.
SCA certification de-risks the construction industry by providing certainty that certified fabricators have the capability to produce compliant products and services to the relevant Construction Categories as outlined by the engineer. ASI member companies receive substantial discounts on their audit fees with SCA.
For more information, contact Bushan Salunke (General Manager, SCA) on bushans@scacompliance.com.au or 0400 592 530.
Works to improve processes, procedures, traceability and skill levels of the whole Australian industry to a consistent quality benchmark.
Decreases level of risk for asset owner and constructor; Fabricator must clearly demonstrate competence to a CC based on industry best practice.
Provides comprehensive technical prequalification by independent 3rd Party experts; saves pre award time and dollars and increases industry productivity
First Australian Standard specifically for steelwork fabrication and erection. So it's a fit for purpose, risk based Standard and approach to auditing and certification.
Minimises rectification and re-work, and associated costs, reducing costs, project delays and environmental impacts due to waste and additional freight.
Increases local capacity and capability to supply to large projects by facilitating fabricator resource pooling under a common quality framework.
Having steel fabricators grouped into 4 certification levels enables them to compete against similar fabricators, which enhances supply chain effectiveness.
• Providing greater certainty of construction outcome
• Reducing the incidence of bogus supply
• Boosting productivity by minimising the need for rework and repair over the lifecycle of a project
• Providing a national pool of pre-qualified fabricators to AS/NZS 5131, reducing the time needed to vet and qualify suitable fabricators for your projects
• Reducing risk consistent with the Workplace Health and Safety Act and Regulations
• Assurance that the steelwork contractor is competent as assessed by an expert process
• Assurance that the tender offer is based on a like-for-like quality comparison and not compromised on quality, therefore minimising likely costly rework and remediation
• Management of risk and your duty of care under the Workplace Health and Safety Act (Safe design of structures)
• Utilising a steelwork fabricator that has invested in training, apprenticeships, systems and capability over those that quote on price alone
• The ability to specify an open compliance scheme that has been independently accredited by JAS-ANZ
• Support development of a world class steelwork fabrication industry in Australia
• Avoids the cost of setting up an in-house fabricator quality capability assessment team
• De-risks steelwork procurement
• Provides an assessor with intimate knowledge of steelwork fabrication
• Provides the ability to nominate a fabricator for which the builder can request assessment
• Is fit-for-purpose based on risk assessment, and is therefore cost effective
• Provides a mechanism to feedback project outcomes and request special fabricator assessment
• Reduces costs of rectification and rework, utilising fabricators proven to meet the minimum requirements of Australian Standards
• Frees up valuable personnel to focus on the project issues and delivery they were trained for
• A proven commitment to capability based on certification level will help distinguish you in the eyes of clients
• A de-facto ‘National Technical Prequalification Scheme’ that in time will become common across the industry, increasing productivity, saving significant time and cost in tender submissions and multiple certifications
• The site audit and ensuing gap analysis can prompt demonstrable improvements in internal process efficiencies
• A uniform transparent quality bar to support fair competition with your peers
Each quarter, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) brings you news and views from around the steel industry in our regular column: On the Beam. From projects won and completed, through to new product launches and company announcements, you can find it all here.
Watkins Steel recently celebrated the official opening of their new factory at Raubers Road in Banyo, Queensland.
Watkins Steel was established in 1968, with its first workshop located underneath a suburban house in Hendra. The company soon rented some smaller factories, before building its first factory in 1978 on Toombul Road in Virginia.
Every decade since then, Watkins Steel has progressed into larger facilities until the company's last move to Depot Street in 2008. 14 years later, Watkins Steel has officially expanded into its entire Raubers Road factory, taking their overall footprint from approximately 2,500m2 to 10,000m2 This expansion is testament to the ongoing growth of the business and the incredible work of their employees across estimating, drafting, fabricating, installation, research and development, business services and Holovision.
Watkins Steel combines the latest 3D technology with advanced robotics to produce a variety of steel structures with unparalleled accuracy. Specialising in small structural steel, metalwork, urban artscapes, architectural structures, and refurbishment projects, Watkins Steel's range of services also includes steel detailing and 3D laser scanning.
ASI has made a submission to the NSW Government’s Securing future innovation and global competitiveness in NSW Green Paper. Consultation was sought on "on the forces driving substantial, rapid and ongoing change across the economy", to help the Government with industry policy reform in NSW over the next 10 to 15 years.
Key points in ASI's submission were:
• Transition to net zero emissions by 2050 is the single biggest challenge and opportunity for the steel industry over the next 20 years.
• All the major Australian steel producers have announced their intention to meet a net zero emissions by 2050 commitment, which is supported by comprehensive, published sustainability plans.
• The single most critical business operating environment constraint is the availability of skilled personnel to fill industry wide vacancies.
• ASI believes the single most effective means of encouraging local industry innovation and growth is for the NSW Government to set mandatory local participation targets for major projects.
GFG Alliance’s mining arm, SIMEC Mining has produced its first high quality GREENSTEEL pellets that will underpin the future of decarbonised steel production in Whyalla, South Australia.
The pellets were produced from the company’s Duchess South drill core in the Southern Middleback Ranges using innovative technologies proposed for SIMEC’s magnetite expansion operations. As part of routine production, a small parcel of concentrate was successfully converted to pellets in the existing pellet plant.
The successful production of the Direct Reduction grade pellets is another significant step forward in GFG Alliance’s GREENSTEEL transformation at Whyalla, and is coupled with the successful commissioning of a 400tph demonstration pilot plant to test an innovative technology integral to current and future mining operations.
Both milestones build on GFG’s announcement earlier this year of its magnetite expansion project and construction of a debottlenecking process to increase magnetite concentration production to 2.5Mtpa. Processed magnetite concentrate is a high-quality energy efficient iron ore product which is needed to feed the Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) process. DRI enables the use of hydrogen as an alternate reductant to fossil fuels, and when fed by renewable energy it makes GREENSTEEL.
This magnetite expansion work offers GFG the chance to increase exports
to its steelworks in Europe and to strengthen its position as a consistent supplier of premium quality magnetite to support low carbon intensive steelmaking.
GFG Alliance’s Executive Chairman, Sanjeev Gupta, said, “Our purpose is to create a sustainable future for industry and society and that starts right here with magnetite – a critical enabler of our global GREENSTEEL strategy. Thankfully it’s an iron ore we have in abundance right here in Whyalla.”
SIMEC also provided an update on its Dry Low Intensity Magnetic Separation (DLIMS) plant, which rejects nonmagnetics from a coarse crushed fraction of the feed material, thereby upgrading the quality of feed to the magnetite concentrator.
Performance of the plant has exceeded expectations by rejecting over 20 percent of the feed mass as waste, while still recovering more than 98 percent of magnetics to product.
SIMEC’s magnetite expansion plan continues with a feasibility study underway for Stage 2, which is evaluating a new 5Mtpa magnetite concentrate supply chain to supplement the existing Stage 1, 2.5Mtpa facility.
The current optimised mine shell contains 443 million tonnes of magnetite ore from the JORC compliant Duchess South reported resource of 614 million tonnes. The proposed flowsheet for processing this ore generates a product containing 68 – 70 percent Fe magnetite concentrate with less than 2 percent silica. This quality is referred to as direct reduction, or DR quality product.
The life of the mine is estimated to be in excess of 20 years, with the mine producing 7.5 million tonnes per annum of magnetite concentrate, and generating annualised revenue of more than $800 million over that time.
According to Interim CEO Primary Steel and Mining and Director Industrial Projects, Theuns Victor, “This grade of magnetite is a key enabler to Whyalla’s GREENSTEEL future, and strengthens its position as a consistent global supplier of premium quality magnetite to support low carbon intensive steelmaking.”
“When combined with renewables, particularly solar from our Cultana Solar Farm, our port, a skilled workforce, and supportive community and government, we have all the ingredients to create a world leading GREENSTEEL hub at Whyalla and fulfil our CN30 mission.”
SIMEC Mining General Manager Magnetite Expansion and Growth, Gavin Hobart, said, “Our existing ironore operation in Whyalla is home to some of the highest purity and most desirable deposits of magnetite in the world. The high quality of our ore makes it a critical resource to enable GREENSTEEL manufacturing and this successful pellet production is a significant milestone toward realising our plans.”
“Stage two of our magnetite expansion project represents a generational opportunity for economic growth in Whyalla. Once operational, the project is expected to employ more than 1,200 workers and support around 3,500 people in the broader community.”
The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 undergraduate steel design awards. Sponsored by the ASI each year, the awards recognise students across the country who have achieved the highest grade in their third year steel design subjects. The awards play a vital role in fostering the next generation of architects and engineers.
Each year, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) offers awards to the students who achieve the highest grade in their third year steel design subjects at Australian universities across the nation.
Students are assessed by their own university based on the results of their steel related subjects. The winning students receive an eLearning voucher, so that they can take advantage of the ASI's diverse range of online courses.
According to ASI Chief Executive, Mark Cain, "The ASI's Undergraduate Steel Design Awards play an important role in building a relationship with the next generation of engineers and architects. These high performing students usually go on to be employed in design or engineering positions with high profile engineering consultants due to their academic ability."
"As the nation's peak body representing the entire Australian steel supply chain—from the manufacturing mills right through to end users in building and construction, heavy engineering and manufacturing—it is vital that we foster the academic and professional careers of these individuals."
"In the future, these students may be in a position to influence a decision to use steel in a structure due to their familiarity with steel design. It's important that the next generation does not perceive steel design as a difficult process. Through initiatives such as these awards, the ASI is
helping to provide tools and education to promote the use of steel in Australia," said Mark.
"Supporting the work of Australian universities is also important. Universities are hotbeds of innovation and entrepreneurship. They help provide students with the skills to compete in increasingly global workplaces and shape the minds of the future."
The ASI would like to congratulate all of the winning students for 2022:
• Bendigo Kangan Institute: Phillipe Noel
• James Cook University: Christopher Konidis
• University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney: Chang Chen
• University of Sydney: Toby Hoggett
• University of the Sunshine Coast: Patrick Adams
• Monash University:
• Jeffery Dean Fong
• Liam Craig White
• Taylor Poon
• Western Sydney University: Kuer Duot
• CQ University: Sean Kerlin
• University of Technology Sydney: Hussein Daoui
“
The ASI's Undergraduate Steel Design Awards play an important role in building a relationship with the next generation of engineers and architects. It is vital that we foster the academic and professional careers of these individuals."
Kuer Duot won Western Sydney University's 2022 ASI Undergraduate Steel Design Award.
According to Kuer, her decision to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Engineering) was an easy one to make. " I actually didn't know what to study, but my sister suggested engineering. I’m a very curious person. I want to know how things work, and I love mathematics."
"I majored in civil engineering, and with this course, I had the opportunity to learn about the engineering behind just about everything—not just roads and building. I was also able to study sustainability and risk engineering, which will help us in the future. This is what I love about the course—it's practical."
"This semester I am completing my thesis, which is a practical project that I’m working on with my supervisors. We're analysing a new flooring system, which is a steel deck that can reduce the height of a building. The steel decking features cavities, through which services and cables can be run, which is relatively new within the moment. We're looking at the structural behaviour of the decking."
"Steel is very light to use, sustainable, and saves time during construction. It will be a very useful material in the future."
"Winning the ASI Undergraduate Steel Design Award meant a lot to me. At first, I was very confused about what I wanted to do when I graduated. Now, I know I want to do steel design. I want to become a structural engineer," said Kuer.
Western Sydney University's Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) is a four year full-time undergraduate engineering program. The program is designed to meet Engineers Australia professional accreditation requirements –Competency Stage 1 Professional Engineers, and Australian Quality Frameworks (AQF) Level 8.
Students have opportunities to choose a discipline area by selecting a major in Advanced Manufacturing, Civil,
Did you know that the ASI offers free memberships to both students and academics?
If you're not already an ASI member, take advantage of this opportunity today.
Student membership is available to full-time students who are studying subjects such as engineering, architecture, construction and welding at universities and TAFEs in Australia.
What's included:
• Full access to online eLibrary
• Member discounted rates for all bookshop purchases (limit one copy per publication)
• Member pricing for all events and webcasts
• Special discounted student rates for all eLearning courses
• Regular industry updates and newsletters
Construction, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical, Robotics and Mechatronics, and Sustainability Engineering. In addition, students can specialise by selecting one minor that will complement their chosen discipline. Meanwhile free elective subjects help students broaden their learning by developing knowledge and skills from other disciplines and professional fields for the future.
Students can also apply their program knowledge to fascinating, real-world challenges, such as Western's ongoing Solar Car project, Formula-SAE project and Unlimited Robotics Club. Plus, at the end of their third year, students complete a 12 week work placement, to finish their studies with real-world experience.
Academic membership is available to lecturers in engineering, architecture or construction at Australian universities and TAFEs offering courses that further the steel industry as part of its curriculum. Academic members can benefit from the library service for teaching aids and assistance with guest lectures from State Managers as required.
What's included:
• Full access to online eLibrary
• Borrow hard copy books from library
• Member discounted rates for all bookshop purchases
• Member pricing for all events and webcasts
• Discounted member rates for all eLearning courses
• Member only exclusive offers with selected partners
• Regular industry updates and newsletters
• Opportunity to vote at the ASI's AGM
For further details, contact membership@steel.org.au
For 25 years, Soto Consulting Engineers has worked collaboratively with major companies in the heavy industrial, mineral resources and construction sectors to design, build and refine engineering solutions that enable them to compete in global markets. Their team of specialists has a wealth of experience across engineering disciplines and a strong track-record of delivering solutions.
Frank Soto and Associates Consulting Mechanical Engineers was officially registered in January 1998. Originally from Whyalla, Frank Soto has never been far away from heavy industry, moving from one iron and steel town to another: Wollongong. Although Frank claims he is first and foremost a mechanical engineer, he is also a process engineer by training.
In the early days, Frank worked with a small team of talented and specialised professionals, designing and drafting in a ‘tin shed’ behind a fabrication shop in Kemblawarra, Wollongong.
According to Frank, "We came from humble beginnings. We started out picking up small packages of work, helping local manufacturers, machining shops and fabrication shops, as well as undertaking equipment assessments
for mining and steel sector companies. That soon expanded into the cement and refractory sectors."
Moving from that ‘tin shed’, Frank celebrated his success and moved to Unanderra. There, he renovated the old chicken shop, and gradually expanded the company's footprint to take in the premises downstairs, and eventually the bank building next door.
As Jim Allan (Chief Operating Officer, SOTO) explained, "To become the businessman he is today, Frank has navigated the company through times of significant change in competitive industrial and commercial environments. He appointed himself Principal Engineer in 1990 and, over the years, has overseen many defining moments and major developments."
To keep pace with growing demands for their services, Frank Soto and Associates expanded from a small, family business, with a predominantly local client base, into a medium-sized firm providing leading quality design engineering to heavy industries and mining companies outside of the Illawarra.
Additional skilled engineers and draftspersons were brought into SOTO, diversifying the company's skillset to take on new projects that increasingly involved civil and structural design. More complex mechanical engineering challenges brought about the establishment of a computational analysis team.
Team diversification became the hallmark of the SOTO business, and with their expansion, a name change
Frank Soto (General Manager)became necessary to illustrate to the marketplace that the company was no longer just a small, local, family business.
As Leonardo Da Vinci—arguably the greatest engineer of all time—once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". So, from Frank Soto and Associates Consulting Mechanical Engineers, the company became SOTO.
"As time went on the team grew, and so did our clients, but many things remain the same to this day; our passion for solving engineering problems; our diverse team of specialists keen to be the best at their job; our focus on integrity and values; and our commitment to the Illawarra community and economy," said Jim.
"That passion, seeded two decades ago, created the foundation for our growth and has led to a thriving business with a reputation for pinpoint sharp, innovative, engineering solutions all around Australia, and importantly to us, a name synonymous with Illawarra industry. Through Frank’s determination, persistence
and our team’s innovative designs, we’ve played a significant part in the metamorphosis of local manufacturing, steel and heavy industry, improving safety, efficiency and productivity wherever we contact our client’s business."
"Frank’s confidence, conviction and consistency are how the business evolved to become a recognised brand and is a testimony to his principal strategy based on the pillars of integrity, innovation, excellence and respect. Even after 25 years, we still live these values day to day," said Jim.
Today, SOTO provides a comprehensive range of engineering design services to the resources and heavy industry sectors.
"We are an engineering design consultancy specialising in mechanical and structural engineering, which gets us involved in many industries, and with many clients," said Frank.
SOTO's specialist engineers have experience in the design and installation of equipment and heavy industrial plant. This includes the design of process lines, mining equipment, machinery, rolling mills and piping systems with applications across a diverse range of industries as well as in heavy lifting, construction, and temporary works. They design, build and refine structures in steel, concrete and masonry construction with experience in commercial, mining and heavy industrial design.
"We've worked across projects involving everything from aluminium components and high pressure ductwork, through to very large steel support structures. More locally, we're working on gantries, safety equipment and designs for machinery and buildings," said Frank.
"We've supported the local manufacturing industry for 25 years now. Over that time, we've produced countless engineering designs using Australian steel, for local projects and projects all over Australia."
When asked about the secret to SOTO's success over the last 25 years, Frank explained that a firm understanding of the needs of industry has been key. "Consistency, quality and an understanding of what fabricators need these days have been essential. Industry has transformed over time. Everyone needs to work smarter."
"We help by providing the level of design detail required for fabrication workshops to be efficient and productive. We help fabricators understand how and what improvements to make to their workshops to improve their operations. We try to add value to the industry by bringing in the smarts and the tools that enable fabricators to be more efficient in steel processing
and the
“ We've supported the local manufacturing industry for 25 years now. Over that time, we've produced countless engineering designs using Australian steel."
The SOTO way is a three-step process based on working together with their clients to deliver outstanding outcomes that the entire project team can be proud of.
Design SOTO starts with building an understanding of their client, their needs and the scope of the project. They care for their clients and treat them with respect, valuing open communication and enduring relationships.
Build SOTO takes responsibility for delivering on their commitments. After initial contact, they provide a task brief that outlines the scope, deliverables, timeline and fee. SOTO's standards of professionalism drive the company to be transparent in demonstrating that client needs are understood and expectations can be met.
manufacture of structures," said Frank.
"On the constructability side of things, we're very experienced in providing temporary supports and other aids.
SOTO is not there just at the start of a project; instead, we partner with our clients from design, right throughout construction. We focus on adding value throughout the entire lifecycle of a project so that local manufacturers are more efficient and keep pace with the rest of the Australian industry," said Frank.
SOTO is excited by engineering solutions that improve client productivity and the safety of workers and influence industry. "We play with the latest technology to deliver unique and diversified engineering design solutions. We’re dedicated to the Illawarra community, as it nurtures our employees, their families and the next generation," said Jim.
"Frank remains our Managing Director and principal engineer, and he is as much ‘one of the team’ as ever before. But what propels us forward is an entire team of high-performing staff, who are equally passionate about their expertise, our industry and the community."
have respect for those around us, and are passionate about what we do. Every person at SOTO plays an integral part in our success," said Jim.
"We’re really optimistic about what the future entails. We've just started to hit our straps after 25 years. We have a clear vision of where the business sits within the market, where we're heading, and how to add value to the supply chain," said Frank.
"We will continue to design using Australian steel and continue to invest in our team, the technology and the hardware we need to stay ahead of the curve. We've been investing heavily in our team, for well over two years, with a view to increasing our capacity in anticipation of the work that is likely to be available in the medium to near term."
"We are focused on training the next generation of design engineers and continuing to grow our capability. The longevity and sustainability of the business is built on reinvestment in the team continuing to identify opportunities where the latest technology can be incorporated into day-to-day design."
SOTO's team of specialists get to work, and take ownership for the outcome, conducting their work with passion, creativity and integrity. They strive to build on the relationship with their clients, maintaining clear and open communication. Their technical excellence and quality management systems underpin their drive for excellence. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOTO, THEIR CAPABILITIES AND THEIR PROJECTS >>>
"We embrace diverse skills, backgrounds and ideas. This diversity makes us more dynamic as an organisation. However, we have important things in common; we’re focused on quality and integrity;
"As a business owner, investing in the future of design and Australian steel, I'm confident that the future looks bright," said Frank.
When roads, and the vehicles they carry, go underground, so do their emissions. Ventilation systems make the tunnels safe for users, but they must also consider the health, wellbeing, and liveability of the communities that live near the outlets.
The 33km WestConnex motorway network is Australia’s largest road infrastructure project. Designed to relieve traffic congestion on Sydney's road network and cater for future growth, the project is mostly underground, with several complex underground interchanges linking the south-west and west of Sydney with the CBD and airport.
A critical project is the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, comprising 7.5km of tunnels in the city’s inner west. Each tunnel includes a Parramatta Road Ventilation Facility that draws fresh air into the tunnel, where large fans and vehicle movement push that air through the tunnel. Rather than spilling exhaust emissions out via vehicle entries and exits, the ventilation facilities suck air out of the tunnel, filter it, and disperse it over a wide area. The result is cleaner air inside and outside of the tunnel.
Given the project’s location in a densely populated area of Sydney, the challenge included designing support structures, equipment, and associated ducting that enabled
efficient transport to site, construction in a safe and timely manner, and considered future maintenance needs. SOTO was engaged by Illawarra Engineering Services for design and construction of components for the ventilation facility, as well as construction aids for the new steelwork, based on its track record in end-toend engineering services and an ability to seamlessly integrate with site project teams and suppliers.
SOTO undertook detailed design, from concept models to fabrication drawings, for structural and mechanical components, and provided project engineering support through design management and construction planning. In effect, SOTO became the critical link in integrating original equipment into a complex construction environment that enabled the project consortium to deliver on its objectives for a safe, effective, and reliable ventilation system. Value delivered:
• Concept models created during the design process enabled the project teams to understand key constraints, such as limited space, and optimise designs for the structural supports and frames for the fans and associated equipment, including ducting.
• Optimised designs reduced materials costs and heavy lifting equipment needs on-site.
• Delivered a two 20-tonne monorail system that makes maintenance and replacement of the fans safer and more efficient.
• Rigorous design checks of supplied equipment and existing structure using 3D scanning and modelling to ensure smooth and accurate installation, reducing the risk of needing on-site modifications.
• Designed and delivered innovative construction aids, including a support floor, temporary lifting beams, roller frames, temporary ductwork support beams that reduced installation time, cost, and safety risk.
• Modelled equipment lifts and documented safety plans for clear communication between contractors and ensuring the installation met high safety and quality standards.
BlueScope's Steelworks at Port Kembla, in the Illawarra region, is the largest steel production facility in Australia. With an annual production capacity of over three million tonnes of crude steel, it manufactures slab, hot rolled coil and plate products. The Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) facility plays a critical role—not only for BlueScope's Steelworks— but as a crucial piece of Australia's manufacturing infrastructure. On 13 July 2022, the BOS celebrated its 50th anniversary.
In 1972, BlueScope invested $45 million into building the BOS at its 760 hectare Port Kembla Steelworks. Over the last 50 years, the BOS has produced over 180 million tonnes of steel, converting liquid iron into steel.
These 180 million tonnes encompass flat steel products, including slab, hot rolled coil, cold rolled coil, plate and valueadded metallic coated and painted steel solutions. BlueScope is firmly focused on higher value branded products for the building and construction industry.
According to Kamini Wijekulasuriya (BOS Furnace Operations Manager, BlueScope), "The BOS at Port Kembla produces all of BlueScope's steel— approximately 3.3 million tonnes per annum. We manufacture over 100 grades of steel. Over 60% of that steel is our premium COLORBOND® steel brand that is used across commercial, industrial, residential, fencing and roofing applications. We also make steel for a variety of other applications, like wind towers. Anywhere there is steel, you can find BlueScope."
"The BOS plays a critical role in BlueScope's steelmaking process.
Every piece of steel that BlueScope manufactures in Australia has to go through the BOS. If we stop, BlueScope stops producing steel," said Kamini.
When the BOS commenced operation in 1972, there were two furnaces, with a capacity of around 4.8 million tonnes of steel per annum. Today, BlueScope operates one furnace at a time, with the other on standby or under maintenance.
Before the BOS was built, BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks produced steel using the open hearth process. The open hearth process produced the same amount of steel in eight hours as the BOS does now in around 25 minutes. The Number 2 Open Hearth started operation at Port Kembla in 1956 and ended in 1982—there were about 10 years where the BOS and Number 2 Open Hearth ran in parallel.
Kamini clearly loves her job. "Working at the BOS is interesting, challenging and exciting. No two days are the same," said Kamini. "My role is the BOS Operations Manager. I have accountability for 60 people, their safety,
“
The BOS plays a critical role in BlueScope's steelmaking process. Every piece of steel that BlueScope manufactures has to go through the BOS. If we stop, BlueScope stops making steel."
the BOS operations and the quality of the steel. Our operations include the BOS furnace as well as several auxiliary plants—a water treatment plant, a lime kiln and a desulphurising plant. This makes my job even more interesting; all the plants need to work in unison so that the entire system functions."
BlueScope has a strong focus on inclusion and diversity; its goal is an organisation where all people— regardless of how they identify—feel valued and included at work.
"Diversity and inclusion are a big part of our business. The BOS Operations team is comprised of 15% female employees. We've got the biggest cranes in the southern hemisphere—450 tonne cranes that charge the molten metal. Males and females drive those cranes. We have females working in the control room who blow the heat, making them responsible for the quality of steel and the addition of the correct alloys.”
“Our diversity isn't limited to gender— our workforce is diverse in terms of skill, cultures and ages and a range of other factors. All of this leads to diversity of thought—we all learn from one another. All our people take a lot of pride in their work, and in the steel that they are producing. It is fantastic to
be a part of such a diverse, inclusive, enthusiastic team," said Kamini.
Safe and inclusive workplaces are integral to the way BlueScope does business—for their people, those who work throughout their supply chains and the communities in which the company operates.
"The BOS process is spectacular—you certainly never get tired of watching it. But, this spectacular sight involves working with molten iron and steel, so there are process related risks present in the plant. That's why safety is always our number one priority. Safety is considered first in everything we do. The first agenda item in our morning meeting is safety—not tonnes or quality," said Kamini.
"We have very stringent procedures that are categorised in terms of their critical nature. We provide extensive training to all our team members, and empower our people so that they understand the consequences if things go wrong. If procedures are categorised as 'critical', employees have to be accredited to the procedure every 12 months. We focus heavily on near miss reporting and follow up all incidents—it's how we improve."
"Safety is part of our DNA. It's how we do business."
"As a result, our Operations team has been without Lost Time Injury (LTI) for 11 years. And our Maintenance team has been 18 years LTI free," said Kamini.
While the steelmaking principles remain the same, the BOS has undergone significant changes, particularly over the last 20 years.
"For our celebration on 13 July, we invited about 50 people who had worked at the BOS previously—some of our guests were actually working at the BOS for its very first heat. We offered them a tour of the place, and they all had the same feedback. While the furnace is the same, the technology has changed enormously. There is a lot more automation," said Kamini.
The lime kiln and water treatment plant are both automated, eliminating the need for operators. The lime kiln is filled using front end loaders. However, the rest of the operation has sensors that trigger alarms and alerts as required. BlueScope has also automated the process for taking turndown samples. Previously, the
To watch the BOS vessel in action is quite striking; there’s a loud roar as the mix of scrap steel and molten iron is heated up with oxygen, then flames start to climb out of the top of the vessel, changing from orange to a white so bright it forces you to turn your eyes away. It’s also really hot— throwing more than 1,500°C.
The BOS is the point at which all the ingredients are combined to make steel. The molten iron comes via rail from the blast furnace in torpedo ladles. When they arrive at the BOS, the torpedo ladle is tipped on its side and about 250 tonnes of molten iron are poured into a hot metal pot.
While that’s happening, a huge hook lifts up a massive skip full of the other main ingredient that goes into
the BOS—approximately 70 tonnes of scrap steel. Part of the advantage of using scrap steel is it means the process calls for fewer raw materials - though BlueScope is pretty picky about what sort of scrap they use.
A siren sounds, which is the signal for everyone to stand well clear of the BOS vessel or enter the perspex and metal-grilled control room opposite, because of the small chance of ingredients flying out of the vessel.
The skip of scrap steel goes in first, followed by the molten iron, which starts eating the scrap and creating flames and heat. Then an oxygen lance descends, stopping just above the molten mixture. It shoots oxygen into the vessel at two-and-a-half-
times the speed of sound for about 16 minutes. And that’s when all the sparks and flames fly.
What’s happening in there is the oxygen is reacting with the carbon in the vessel, which creates the heat. At the end of the 16 minutes, the lance is removed and the vessel is tipped backwards where the 275 tonnes of molten steel runs into a ladle via a hole in the side.
The vessel then tips forward to remove the slag: a byproduct of the process that forms on top of the steel. Then more scrap steel and molten iron goes in, and the process starts all over again.
This article first appeared in the Illawarra Mercury: illawarramercury.com.au
furnace was manually tilted by an operator who then inserted a probe to take a sample. Today, a sub-lance is driven into the furnace via pushbutton in the control room, takes the turndown sample, and transfers it to an operator who prepares the sample and sends it to the lab via a Lamson pneumatic tube.
"We also have machine learning and a lot of digital technology. For instance, one of our machine learning systems can confirm when it is the right time to tap the heat. Prior to this, the person in the control room had to have years of knowledge and experience so that they could identify when the steel was at the correct quality for tapping. Now, we have a model that analyses the key parameters and—quite literally—gives you the green light."
"We’re looking at opportunities to automate all the time. Like any industry, we have to be fit for the future," said Kamini.
"For the BOS, our future is focused on sustainability, remaining an efficient and cost competitive operation. This requires having the right people, the right focus from a technology point of view and the right procedures in place," said Kamini.
"We are also focused on greenhouse gas intensity reduction. To ensure a sustainable future, we have to be efficient, and the BOS plays a key role in that. By using a higher proportion of recycled steel scrap, we can reduce the carbon intensity of our steel. The hot metal charged into the furnace has a carbon content of 4.5%, whereas recycled steel scrap has carbon content of about 0.05%."
"Currently, we charge approximately 75 tonnes of recycled scrap per heat. We are looking to increase this to 85 to 95 tonnes per heat, by investing in the equipment and technology necessary to transport and melt the scrap. Not only will this reduce our greenhouse gas intensity, it will also enable us to make more tonnes of steel," said Kamini.
In the 2021 financial year, 46% of BlueScope’s raw steel production originated from recovered and recycled scrap steel, with 98% material efficiency achieved across its three steelmaking facilities. Where practical, BlueScope uses co-products and by-products, from both its own operations and other sources, as substitutes for virgin raw materials. Besides the commercial benefits, this contributes to the circular economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preventing waste materials from going to landfill and supporting their use in sectors beyond the iron and steel industry.
This focus on environmental sustainability extends to the recent announcement that the Port Kembla Steelworks was awarded ResponsibleSteel™ site certification— the first certified site in the Asia Pacific region. BlueScope is only the fourth steelmaker in the world to receive the certification, placing it in company with global steel sustainability leaders Aperam, ArcelorMittal and voestalpine, all of which recently achieved certification for some of their sites.
The Port Kembla Steelworks was awarded certification following a
rigorous, independent two-phase audit assessing BlueScope’s performance against the 12 principles of the standard. This standard covers a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.
"For the broader Port Kembla Steelworks, there are several other key projects on the horizon, such as the relining of the No. 6 Blast Furnace."
BlueScope's No. 5 Blast Furnace is expected to reach the end of its life sometime between 2026 and 2030. As such, the relining of the No. 6 Blast Furnace is being planned—this will be critical in ensuring the future of steelmaking in the Illawarra region.
BlueScope is also set to upgrade its Plate Mill, having received a Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) grant from the Federal Government. "The grant, which is $55.4 million, will catalyse a further $161.6 million of investment by BlueScope and its partners Keppel Prince, Bisalloy and the University of Wollongong, and will create approximately 200 new jobs in steel manufacturing, plus up to 1000 jobs in associated industries," said Mark Vassella (BlueScope Managing Director and CEO).
"The investment, which will create an Advanced Steel Manufacturing Precinct at Port Kembla Steelworks, will see the building of a new fabrication facility to manufacture components for the renewable energy, defence and other sectors, as well as upgrades to and modernisation of BlueScope’s Plate Mill."
Premier Steel Technologies is a specialist custom rollforming company based in Wetherill Park in Sydney. Established in 1980, Premier Steel has earned an enviable record for the manufacture of a wide variety of custom, high quality rollformed products.
Premier Steel Technologies—originally known as Premier Rollform—was founded by Hilton Dupen and lifelong friend, Tom Morsillo, in 1980.
According to Colin Dupen (Technical Manager, Premier Steel Technologies), "My father, Hilton, had in-depth knowledge of rollforming, having been involved in quite a large rollforming company. His business partner, Tom, was a builder. Initially, the company was based in a small factory at North Parramatta in western Sydney. Hilton and Tom took a 50-50 share in the company, and kicked it off with one product. That product was an angle brace, used for timber framing for houses."
"As the company evolved, it eventually started manufacturing other products and quickly outgrew the space in North Parramatta. So, Premier Steel moved to Smithfield into a larger facility. The company soon took over the factory next door and got involved in the business of one of the neighbouring companies—a steel house framing company," said Col.
In 1995, when Tom stepped away from Premier Rollform, Singapore-based company, Techsteel Corporation bought his share of the business. It was then that the company name was changed to Premier Steel Technologies.
In 1998, Premier Steel outgrew its premises again and moved to its current location in Wetherill Park, a 2,500m2 factory. With a workforce of 16 people and a fleet of 15 rollforming machines, Premier Steel concentrates on custom rollform manufacturing.
"When Hilton retired in 2001, Techsteel Corporation took control, making us wholly owned by a Singaporean company. Techsteel then shared some
company ownership back with key personnel here in Australia,” said Col.
Premier Steel is well known in the rollforming industry and has earned a reputation as an original and innovative manufacturer. The business has expanded rapidly since it was first established, manufacturing challenging profiles in various metals.
"We are constantly working with newly designed products. Customers will call and say, 'I want to make this component, can it be rollformed?'. We’ll assess the product and assist with product development. We’ll work with the customer, do all the tooling design and roll the product for them. We deliver a quality, cost effective product, so that the customer doesn't need to worry about the manufacturing process," said Col.
Since 1980, Premier Steel has boasted an extensive client and product list. With products for all types of businesses and hundreds of thousands of metres
of products successfully designed and manufactured, the list includes products made from mild steel, ZINCALUME® steel, galvanised steel, COLORBOND® steel, hi-tensile steel, stainless steel and aluminium, in metal thicknesses ranging from 0.3mm to 4mm.
"We’re involved in a range of industries and products, including fencing, electrical support systems, steel framing, general angles, packaging companies, building products, and road-side posts," said Col.
"We don’t make any generic products, like purlins or corrugated iron. There are a lot of companies that make these sorts of products. Our specialty is specific, custom products made according to a client’s request. We very often develop new products."
Premier Steel becomes the manufacturing partner for their customers, taking on the production schedule, quality control and on-time delivery of products.
"Our team consists of a number of people who have been involved in the industry for a very long time. They have exceptional, in-depth knowledge of the rollforming process. This means that we can assist our customers in developing products with them. We sit down with our customers, and say this will be difficult to rollform, but if you do this and that, it will cut your production time and costs down. This custom product development is a key aspect of the level of service we give our customers," said Col.
Premier Steel manufactures just one of its own products: TRUEDEK® Steel Decking. This is a permanent concrete formwork system, purpose-designed to bring a broad and clear range of practical advantages over typical metal decking systems. The system is lightweight, modular, easy to handle and made to specification. With truss heights of 90mm, 110mm, 140mm and 160mm, the most noticeable difference is that TRUEDEK® concrete formwork systems can span over 7m, and typically requires no propping.
"Premier Steel used to build a lot of custom machinery. At one stage, this service accounted for approximately half the business," said Col.
From 1992, Premier Steel developed a relationship manufacturing several products for BHP. As a result, Premier Steel was commissioned by BHP's Export Division in Port Kembla to
design and build two state-of-the-art production lines to make the internal and external protective rings for their coil packaging facility.
After several months of designing and building, both machines were successfully trialled and delivered to BHP's Wollongong premises and are still in operation today.
Premier Steel was also commissioned to build the entire production facility for a steel house frame company, Uniframes, which was one of the first companies in the building industry to utilise light gauge hi-tensile steel profiles.
The facility included eight production lines, consisting of a top and bottom plate wall profile, stud machine, top and bottom chord truss profiles and an in-line high frequency welding machine to make the truss webbing. Each machine was fully integrated with CAD design and interface software and could be programmed to manufacture the exact lengths for each frame design, which were assembled on specialised truss and wall assembly tables, designed by Premier. The system won an Australian Design Award and was the first light gauge steel house frame design to achieve a cyclonic rating.
"In recent years, we've downscaled this service quite a bit. Today, we will build custom machinery for select clients, and we also do refurbishing of
rollforming machines. We'll hunt down used rollformers, overhaul them, install our customer’s tooling on them, and make the customer’s products on the refurbished machine," said Col.
Colin is positive about the future, not only for Premier Steel, but for the entire Australian steel industry.
"We’ve noticed a trend recently where a number of our old customers are coming back to us. Five to 10 years ago, these customers offshored their manufacturing to China because it was cheaper. But that's just not the case anymore. One customer told me recently that less than 12 months ago, he was bringing in products from China at a cost of about $5,000 a container load. Now, that same container load is $13,000. So it's just not viable. Adding to this are issues around freight delays and delivery dates being constantly pushed back."
"Customers are bringing their manufacturing back to Australia. Industry needs to embrace this opportunity, rather than relying on international supply chains."
"We’re always looking at new projects and new products. Every week, we have a new inquiry from a new customer, and we expect this to continue to grow. We're excited about the future of the industry—not only for Premier Steel, but the entire Australian steel supply chain," said Col.
With the theme of Vital and Adaptive, the 2022 Australian Steel Convention was held at the
from 9 to 11 October. Over the course of three days, the Australian Steel Convention brought together key industry leaders and innovators to discuss opportunities, showcase industry successes and examine what the future can, and will, look like.
The 2022 Australian Steel Convention was a long time in the planning. Unfortunately, with business—and life in general—disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASI was forced to postpone the Convention not once, but twice. After what has been 'unprecedented' times, the Convention proved to be a fantastic way to once again come together as an industry. The event was attended by over 260 people, making this year's Convention one of the largest to date.
Australian steel is vital to this country’s economy, stability, and growth. While the global stage is learning to adapt to an ever-changing landscape, Australia’s steel industry has an opportunity to thrive by delivering high-quality products through a robust and effective supply-chain.
As billions of dollars are being invested in both civil infrastructure and domestic homebuilding, the opportunities for the steel sector are immense. From research to design, manufacturing, and fabrication, through to installation and construction, the future of Australian
steel looks bright. Brighter still when consideration is given to the evergrowing dependence on steel across sectors and the burgeoning of a new era of endless innovative uses to propel Australia towards a new economy. In an everchanging global landscape, the Australian steel industry needs to be prepared to adapt to advancing technologies, sustainability, and environmental concerns and a rapidly changing economic outlook.
It is these themes that the 2022 Australian Steel Convention focused on. The Convention featured sessions on:
• How Australia’s steel industry presents a global competitive advantage via its ability to influence key market sectors such as agriculture, defence, energy, and healthcare.
• The future of steel in a postCoronavirus world; how Australia’s manufacturing pivot can create a new era for the economy.
• The sustainability effect: How resource scarcity, climate change and community expectations are changing government and
industry priorities for more local manufacturing, traceable and sustainable processes, and operating models.
• The emergence of SMART technologies in optimised operations and trusted supply chains.
As always, the Steel Convention program featured a range of social events, designed to help delegates network with other industry experts. Sponsored by Combilift, the Welcome Reception was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Overlooking the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Reception was a fitting start to the Convention.
The night’s festivities provided those in attendance with the opportunity to chat informally, and compare notes ahead of the formal Convention program. Those who attended were treated to delicious food and drinks, as well as live music. Attendees were welcomed by Mark Cain (Chief Executive, Australian Steel Institute) and heard from Chris Littlewood (Country Manager Australia, Combilift).
Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney
The Convention Welcome Reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
ASI Chief Executive, Mark Cain, gave a keynote address at the Convention, focused on the renewables market opportunity for the steel industry.
According to Mark, "Australia’s transition to clean energy and net zero emissions by 2050 will be steel intensive; the challenge is to foster and develop local supply chain capability to ensure the economic benefits within Australia are maximised. By boosting local steel supply, we relieve pressure on Australian energy providers competing for limited overseas supply, and keep the financial benefits in Australia."
The call comes on the back of figures recently released by BHP that demonstrate that global steel consumption in the renewable energy sector will triple by 2050, with demand from wind and solar five times larger.
"To generate investment in manufacturing and fabrication capability suppliers need certainty of demand. Creation of this demand needs to be developed with the support of Government, project investors and developers and OEMs," Mark said.
The ASI is calling on state and federal governments to impose local steel content targets modelled along similar lines to the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) or the New South Wales Renewable Energy Sector Tender Criteria (NRESTC). Minimum local content requirements set by the Victorian Government under the VRET are 64% for renewable energy facilities, including 90% steel products from locally milled steel.
In addition, the ASI is also urging Australia's governments to provide industry development support along similar lines to the Federal Government’s $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, which helps Australian manufacturers scale-up, collaborate and commercialise.
“The sheer volume and opportunity in particular within wind and solar is staggering,” Mark said. “We want to work with government to ensure the economic benefits of this development come back to Australia.”
Mark said the jump in demand for renewables over the next 30 years would see existing renewable energy generation of 25.0GW grow to 143.1GW by 2050. This will comprise 33.4GW of onshore wind, 35.3GW
of offshore wind, 36GW of solar, 10.6GW of water, 27.2GW of battery storage, and 0.6GW of other sources.
“Grid transmission upgrades will be required across all states. Steel will be a major component of the 25,000 towers needed to support an extra 10,000km of high voltage transmission lines by 2030," Mark said.
“It is estimated that each 1MW onshore wind tower requires 124 tonnes of steel (mainly plate and reinforcing), with offshore wind increasing generation scale and steel consumption further. Each 1MW offshore wind tower requires 190 tonnes of steel. It is estimated that each 1MW of hydro power will require 161 tonnes of steel.”
“Australia currently has limited local capability and has missed out on substantial economic value in recent years with renewable projects highly reliant on established overseas supply chains. Some incremental local investments have recently been initiated but without further investment and government support this trend is set to continue," Mark said.
One of the first sessions of the Convention was a Ministerial Address from Ed Husic, Federal Minister for Industry and Science.
According to Minister Husic, "Steel is a vital part of the manufacturing landscape in this country."
"The theme of the conference says it all, Australia's steel industry is vital and adaptive. The steel industry has diversified from smaller, family-owned businesses through to large national, multinational companies and feeds into construction, manufacturing, mining, defence, and a wide range of high-value uses. In doing so, the steel industry supports over 110,000 jobs and contributes nearly $31 billion to the nation's economy."
"We've placed manufacturing as a central priority in our policy agenda. Largely through the Future Made in Australia commitment, which includes maximising use of Australian made goods through our Buy Australian plan and also taking a fresh look at government procurement and local content rules."
Minister Husic also spoke about the establishment of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. "Within the Reconstruction Fund, $3 billion will be allocated to investing in green metals, steel, alumina, aluminium; clean energy component manufacturing; hydrogen electrolysers and fuel switching; agricultural methane reduction and waste reduction."
Minister Husic focused on addressing the national skills shortage, citing the Jobs and Skills Summit held in early September. "[We] will ensure the training of thousands of workers by mandating that 1 in 10 employees on major government projects have to be an apprentice, trainee or cadet and we'll invest in the skills Australia needs to drive future economic growth. [We're] driving TAFE fee-free places, just over 460,000 of them, and making sure that we are investing in job transition as well."
Gas companies may be forced to cut prices to ease the burden on Australian manufacturers, Minister Husic told the Convention. "Recent spikes in domestic gas and energy prices due to acute local and widespread global factors is absolutely having an effect on Australian manufacturing. And I've made clear my views many times. The gas sector in
particular needs to be aware that high prices impact on Australian industry. We are determined to place pressure and bring down lower energy prices."
"I’ve previously said I’ll back local manufacturers over multinational greed every day of the week. We can’t continue to see so many great companies doing it tough because of the way gas prices are at the moment."
"We signed a Heads of Agreement with east coast natural gas exporters to prevent a gas supply shortfall. We are continuing to work with those companies and industry to ensure affordable, reliable and secure energy for Australian business."
"Australians rightly expect that an Australian resource will be available to Australian industry at a price that is not being seen on the international market."
"We cannot have a situation – and we’ve already seen some of this emerge –where our international competitors are getting access through long-term contracts to gas prices that are lower than what will be offered to Australian business for an Australian resource."
"And so the gas companies can either be part of Team Australia or they can be part of Team Greed. They will make the choice."
"We understand that there are costs of production they have to cover; we also understand that just like you are chasing a reasonable rate of return, they can too. But what we are seeing at the moment is not a reasonable rate of return. And if that puts pressure on Australian industry capability, then I will frankly be speaking up about that any time I have to," said Minister Husic.
"The Australian steel industry has ridden the bumps in the last few years, and emerged in good shape to tackle 2022 and beyond. The Government’s focus on manufacturing – on making more things here – will, I believe, help the sector and its workers to land good, secure jobs in stronger firms. The future of the steel sector will be strong by working together. Our focus is on speeding up the energy transition, and hitting our emissions targets which will provide a huge opportunity for industry and I do want to help you take full advantage of that."
"Our policy levers should help develop industry-specific plans to boost local production capacity for that energy transition. Steel, locally made steel, more importantly, can become the backbone of offshore wind infrastructure."
"An emphasis on creating jobs, boosting skills, bringing industry expertise back on shore, supercharging national productivity is good news for all of us. We are eager to continue working with you all across the steel sector as we build a future made right here in Australia," said Minister Husic.
L to R: Mark Cain (Chief Executive, ASI), the Hon. Ed Husic and Tony Schreiber (Chair, ASI)“ An emphasis on creating jobs, boosting skills, bringing industry expertise back on shore, supercharging national productivity is good news for all of us. We are eager to continue working with you all across the steel sector as we build a future made right here in Australia."
The second session of day one featured four case studies that illuminated the innovation and adaptability that is alive and well throughout Australia's steel industry.
Pablo Santos (Director, S&L Steel) provided a riveting overview of the $40 million Lachlan’s Line pedestrian and cycleway bridge. Believed to be the first of its type in the world, the eye-catching, bright blue double helix bridge twists and turns over Sydney’s M2 Motorway. At 178m in length, the bridge is a variable diameter helical steel truss bridge, curved on plan. The bridge weighs 335 tonnes, and has a maximum unsupported span of 70m. Of all the 3,600 steel plates used to fabricate the 335 tonne structure, no two are alike – every piece of steel has a different curvature, shape and thickness, and the helix varies 2.3m in its diameter in relation to the structural demand. This made for a complex process for the 14km of welding required for the bridge, undertaken by ASI member S&L Steel.
Simon Preston (Group General Manager, Precision Oxycut, Allthread Industries and First Forge) presented on Australian manufacturing's place in the renewable energy market. According to Simon, the opportunities for steel in the national renewables market are huge. Simon also described the work that Allthread Industries has undertaken on the Murra Warra Windfarm. Constructed on a 4,250 hectare site some 25km north of Horsham in Victoria, Murra Warra is the first largescale wind farm to be built in the Wimmera. It is home to 99 turbines, capable of generating 435MW. Allthread Industries delivered a wind tower anchor cage solution for the 38 turbines installed during phase two of the project, including a unique, environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional grout pocket forming ingots.
The Morwell GovHub is a $30 million, three-storey regional employment hub supporting economic growth, creating jobs and driving the industries of the future. Peter Blythe (Managing Director, Dynamic Steel Frame) described how Dynamic Steel Frame and Industry Cladding & Roofing came together to engineer, manufacture and install a facade framework design that features 18 light gauge steel modules that were craned into position and hooked onto the building. Each module was 8m wide and 14.5m high, and comprised over 3 tonnes of BlueScope's TRUECORE® steel, to form what could be the world's largest light gauge steel facade. The light gauge steel frames were prefabricated using an automated roll forming machine. This ensured the design was recreated perfectly to the millimetre. It also sped up the construction process; if the facade had been fabricated on-site, it would have required approximately $1 million worth of scaffolding.
Kalbarri National Park is an iconic location, famous for its 80km gorge, coastal cliffs that plunge more than 100m to the ocean, striking wildflowers and many recreational activities. It is located 160km north of the nearest major centre of Geraldton and 500km north of Perth. The two cantilevered Skywalks provide exhilarating views, taking visitors beyond the edge of the gorge, and 100m above the Murchison River. Andrew Jens (Structural Engineer, TerpKos Engineering) described the process of designing the two 100m high Skywalks, which project 25m and 17m beyond the cliff face and complement the existing natural beauty of the surrounding area. Completed in April 2020, the Skywalks are quickly becoming a major attraction for Kalbarri, and have already prompted a boost to Western Australia regional tourism.
InfraBuild's Executive General Manager Manufacturing, Shane Murphy, delivered a keynote address. Shane acknowledged the growing global conversation around the decarbonisation of the steel industry and pointed to our ‘building futures through sustainable steel’ mission as proof of our commitment to the cause. He outlined work being done by InfraBuild to map its decarbonisation journey and the initiatives we are exploring to meet our Carbon Neutral 2030 (CN30) ambition.
“Decarbonisation cannot happen overnight, but it must happen. And we firmly believe we can achieve our ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030,” Shane said. “Built environments account for 25% of global emissions. And now, more than ever, the market is looking to manufacturers to enhance the sustainability credentials of their projects by supplying lower embodied carbon materials.”
Shane said pursuing these goals will require a shift in the way InfraBuild operates, how they source, use, consume and think about energy and feedstocks, and how they engage with stakeholders. But InfraBuild is well-positioned to make this transition, owing to their Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)-based steelmaking processes and the ability to eliminate 76% of some of emissions by switching to renewable electricity.
Shane also spoke about the growing role of data to meet the market’s expectations on traceability and how this provides customers with confidence and certainty. “In our industry, traceability used to stop at the mill gate when the product left, but through some great work from our InfraBuild Fulfilment team, customers will soon have visibility right up until the product is delivered,” Shane said.
Shane said it was incumbent on the steel industry to shape its role in Australia’s future and why sovereignty of supply is critical to success. He also called on the industry to work together to help the country achieve its environmental, social, and economic sustainability objectives. “Throughout the industry’s proud history, we have provided countless people with an opportunity to pursue the vocation they love. Whether it be in steelmaking, transport, finance, whatever their career may be, the industry offers myriad opportunities for domestic and international workers. In the context of the pandemic we’ve just been through and the risk it posed to people’s livelihoods, the ability to continue working was something our workers appreciated greatly,” Shane said.
John Nowlan (Chief Executive, Australian Steel Products, BlueScope) was a keynote presenter on day one of the Convention. According to John, BlueScope is focusing its efforts on maximising its domestic steel manufacturing.
"We have the plate mill running seven days per week, and the metal coating lines up to seven day a week. We've increased the capacity of our paint lines in Queensland and New South Wales. We've also worked on our rail, transport and logistics capacity."
BlueScope is investing in its future metal coated capacity by building an additional metal coating line. John explained that this project is expected to be approved at the end of this year, and receive planning approval from the New South Wales Government. "We currently have six metal coating lines in Australia. By adding a seventh, we will add an extra 240,000 tonnes of capacity per year. The new line will be adjacent to Western Sydney paint line, which will increase galvanizing capacity. We've invested in a second coil plate line to produce TRU-SPEC® steel."
BlueScope is also set to upgrade its Plate Mill, having received a Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) grant from the Federal Government. The grant, which is $55.4 million, will catalyse a further $161.6 million of investment by BlueScope and its partners Keppel Prince, Bisalloy and the University of Wollongong, and will create approximately 200 new jobs in steel manufacturing, plus up to 1000 jobs in associated industries.
BlueScope's No. 5 Blast Furnace at Port Kembla is expected to reach the end of its life sometime between 2026 and 2030. As such, the relining of the No. 6 Blast Furnace is being planned—this will be critical in ensuring the future of steelmaking in the Illawarra region.
"All this investment benefits local industry. For every $1 million invested, we create five full time jobs, $2.8 million is contributed to the economy and $1.1 million is added to the Australian GDP," said John.
"Steel is critical to the world’s future, underpinning the transition to renewable energy. There is at least two million tonnes of additional steel required to meet the 2030 renewables targets. And another 10 million tonnes to meet the 2050 targets. This capacity has to be built."
John Nowlan (Chief Executive, Australian Steel Products, BlueScope) Shane Murphy (Executive General Manager Manufacturing, InfraBuild)Andrew Fowler (Managing Director, Austruss) presented a highly engaging case study on the ACT's COVID-19 Surge Hospital. In the grip of the global COVID-19 pandemic, pre-fabrication specialists Austruss and construction company Manteena and delivered a 17,000m2 51-bed medical facility in just 36 days. Working day and night shifts, the team had upwards of 130 contractors on-site and completed 22,000 man hours. The facility was built using pre-fabricated wall frames and roof trusses made from TRUECORE® steel, manufactured off-site by Austruss. The brief required that the design be flexible, allow hospital live loads, withstand high wind loads, be reusable, and be able to be packed in a shipping container and shipped overseas at end of use. Plus, it had to be designed to Australian Standards and on-site within just eight days.
According to Fowler, "We took each section of the building and broke it into certain elements. The only way we thought we could achieve the compressed delivery timeframe was to use a simple kit of parts that were interchangeable. So we designed trusses on either side of the building and they were all standardised. The walls were all standardised. We came up with a telescopic wall frame system to give flexibility to the whole assembly process. The key was as many repeatable elements as possible to simplify the delivery process."
Bronwyn Weir (Director, Weir Legal Consulting) provided an overview of three key reports released over the last few years, along with the status of the recommendations in these reports:
• Review of Security of Payment Laws: In 2017, the Government commissioned this national review to examine ways to improve consistency in security of payment legislation and enhance protections to ensure subcontractors get paid on time for work they have done.
According to Bronwyn, implementation of the recommendations in this report has been patchy. The key recommendation was that a single set of laws, applied uniformly across the country, be adopted by all states and territories. There has been absolutely no effort to implement this.
• Building Confidence: In 2018, Bronwyn was commissioned by the Building Ministers’ Forum (comprising 11 Federal, State and Territory Ministers) to co-author the Building Confidence report with Professor Peter Shergold. When this report was released, industry voiced their support for the implementation of the recommendations in a harmonised fashion. However, not a lot of action has been undertaken by Australian governments, particularly the Federal Government.
• Senate Enquiry into Non-conforming Products: As Bronwyn described, conformity assessment schemes for building products in Australia lack rigor, and all are voluntary, leading to fraudulent practices. The NCC needs further strengthening in this area.
Veena Sahajwalla (Director, SMaRT at University of New South Wales) is renowned for her internationally commercialised EAF ‘green’ steelmaking process that is utilising millions of waste tyres otherwise destined for landfill as a partial replacement for coke. The conceptual and scientific breakthroughs that underpin ‘green steel’ have paved the way for an unparalleled portfolio of new ‘waste to value’ science, built over years of research at the SMaRT Centre, with valuable contributions from industry partners. This approach is enabling her to transform many of the world’s most challenging waste streams -like e-waste, automotive waste, batteries–into value-added materials that can be redirected back into manufacturing.
According to Veena, "When we talk about waste resources, we have got to start questioning the fundamental elements and molecules that make up that material. We need to prove, in an engineering context, that the waste is, in fact, a functional raw material. We need collaboration between industry and research organisations. We need to look at new technological pathways and new innovative products together. Why wait for products to be shipped from overseas—taking months and months—when we have own materials and products available locally? What are our responsibilities as steel makers and consumers? As people, we consume a whole range of products, so why not take responsibility for reforming them into their next life?"
Always a favourite on the Steel Convention program, the 2022 Gala Dinner was held at the Ivy Ballroom and proudly sponsored by BlueScope. Guests were entertained by the musical stylings of Aussie rock legend, Diesel.
A steel industry stalwart, Bernie Landy, was also honoured at the Gala Dinner with a lifetime achievement award.
Bernie officially stepped down as the ASI Chair and a Director at the Board meeting in February 2022. Bernie had been a Director of the ASI since 2017, and Chair since 2018.
Bernie recently retired from his role as General Manager Australian Steel Markets at BlueScope Steel. In this role, Bernie led revenue and growth across the full product range and breadth of BlueScope’s Australian market.
With a career in the steel industry that spanned over 30 years, Bernie's contribution to the ASI, and broader Australian steel industry, has been invaluable. His dedication, sage advice and service to the industry are wellknown and much appreciated.
ASI wishes Bernie all the very best in the next phase of his non-executive career.
Throughout the Convention, attendees had the opportunity to visit the exhibition hall. There were stands from ACRS, AustralianSuper, Banjo, Bisalloy, BlueScope, Combilift, DBM Vircon, Epicor, FICEP, Impact Machinery, InfraBuild, NCI, Ramset, Shed Safe, Spectrosource, Standards Australia, Strumis and the University of Wollongong.
A big thank you to all our exhibitors for 2022. Your ongoing support made the Convention possible.
The present moment used to be our unimaginable future. Technology has become a layer over every industry, offices are no longer the place where work gets done, and people are looking for more from their jobs than just a salary. Amidst the upheaval, modern leaders face a choice: to continue with business as usual, or use this window of opportunity to forge a new, sustainable model that makes the existing model obsolete.
With all this in mind, Tané Hunter (Co-Founder) and Rebecca Maklad (Chief Executive Officer) from Future Crunch kicked off day two of the Steel Convention with a high energy session that was sponsored by DBM Vircon. The session focused on today’s key quality for individuals and organisations that wish to thrive in a world of constant change.
According to the dynamic duo, the next decade belongs to those who are willing to adopt new ways of thinking. People with a high AQ, or Adaptability Quotient: the ability to thrive in unpredictable environments.
With trademark humour and dynamism, and showcasing the latest research and extraordinary stories from the worlds of technology and neuroscience, this session revealed why today’s best predictor of success is the ability to embrace flexibility and experimentation.
According to Tané, "In Melbourne, office occupancy was at 38% in July 2022. Plus, the great resignation is still very real. A recent Microsoft survey of businesses in 31 countries, revealed that 43% of employees are considering changing jobs in the next 12 months. How do we deal with this rapid pace of change?"
"Rapid technological progress makes us feel uncomfortable. When we try to think about the future, we take the changes around us and try to extrapolate these linearly into the future. And, as a result, we're often left with a perception gap. In the short term, we over estimate technological progress and in the long term, we greatly under estimate this progress."
"What forced us to go remote over the last few years was not technological. Rather, it came from the world of biology. Technically, we could have gone remote years ago, but we didn’t because habits are hard to change. Disruptive digital technology and a global pandemic caused unprecedented upheaval—in manufacturing, logistics, media, energy, education. It was years of change crunched into months."
"So, while things are a bit crazy at the moment, there are great opportunities. People are more amenable to change than usual because they have had to deal with rapid change over the last couple of years."
"We need to ask ourselves which skills and talents do we need to foster? Which are obsolete?"
"A crucial talent for any organisation in the world is being able to adapt. Adaptability is intrinsic. To be dynamic doesn’t mean you need to make something new or even expensive. It just means you need to recognise what’s in front of you and give it a new purpose."
"More and more, it is not expertise, qualifications, IQ or EQ that are important. It is adaptability—the ability to make a change in real time. It is AQ that determines success over time. Adaptability has nothing to do with age or experience—it's all about your attitude. It's like physical exercise. It is something you can train for. When you do, you get better in your processes."
"We need to adopt the February 29th mindset: February 2020 to March 2020 required very different mindsets, but the two dates were only days apart. When there is a rapidly growing phenomenon that is poorly understood, we tend to react in different modes. With these two modes, even very smart and reasonable people find themselves tending on opposite side of a chasm. The trick is to effortlessly shift along a spectrum of unprecedented change. Can you hold two ideas in your mind at the same time? For the February 29th leader, the answer is yes."
"It is about strong opinions, lightly held."
and more, it is not expertise, qualifications, IQ or EQ that are important. It is adaptability—the ability to make a change in real time. It is AQ that determines success over time. Adaptability has nothing to do with age or experience— it's all about your attitude. It's like physical exercise. It is something you can train for."
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MoreTané Hunter (Co-Founder, Future Crunch) Rebecca Maklad (CEO, Future Crunch)
Phil Commins (Acting Director, Facility for Intelligent Fabrication) provided an overview of the important work being undertaken by the Facility for Intelligent Fabrication at the University of Wollongong. According to Phil, "The University of Wollongong has a real partnership and deep connection with the Australian steel industry. Robotic welding and Industry 4.0 have been a key focus for the University for several decades, and the Facility for Intelligent Fabrication brings together our core capabilities in robotics and our welding research capability (under Professor John Norrish), underpinned by metallurgical research."
"The Facility was established in 2018 through a formal partnership between TAFE NSW, University of Wollongong and Weld Australia. It has a strong industry focus, and partners with industry on all R&D, translating research and what happens in the lab into commercialised outcomes for industry."
Phil went on to provide an overview of Industry 4.0 and its impact on welding, including concepts such as real-time monitoring, automation via robotics and cobotics, and the use of augmented and virtual reality for path planning and weld sequencing.
David Dawson (Global General Manager Industrial, DBM Vircon) addressed three key concepts during his presentation: What is collaborative project delivery? How does it work? and Why is it important right now?
According to David, "The idea of collaborative design and detailing is to merge and integrate the work between engineering and detailing. It enables the commencement of the shop detailing process much earlier. Design integration helps bridge the gap between design and construction. Collaborative early engagement methodologies help ensure scheduling certainty in a relatively short span of time."
"While engineering designs focus on life safety requirements and develop novel approaches while creating analysis models, Design Integration analyses project intricacies to resolve issues like accessibility, constructability and erectability—reducing costs, slashing project timeframes and ensuring scheduling certainty all while producing a fabrication ready model with detailed, easy to understand data."
"In a market where there are limited resources, high costs and ever tightening schedules, it is essential that project teams find ways to work together more collaboratively," said David.
Sharmy Francis (Manager Innovation, InfraBuild) delivered an overview of InfraBuild's approach to traceability. According to Sharmy, "We are using data to link all aspects of the business for our clients. Traceability should really be the centre of everything we do - it drives quality. Traceability is the ability to follow material from the beginning of the supply chain, right to the very end. It enhances safety and trust, improves our ability to respond to customer needs, and improves operational efficiency. InfraBuild is on a traceability journey. We're moving from administrative controls to engineering controls, combining tried and trusted solutions with brand new technology, and developing solutions to future-proof our traceability."
InfraBuild has focused on three key areas of traceability:
• Billet marking, which enhances product confidence and eliminates opportunities for grade mixes to occur
• Installation of a robotic bundle tagging system at the Sydney rolling mill to improve the robustness of tag (and associated data) delivery to customers
• RFID enabled bundle tags that improve real time visibility and operational efficiency during manufacture, warehousing and transport
Davina Rooney (Chief Executive Officer, Green Building Council of Australia) kicked off her presentation with a look at the implications of megatrends in property. Buildings are responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, and 50% of global material use. According to Davina, "The build environment is both a large part of the climate challenge and solution. We now have global calls to action: by 2030, all new buildings must be highly efficient and fully powered by renewables, and have a 40% reduction in embodied carbon. By 2050, any remaining emissions that cannot be eliminated must be neutralised."
All Green Star rating tools released from 2020 include credits that seek to reward the use of products that meet the criteria in GBCA's Responsible Products Framework. The vision of the Framework is to drive the supply chain to deliver transparent, healthy, low-impact, and net zero carbon products.
"GBCA is giving more points than ever before in materials across the Green Star series—there is a requirement for reduced embodied carbon emissions at the four star level, and this substantively increases across the star rating scale. Your sector—steel—is going to be popular. There is a huge amount of work and engagement happening in this space, but without steel, we won't have the heartbeat of the program in the right place. We’re trying to get materials right at the heart of the sustainability agenda."
Paul Maleska (Senior Supply Chain Manager – Global Steel, Lendlease) delivered an overview of the steel industry’s first global standard and program: Responsiblesteel. "Responsiblesteel is committed to driving sustainable solutions across the industry to maximise steel’s contribution to a sustainable society. It provides a multi-stakeholder forum that builds trust and achieves consensus, driving positive change through recognition and use of responsible steel. Both users and producers are looking to prove that their material is responsible. Responsiblesteel helps deliver on this. Responsiblesteel sets out 13 principles and 370 associated requirements for which steel makers are audited. It’s the tool through which to maximise steel's contribution to a sustainable society, encompassing governance, social and environmental principles," said Paul.
"The program now has over 133 members in total and is growing monthly—it is truly global and diverse. Its members' steel production totals 250 MT per annum—or 12% of global steel production—which is a huge achievement. Leadlease is a member of Responsiblesteel. We have a long history of delivering sustainable outcomes. In 2020, we announced our climate targets, including absolute zero of scopes one, two and three carbon emissions by 2040. Our supply chain and the embodied energy of material in our projects play an incredibly important role in this. We realise that we can’t change the industry alone. So we're working collaboratively with our supply chain partners to transform the industry at scale and pace to tackle climate challenge head on."
The iron making decarbonisation challenge was the focus of Gretta Stephens' (Chief Executive Climate Change and NZPI, BlueScope) presentation. As Gretta described, BlueScope's recent commitments continue the journey they started some time ago. In 2018, BlueScope set targets of 12% GHG emissions intensity reduction by 2030 for their steelmaking activities; 30% GHG reduction for non-steelmaking activities by 2030; and a net zero goal across all operations by 2050. To support these goals, BlueScope will invest $150 million in climate projects and initiatives over the next five years.
"To achieve our 2050 net zero goal, we need to progress key enablers that are shared across multiple sectors and stakeholders, through collaboration and shared expertise," said Gretta.
The five key enablers include:
• Evolution of emerging and breakthrough technologies at commercial scale
• Access to affordable, firmed renewable energy
• Availability of competitively priced hydrogen from renewable sources
• Access to appropriate quality and sufficient quantities of raw materials
• Policy that supports decarbonisation investment and avoids carbon leakage
Gretta also detailed the range of initiatives already underway at Port Kembla.
Davina Rooney (Chief Executive Officer, Green Building Council of Australia) Paul Maleska (Senior Supply Chain Manager – Global Steel, Lendlease) Gretta Stephens (Chief Executive Climate Change and NZPI, BlueScope)According to Steve Porter (Head of Sustainability, Innovation and Trade, InfraBuild), "Material efficiency in a low emission economy is a gamechanging challenge for us, but it shouldn't be considered daunting—it's an opportunity."
"People don't demand steel. They demand the services that steel provides. Steel is indispensable for all aspects of the built environment. IEA data shows that built environment accounts for 39% of global emissions so something needs to change. It is incumbent on all of us to contribute to the decarbonisation of the industry. We see two pathways that must be travelled simultaneously to achieve this: manufacturing lower carbon embodied materials, and material efficiency strategies to reduce demand."
"InfraBuild has plans and ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2030, so we are taking steps to reduce our scope one, two and three emissions. We're looking at our electricity sources, and transitioning to renewable electrons. Actions to reduce steel consumption have to be part of the solution. We need to extend the design life of buildings to reduce the demand for steel moving forward. We also need to improve manufacturing yields and minimise waste...we need to re-use and repurpose everything," said Steve.
Michael Dawson (Environmental Sustainability Manager, ASI) introduced Steel Sustainability Australia: a new sustainability certification program that covers the entire steel value chain.
"We live in an era of significant global instability, with regional wars, global pandemics, climate change, supply chain issues, seismic economic cycle shifts and labour shortages. Through this massive change, how does the steel industry best create a sustainable future? Now is the time for the entire steel industry to be bold. Through industry-wide collaboration, sustainability must play a critical role in our future," said Michael.
Steel Sustainability Australia can help the industry achieve this. "A tiered certificate pathway, SSA builds credentials and Green Star credits across five key sustainability principles. It incorporates the new Green Star Responsible Products Framework, as well as carbon and waste reduction considerations. Its tailored ESG measurement mitigates risk and embraces circularity."
The draft Steel Sustainability Australia program has been submitted to GBCA for approval, with public consultation underway. Following approval by GBCA, it is expected that the program will be officially launched in early 2023.
ACRS steelcertification.com
ACRS is the independent, third party certification authority for construction steels supplied to Australian, New Zealand, and other applicable Standards, certifying the majority of reinforcing, prestressing and structural steels. ACRS certificates provide a common, simple, and credible means of confirming fitness for purpose of materials and processes, replacing variable, complex site-based acceptance regimes.
australiansuper.com
AustralianSuper is Australia’s largest superannuation fund and is run only to benefit its members. They don't pay profits or dividends to shareholders, so the money they make goes back into the fund. One in 10 working Australians is a member of AustralianSuper. AustralianSuper is a National Corporate partner of the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) and works together to support ASI members and their employees get the most from their superannuation.
banjoloans.com
Banjo is a multi award winning non-bank lender delivering business loans to SMEs since 2015. Lending decisions are made quickly by blending rapid data analysis technology with a personalised relationship approach. As a result, funds can be in your bank account in as little as 24 hours following loan offer acceptance. Banjo's range of working capital and equipment finance solutions enables SMEs to procure unsecured loans between $20,000 and $1 million across six to 36 month terms.
bisalloy.com.au
BISALLOY® steel undergoes the most stringent processes in steel plate manufacturing to meet industry demands. For over 40 years, Bisalloy has built a reputation for innovative steel manufacturing with products designed to perform in the world’s toughest environments, from mining and construction to energy, transport and defence. Bisalloy is Australia’s only manufacturer of hightensile and abrasion resistant quenched and tempered steel plate for wear-resistant, structural, armour and protection steel applications.
BLUESCOPE bluescope.com
BlueScope is a provider of innovative steel materials, products, systems and technologies, headquartered in Australia with operations spread across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and throughout Asia. Their steelworks at Port Kembla - in New South Wales' Illawarra region - is the largest steel production facility in Australia. In Australia, BlueScope specialises in flat steel products, including slab, hot rolled coil, cold rolled coil, plate, welded beams and columns, and value-added metallic coated and painted steel solutions. BlueScope's branded products include COLORBOND® steel, ZINCALUME® metallic coated steel, GALVASPAN® steel, XLERPLATE® steel, TRU-SPEC® steel, REDCOR® steel, and EMBAR® steel.
COMBILIFT combilift.com.au
Combilift manufactures a wide range of innovative solutions for the safe and space saving handling and storage of long and bulky loads. Capable of indoor and outdoor operations, Combilift’s multidirectional forklifts are ideal for the requirements of the metals sector. They can be deployed from the initial stages of offloading raw materials, feeding the production lines, through to the handling, storage and dispatch of finished product.
DBM VIRCON dbmvircon.com
DBM Vircon helps their clients to reduce costs, shorten project timeframes and guarantee scheduling certainty. It is their unique combination of experience, expertise and technology that turns complex data into intelligent and context rich models. Providing construction modelling, detailing and digital engineering, DBM Vircon helps deliver complex high-profile projects with state-of-the-art technology and uncompromising detail. They make design constructible and assets manageable.
THE AUSTRALIAN STEEL INSTITUTE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL OUR SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS, WITHOUT WHICH THE 2022 AUSTRALIAN STEEL CONVENTION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
ausrollform.com.au
Established in 2001, Australian Rollforming provides a world class metal design, rollforming, fabrication and project management service to a wide range of national and international engineering projects. Each year they rollform, shape, drill, punch and cut over 1,000,000 metres of metal with precision accuracy for each and every millimetre. Australian Rollforming is a proud supplier of DuraGal® Profiles, which have a high level of corrosion resistance given the chemical composition of zinc with 3% magnesium content and 3.5% aluminium.
epicor.com
Epicor is there for the hard-working businesses that keep the world turning. They’re the companies who make, move, and sell the things we all need. They trust Epicor to help them do business better. Their industries are our industries, and we understand them better than anyone. Epicor accelerates every customer’s ambitions, whether to grow and transform, or simply become more productive and effective. That’s what makes Epicor the essential partner for the world’s most essential businesses.
ficepgroup.com
With over 80 years of experience, FICEP is the world’s leading machine tool manufacturing company. Headquartered in Italy, FICEP is the world's largest producer of automated systems for the fabrication of structural steel and an outstanding producer of equipment for the forging industry. Their extensive product range and dedication to innovation, continuous improvement and excellence in customer service makes them a preferred partner for the steel industry.
impactmachinery.com.au
Impact Machinery provides cutting edge technology to manufacturers to increase production and profitability and reduce errors. Their goal is to provide solutions for cost effective manufacturing, through improved design, layout, and manufacturing technology. Impact Machinery supplies steel fabrication equipment for processing and assembly, including robotics, beamline, plasma, plate processing, anglelines, blasting, painting solutions and automated robotic welding systems.
infrabuild.com
InfraBuild is Australia’s largest processor and distributor of steel long products, including reinforcing bar, reinforcing mesh, tubular and hollow sections, merchant bar and wire products. It employs more than 5,500 employees and has 157 sites globally. InfraBuild is focused on creating value for its stakeholders as it continues to lead the journey towards making sustainable steel in Australia and building strong local communities across the country.
NATIONAL CREDIT INSURANCE BROKERS nci.com.au
National Credit Insurance Brokers (NCI) has established itself as the premier trade credit insurance broker in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Trade credit insurance is a highly specialised area of insurance and with our 35 years of experience, we have developed an unmatched depth of expertise in arranging the right protection at the best price for your particular trading needs.
RAMSETTM ramset.com.au
Proudly manufacturing in Australia and committed to excellence, Ramset™ has been developing, manufacturing, and supplying the building and construction industry with quality anchoring, bracing, drilling and fixing solutions for 70 years.
SHEDSAFE shedsafe.com.au
ShedSafe is the industry benchmark for Australian manufactured steel sheds. It is a third-party accreditation program intended to give shed buyers confidence that the engineering, steel, products and site specification of their steel sheds are compliant with the National Construction Code. ShedSafe is managed by the Australian Steel Institute.
SPECTROSOURCE spectrosource.com.au
Spectrosource sells and services Belec Spektrometrie Opto-Elektronik GmbH (BELEC) and GASERA scientific instruments in Australia and New Zealand. Services offered include sales of spectrometers and scientific instruments, planned preventative maintenance, breakdown callout, upgrades, modifications and training courses for Optical Emission spectrometer operators in Australia and New Zealand.
STANDARDS AUSTRALIA standards.org.au
Standards Australia is the country’s leading independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit standards organisation. As representatives of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Standards Australia specialises in the development and adoption of internationally aligned standards in Australia.
STRUMIS strumis.com
Strumis connects, streamlines and simplifies steel fabrication projects and resources, reducing errors and increasing efficiency through project traceability. Strumis harnesses the information flow and work processes throughout a steelwork contract from estimate tendering, through procurement and production, into construction. With 30 years experience, Strumis has sold to more than 20,000 users in over 50 countries.
Bitberry
T: 1800 248 237
E: support@bitberry.com.au
W: bitberry.com.au
A: 367 Mandurah Road East Rockingham, Western Australia
Steelforce
T: 1300 883 701
W: steelforce.com.au
A: 60 Skyline Crescent Horningsea Park, New South Wales
Doogood Australia
T: 03 9708 6116
E: sales@doogoodpc.com.au
W: doogoodenterprises.com.au
A: 28-30 Green Street Doveton, Victoria Monaghan Steel Frame & Truss Co
T: 1300 448 396
E: sales@sftc.com.au
W: sftc.com.au
A: 4/6 Queensbury Avenue Currumbin Waters, Queensland
Stratosphere Steel
T: 02 8188 1968
E: sales@stratospheresteel.com
W: stratospheresteel.com
A: 18-19 / 12 Mars Road Lane Cove, New South Wales
ACT Consulting Engineers
T: 02 6103 0671
E: office@actce.com.au
W: actce.com.au
A: 5 Torrens Street, Braddon, Australian Capital Territory
Bridge & Marine Engineering
T: 0429 369 3741
A: 40 Reid Street Ardeer, Victoria
Newmont Australia
T: 0477 723 821
W: newmont.com
A: Level 5, 500 Hay Street Subiaco, Western Australia
Newport Consulting Engineers
T: 07 3252 9822
E: info@newportengineers.com.au
W: newportengineers.com.au
A: 349 Coronation Drive Milton, Queensland
PDS Engineering Division
T: 02 8318 29881
E: info@pdsaust.com.au
W: propertydevelopmentsystems.com
A: Level 1 8 Knox Lane Double Bay, New South Wales
vT Consulting Engineers
T: 1300 185 737
E: admin@vtce.com.au
W: vtce.com.au
A: 6b/23 Breene Place Morningside, Queensland
Ace Construction Australia
T: 02 96187874
E: sales@acerig.com
W: acerig.com
A: 22 York Road Ingleburn, New South Wales
Alfec Industrial Engineering
T: 0499 092 989
E: cam@alfec.com.au
W: alfec.com.au
A: 1 Orion Street Yass, New South Wales
ArcStructural
T: 03 9369 9890
E: info@arcstructural.com.au
W: arcstructural.com.au
A: 313a Dohertys Road Truganina, Victoria
Australian Integrated Steelwork Company (AIS)
T: 08 9493 4525
E: admin@aisco.com.au
W: aisco.com.au
A: 23 McIntyre Way. Kenwick Western Australia
Barclay Engineering
T: 08 9256 0900
E: info@barclayeng.com.au
W: barclayeng.com.au
A: 12-16 Catalano Road, Canning Vale Western Australia
Genis Steel
T: 03 9465 1287
E: info@genissteel.com.au
The highly anticipated update of the steel industry’s primary reference for cold-formed steel design is now available. In full colour and with an additional 94 pages of information, the new 5th edition of Design of ColdFormed Steel Structures by Professor Gregory Hancock includes:
• Revisions in Chapter 9 on Connections, Chapter 10 on Direct Strength Method and Chapter 11 on Steel Storage Racking to reflect updates in AS/NZS 4600:2018
• A new Chapter 12 on Fire Design
• New design examples for screwed and PAF connections (Chapter 9), for DSM design of beam columns, beams in flexure and shear with and without holes and Z-section purlins (Chapter 10), for DSM design of a steel storage rack (Chapter 11) and for DSM design of a wall stud subjected to fire (Chapter 12)
• Reference to and examples from the newly developed computer program THIN-WALL-2
• Design examples in Chapters 4 to 8 on the effective width method have been fully aligned with the DSM examples in Chapter 10 to allow direct comparison between the two methods
All content is consistent with the recent
revision of AS/NZS 4600:2018 Coldformed steel structures and reflects current best practice.
Designers of cold-formed light gauge mid-rise building construction, for example, will benefit from new information on enhanced capacity utilising the newer and extended DSM approach. Manufacturing industries will benefit from information on how to better value engineer solutions for clients and differentiate service provision.
This publication is available in hardcopy or eBook. For further information, contact bookshop@steel.org.au
There are flexible options for access to ASI eBooks:
• An individual user licence; or
• An annual, multi-user subscription that can be accessed by employees within your company via their ASI Dashboard.
ASI eBooks are accessed via your personal Dashboard, when logged into the ASI website, from a state of the art eBook reader called tekReader.
Navigation within the eBook is optimised with contents, tables, figures and references all linked.
You can add notes to your publication and access it from any device.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Click here to purchase any of the ASI's eBooks.
To purchase the 5th edition of Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structures:
• Click here for dual format bundle
• Click here for either a hard copy or the eBook
The ASI has several exciting events on the horizon, with subject matter ranging from steel detailing and construction modelling through to the design of steel bridges and portal frame buildings. Bookings will be available on our website as soon as dates are confirmed. Visit steel.org.au for further information.
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