COMPLIANCE MADE EASY PRE-QUALIFICATION OF ACRS STEEL MAKES COMPLIANCE WITH AS/NZS STANDARDS EASY THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHICH HAS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS – TOGETHER WITH THE ASSOCIATED GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS – HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN AN INCREASED CHANCE OF INFERIOR PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS FINDING THEIR WAY ONTO CONSTRUCTION SITES IN PLACE OF MATERIALS WHICH CONFORM WITH THE RELEVANT AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND STANDARDS. AS SUCH, MATTERS RELATING TO PRODUCT CONFORMITY AND CERTIFICATION OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS SUCH AS STRUCTURAL AND REINFORCING STEELS TO AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND STANDARDS IS PERHAPS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE.
Ensuring that the construction steels being used throughout all stages of construction or fabrication conform with all relevant Australian and New Zealand Standards and Building Codes, irrespective of their country of origin, is of paramount importance. After all, these Standards have been considered and developed to ensure that buildings and other structures are not only ‘fit for purpose’, but are also capable of meeting their design life requirements. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it’s simply not enough to think that just because steel has been ordered to an Australian or New Zealand Standard that the delivered product will automatically conform with that Standard and be fit for purpose. Increasingly, this is not the case. In fact, there are some instances where even though the materials have been specified and ordered to an Australian Standard, the materials that arrive are non-conforming. The product may meet the Standard; it may be supplied with documents for “an equivalent Standard” (but which Standard and is it really equivalent?) or it may not meet any Standard at all.
Importantly, whether this nonconformance is an intentional act of deception or 'counterfeiting' on behalf of the materials supplier, the builder or the contractor; or simply a matter of non-conformance through lack of correct process or an innocent misunderstanding of what constitutes conformance with Australian Standards, is effectively a moot point. Using nonconforming building materials carries a high risk of 'built-in' failure—and the results can be disastrous. INDEPENDENT, EXPERT, THIRDPARTY CERTIFICATION
The only way to be truly sure that the materials being used conform fully with the appropriate Australian and New Zealand Standards and are fit for purpose, is through independent, expert third party certification with ongoing validation. ACRS provides a fully independent, expert assessment and certification to AS/NZS Standards for both Australian and internationally sourced construction steels, including reinforcing steels, structural steels and prestressing steels.
