DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing
A celebration of innovation and excellence in steel
STEEL CONSTRUCTION NEW ZEALAND (SCNZ) celebrated the best and brightest in the industry at its annual Excellence in Steel Awards in Rotorua last month.
The awards acknowledge the industry’s commitment to innovation, quality and collaboration. This year SCNZ received a record 34 entries for the awards.
Chairman Wayne Carson said the awards showcase the best of the industry and this year the body received an unprecedented number of extremely high-quality, successful projects that were all worthy of recognition.
“Yet, in the midst of the current construction boom, there have been multiple reports of construction projects faltering, too often as a result of poor quality and poor procurement decisions, which has seen product imported from offshore sources.”
Compliance is a key driver for SCNZ, so the organisation is pleased that the new AS/NZS 5131 standard is now cited in the Building Code as the approved document for fabrication and erection.
The standard is also the basis for industry-led quality assurance scheme Steel Fabrication Certification (SFC). Launched in 2014 and based on international best practice, SFC is going from strength to strength. SFC has recently been expanded to include erection, and it will be mandatory for SCNZ membership from 2020 – there are now 29 SFCqualified structural steel fabricators.
Carson said SCNZ’s focus on compliance is a credit to the local structural steel industry.
“This, and the high calibre of our finalists and the projects on show at this year’s awards, is what sets our local structural steel industry apart from the rest of the world.”
The entries were whittled down to 14 finalists who showcased the exceptional design and execution possible when steel is used as the principal construction material. Award categories ranged from under $500,000 to more than $3 million.
Category winners:
• MJH Engineering for 20 Customhouse Quay, Wellington (Over $3 million and winner of the Supreme Award).
• Waikato Steel Fabricators and BCD Group for the Riverbank Mezz Box, Hamilton (Under $500,000)
• D&H Steel for Smales Farm Helical Stair, Auckland ($500,000 – $3 million)
• John Jones Steel for 5 Stables Drive, Christchurch (Standalone Residential)
Tamati Coffey, MP for Waiariki, presented all the Excellence in Steel awards and congratulated all recipients on their success.
In addition, Coffey presented the Apprentice of the Year Award to Sean Carroll from Waikato Steel Fabricators. The award, established in 2016, demonstrates the industry’s commitment to upskilling young members of the trade and investing in the future. “Sean’s drive, willingness to learn and work hard is proof of the promise of our young people,” said Coffey.
The awards evening attracted an audience of more than 150 leaders and experts from the structural steel industry.