Compliance Checklist of Structural Steelwork Manufactured
Compliance Checklist of Structural Steelwork Manufactured
Compliance Checklist of Structural Steelwork Manufactured
SEPTEMBER 2020
Compliance
Checklists
Recommended for Structural Steelwork to AS/NZS 5131
Introduction
This fact sheet features recommended checklists to assist engineers to establish the compliance of structural steelwork manufactured
to AS/NZS 5131 (SA/SNZ, 2016b). The checklists may also be of interest to Building Consent Officials, providing an idea of the type
of documents engineers should routinely be reviewing as part of their construction reviewer role.
AS/NZS 5131 specifies minimum requirements for the fabrication and erection of steelwork. An overview of this standard is provided
in SCNZ fact sheet FS3 - AS/NZS 5131:2016 Fabrication and Erection of Steel Structures Standard (SCNZ, 2018a), available from
the SCNZ website.
The ISO 9000 series of quality management standards includes the concept of a special process for any work where the final
quality of the product cannot be verified by inspection only, such as steelmaking and welding (Karpenko, 2016). In such situations, a
documented quality system is required to control the variables that could affect the quality of manufactured products. Documented
quality systems are known as an FPC system (BSI, n.d.).
FPC is defined as operational techniques and all measures necessary to regulate and maintain the conformity of a product to the
required standard (SA/SNZ, 2016a). The key elements of FPC include procedures, competent personnel, and inspection and testing
supported by fit-for-purpose equipment.
QMSs such as ISO 9001 (ISO, 2015) do not include specific requirements for products (Smallbone, 2007), therefore, the QMS of
a structural steel contractor must also include the FPC requirements of AS/NZS 5131. Conformity with these requirements is best
established by expert third-party audit and certification under the SCNZ Steel Fabrication Certification scheme audited by HERA
Certification. Visit steelfabcert.co.nz for more information.
PRODUCTION PLANNING
One of the FPC requirements of AS/NZS 5131 is production planning. The purpose of this is twofold: first, to establish the technical
requirements of the project and, second, to map out how the structural steel contractor will execute their processes in accordance
with the Standard and how they will establish conformity of materials and workmanship.
Production planning should be documented in a project-specific quality plan that addresses the following:
Items four and five are included in the project inspection and test plan (ITP). The complete list of quality plan requirements are
specified in the Standard.
Quality plans are not mandatory for construction category 2 (CC2) projects. It is recommended these are specified for all but simple
small-scale CC2 projects (e.g. residential houses).
QUALITY RECORDS
The operation of the structural steel contractor’s QMS and quality plan will generate quality records in the form of inspection documents
(material test certificates, test reports and product certificates), checklists and inspection reports. These documents provide evidence
that the fabricator has followed their QMS and quality plan, and that materials and workmanship are to the required standard.
1. New Zealand Structural Steelwork Specification in Compliance with AS/NZS 5131 (NZSSS) (SCNZ, 2018b).
2. New Zealand Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Steels (Fussell et al., 2018).
3. Practice Note on the Sourcing of Compliant High Strength Structural Bolts (Cowie et al., 2018).
4. Practice Note on the Sourcing of Threaded Rod for Foundation Bolts (Cowie & Fussell, 2018).
These documents have been developed to assist engineers specify structural steelwork in accordance with AS/NZS 5131, and to
manage the quality of materials and workmanship. Presented in Tables 1 to 3, the checklists assume the quality management practice
recommended in these documents has been specified by the engineer in the contract specification.
AS/NZS 5131 features a risk-based categorisation of the structure, or elements of the structure, into one of four categories, CC1-
CC4. The CC2 quality management requirements are considered overly onerous for simple, small projects such as residential houses.
Recommended compliance checklists have, therefore, been prepared for CC2 simple, CC2 standard and CC3 projects.
Materials
1 Is the steel certified under a recognised product Contract documents Valid product certificate/s
certification scheme e.g. ACRS, BSI1?
2 Do all construction materials comply with AS/NZS 5131, Section 13.3; Material test certificate/s
specified grades and section designations? contract documents
3 Has the material been supplied with test reports Material supply standard Material test certificate/s
or test certificates prepared by a laboratory
accredited by signatories to the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on behalf
of the manufacturer?
Welding (non-SFC-qualified structural steel contractor)2
4 Has the fabricator qualified their welding AS/NZS 5131, Section Procedure qualification
procedures prior to welding? 7.4.1 record/s (PQR) or welding
procedure specification/s
(WPS)
5 Are welders suitably qualified to carry out tasks AS/NZS 1554.1, Section Welder/welding operator
according to welding procedures? 4.12; AS/NZS 5131, qualification certificate/s
Section 7.4.2
64 Has welding been carried out under the AS/NZS 5131, Section Welding coordination
supervision of a welding supervisor qualified 7.4.3; AS/NZS 1554.1, personnel qualification
in accordance with Clause 4.12.1 of AS/NZS Section 4.12.1 record/s
1554.13?
7 Does the structural steel contractor comply with SFC Implementation Rules Valid SFC certificate
construction category requirements of the SFC
scheme?
Welding inspection
8 Has inspection been carried out in accordance AS/NZS 1554.1, Section 7 Inspection report/s
with AS/NZS 1554?
Are visual welding inspection personnel properly AS/NZS 1554.1, Section Welding inspection
9 qualified? 7.2; AS/NZS 5131, Clause personnel qualification
13.6.1.3 record/s
Are non-destructive examination personnel AS/NZS 1554.1, Section NDT personnel qualification
10 properly qualified? 7.4; AS/NZS 5131, Clause record/s
13.6.1.3
Do final inspection reports exist stating that AS/NZS 1554.1, Section 6 Final inspection report/s
11 inspected welds comply with the permissible level
of imperfections of GP or SP weld as applicable?
Notes.
1. The range of product typically used in small, simple projects will meet this requirement.
2. If the engineer lacks the technical expertise to assess compliance with items 4 to 6, they could require the fabricator or builder to engage a
qualified independent welding inspector to review the personnel and weld procedure documentation.
3. The engineer may allow the fabricator to contract an independent, qualified welding inspector to supervise and inspect the work if they lack a
suitably qualified person to supervise the work. This approach is appropriate for simple, small-scale projects.
4. Documents related to items 1-7 should be submitted prior to fabrication commencing.
1 Does the structural steel contractor have a QMS AS/NZS 5131, clauses SFC-qualified structural
and FPC system that meets the requirements of 5.1.2, 6.1.2, 7.1.1, 8.1.2, steel contractor
AS/NZS 5131 for the appropriate construction 9.2.1, 11.2.2
category2? Valid SFC certificate
Non-SFC-qualified
structural steel contractor
2 Does the project quality plan comply with AS/NZS 5131, Clause 4.5.2 Quality plan
AS/NZS 5131?
3 Are key supervision personnel appropriately Welding coordination: Qualification and work
qualified? AS/NZS 5131, Clause 7.4.3 record/s
4 Are key inspection personnel appropriately Welding visual examination: Qualification record/s
qualified4? AS/NZS 5131, Clause
13.6.1.3
5 Have welders been suitably qualified to carry out AS/NZS 1554.1, Section Welder/welding operator
tasks according to welding procedures? 4.12; AS/NZS 5131, Section qualification certificate/s
7.4.2
6 Has the fabricator qualified welding procedures AS/NZS 5131, Procedure qualification
prior to welding? Section 7.4.1 record/s (PQR) or welding
procedure specification/s
(WPS)
ITP4
7 Does the ITP cover all the operations specified in AS/NZS 5131, Section 13 ITP
AS/NZS 5131?
8 Does the ITP specify the correct steel grades and Contract documents and ITP
is there the required evidence to demonstrate the New Zealand Guide to
product compliance in accordance with the NZ the Sourcing of Compliant
Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural Structural Steels
Steels?
9 Does the ITP specify the requirements of Steel Steel Advisor Mat 1010 and ITP
Advisors Mat 1010 and 1011 for demonstrating Mat 1011
conformity of the PC 8.8 fasteners and anchor
bolts5?
10 Does the ITP specify the appropriate weld PQR or WPS; AS/NZS ITP
consumables and the weld acceptance criteria 1554.1, Clause 6.2
for the weld quality category specified by the
engineer?
11 Does the weld sampling rate for visual and non- Contract specification ITP
visual examination meet the requirements of the
engineer’s specification?
Quality records6,7
12 Is each stage of work signed off on the ITP? AS/NZS 5131, Section 13 ITP
13 Is there a check sheet or inspection report for AS/NZS 5131, Section 13 Completed checklists and
each operation? final inspection reports
Materials
14 Are there material traceability records for the AS/NZS 5131, Clause 5.2.3 Traceability records
structural sections and plate?
15 Have steels been sourced in accordance with the New Zealand Guide to Material test certificate/s,
NZ Guide to the Sourcing of Compliant Structural the Sourcing of Compliant valid product or FPC
Steels? Structural Steels certificate/s, test report/s,
supplier declaration of
conformity
16 Do all construction materials comply with AS/NZS 5131, Material test certificate/s
specified grades and section designations, and Section 13.3
are records available?
17 Has the material been supplied with test reports Material supply standard Material test certificate/s
or test certificates prepared by a laboratory
accredited by signatories to the ILAC MRA on
behalf of the manufacturer?
18 Has the correct welding consumable been used? PQR or WPS Material test certificate/s
19 Have the bolts and anchor bolts been sourced Steel Advisor Mat 1010 Material test certificate/s,
in accordance with MAT 1011 and Mat and Mat 1011 test report/s, supplier
1011, respectively (if specified in contract declaration of conformity
specification)?
Welding
20 Has inspection been carried out in accordance AS/NZS 1554.1, Section 7 Inspection report/s
with the AS/NZS 1554?
21 Do final inspection reports exist, stating that AS/NZS 1554.1, Section 6 Final inspection report/s
inspected welds comply with the permissible level
of imperfections of GP or SP weld as applicable?
Coating
22 Has the correct coating system been applied? Contract specification Final inspection report/s
23 Are there surface preparation records? AS/NZS 5131, Clause 13.8 Final inspection report/s
24 Are there records of coating application and AS/NZS 5131, Clause 13.9 Final inspection report/s
thickness?
Bolting
25 Have the bolts been installed correctly? Contract documents; Final inspection report/s
AS/NZS 5131 clauses 8.3,
8.5 and 8.8
Notes.
1. Some of the referenced AS/NZS 5131 requirements are construction category specific e.g. traceability requirements.
2. AS/NZS 5131:2016 recommends that the structural steel contractor’s weld QMS complies with the appropriate AS/NZS ISO 3834 (ISO, 2005)
weld quality level requirements (standard: CC2; comprehensive: CC3). The 2020 revision mandates that the fabricator’s welding QMS complies
with AS/NZS ISO 3834. Until this new revision is cited as a means of establishing compliance with the Building Code, it is recommended that
engineers mandate the structural steel contractor’s weld QMS complies with AS/NZS ISO 3834.
3. It is recommended engineers only review quality plans for CC2 standard and CC3 projects involving non-SFC-qualified structural steel contractors
as the SFC audit requirements address many of the AS/NZS 5131 quality plan provisions. In some instances, a building consent condition will
require the engineer to review the quality plan for a high-risk project regardless of the structural steel contractor’s qualifications.
4. AS/NZS 5131 does not address the independence of inspections i.e. who should undertake them. A risk-based approach to specifying the
independence of inspections is presented in SCNZ document NZSSS.
5. Verification testing of pc 8.8 structural fasteners and anchor bolts is recommended for critical connections. A critical connection is defined as
one in which the bolts are highly stressed (high utilisation ratio), and the consequences of failure is high.
6. The NZSSS document specifies the construction category specific documentation the structural steel contractor is required to submit to the
construction reviewer.
7. Quality records are also known as manufacturer data records.
Quality records
26 Welder and weld procedure traceability to welds AS/NZS 5131, clauses Welder and weld procedure
7.4.1.2 and 7.4.2 traceability records
Note. Some of the AS/NZS 5131 requirements referenced in Table 2 are more onerous for CC3 projects compared to those for CC2 projects.
DOCUMENT CONTROL
This document is subject to change without notification. Please check the SCNZ website to ensure you are using the latest revision
of this fact sheet.
BSI. (n.d.). Put quality at the heart of your business: Upgrade your factory production control system to ISO 9001:2015.
Cowie, K., & Fussell, A. (2018). Practice note on the sourcing of threaded rod used for foundation bolts. Steel Advisor, (MAT1011).
Cowie, K., Hicks, S., & El Sarraf, R. (2018). Practice note on the sourcing of compliant high strength structural bolts. Steel Advisor, (MAT1010).
Fussell, A., Cowie, K., Hicks, S., & Karpenko, M. (2018). New Zealand guide to the sourcing of compliant structural steels. (Report no. 111, 2018). SCNZ.
ISO. (2005). Quality requirements for fusion welding (ISO 3834). International Organization for Standardization.
ISO. (2015). Quality management systems – requirements (ISO 9001). International Organization for Standardization.
Karpenko, M. (2016). The welding co-ordination team in AS/NZS ISO 3834 [Notice]. HERA website.
SA/SNZ. (2016a). Structural steel: Part 1: hot-rolled bars and sections (AS/NZS 3679.1). Standards Australia; Standards New Zealand.
SA/SNZ. (2016b). Structural steelwork - Fabrication and erection (AS/NZS 5131:2016). Standards Australia; Standards New Zealand.
SCNZ. (2018a). AS/NZS 5131:2016 Fabrication and erection of steel structures standard (FS3) [FactSheet]. SCNZ.
SCNZ. (2018b). New Zealand structural steelwork specification in compliance with AS/NZS 5131. (Report no. 112, 2018). SCNZ.
Smallbone, C. (2007). ISO 3834:2005. Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials: Benefits and implementation.
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