The Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels, or ACRS, is the region’s leading certifier of steel products. It’s a crucial job, because the nation’s buildings and infrastructure projects rely on the right materials – especially those as integral as steel.
Steel is used everywhere and can come from all over the globe. Unfortunately, non-conforming steel is a major issue in supply chains. Fake or non-compliant steel test certificates are being seen more frequently in Australia, as significant quantities of steel are imported. In addition, there can often be inadequate traceability, raising questions regarding origin and compliance.
Non-conforming steel poses significant risks for all parties. It increases structural and durability risk and end user safety concerns, as well as financial, reputational and legal implications for suppliers and buyers.
That’s where ACRS comes in, as an independent and trusted certifier. ACRS operates a JASANZ-endorsed Product Scheme and is JASANZ-accredited as a certification body. ACRS’ role is to demonstrate that steel manufacturers, processors or fabricators of steel materials conform to AS/NZ standards.
Understanding Steel Certification
A major part of assessing steel suppliers for certification is the mechanical testing of the steel material. ACRS conducts this independent testing using random samples taken during site audits to verify that materials comply with relevant standards. During facility audits, ACRS also checks that testing facilities used by steel producers or processers follow the principles of ISO 17025, as stipulated in applicable material standards. Together, these measures support a rigorous, independently verified certification process.
The independent tests commissioned by ACRS are conducted exclusively using NATA-accredited laboratories to ensure we have confidence in the outcomes, as results are an important component of compliance paperwork. ACRS is proud of this longstanding connection and joint effort with NATA in upholding Australian and New Zealand Standards.
Continuous innovation – Digital Solutions
This year, ACRS celebrates 25 years of operating and providing certification to the market. It also marks a decade of service by ACRS’ current CEO Dr Andrew Wheeler on NATA’s Mechanical Accreditation Advisory Committee and over 20 years as a NATA Technical Assessor.
With over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, Andrew says “without the independent verification of testing through an appropriately accredited laboratory, product certification is questionable”.
As both organisations strive to improve safety and ensure standards are met in the construction industry, they have been involved in the National Building Products Coalition (NBPC) – an industry-based coalition focused on ensuring that compliant building products are supplied into the Australian market. With input from NATA and ACRS, the NBPC recently launched the Building Product Information – Good Practice Conformity Guide, to guide businesses in better navigating conformity, as a follow-up to the previously published Traceability and Digitalisation of Building Product Information guidelines.
Traceability is a major challenge in construction product supply chains, as it is almost entirely paper based. ACRS has focused on steel certification and traceability over its 25-year history, and the most recent advancement was its introduction of digital verification to the industry. This verification aligns with the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP), that has also been developed with significant input from NATA.
The ACRS Cloud solution offers product certificate verification in a secure digital environment, in an app which can’t be faked or corrupted. ACRS Cloud verifies certification for over 100 suppliers from 25 countries for construction materials supplied to AS, NZS, EN and BS Standards, along with various Government specifications. It benefits parties through the supply chain, from steel producer to fabricator to processor, trader or importer, and on to site.
It offers an accelerated, automated, secure and confidential digital certification verification and traceability process that’s open source and system agnostic. This is the only steel digital traceability solution of its kind for the Australian market.
As we approach World Standards Day, ACRS is proud to celebrate this significant milestone of a quarter century serving the industry – and recognises the important role of NATA accreditation in providing steel surety to Australia.
Learn more about ACRS