BS Steel Edge DEC #24 12PP:11579 BS Edge MARCH #13 20/12/06 4:15 PM Page 1

STEELEDGE ISSUE NUMBER 24 DECEMBER 2006 A newsletter of product innovation, corporate information and news for customers of BlueScope Steel Limited PRINT POST APPROVED PP 255003/05589

Fabricator farms the winds

A tower section being hauled off for fabrication.

Heavy engineering specialist Keppel Prince said. “We get the plate steel, roll it, and weld experienced supplier to the growing wind energy Engineering is fabricating 53 wind towers for the sections together. industry and has fabricated major steel wind farm the $400 million Lake Bonney Stage II wind farm “We always buy Australian steel. components at its Portland workshops since 2001. ® project in South Australia. XLERPLATE steel is a product we can trust, The company fabricated 14 wind towers from and we can be sure that it complies with XLERPLATE® steel for Victoria’s pioneering The wind farm near Millicent is the largest Australian standards, which is often a Codrington wind farm, and has worked for clients wind farm development in Australia and one of requirement of our customers. in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the biggest in the world. “BlueScope Steel has been able to achieve New Zealand and Europe. The wind turbines will collectively generate a perfect delivery schedule into Smorgon Keppel Prince Engineering’s service includes 159 megawatts of power and will be capable of Steel for Smorgon to strip plates and deliver the assembly of rotors, erection of towers and supplying electricity to 100,000 homes when fully them to us.” nacelles (the housing for turbines and other operational in mid-2008. The largest section of each tower is 30 equipment), electrical terminations, painting Keppel Prince Engineering is fabricating the metres long and weighs 57 tonnes. and welding. 78-metre-high Lake Bonney towers from 8000 The sections are undergoing full surface The company also specialises in industrial tonnes of Grade 350 XLERPLATE® steel at its treatment, and are fitted with internal ladders, fabrication, construction and maintenance, with Victorian workshops. platforms and electrical equipment before backup services such as crane hire, machining The towers are being built as tapered leaving the workshop. and protective coatings. cylinders with a diameter of 4.2 metres at the Keppel Prince Engineering has invested in Established by Steve Garner as a branch of bottom and 2.3 metres at the top. a second plate-rolling machine for the project, Prince Engineering in 1979, Keppel Prince “Each tower is constructed from 150 tonnes to ensure the company delivers on time in case Engineering has grown from five to more than of XLERPLATE® steel,” Keppel Prince of a breakdown. 400 employees, and has trained more than Engineering’s Managing Director Steve Garner Keppel Prince Engineering is Australia’s most 140 apprentices.

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Recycled water flows through Steelworks New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has officially opened a landmark water recycling initiative in which the Port Kembla Steelworks uses up to 20 million litres of tertiary treated water a day – an Australian industrial recycling record.

“BlueScope Steel is Sydney Water’s biggest customer, our biggest user of water, and has taken magnificent strides in the last decade in reducing their call on drinking water,” Premier Iemma said at the opening. “I am very proud to flick the switch to Australia’s biggest industrial recycling scheme here in Wollongong.” The program is based at Sydney Water’s Coniston sewage treatment plant not far from the Queensland Shed Markets’ John Umstad Steelworks and recycles water for use in place of shows he’s on a kit winner. the water previously drawn from Avon Dam, the Illawarra region’s main water supply. “The benefits this partnership between Sydney Water and BlueScope Steel bring to the community and to the environment can begin Steel kit homes make immediately,” BlueScope Steel’s President Iron and Slab, Ross Murray, said at the opening. The project complements an existing water reduction program whereby water efficiency at housing dreams real Port Kembla has improved in the last 10 years from 5.5kl of recycled and domestic water per slab A family-run, Queensland business is tackling “It generally takes about 300 work hours to tonne to 2.7kl per slab tonne. the housing affordability challenge head-on with ready a kit home for council approval. As part of a range of inexpensive kit homes made from our service, we carry out soil testing with COLORBOND® steel, ZINCALUME® steel and engineers and design checks with builders.” Once approvals are in place, Queensland Shed TRUECORE® steel. Living Steel Markets orders pre-cut products from BlueScope The company says its homes offer a permanent Lysaght and arranges delivery to the building site. launches housing housing solution for people otherwise The products are usually delivered within four contemplating living in garages and sheds – weeks, and come shrink wrapped so components competition especially on rural blocks. don’t get lost in transit. Queensland Shed Markets, a member of the “We’ve adapted our kit home designs to fit the Living Steel, a worldwide program to stimulate Australian Steel Institute’s Steel Shed Group, standard BlueScope Lysaght product range, so we innovation in the design and construction of introduced Dutch gable-style kit homes in June can save clients’ time and money,” Mr Umstad says. housing, has announced its second international 2005 to address demand for cost-effective housing. Queensland Shed Markets’ main business architecture competition focused on the The company built four kit homes in the past comes from the sale of garages, industrial sheds and rural sheds. development of sustainable housing. year but is now receiving more than 15 buyer inquiries a week. It is currently working on another The company’s job portfolio includes aircraft Architects from around the world have been four houses in south-east Queensland. hangars for farmers and small plane enthusiasts, invited to develop new urban housing by expressing Business partner John Umstad says the steel elaborate horse stables, and a 60-metre-long their interest in participating in the competition. kit homes have been rated as Class One buildings cargo building in the Solomon Islands. With a total prize fund of €300,000, the according to the Building Code of Australia. The business now encompasses three competition is one of the largest architectural Two-bedroom kit homes cost from $23,800 and sales offices in Brisbane and distributors in design initiatives in the world. Finalists are invited include framing made from TRUECORE® steel, wall Cairns, Townsville, Stanthorpe and on the to design concepts for residential buildings in cladding and roofing made from COLORBOND® Sunshine Coast. Brazil, China and the United Kingdom. steel and/or ZINCALUME® steel. The homes come Queensland Steel Markets joined the STEEL The winning submission for each location will with windows, insulation, glass sliding doors and BY™ Brand Partnership Program to align itself receive a €50,000 prize and a contract for the rainwater goods which are made using BlueScope with the strength of the BlueScope Steel brand. architect to complete his or her designs. The Steel materials. “We rely on the BlueScope Steel brand heavily remaining short-listed finalists will each receive a “The kit homes feature Australian-made in our advertising,” Mr Umstad says. “We use €10,000 honorarium. products throughout, and are designed for the STEEL BY™ stickers on all of our mail, the STEEL Renowned Australian architect and Jury Queensland climate with an energy efficiency rating BY™ logo on our website, and STEEL BY™ signage Chairman Glenn Murcutt said: “This initiative of between three and five stars,” Mr Umstad says. on our front fence – and are proud to be associated presents an important opportunity to showcase “We clad the walls of the homes in with Australia’s largest steel manufacturer.” innovative thinking in the context of sustainable COLORBOND® Metallic steel in the colour of For more information development.“ Skybridge® to give them a metallic lustre and depth.” contact: John Umstad, Architects may submit expressions of interest Mr Umstad says the kit homes’ roofing is made Queensland Shed Markets, through the Living Steel website before 12 January from either COLORBOND® steel or ZINCALUME® Ph 1800 200 780, 2007. www.livingsteel.org. steel in LYSAGHT Custom Orb® profile. www.qldshedmarkets.com

2STEEL EDGE DECEMBER 2006 www.bluescopesteel.com BS Steel Edge DEC #24 12PP:11579 BS Edge MARCH #13 20/12/06 4:15 PM Page 3 International fire rating for Austec Panel Systems

A revolutionary fire-rated steel and foam panel suitable for roof and wall structures has gained international recognition for Sydney-based building systems developer Austec Panel Systems.

International insurance giant FM Global has awarded Austec Panel Systems’ new PANELPHEN Insulated Panel Systems an FM Class 1 fire- rated accreditation, meaning those who build with the product are favoured by insurance companies when policies are determined. “PANELPHEN panels can withstand extreme heat which protects the investments of those companies which utilise the advantages of building with Adrian Zadro holding one insulated panels as opposed of Austec Panel Systems’ innovative panels. to traditional polystyrene- filled panels,” Adrian Zadro of Austec Panel Systems said. more than 1000 projects using another square-metre factory at Wetherill Park in Sydney. Family-owned company Austec Panel product called Panelex Insulated Panel Systems. The company is a member of the STEEL BY™ Systems took two years to develop Mr Zadro said Panelex has thermal and Brand Partnership Program and uses about PANELPHEN, which consists of a rigid structural advantages, and can be used in a 200,000 square metres of COLORBOND® steel and polystyrene/phenolic foam core sandwiched variety of domestic and commercial applications. COLORBOND® Permagard® steel a year to between two sheets of COLORBOND® steel. It was recently used at Sydney’s Lucas Heights manufacture its panel systems. The panel is suitable for commercial, industrial, nuclear facility. Mr Zadro said the company’s ability – through residential and agricultural uses. “We’ve used Panelex to build cool rooms, the brand partnership program – to align itself with For cold storage applications, the company fish farms, wineries and abattoirs; the the strength and quality associated with the is also using COLORBOND® Permagard® steel – antibacterial benefits of COLORBOND® BlueScope Steel brand, added value to the Austec a new product recently introduced by Permagard® steel are ideal for our cold storage Panel Systems’ own brand and reputation. BlueScope Steel which incorporates Microban® applications,” he said. “We always recommend using COLORBOND® antibacterial technology to inhibit the growth of Austec Panel Systems has also used Panelex steel because it’s Australian-made, and we can harmful bacteria that can cause cross- to build homes, and can add rough textural or rely on the strength, quality and durability of the contamination and food poisoning. sandstone coatings to the panels to give them a product,” he said. “It’s low maintenance, non- “PANELPHEN is a lightweight, structural designer look, or turn them into water features. combustible and termite-resistant, which make panel with a standard width of 1200mm “We shipped forty 40-foot containers of it an outstanding building material.” and thicknesses ranging from 50-250mm,” Panelex panels to Japan late last year for a For more information Mr Zadro said. “The length can be customised state-of-the-art manufacturing plant,” he said. contact: Adrian Zadro, to the project.” “The panels formed the walls and roof of the Austec Panel Systems, Mr Zadro said Austec Panel Systems three-storey building, and the roof had to be Ph (02) 9756 4334, has received a large number of national and designed to withstand snow.” www.austecpanels.com.au international inquiries since releasing the Mr Zadro said both the PANELPHEN and product in March, particularly from Panelex Insulated Panel Systems allowed builders wanting to use the fire-rated panels buildings to be erected in a fraction of the time in bushfire zones. taken by traditional building methods, and at a How to join “We’ve had inquiries from local developers fraction of the labour cost. looking to build houses now that PANELPHEN “We prefabricate wall panels, windows, ™ insulated panels have a fire-rated doors, flashings and fixings,” he said. “We can STEEL BY program accreditation,” Mr Zadro said. provide the panels in kit form or as a turn-key For more information call Steel Direct on Austec Panel Systems has more than solution including design.” 1800 800 789 and ask for an information brochure 20 years’ experience in manufacturing Austec Panel Systems has 15 staff and and registration form. lightweight structural panels, and has built manufactures the panels onsite at its 4000-

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Back to the Future with COLORBOND® steel Former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr has unveiled the first buildings in Tullimbar Village, a town for the future that draws inspiration from Australia’s past.

The first homes in Stage One of Tullimbar, being built at the foot of Macquarie Pass 90km south of Sydney, are now available for sale. The project town for 5000 people is being hailed as the blueprint for sustainable 21st century urban design and planning. “Any development after this will have to measure up to these standards – not just in the [Illawarra] region, but nationally. I think there Tullimbar streetscapes reflect township planning. will be real national interest in this,” Mr Carr said. steel also gives our buildings crisp, clean lines.” “The principles behind Tullimbar’s design are Tullimbar Village is being built around a The team is bringing to life the 12-year to provide a sustainable alternative to urban traditional town centre that will be within easy vision of Neville Fredericks, the Executive sprawl, while also concentrating on building the walking distance for most residents, encouraging Chairman of Illawarra-based property company community,” Mr Fredericks said. “Endless urban social contact and a strong sense of community. Miltonbrook, who set out to establish an alternative sprawl, where residents rely almost exclusively The town’s architectural style draws strongly from to urban sprawl. on their cars for transport, is a luxury Australians the colonial architecture of surrounding South When Mr Carr cut the ribbon across Tullimbar can no longer afford. As Premier, Mr Carr Coast towns like Kiama and Berry, with Village’s main street, he officially launched Stage recognised that we needed a different approach COLORBOND® steel being used exclusively for all One’s first buildings – 20 architect-designed homes and his government made a decision to increase roofs, verandahs and window hoods. that epitomise the style and character of the town. urban density. Internationally-acclaimed architect and urban Future stages will feature a diverse range of “The majority of residents will live within 500 designer Steve Thorne, head of the Tullimbar dwellings to cater for different age groups and metres of the town centre, and will be encouraged Village design team, says COLORBOND® steel accommodation needs, ranging from terrace-style to walk by the provision of attractive footpaths and perfectly reflects what the team wants to achieve houses and apartments to large family homes. walking trails through the parks and along the with the town’s house designs. Miltonbrook is designing and building the entire creeks,” Mr Fredericks said. “We are designing contemporary buildings township, including public and commercial “Tullimbar is very much the style of town that which reflect the area’s architectural heritage, buildings around the town square. developed in Australia in the 19th century, but we just as COLORBOND® steel is a contemporary The New South Wales Government has also lost it in the second half of the 20th century when the building material reflecting Australia’s announced plans to build a new school in the car became the dominant form of transport. So in a architectural heritage,” he said. “COLORBOND® village that will open in January 2008. sense we’re rediscovering the art of town-building.” Coolest E-VENT ™ in modern roofing

The impressive list of Australian building products made from COLORBOND® steel continues to grow with the introduction of E-VENT™, the first seamless residential roof ventilation system requiring no moving parts.

Manufactured by Perth-based Combined Metal Industries (CMI), the E-VENT™ system sits flat against the ridge cap of a roof and uses a venturi ventilation system to extract hot air, odour and bacteria from roof spaces, allowing a building to stay cool and fresh. The E-VENT™ can match any of the 20 No moving parts. available COLORBOND® steel colours. “As the E-VENT™ has no moving parts, it E-VENT™ is indicative of the growing Co. and WA Country Builders, offer it as a standard requires no maintenance and is highly effective,” popularity of COLORBOND® steel, now used on inclusion on all roofs made from COLORBOND® CMI Sales Manager Ray Snell said. “Greensmart many parts of the home including roofs, walls, steel that they install. criteria recommend the use of ventilation and fences, gutters and downpipes, sheds, garages CMI also recently opened a new, larger store insulation in all homes – and we have pioneered a and pergolas. in Busselton, WA to cope with growing demand for system that lets a home breathe naturally while So popular is the E-VENT™ system that two its wide range of products made from blending into the overall look of the roof.” builders in Western Australia, The Rural Building COLORBOND® steel.

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DSI Mining awarded for export excellence Major New South Wales mining such as gold, copper manufacturer DSI Mining and zinc mining. has more than doubled its DSI Mining exports to sales in the last two years, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji and developed four new steel Turkey. It won the 2005 NSW plate products, and has won Regional Exporter of the Year two more export awards. Award and has added another Serviced through two export awards to its Smorgon Steel Sheet Metal collection. The Hunter Export Supplies, Newcastle-based Centre has recognised DSI Mining bought more than the company as Largest 20,000 tonnes of BlueScope Established Exporter and Steel hot rolled strip products 2006 Exporter of the Year. (HA250 and HA350) and DSI Mining was XTRAFORM® steel last year. established in 2000 as a DSI Mining is a member division of international of the STEEL BY™ Brand civil construction company Partnership Program. It has Dywidag Systems International, and has become a world leader a dedicated research and Derek Hird with DSI Mining’s development team working steel plate products. in ground control products. on the next generation of roof “One of our most popular control products for coal and hard rock mines, immediate need in the Australian coal industry,” global products is the Star launching its latest ground support rock bolt plate DSI Mining’s Australian Business Unit Manager Plate which is also used for roof support in product in June. Derek Hird said. coalmines,” Mr Hird said. The product – called the Dome Butterfly Plate “The Dome Butterfly Plate covers the same “It’s a high-strength, lightweight plate ® and made from BlueScope Steel’s hot rolled strip surface area as the two plates we previously used, made from XTRAFORM steel, with half the product HA350 – provides roof support in is thicker and can handle a six-tonne load,” he thickness of similar products on the market.” coalmines via a single steel plate instead of two, said. “It’s also 25 per cent more cost-effective, For more information contact: reducing infrastructure costs for mining operators. representing substantial savings for mines that Derek Hird, “The Dome Butterfly Plate is a surface order tens of thousands of plates a year.” DSI Mining, constraint that accompanies a rock bolt to provide DSI Mining is now investigating how the Ph (02) 4948 9099, stability to mine walls. It was designed to meet an Dome Butterfly Plate can be applied to hard-rock www.dsiminingproducts.com Rainwater tanks bring business flooding in A rapid rise in rainwater tank sales has allowed of the STEEL BY™ Brand a New South Wales Central Coast company to Partnership program, and uses reinvent its business in recent years. the reputation of the BlueScope Steel brand to leverage its Family-owned Coast and Country Water Tanks own products. started as a roofing company more than 15 years “We’ve been using ago, but more than doubled sales when it moved COLORBOND® steel for years – into rainwater tanks. for roofing and rainwater “We introduced rainwater tanks four years ago products – and AQUAPLATE® – and 30 per cent of our business was in rainwater steel for our rainwater tanks, tanks and the rest was in roofing after our first and find the products’ quality year,” said owner Maurice Ngatoko. and reliability unbeatable,” “Now rainwater tanks account for at least Chris Fullerton (left) and Maurice Ngatoko from Coast and Country Mr Ngatoko said. 70 per cent of our business. Water Tanks rollform tanks from AQUAPLATE® steel. “Using BlueScope Steel “Half our rainwater tanks are bought by the products means we can offer public, the other half by project builders like AV resistant and coated with a food-grade polymer customers a 20-year warranty on the AQUAPLATE® Jennings, McDonald Jones, Beechwood and for clean-tasting water. It comes in a galvanised steel used in our tanks.” Eagle Homes.” finish or in one of three pre-painted colours. Mr Ngatoko attributes a large part of Coast Each month the company sells an average of Coast and Country Water Tanks is also a and Country Water Tanks success to its highly- 130 round and slim-line rainwater tanks made from distributor for Western Australia-based Heritage committed and skilled team of workers. BlueScope Steel products. The tanks can hold up Tanks®, a company that makes tanks with “We currently employ eight people and to 23,000 litres of water. capacities of up to 575,000 litres. The New South service an area of New South Wales bounded by “We roll, assemble and seal our rainwater Wales company sells about four of these tanks a Sydney in the south, Port Macquarie in the north tanks at our Wyong headquarters on the Central month to rural and farming customers. and Scone in the west,” he said. Coast,” Mr Ngatoko said. “We use AQUAPLATE® “The largest tanks are 14.5 metres in diameter For more information contact: steel for the tank walls and COLORBOND® steel and 5.4 metres high,” Mr Ngatoko said. “They Maurice Ngatoko, for the roof.” come in kit form so our two installers can put Coast and Country Water Specifically designed for use in tanks, them together in two days.” Tanks, Ph 1800 826 570. AQUAPLATE® steel is easy to maintain, corrosion- Coast and Country Water Tanks is a member www.coastandcountrywatertanks.com.au

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New capacity boosts Tasmania’s power grid

SURELINE® steel transmission poles have Transend’s General Manager Network, Mike helped connect new generating capacity to the Hunnibell, said. Tasmanian electricity grid. “Unlike some states, Tasmania still has ready access to pole farms with 18-metre The 18-metre two-part poles supplied by timber poles, but this installation was a crucial BlueScope Steel were part of a rapid one and we weighed the 25-year life deployment program which involved close expectancy of timber poles against the 50-year collaboration between Transend Networks life expectancy of a steel pole. Pty Ltd, Bell Bay Power Pty Ltd, consultant “There was also the question of Hydro Tasmania, contractor Transfield and appearance, because wooden poles would BlueScope Steel. have looked out of place in the Bell Bay setting. Transend Networks owns and operates the “Another pole supplier quoted us a four- electricity transmission system in Tasmania, month delivery schedule, but Hydro Tasmania transmitting electricity from 29 power stations had been in touch with BlueScope Steel and to substations around the state through discovered that suitable SURELINE® 3500 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, transmission poles were readily available. 45 substations and nine switching stations. “We saw this as a good opportunity to use Transend Network‘s challenge was to SURELINE® poles. Their specifications meet our provide a link to the Tasmanian electricity grid requirements. They are delivered in two to take the output of three 11kV/110kV power sections and have impressive features such as transformers installed recently – along with their in-ground corrosion protection and a top cap. associated 11kV gas turbine generators – at “For this project their reliable availability Bell Bay Power Station in Northern Tasmania. was an important factor, and once installed The transmission poles were used to they also look good.” connect the new switchyard at the power Mr Hunnibell said support provided by station to Transend’s Bell Bay, George Town BlueScope Steel had assisted the swift and transmission circuits. successful completion of the project. Bell Bay Power wanted the connection in The SURELINE® transmission pole range SURELINE® steel poles place quickly. consists of two-part poles ranging from 18 outlive timber. “The whole project was on a fast track,” to 25-metre lengths.

Entry open for 2007 FlipScreen success rolls on Endeavour Awards A portable mechanical screening attachment The 2007 Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour designed for many types of excavators, loaders Awards will once again be sponsored by and backhoes is helping users recover hundreds BlueScope Steel’s STEEL BY™ Brand of thousands of dollars of screened materials Partnership Program. Nominations for these across a wide range of industrial applications. highly prestigious awards are now open to all Australian manufacturers that have been The FlipScreen from Flip Screen Australia is a multi-award-winning Australian product that can operating for at least two years. be used in areas such as steel manufacturing, The awards, now entering their fourth year, civil engineering, construction, demolition, cover eight categories: earthmoving, mining and waste recycling. • Import Replacement of the Year The screening attachment is essentially a • Technology Application of the Year two-part bucket with the same capacity as • Innovative Product of the Year – Consumer an earthmoving bucket, with no internal moving • Innovative Product of the Year – Industrial parts. Various models range in size from units A quick sift. • Exporter of the Year designed for skid steer loaders through to • Environmental Solution of the Year 30-tonne excavators. award at the Australian National Field Days – and • Safety Scheme of the Year The FlipScreen’s portability removes the need commendations keep rolling in. • Young Manufacturer of the Year for very costly and cumbersome screening plants Based in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Flip Screen An overall winner will be selected from – and suits a range of users from single machine Australia is expanding internationally and has those categories and awarded the top prize – operators through to large civil contractors. received strong responses from the US, Canada, Manufacturer of the Year 2007 – in recognition As the FlipScreen rotates, material is sieved New Zealand and South Africa. At the recent of the winning company’s demonstrated out through the unit’s mesh screening chamber World Ag Expo in California, the company’s innovation and excellence. while larger particles are held inside by the unit’s FlipScreen won a New Product award for being Nomination forms and conditions are inward spiralling action. There is no need for a ‘truly unique and innovative’. ® available in the December edition of closing door. FlipScreen uses XLERPLATE steel in its Manufacturers’ Monthly magazine or online at The operator counter-rotates the bucket to construction, but BlueScope Steel’s involvement www.ferret.com.au/FerretAwards/Mmawards. eject all remaining over-size material – without doesn’t stop there. It has provided Flip Screen asp. Entries close on April 30, 2007. having to shake or vibrate the machine. Australia with technical support in relation to We’ll bring you more information in the The Australian-invented and manufactured the development of its next product, the S30 Autumn edition of Steel Edge. FlipScreen won the 2003 Invention of The Year (Skid Steer) FlipScreen.

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Business expands for pressure specialist

Sydney company L & A Pressure Welding is fabricating the largest pressure vessels it has ever tackled.

The company is using XLERPLATE® steel to manufacture the 32 pressure vessels for a fifth LNG processing train near Karratha on Western Australia’s Burrup Peninsula. The Woodside-operated North West Shelf venture is adding LNG processing capacity to meet growing international demand, particularly from China and Japan.

Jim Xidis of Brentwood Trailers in front of a low-loader. Rush for low-loaders fuels trailer business New South Wales low-loader and heavy Australian customers include the transport manufacturer Brentwood Trailers is Department of Defence, Department of Main experiencing unprecedented demand for its Roads, Boral Asphalt, BlueScope Steel products across Australia and overseas. Industrial Markets division, Mount Isa Mines and a raft of local government bodies across Brentwood Trailers manufactures about the country. 20 low-loaders a year and is currently fabricating The company also exports low-loaders to three at its Port Kembla workshops, with a Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Western Samoa, rapidly growing order list for more. Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Thailand, Pacific Managing Director Jim Xidis said the Islands and South Africa. resources boom in Western Australia and Brentwood Trailers is a family-run business Queensland was driving demand. that was bought 25 years ago and expanded in The new facility will have a production “We can normally turn around orders for 2001 with the takeover of M & S Truck Bodies. capacity of more than 4.4 million tonnes of LNG a low-loaders in three months, but the waiting list M & S Truck Bodies, now a subdivision of year and is expected to ship its first cargoes by the has blown out to nine months because orders Brentwood Trailers, specialises in manufacturing fourth quarter of 2008. just keep streaming in,” he said. truck bodies, trays and tipper trailers. L & A Pressure Welding, founded by Louis Chouaifaity and his wife Anne in 1981, has “We’re at a stage that if second-hand low- Jim says the company has transformed undergone several major expansions, including loaders become available, we can sell them for M & S Truck Bodies’ turnover from $1 million a the establishment of a second workshop at more than new models because customers just year to $12 million a year in just five years. Bankstown close to its Revesby head office. don’t want to wait nine months.” All Brentwood Trailers’ units are custom-built The company’s Australian customer list Brentwood Trailers offers 20 different models from Bisalloy Steel products that are made by includes Shell, Caltex, Esso, Santos, Woodside, quenching and tempering BlueScope Steel including dollies, folding goosenecks, full Qenos and Orica. However it also has a steady widening trailers, plant trailers, wide-line design green feed plate. stream of export work heading to places like China, trailers and widening deck trailers. “A lot of truck body builders use imported Malaysia, Singapore, Portugal and Vietnam. Sales Manager Michael McBriarty says plate, but it doesn’t wear as well,” Mr Xidis said. “Everything we do here is designed to save widening deck trailers with rear-steer axles are “We like to use quality Australian products time without decreasing quality,” Mr Chouaifaity an economical choice for those wanting to so we can label our machinery ‘Australian made’ said. “We create in-house mechanical and thermal lessen tyre wear. and give our customers confidence in our design and drawings of pressure vessels and heat “The wheels don’t sit as wide as the load, manufacturing standards. exchangers using the latest software. so a set of tyres will last up to four times longer “That’s why we joined the STEEL BY™ “Heat treatment, drilling by CNC machine and than those under full widening models, and the BlueScope Steel Brand Partnership Program – rolling for up to 50mm thick plates is done in-house, trailer is easier to manoeuvre,” he said. to align ourselves with one of Australia’s while rolling for up to 160mm plates, non- Brentwood Trailers’ highly specialised leading brands.” destructive testing, mechanical testing and units are designed to carry loads from For more information contact: painting is done by approved suppliers.” ® 10 tonnes to 150 tonnes, and can be used to Jim Xidis, Mr Chouaifaity said that using XLERPLATE transport everything from earth-moving Brentwood Trailers, steel allowed L & A Pressure Welding to deliver equipment and electricity sub-stations through Ph (02) 4276 2030, the pressure vessels three months earlier than they could by alternative methods. to fighter planes. www.brentwoodtrailers.com.au

www.bluescopesteel.com DECEMBER 2006 STEELEDGE 7 BS Steel Edge DEC #24 12PP:11579 BS Edge MARCH #13 20/12/06 4:16 PM Page 8 Fremantle Steel Fabrication booming with resources Fremantle Steel Fabrication has just completed its fourth major workshop expansion.

The company has produced some of the largest fabrication jobs undertaken in the country and was recently involved in the fabrication of the largest ship loader of its type ever built in Australia as part of Worsley Alumina’s expansion at the Port of Bunbury. Fremantle Steel Fabrication has also produced major components for BHP Billiton’s Ravensthorpe mine and for fabrication and treatment work, and contracted a Woodside Petroleum’s North West Shelf project. specialist supplier for mechanical components “Because of our expertise we have been and lifting equipment. able to contribute to our own expansion,” “We are introducing new automated Administration Manager Mark D’Amato said. “We equipment to bring extra efficiency to our steel have increased workshop floor space by 3000 processing capabilities,” he said. “We can now square metres and added four new cranes. perform punching, drilling and thermal cutting of We designed the cranes ourselves and then built the XLERPLATE® steel plates with just one them using 150 tonnes of XLERPLATE® steel. machine, where previously we had to use two. “Everything we fabricate needs to be moved, “To stay competitive in the steel fabrication sometimes several times. Two of our new cranes industry you have to employ the latest technology, have 25-tonne lifting capacity and two have maintain and improve your quality standards and 32-tonne capacity. We did the design, form partnerships with reliable suppliers.” Cleaning up the Kimberley

As part of its 40th birthday celebrations, COLORBOND® steel helped promote the successful Clean Up the Kimberley weekend in late October.

In the build-up to the weekend, BlueScope Steel’s National Marketing Manager Building David Bare joined Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan AO and natural history filmmaker IanIan KiernanKiernan AOAO (left)(left) andand DavidDavid BareBare Malcolm Douglas to unveil key elements of the with eager helpers. 2006 event to a gathering of business and 1800 800 789 community leaders in Broome. carried it further into the Kimberley’s wild areas. The flagship event for the program, Clean Up “We are very excited for a number of reasons This number is for callers within Australia only: Callers in other countries should refer to our web site the Kimberley Weekend on 21-22 October, involved to support this campaign as Principle Partner,” Mr for the contact number of their nearest a concerted effort by more than 1000 volunteers to Bare said. “Firstly, anyone flying into Broome sees BlueScope Steel Limited office. reduce waste dumped on roadsides, in exactly why COLORBOND® steel is a natural www.bluescopesteel.com communities and at campsites across the partner for the area. With practically every roof Kimberley. This was also supported with a made from COLORBOND® steel in Broome and on Steel Edge #24 DECEMBER 2006 Kimberley Says No to Plastic Bags campaign, housing across the region, Clean Up the Kimberley Leave Space for your Waste campaign, Kimberley is an obvious and important initiative to support.” Kids’ Clean Up Kit, Remote Recycling and Waste The year-round, six-stage Clean Up the Management Analysis, and local environment Kimberley campaign comes as part of a wider 9 320075 049294 Clean Up/Fix Up projects conducted in partnership program that celebrates four decades of with local councils and allied organisations. COLORBOND® steel and thanks those Published by BlueScope Steel Limited The idea was to clean up as much rubbish communities that have embraced it for its BlueScope is a trademark of BlueScope Steel Limited. as possible before the next wet season strength, versatility and colour.

8STEEL EDGE DECEMBER 2006 www.bluescopesteel.com