Concerns over the quality of imported steel products have prompted the Australian steel industry, in partnership with New Zealand, to develop a plan inspired by the European Union’s structural steel standards laws.

Manufacturers of ‘safety critical’ steel building components in Europe must be certified and audited by expert third parties to ensure products are made correctly. The system also includes random sampling and testing.

Its aim was to reduce the chance of counterfeited steel making it into buildings and infrastructure, which would pose a risk to public safety.

The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) has been the major driver behind the plan to implement standards.

ASI’s spokesman Alan Marshall told Fairfax New Zealand that half of the ASI staff were working fulltime on the plan.

“What we are trying to do, the holy grail, is [to emulate] the European CE scheme,” Marshall says.

The ASI is certain sub-standard structural steel has made it into buildings due to the lack of enforcement of standards in Australia.

Additionally, ASI and Steel Construction New Zealand are working on the “Bolt Charter” – a plan which is needed with the growing evidence that not all heavy-duty bolts being imported into Australia meet the standards claimed for them.

The ASI says the lack of attention to the compliance regimes already in place have lead to an unacceptable level of unsuitable steel in major projects throughout Australia.

In the US market, one very similar to Australia, steel is the most counterfeited building material, with structural bolts in second place, Marshall says.

With evidence of failure now established, particularly with failure during installation, the issue of bolts is considered particularly pressing, he says.

“Nuts and bolts are basically all imported, and are critical items because that’s what holds the structure together. It’s very serious if they fail.”

Similar instances have been reported in New Zealand, however there is a greater concern in Australia as the majority of construction steel is imported in pre-fabricated form.