THE SCI (STEEL CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE) PROVIDES ESSENTIAL TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND RELATED SERVICES TO THE STEEL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. ANDREW WAY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AT SCI PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON TWO RECENT TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE LIGHT STEEL FRAMING SECTOR.
SCI Stage 1 Certificates for LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee
Both LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee have recently released new versions of their technical manuals. These manuals identifying the Functional Requirements that are applicable to the design and construction of buildings to be covered by their Warranties. The latest manuals incorporate numerous changes from the previous versions however, of vital significance to the light steel framing sector is the implementation of SCI Stage 1 certificates specifically produced for the requirements of LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee and their accompanying technical manuals.
SCI has been reviewing systems and providing Stage 1 certificates for light steel framing systems that meet the necessary requirements for NHBC for 20+ years. There are currently over 30 companies which hold an SCI/ NHBC Stage 1 certificate, the full list of companies is available on the SCI Certification and Assessment website. These and other companies now have the opportunity to obtain equivalent certificates specifically for LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee.
Comparison of the relevant parts of the LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee technical manuals with the NHBC Standards shows that there are some significant differences between the technical requirements of these companies for light steel framing. Part of the SCI service will be to ensure that standard details, design procedures and construction practice satisfy the pertinent requirements.
Companies wanting to obtain Stage 1 certificates for LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee (or NHBC) should contact SCI (assessment@ steel-sci.com). After companies have successfully completed the process SCI will issue their certificates, provide Stage 1 logos specific for the warranty provider, notify the relevant the warranty provider(s) and add the light steel framing system to the SCI Certification and Assessment website.
SCI confirms corrosion protection performance of Magnelis®
Metallic coatings on thin gauge steel are commonly used to provide corrosion protection in a range of applications such as light steel framing, cladding sheets and purlins and rails in industrial buildings. The steel is manufactured to EN 10346:2015 and is continuously hot-dip coated. EN 10346:2015 includes a range of possible metallic coatings and thicknesses. The most commonly used corrosion protection on strip steel used in the UK and Ireland is zinc galvanising Z275. The corrosion protection performance of Z275 is well understood and has been the widely researched, which is detailed in SCI publication P262 ‘Durability of Light Steel Framing in Residential Building - Second Edition’. Z275 coating is also quoted as an acceptable corrosion protection in documents such as NHBC Standards Chapter 6.10 for Light Steel Framing.
However, other coatings are available and some cold-formed steel product providers are considering using strip steel with the Magnelis® coating available from ArcelorMittal. The Magnelis® coating is a ZM (zinc aluminium magnesium) coating in accordance with EN 10346:2015.
The SCI has recently completed an independent review of the performance of the ArcelorMittal Magnelis® coating for corrosion protection. SCI was given access to the extensive research carried out by ArcelorMittal.
• Magnelis® ZM120 provides corrosion protection on the surface which is not less than the corrosion protection provided by Z275 coating.
• Magnelis® ZM120 provides corrosion protection on uncoated cut edges which is not less than the corrosion protection provided by Z275 coated steel.
• Magnelis® ZM120 is suitable for the same applications as the Z275 coating which is typically specified in UK and Irish construction.
• The design life predictions for the Z275 coating as stated in SCI publication P262 are also applicable to Magnelis® ZM120.
The scope of the performance review carried out by SCI focused on the corrosion protection performance of Magnelis®, other characteristics such as cost, environmental credentials, aesthetics and fabrication were not included within the scope of works.
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