TRUECORE steel, from BlueScope Steel , has been the key product in assisting Steel Truss Newcastle to spearhead an innovative construction technique in roof frames that can reduce the dangers on a building site, as well as decrease overall project costs.

Axis Building Group were contracted to build a government training facility in South Australia. The guidelines for occupational health and safety requirements (OH&S) should be strictly adhered to, as with all building projects. Builders were required to work from dangerous heights, creating numerous OH&S issues.

Steel Truss Newcastle provided steel framing for the project, as specified by Axis Building Group, and using unusual construction techniques Steel Truss came up with a solution to assemble the roof to comply with the OH&S guidelines.

The steel roofing frame was constructed by Steel Truss on ground level before lifting it into final position on top of the building using a crane. Made possible by the lightweight properties of steel, this procedure removed the need for scaffolding around the building, and created safe working conditions for the builders who no longer needed to work from dangerous heights. With the reduced need for scaffolding and other forms of fall protection, costs were significantly lessened.

Mike Pearl, Director of Steel Truss in Newcastle explained, “When approached by Axis Building Group to tackle this project we saw it as a great opportunity to demonstrate the versatility and strength of the Steel Truss framing system made from TRUECORE steel

The technique of lifting a pre constructed roof is only possible when using steel. Its lightweight properties allow it to be easily manoeuvred yet the quality and strength of the final construction is guaranteed.”

The roof frame and roof trusses were made from BlueScope Steel’s TRUECORE steel. The roof frame can be clad in COLORBOND steel roofing before or after being lifted onto the building.