HERA House

17-19 Gladding Place

PO Box 76-134
Manukau city

Ph. +64 9 262 2885

Fax. +64 9 262 2856
E-mail admin@hera.org.nz
Website www.hera.org.nz

December 2015
In This Issue NOTICE:
Chairman’s Comment HERA House will be closed from
The 2015 Heavy Engineering Year in Review December 24th to January 11th, 2016
- Page 2

Heavy Engineering Industry: Towards 2016

- Page 4

HERA at New Zealand Geothermal Workshop

2015 Taupo
- Page 4

AGGAT Paper Wins Best Paper Award at

NZGW 2015
- Page 5

AGGAT Progress Update – Dec 2015

- Page 6

Low Investment in R&D and Technology

Holding Back NZ Business
- Page 8

Aurecon Launches New Safety App for

Pressure Equipment
- Page 9

Witnessing Welding Qualification Test

- Page 10

HERA at Tenth Pacific Conference on

Earthquake Engineering
- Page 12

HERA Conference Facilities

HERA House now features new Meeting Rooms and Conference Facilities available for hire. We are close
to Auckland International Airport, so why not consider us for your next business meeting?

For further details on room hire including discounts available for HERA members, please contact Raewyn
or Gillian on 09 262 2885 or email admin@hera.org.nz

HERA NEWS Dec 2015 Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS
Chairman’s Comment
John Frear
HERA Chairman
Dear Members,
The 2015 Heavy Engineering
Year in Review
When our Director, Wolfgang Scholz, advised me
it was time for another year’s review, it felt like it
was just a short while ago that last year’s review
was delivered. The pace has been relentless and
it has been another year full of action for our
industry and for HERA.
The 12 monthly rolling total for heavy steel usage
at the end of September stood at 167,000 tonnes
while in 2014 it was 151,000 tonnes, and in 2013
it was 130,000 tonnes. This is certainly a
remarkable growth story largely carried by steel
construction activity. This figure is now edging
closer to the October 2008 pre-GFC peak of
179,000 tonnes p.a. usage. However,
considering that new capacity has been built we
are confident that the local industry can satisfy
both current and forecast steel construction
demand.
Unchanged to last year, we still hear voices who
argue New Zealand industry needs to get support
from imported fabricated steel supply chains.
However, when considering local capacity and the
risks related to imported steel meeting our
demanding seismic requirements, the most
compelling value proposition clearly remains with
the local industry.
Behind the scenes, HERA continued to advocate
for our members and provided considerable input
to ensure your value and importance is
recognized, particularly by our industry’s most
important client – public sector procurement.
Industry continued investing in innovation at
remarkable speeds, with the most demonstrable
effort being the continued commitment to
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
improving QA systems via signing up to the Steel
Fabrication Certification (SFC) scheme. This year
the number of steel fabrication companies having
been certified to ISO 3834.2 doubled to 16
companies, thereby keeping HERA auditors busy
covering the length and breadth of New Zealand.
SFC scheme-certified companies now represent
around 65% of New Zealand’s steel fabrication
capacity, and HERA is pleased to report that in
excess of 10 more companies have committed to
the process in the current year.
IMG Structural was one of eight HERA member companies to
receive the SFC certificate at Metals Week 2015 in September
HERA’s contribution to this QA effort was massive
with record numbers of welding personnel
qualified through HERA-provided training and
examination.
At this point, I especially wish to express our
collective gratitude to the industry volunteers on
the examination committee who spend their time
reviewing every exam paper and overseeing the
examination process. This, of course, also applies
to the many other industry members who
contribute to our industry network, be it on the
HERA Executive or on any of the many industry
Panels and Boards.
Gavin Fletcher (left) with Hon Bob Tizzard at the opening of
HERA House in 1986
On a sad note, we remember the passing of
former HERA Director Gavin Fletcher. Gavin was
instrumental in setting up the HERA structure as it
still is today, and was the key driver for the
building of HERA House. The membership has
much to thank Gavin for and I know many
Page 2
members still remember him fondly from his time
at HERA and the results he achieved.
As to the HERA year, the highlight was no doubt
the re-opening of the refurbished HERA House by
our Minister Hon Steven Joyce. This was followed
by a very successful international AGGAT
Conference organised by HERA, and an equally
successful Metals Week organised by our partner
Metals NZ.
Minister Hon Steven Joyce in deep discussion with HERA
Executive members and staff
A HERA session at the Metals Week Conference
demonstrated HERA industry development and
our contributions, while the SCNZ Steel
Innovation Conference showcased the HERA
research and development work done throughout
the year.
For me personally, the highlight was the Metals
Industry Awards Gala Dinner with the handing
over of the HERA Innovator of the Year Award to
A-Ward Attachments, the Exporter of the Year
Award to Cuddon Engineering and the Keith
Smith Memorial Award to Dr Nigel Evans. (See
September 2015 HERA News for full report.)
Less visible but no less noteworthy is the
continuous effort of the HERA staff to progress
their ongoing commitments, whether it be in
standards work or industry research and
development. As Executive members we are
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
regularly reviewing their reports and the progress
of their work.
I particularly wish to note the current effort to
improve the mapping of business opportunities for
our members, a topic which was also progressed
at the Metals Conference in a Rod Oram-
facilitated session between industry members and
the HERA Executive. At Executive level, we are
continuing the discussion on this topic and we
welcome your feedback on ideas you feel deserve
support from the Heavy Engineering Research
Levy (HERL) funding.
On a personal note, I would like to let you know
that I have moved from HERA member company
Best Bars Ltd to Volkswagen New Zealand, which
is not a HERA member. I would like to
acknowledge the support of the HERA Executive
to co-opt me back on the Executive to serve out
the term as HERA Chairman until next year’s
AGM in September; something I am glad to do for
an industry which has been a big part of my
professional life.
As always, I invite you to make direct contact
should you wish to raise any issues with me in my
function as HERA Chairman, either by phone on
027 389 9858 or by e-mail to
john.frear@icloud.com
Thank you and I wish you, your staff and families
a well-deserved safe and enjoyable festive
season!
Heavy Steel Volumes and
Price Development
In October, the Heavy Steel Volumes continued
their upwards trend but not as pronounced as in
the previous months as shown in the 12-monthly
rolling total chart below indicating annual usage of
163,000 tonnes.
In this graph, the steel volume has been linked to
the Import Value (CIF) Index. The CIF index is
Page 3
given in percentages and correlated back to
January 2000 where the value of the index is set
at 100%. The price index in October 2015 was
116% points or in other words, landed steel costs
have risen in the last 15 years by about 16%
points.
The above graph shows the CIF values for the
last 13 months in more detail. It shows that the
value of the landed steel dropped by 4 percentage
points over the last 13 months a very competitive
world steel price.
HERA produces statistics on levied imported
metals (Heavy steel, pipes, welding consumables,
Stainless Steel and aluminum) which are
available to members at a small fee. To find out
more, contact Brian Low at 09 262 4845 or email
marketing@hera.org.nz
Heavy Engineering Industry:
Towards 2016
Commentary by Industry Development
General Manager Nick Inskip
Steel volumes being processed through industry
are on the rise, which is a good indicator of
activity. The statistics show us that after an
almost 40% fall due to the Global Financial Crisis
(GFC) volumes have reached the peak before last
which was in 2005 and are close to reaching pre-
GFC levels.
The impact of the GFC continues to be felt. Many
of the projects being looked at in 2008/9 which
would have been coming to fruition now were
shelved. It was like the world of commerce was
holding its breath, but now there are signs that
they are beginning to breathe again and new
projects are being talked about, which means that
the trickle in the development pipeline might soon
be a more noticeable flow.
The mix of structural versus heavy steel is fairly
balanced suggesting activity across both sectors.
The recovery in structural steel has been
supported by the re-emergence of commercial
building activity in Auckland, earthquake rebuild
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
work in Christchurch and building strengthening
work throughout the country.
The recovery in heavy engineering is a little more
complex. There have been a number of plant
upgrades and some catch up on deferred
maintenance but many energy related projects
are on hold due to the reduced demand for
electricity and the resultant lower prices, which do
not justify investment at this time.
There has been an increase in building of
commercial vessels which has helped some
segments of the industry, but the reduced prices
being paid for oil in the global market has seen a
major contraction in activity in the oil and gas
industry. The reducing value of the New Zealand
Dollar appears to be starting to reduce the
attractiveness of importing for some products and
has helped exports.
Export-focused companies, particularly those less
dependent on the local market and who have
products of their own to sell rather than being
straight contractors seem to have good forward
orders into 2016 while some general engineering
sectors are looking soft. The closure of
manufacturing plants such as Golden Bay
Cement will have a local impact and put
downwards pressure on margins in general
engineering in the near term.
However, overall, margins have improved since
the 2009-2011 very lean years especially in
specialty services and for product manufacturers.
The challenge in 2016 is going to be for general
engineering companies to find export product
niches that they can develop into at a time when
cash flow and margins may be constrained. In this
way pre-GFC returns can again be a feature of
the New Zealand metals industry landscape
providing a positive, viable new normal for the
future.
HERA at New Zealand
Geothermal Workshop 2015
Taupo
The NZ Geothermal Workshop, held in Taupo this
year, had a higher attendance and number of
presentations than in the past, and presented a
very positive vibe for the geothermal industry
overall. A number of delegates from the AGGAT
team also attended this conference from both
HERA and University of Auckland.
The AGGAT team members presented four
technical papers on the first day of the conference
in the Above Ground stream which were very well
received.
Page 4

AGGAT Team members, from left: Dr Boaz Habib, Mustafa
Habib, Dr Sadiq Zarrouk, Holger Heinzel, Dr Lei Chen, Dr
Haiam Abbas, Howard Zheng
Dr. Boaz Habib presented on the development of
the Expert Design Tool for end-user application,
Dr. Lei Chen presented on the AGGAT Turbine
design, Dr. Haiam Abbas presented on finned
tube heat exchanger developments, while Holger
Heinzel presented on progress with the Materials
Test Rig.
HERA Senior Research Engineer, Dr. Boaz Habib giving an
update on HERA and the AGGAT programme during the
Industry Update session at NZGW 2015
In addition, Boaz also gave an update on the
AGGAT programme in the Industry Update
segment on the last day of the conference which
was well received by the attendees. People
gained a lot more awareness of the AGGAT
programme and its achievements to date which
was a very important outcome.
The conference was a great opportunity to catch
up with acquaintances in the geothermal industry
and to progress relationships and collaborative
opportunities in an informal setting. The
conference lasted three days during which some
members of the AGGAT team also had the
opportunity to tour the Contact Energy geothermal
plant nearby (reported separately).
AGGAT Paper Wins Best
Paper Award at NZGW 2015
At the recent NZ Geothermal Workshop held in
Taupo, Dr. Haiam Abbas, AGGAT Research
Engineer won an award for best paper in Above
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
Ground Technologies. The prize was awarded as
this piece of work enhanced fundamental
understanding of science and engineering
principles in the context of existing above-ground
technology.
The paper titled ‘Development and Validation of
Annular Finned Tubes Evaporator for Cross-flow
co-current Exhaust Gas R245fa ORC System’
focused on heat exchanger design principles
against best fit empirical heat transfer
correlations.
The AGGAT team is proud of Haiam’s
achievement which is an indication of the kind of
commitment and hard work put in by all AGGAT
team members that is deserving of such
recognition. HERA is fortunate to have such
talented individuals in its team and considers this
a testament to quality of work being carried out in
the AGGAT programme.
Haiam commented that “It is really encouraging to
see such appreciation of the hard work we are
doing here at HERA. Plenty of ideas and plans
are still in the pipeline, directed towards the same
objective intended to bring the best to the
geothermal and allied community, locally and
internationally”.
Well done Haiam!!
Haiam’s paper is available through the HERA
library email info@hera.org.nz or via the
Publications section at www.hera.org.nz
HERA Awards Prize for Best
Paper in Emerging Above-
Ground Technology
During the awards ceremony at the 37th New
Zealand Geothermal Workshop in Taupo this
month, HERA awarded the prize for Best Paper in
Emerging Above-Ground Geothermal Technology
to James Nogara and Sadiq Zarrouk for their
research in materials. Their paper on ‘Surface
Analysis of Carbon Steel and Corrosion-Resistant
Alloys Exposed to Acid-SO4=Chloride Type
Page 5
Geothermal Fluid’ addressed a number of
important research questions surrounding
corrosion in low pH Volcanic geothermal
environments.

The paper was very well-written and presented a

thorough analysis of corrosion behaviour using a
number of surface evaluation techniques. This
paper addressed a number of research topics that
the AGGAT team is also involved in which made
the content of this paper even more valuable.

Dr. Sadiq Zarrouk is part of the AGGAT research

programme and is also investigating corrosion
issues in a geothermal environment. Dr. Zarrouk
is currently supervising two international Masters
of Engineering students who have significant
experience in geothermal industry from their
home country of the Philippines.
Interestingly, it was later revealed that James
Nogara had recommended the two Master
students to study with Dr. Zarrouk and both have
senior roles in Energy Development Corporation
in the Philippines. This gave added credibility and
confidence to the selection of this award’s
recipient.
HERA congratulates James and Sadiq on the
receipt of this award and looks forward to
developing this research collaboration further
within the AGGAT programme.
The HAZOP addressed the key safety criteria and
potential hazards of the materials test rig with
clear communication on these scenarios between
stakeholders achieved as a major outcome. Over
the next week or so, we will complete the review
of any outstanding HAZOP issues. However rig
fabrication is underway with support from a
number of fabricators across the North Island.
HERA acknowledges the support received from
Steel & Tube, Asmuss, BOP Gear Cutters,
Contact Energy, PFS Engineering, Initiative
Engineering, Dobbie Engineers, Jensens and
Page & Macrae Engineering and the AGGAT
Materials Team members acknowledge the
support of those who helped make the HAZOP
possible.

Contact Energy Tour, Taupo

AGGAT Progress Update During the NZ Geothermal Workshop in Taupo,
Dec 2015 the attendees had the opportunity to tour the
nearby Wairakei geothermal plant and the newly
Research Aim 1-2 Materials Knowledge Base
constructed Te Mihi plant both operated by
Research
Contact Energy who had organised this tour.
Research Aim 1-3 Geothermal Scaling and
Corrosion
A group of about 30 participated in this tour
The AGGAT Materials Research Group has
including AGGAT team members from HERA and
successfully completed a Hazard and Operability
the University of Auckland. The tour provided an
(HAZOP) Study on the Materials Test Rig
overview on the contrast between the old site
scheduled to go onsite in December 2015. The
(Wairakei Geothermal Power Station) and the
meeting had all its key stakeholders present
improved new design (Te Mihi Power Station
which was a very fruitful outcome, considering the
2014) where the latter occupied much less land
complexity of its organisation.
area and also had better process monitoring and
control capabilities.
The meeting consisted of participants from
Contact Energy, Dobbie Engineers, Ohaaki
New Zealand engineers contributed significantly
Thermal Kilns, Victoria University, University of
to the design and construction process of the Te
Auckland and HERA and was arranged to be held
Mihi site as indicated by guide Roger Hudson
simultaneously with the geothermal conference at
(Thorndon Cook).
the venue of NZ Geothermal Workshop in Taupo
due to its close proximity for most participants.
The electricity generated at Wairakei Geothermal
Power Station is based on steam extracted from
the geothermal fluid produced in this steam field.
Since 1950’s, 200 wells have been drilled of
which about 60 wells are now under production.
Many of these steam wells have been in
production since the power station was
HERA NEWS Dec 2015 Page 6
commissioned in 1958 generating renewable
steam and sustainable energy.
The AGGAT team from left: Holger Heinzel, Lei Chen, Haiam
Abbas and Howard Zheng
Around 1,400 tonnes per hour of steam is
produced in the field and transmitted to the power
station through insulated pipelines varying in
diameter from 300 to 1200mm. Steam travels at
about 200 km/h in the pipelines.
Cyclone separators are used to separate the hot
fluid (230-260°C) into dry steam and water at the
head of deep wells (2000 m) where the zones of
hot fluid are reached. Hot water is either collected
or piped to secondary separator at a Flash plant,
where additional dry steam is produced at lower
pressure, or reduced to atmospheric pressure in
well head silencers.
The residual water is either piped to the Binary
Power Plant at the power station, to reinjection
wells or discharged to open drains. Part of the hot
water was used by the plant and some to the
production of New Zealand fresh water prawns in
Huka Prawn Park, Taupo, New Zealand.
The Ti Mihi plant uses a steam turbine for
expansion. Direct condensation approach is
employed in condensers where water comes in
direct contact with the steam. The plant operates
very close to atmospheric pressure. Large
condensers are used to meet the requirements of
the condensing process.
The surfaces of the turbine blades are specially
treated by Hitachi in Japan to meet the chemical
nature of steam from this steam field. Scaling has
been reduced and the turbines are operating
within expected design outputs with regularly
planned maintenance schedules. Safety plans are
undertaken by running special programmes to
educate staff.
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
Sign of Things to Come?
European Steel Industry
'Must Halve by 2030 in Order
to Survive'
Europe's steelmaking industry will have to halve in
size over the next 15 years, according to the
chairman of the steel industry's global trade body,
heaping yet more misery on workers and
companies in the sector. Wolfgang Eder, who
heads the World Steel Association, said the
decline was "inevitable" in the face of worldwide
trends.
"The problem in Europe is that there is too much
capacity," said Mr Eder in an exclusive interview
with The Daily Telegraph. He said Europe's
capacity needed to fall by around half over the
next 15 years. "We need to bring down capacity
as a precondition for a solid base in the long run."
The prediction is a worrying development for
Britain's crisis-hit steel industry, which has already
shed 5,000 jobs this year as it buckles under
pressure from cheap Chinese steel, high energy
costs and business rates, which companies say
discourage them from investing. In total,
European steelmakers employ about 330,000
people at more than 500 sites with a total capacity
of between 200m and 210m tonnes.
Mr Eder, who is also chief executive of Austrian
steel producer Voestalpine, warned that the crisis
in the UK is a "negative role model" for the wider
European industry as it struggles under a "cost
structure that is not commercially competitive in
the long run"
He said: "There is no way out, because in the long
run we cannot neglect these disadvantages. The
only option would be to allow subsidies again in
Europe… and that would not be any good. Look
back to the 1980s when we had high subsidies - it
was a mess for the industry."
Once unaffordable subsidies were abandoned
and the steel industry restructured, European
steelmakers were successful until the financial
crisis, Mr Eder said. However, the slower
economic growth after the global crash and the
poorly-performing Chinese economy have
resulted in a worldwide overcapacity of steel.
Industry experts put this at as much as 600m
tonnes a year, 300m of which is in China. Europe,
unlike other international markets, does not have
trade restrictions in place to prevent countries
dumping excess production.
Steelmakers across the EU - led by those in the
UK - have called for action to stop China flooding
markets with cut-price steel. A fortnight ago, the
Page 7
European Competitiveness Council met to
discuss how to head off the crisis. Mr Eder said
that, while anti-dumping measures might prove a
quick fix to European steelmakers' current
troubles, they were not a permanent solution.
Mr Eder's forecasts were described as unhelpful
by Gareth Stace, director of trade body UK Steel.
"To make a prediction now that we will see half
the sector go is short-sighted and not
constructive," he said.
"Using all the tools in the trade defence
instrument toolbox will have a significant positive
impact on the European steel sector and that is
what we need to focus on, not the negatives of
believing the sector will be decimated. It sends
the wrong signals."
The sector did need to change, but in a measured
way, ready to react to global "mega-trends", Mr
Stace added.
Source: The Telegraph UK
Low Investment in R&D and
Technology Holding Back NZ
Business
Low investment in R&D and technology as a
percentage of GDP is holding back New
Zealand’s potential for dynamic business growth,
according to the latest Grant Thornton Global
Dynamism Index (GDI) 2015.
The GDI, developed in conjunction with the
Economist Intelligence Unit, ranks 60 of the
world's largest economies on dynamism, which
indicates changes in an economy that are likely to
lead to a faster future rate of growth. Grant
Thornton New Zealand partner, Michael Worth
says, in a statement, that our lack of investment in
R&D, coupled with the poor way we make use of
advancements in science and technology, shows
there is still a lot of room for improvement.
“The index shows that New Zealand has a great
platform from which businesses can grow, but we
must stop thinking short-term and look to invest in
the future,” he said.
New Zealand is ranked 28th in the world for its
R&D spend as a percentage of GDP, well behind
sector leaders South Korea, Israel, Finland,
Sweden and Japan.
“We also continue to underinvest in science and
technology. The index shows we only rank 30th in
growth in broadband subscriber lines which
means we’ve dropped 10 places since 2013; and
we’re 54th in total IT spending growth – this
means we’ve dropped 37 places in two years
which is just staggering.
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
“That two year gap is a lifetime in the IT world;
there is a clear and present danger that New
Zealand will get so far behind, we may never
catch up.
“Rather than investing in technology to make the
ship go faster, historically many New Zealand
businesses preferred to throw people at the
problem. While current business confidence is
OK, there’s not large growth in employment
indicating firms have stopped doing even that. As
a result, we are rapidly going backwards in world
rankings”.
The survey ranked countries on 22 indicators of
dynamism across five categories including
business operating environment, science and
technology, labour and human capital, financing
environment and economics and growth.
Singapore took out the top spot with 69.9,
followed by Israel 67.5 and Australia and Finland
both with a score of 67.3. The areas noted in the
index where New Zealand is strong include:
• Foreign trade and exchange regimes and
controls
• Policy towards private enterprise and
competition
• Political stability
• Legal and regulatory risk
• Unemployment
• School life expectancy
• Quality of overall financial regulatory
system
• Access of firms to medium-term capital
• Corporate tax burden
Worth says that these strengths are well known
and have been previously lauded. Successive
governments have done their bit with policy
settings to create a great platform for dynamism.
“The question our latest Global Dynamism Index
forces us to ask is: have we created a dynamic
economic platform in this country that other
nations are benefitting from rather than us?” says
Worth.
Source: Management NZ
Aurecon Launches New
Safety App for Pressure
Equipment
HERA member Aurecon launches HazAPP,
enabling rapid hazard assessments of pressure
equipment in accordance with Australian and New
Zealand safety regulations.
Page 8
 Storage Tank Inspector
Course – Feb 2016

Worldwide Tank Services will be running the API

The very nature of pressure equipment and the
potential stored energy in an operating vessel or
piping system can be a major safety hazard to
workers and nearby communities if not properly
installed or maintained.
653 registered Storage Tank Inspector course in
Auckland at HERA House from 15th – 19th
February 2016. This is ideally timed for pre-
examination training for the American Petroleum
Institute examination in March.

This new app for iOS and Android enables

equipment owners, operators, maintainers and Introducing Advance Steel
designers to quickly assess whether their
installation or modification of pressure and
vacuum containing systems comply with New
Zealand and Australian safety standards and
regulations.

HazAPP’s simple interface steps the user through

the hazard assessment calculation and produces
an overall hazard level ranging from A (high) to E
(negligible) in accordance with the Australian
Standard AS 4343 required for compliance with
Australian and New Zealand law. Users are then HERA member CADPRO Systems in launching
provided guidance on how to comply with local the new Advance Steel detailing software built on
legal requirements, to ensure that the equipment the AutoCAD platform with intelligent 3D modeling
has been correctly designed, fabricated, installed tools for accurate design and detailing. More info:
and tested. http://info.cadpro.co.nz/t/ViewEmail/d/EBB86B581
6FEBF5A
By facilitating the correct assessment and
guidance for pressure equipment compliance,
HazAPP helps to avoid incidents that may result
in:
Find us on LinkedIn and Twitter:
• Injury
• Reputational risk
• Lost work time https://www.linkedin.com/company/heavy-
• Damage to property and/or the environment engineering-research-association?trk=mini-profile
• Fines and/or convictions

Early adopters of HazAPP are enthusiastic about

its time-saving and workplace health and safety https://twitter.com/NZHERA
benefits.

HERA NEWS Dec 2015 Page 9

WELDING CENTRE NEWS
Witnessing Welding
Qualification Test
In order to ensure welding qualification tests
are carried out correctly, personnel are
appointed to witness welder/welding operator
and/or welding procedure specification (WPS)
qualification tests being performed. These tests
involve welding and subsequent mechanical
testing , and the personnel appointed need to
be competent for the tasks they are expected
to perform.
A typical term used in welder qualification
standards for the person witnessing the tests is
the “examiner”. Irrespective of the terminology
used, the role is to ensure the tests are performed
in accordance with the requirements, and that the
necessary records are produced and verified as
being correct.
A person witnessing the tests may or may not be
the same person or persons carrying out visual
examination, mechanical testing or NDT. The task
of witnessing welding tests is independent and
may be separate to these particular functions.
The criteria for welder qualification tests,
production or pre-production tests may be set
out in national, regional and international
standards or in client specifications. Such
documents normally contain details of the welding
coupons to be produced, the testing to be
performed and the acceptance criteria for the
tests.
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
The person witnessing the tests is expected to
have access to and be familiar with the
necessary testing requirements when the
qualification commences.
Personnel acting as examiners in welder
qualification tests should have received sufficient
training to enable them to perform the tasks in a
competent and professional manner. Personnel
with the welding supervisor qualification listed in
1554.1:2014 meet these requirements.
Corresponding training is available from HERA.
There are a number of tasks an examiner should
undertake in order to ensure a satisfactory
qualification test. Where other personnel are
involved in any of the tasks detailed below,
measures should be taken to ensure the material
welded is the material tested, that the test results
on the certificates are accurate and that the range
of qualification is correct.
Personnel examining qualification tests are
expected to take notes or copy activity records
in order to verify results in qualification
packages are true. These tasks may include run
by run welding parameter records in welding
procedure qualification tests.
The specific tasks that need to be considered by
personnel witnessing qualification include the
following:
• Before welding: checking the suitability of WPS
issued to the welder and compliance of the test
conditions with the WPS, identification of parent
materials and welding consumables;
• During welding: checking that the welding
conditions e.g. welding current, polarity, arc
voltage, travel speed, etc., and weld sequence
are in accordance with the WPS and the
requirements of the applicable standard e.g.
stop/start positions, repairs, time to complete the
test etc.;
• After welding: ensure that the test place is
correctly identified, all tests have been carried out;
verify test visual examination reports, verifying the
range if qualification authorise the certificate.
The International Institute of Welding IIW has
published detailed Guidance for Personnel
Witnessing Welding Qualification Tests SC-Qual-
144. The document is available from HERA library
email info@hera.org.nz or call 09 262 4844.
REF 1
Page 10

Making Alloys of the Future
Stronger Using Less Energy
Engineers at The Ohio State University have
developed a new welding technique that
consumes 80 percent less energy than a common
welding technique, yet creates bonds that are 50
percent stronger.
The new technique could have a huge impact on
the auto industry, which is poised to offer new
cars which combine traditional heavy steel parts
with lighter, alternative metals to reduce vehicle
weight.
Despite recent advances in materials design,
alternative metals still pose a challenge to
manufacturers in practice. Many are considered
un-weldable by traditional means, in part because
high heat and re-solidification weaken them, said
Glenn Daehn, professor of materials science and
engineering at Ohio State, who helped develop
the new technique.
"Materials have gotten stronger, but welds
haven't. We can design metals with intricate
microstructures, but we destroy the microstructure
when we weld," he said.
"With our method, materials are shaped and
bonded together at the same time, and they
actually get stronger."
Daehn explained the new process in a keynote
address at the Materials Science & Technology
2015 meeting recently in Columbus.
In a common technique called resistance spot
welding, manufacturers pass a high electrical
current through pieces of metal, so that the
metals' natural electrical resistance generates
heat that partially melts them together and forms
a weld.
The drawbacks: generating high currents
consumes a lot of energy, and the melted portions
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
of metal are never as strong afterward as they
were before.
Over the last decade, Daehn and his team have
been trying to find ways around those problems.
They've amassed more than half a dozen patents
on a system called vaporized foil actuator (VFA)
welding.
In VFA, a high-voltage capacitor bank creates a
very short electrical pulse inside a thin piece of
aluminum foil. Within microseconds (millionths of
a second), the foil vaporizes, and a burst of hot
gas pushes two pieces of metal together at
speeds approaching thousands of miles per hour.
The pieces don't melt, so there's no seam of
weakened metal between them. Instead, the
impact directly bonds the atoms of one metal to
atoms of the other. Seen under a high-powered
microscope, the bond is actually quite beautiful,
and often features delicate curlicues in spots
where veins of both materials extend outward and
wrap around each other.
The technique uses less energy because the
electrical pulse is so short, and because the
energy required to vaporize the foil is less than
what would be required to melt the metal parts.
So far, the engineers have successfully bonded
different combinations of copper, aluminum,
magnesium, iron, nickel and titanium. They have
created strong bonds between commercial steel
and aluminum alloys -- a feat which is impossible
normally. Also, high-strength steel and aluminum
join together with weld regions that are stronger
than the base metals.
The technique is powerful enough to shape metal
parts at the same time it welds them together,
saving manufacturers a step.
Daehn and his team now want to join with
manufacturers to further develop the technology,
which will be licensed through Ohio State's
Technology Commercialization Office.
Page 11
STRUCTURAL NEWS
HERA at Tenth Pacific
Conference on
Earthquake Engineering
The New Zealand Society for Earthquake
Engineering and the Australian Earthquake
Engineering Society co-hosted the Tenth Pacific
Conference on Earthquake Engineering (PCEE
2015) in Sydney, Australia. The conference was
held between 6 and 8 November 2015, and was
very well-attended by a mixture of practitioners and
researchers from around the world.
The keynote presenters at PCEE 2015 consisted
of: Prof Jack Baker (USA); Mr David Brunsdon
(NZ); Dr Hugh Cowan (NZ); Prof Ken Elwood (NZ);
Prof Masayoshi Nakashima (Japan); Dr Hong Kie
Thio (US); A Prof Brendan Bradley (NZ); Alistair
Cattanach (NZ); Dr J.C. de la Llera (Chile); Gary
Gibson (AUS); Dr Tim Sullivan (Italy); Prof Ikuo
Towhata (Japan); and Prof John Wilson (AUS).
As well as these international luminaries, HERA
Structural Systems General Manager Dr Stephen
Hicks was invited by the conference organizers to
convene the stream on composite construction,
which he chaired at the event.
A copy of the PCEE 2015 Proceedings is available
from the HERA Library email info@hera.org.nz or
call 09 262 4844.
REF 2
Super-Slick Material Makes
Steel Stronger
Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
(SEAS) have developed a way to make steel
stronger, safer and more durable. Their surface
coating, made from rough nanoporous tungsten
oxide, is claimed to be the most durable anti-
fouling and anti-corrosive material to date, capable
of repelling any kind of liquid even after sustaining
intense structural abuse.
While various grades of steel have been
developed over the past 50 years, steel surfaces
have remained largely unchanged. It is as prone
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
as ever to the corrosive effects of water, salt and
abrasive materials such as sand.
The material joins a portfolio of other non-stick,
anti-fouling materials developed in the lab of
Professor Joanna Aizenberg of the Wyss Institute
for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard
University. Prof Aizenberg’s team developed
Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS)
in 2011 and since then has demonstrated a range
of applications for the super-slick coating.
“Our slippery steel is orders of magnitude more
durable than any anti-fouling material that has
been developed before,” said Prof Aizenberg.“This
research shows that careful surface engineering
allows the design of a material capable of
performing multiple, even conflicting, functions,
without performance degradation.”
The material could be used in applications
including non-fouling medical tools and devices,
such as implants and scalpels, nozzles for 3D
printing and, potentially, larger-scale applications
for buildings and marine vessels.
Prof Aizenberg said the biggest challenge in the
development of this surface was to figure out how
to structure the steel to ensure its anti-fouling
capability without mechanical degradation. The
team solved this by using an electrochemical
technique to grow an ultrathin film of hundreds of
thousands of small and rough tungsten-oxide
islands directly onto a steel surface.
“If one part of an island is destroyed, the damage
doesn’t propagate to other parts of the surface
because of the lack of interconnectivity between
neighbouring islands,” said Alexander Tesler,
former postdoctoral fellow at SEAS. “This island-
like morphology combined with the inherent
durability and roughness of the tungsten oxide
allows the surface to keep its repellent properties
in highly abrasive applications, which was
impossible until now.”
Electrochemical deposition is already a widely
used technique in steel manufacturing. The goal,
Prof Aizenberg said, is to be scalable, but not
disruptive to current industry practices.
The team tested the material by scratching it with
stainless steel tweezers, screwdrivers, diamond-
tipped scribers, and pummelling it with hundreds of
thousands of hard, heavy beads. Then, the team
tested its anti-wetting properties with a variety of
liquids, including water, oil, highly corrosive media,
biological fluids containing bacteria and blood. Not
only did the material repel all the liquid but the
tungsten oxide also made the steel stronger.
Source: http://www.materialsforengineering.co.uk/
Page 12
 NEWS
Metals NZ CEO
Gary Hook
Boron... Chromium... What
Next?
Rumors are circulating in the market that the
Chinese Governmnet will withdraw the current tax
rebate on exports of chromium-added steel
products.
Chinese mills started adding chromium to their
steel at the beginning of the year so that they could
still enjoy the 9-13% rebate on exports of steel
alloy products after the government excluded
material containing boron from the classification on
environmental grounds.
Interrnational prices are already at lows not seen
for more than 10 years, so the additional rebate is
significantly assisting the local mills vs international
competition.
Many traders and overseas buyers have held off
making offers and bids until a clearer picture
emerges, participants said. "If the tax rebate is
removed at the end of the year, it will be bad news
for mills as they will be the ones hit with a tax bill
for the latest orders, not customers," a trader
based in northern China has said.
However, mills are already looking at ways to
circumvent the rebate removal, the trader said.
"They will add material such as vanadium or
titanium instead, so that the products could still be
classified as other alloy steel and remain eligible
for a tax rebate".
This situation clearly illustrates a bold strategic
intent in order to retain international price
leadership, but tinkering with product specifications
in this way, and at such a rapid pace demands an
'alert' quality assurance regime in international
markets.
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
Safety Concerns Over
Fabricated Chinese Steel
Flooding Australian Market
The Australian steel
industry has issued a
warning about the safety
standards of steel products
being imported from
overseas. An oversupply of
Chinese steel is plaguing the industry worldwide
and Australian steelmakers are struggling to
survive, as cheap raw and fabricated Chinese
product floods the market. But the Australian Steel
Institute and the Welding Technology Institute of
Australia say some of the fabricated steel entering
the country has serious quality defects.
"We've seen some examples of that and it's quite
dangerous," Welding Institute chief executive Geoff
Crittenden told 7.30. "What concerns us most of all
is there's going to be a terrible accident, and that's
unacceptable."
Local fabricators have told the 7.30 program that
they are often called in to repair the imported steel,
to make it safe for use. The managing director of
Cullen Steel, Ron Barrington, said it was a
common problem. Mr Barrington said his company
was recently contracted to repair a bridge project
in Sydney's west, after the imported product from
Vietnam was found wanting.
"The bridge had a design deflection of about 100
millimetres, it actually deflected 600 millimetres,"
he said. "Welds started failing, material started
failing and the bridge was on the verge of
collapse."
The Australian Steel Institute raised similar
concerns about three footbridges installed recently
at Busselton, Western Australia. The bridges were
manufactured in China. Steel Institute Spokesman
James England said the bridges would need
significant maintenance to repair rust, welding
mistakes and deflection.
"When bridges fail, they fail catastrophically and
pretty much without warning," Mr England said.
"You've got to be absolutely 100 per cent certain
with bridges, that they're built to proper standards."
The industry says official Australian standards are
not met by all fabricated steel products imported
into the country. Steel importers, however, warn
that increasing regulation on the industry will only
push up the cost burden when conditions are
already difficult.
Source: www.abc.net.au
Page 13
HERA INFORMATION CENTRE
The following books on various aspects of engineering have recently been acquired, and are
available from the HERA Library:
NEW Eurocodes white paper from
British Steel Institute (BSI):
Eurocodes: How to Use Them and How to
Realize Their Potential for Your Business
BSI white paper by Owen Brooker, Technical
Director, Modulus.
The introduction of the Eurocodes to the UK is a
major change for engineers working in structural
and civil engineering. The Codes were introduced
to eliminate technical obstacles to trade and
harmonize technical specifications, thus creating a
more open marketplace.
This paper is intended to address the challenges
that this change presents and to provide useful
insights and assistance in making the transition to
using the Eurocodes. To download your copy go to
http://shop.bsigroup.com/Browse-By-
Subject/Eurocodes/Eurocodes-2015/Eurocodes-
white-paper-tse/
New to HERA Library
BS EN 10293:2015 Steel Castings. Steel
Castings for General Engineering Uses
What does it cover?
BS EN 10293:2015 relates to steel castings for
general engineering uses and covers information
to be supplied by the purchaser, designation,
manufacturing process, requirements, testing,
identification and marking, packaging and surface
protection. It also offers guidance on welding. It
applies to cases where castings are joined by
welding by the founder. It does not apply to cases
where castings are welded to wrought products
(plates, tubes, forgings), or by non-founders. The
standard should be used in conjunction with the
following two standards:
- BS EN 1559-1: 2011 Founding. Technical
Conditions of Delivery. General
- BS EN 1559-2: 2014 Founding. Technical
Conditions of Delivery. Additional Requirements for
Steel Castings.
How does it differ from the 2005 version?
The 2005 version has been systematically
reviewed by experts since its initial publication to
ensure its continued market relevance. As a result,
the 2015 edition now includes the following
significant technical changes:
- It aligns with the structures of BS EN 1559-1:
2011 Founding. Technical Conditions of Delivery.
General and BS EN 1559-2: 2014 Founding.
Technical Conditions of Delivery. Additional
Requirements for Steel Castings.
- it adds new grades: GE270, GE320 and
GE360.
REF 3
HERA NEWS Dec 2015
BS EN ISO 14556:2015 Metallic Materials.
Charpy V-Notch Pendulum Impact Test.
Instrumented Test Method
This International Standard specifies a method of
instrumented Charpy V-notch pendulum impact
testing on metallic materials and the requirements
concerning the measurement and recording
equipment. With respect to the Charpy pendulum
impact test described in ISO 148-1, this test
provides further information on the fracture
behaviour of the product under impact testing
conditions.
REF 4
Standards New Zealand is Seeking Feedback
Standards New Zealand is seeking feedback on a
proposal for a new field of technical activity on
corrosion control engineering life cycle. ANSI, the
American National Standards Institute, and SAC,
the Standardization Administration of China, have
proposed this activity. The scope of the proposal is
the following:
- The standardisation of the corrosion control
engineering life cycle, including the terms and
definitions, general requirements, and
evaluation of the corrosion control engineering
life cycle.
- The engineering life cycle is defined as a
system view of the structure to be protected
from corrosion that includes the initial design
and development based on material selection
and protective measures through the
construction, inspection, assessment,
maintenance, and decommissioning at the
end of life of the structure.
The following are intended to be excluded from the
scope of this committee:
- Excluded are work in the field of corrosion of
metals and alloys including corrosion test methods
and corrosion prevention methods and
standardisation in the field of paints, varnishes,
and related products, including raw materials.
- Specific industry or market segments due to their
special requirements are also excluded from the
scope.
Standards New Zealand is consulting with
stakeholders in this area to determine New
Zealand's response. Read
more http://www.standards.co.nz/international-
engagement/new-work-item-proposals/
To submit comments including support for or
opposition to the proposal, please email
isoadmin@standards.co.nz Please provide your
comments by 25 January 2016.
Page 14
 HERA NEWS REFERENCE ITEMS - ORDER FORM
December 2015
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Guidance for Personnel Witnessing Welding
1 Qualification Tests SC-Qual-144 On Loan On Loan -
th
10 Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering
2 2015 Proceedings On Loan On Loan -

BS EN 10293:2015 Steel Castings. Steel Castings for

3 General Engineering Uses On Loan On Loan -

BS EN ISO 14556:2015 Metallic Materials. Charpy V-

Notch Pendulum Impact Test. Instrumented Test
4 On Loan On Loan -
Method

5
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