b'A RE W EN AChapter 8Shaping change While bolted steel structures were1994 with support from New Zealand Steel,our industry forward, says Mike.finding favour in international markets,SSAS promoted steel frames as an alternativeIn 1998, Steel Construction Industry New Zealands structural steel industrysolution. When New Zealand Steel couldNew Zealand (SCI-NZ) was established, the was still suffering the after effects of theno longer fund SSAS, multiple fabricatorsforerunner to Steel Construction New Zealand BNZ Centre debacle. In the early 1990s,and distributors stepped in with voluntary(SCNZ). Both Mike and Nick joined the HERA structural steel had less than five percentdonations before a formal levy system executive and ensured the funding was ring-of the construction market. Engineerswas introduced. fenced to provide long-term security. And were content to continue designingIt was Mike who proposed introducingwhen SCNZ became incorporated in 2005, familiar concrete structures; theya levy on structural steel. The funds wouldboth men took positions on its inaugural werent in a rush to move out support the steel industrys growth, theexecutive. Nick was invaluable in setting up of their comfort zone to explore development of its technical and qualitythe business structure and putting rules in steel alternatives.assurance capabilities, and its ability to trainplace to ensure good governance. consulting engineers.In the time since, Wayne Carson has also We had to give engineers the tools Steel & Tube CEO Nick Calavrias was inspent time on the SCNZ executive. It was to design with structural steel, says favour of a voluntary levy on structural steelan alignment of the planets because steel Mike Sullivan. We had to educate them. purchases and, together with Mike, lobbiedwas becoming a more desirable building Mike felt compelled to get involved at anthe mills and the merchants to get in behindsolution, engineers were more interested in industry level to help raise the standard ofthe proposal. After plenty of heartache steel, and HERA was customising innovative the entire industry and to grow structuralthey werent successful in getting theinternational research and development to steels market share, so he joined the Heavymerchants to collect the money, but they suit the New Zealand context.Engineering Research Association (HERA) did get all of the merchants and fabricatorsThe upshot of all this is that, today, in 1992. The first tool was HERAs Structuralto consent to it, and the steel mills agreed tostructural steel enjoys more than a 50 percent Steel Analysis Service (SSAS). Established incollect it. It gave us a real war chest to takeshare of the construction market nationwide. 75'