For years, the plumbing industry has been dominated by materials such as galvanised mild steel, copper, and plastic. However stainless steel is quickly emerging as a standard construction material in various water supply applications.

Stainless steel offers a multitude of benefits, including corrosion resistance, hygienic properties, strength, long-term performance, excellent hydraulic conductivity, and the ability to withstand high pressure and temperature requirements. It has found its place in diverse applications, from desalination plants and reverse osmosis water treatment systems to water supply for high-rise buildings and domestic tapware. Stainless steel provides a safe and sustainable solution throughout the entire lifespan

Coloured stainless steel graces West Side Place

ASSDA Member Fabmetal Specialists has added a touch of luxury to Melbourne City's latest residential landmark by delivering an exquisite package of geometric stair soffit and balustrade cladding, created from coloured stainless steel.

Spanning an expansive 12,000m² site and set to become Victoria's largest residential development, West Side Place elegantly connects Spencer and Lonsdale Streets in Melbourne's CBD. The iconic project boasts an array of mixed-use spaces, including residential apartments, recreational facilities, retail, and dining arcades, and is also home to the prestigious Ritz-Carlton and Dorsett Hotels.

With its world-class design and a

Street furniture defines a city's urban landscape, and stainless steel is becoming a material of choice for its long-term cost benefits in addition to its sleek designs, durability, and visual appeal.

In Australia, the City of Melbourne has led the way in sustainable materials selection, undertaking a life cycle costing comparison study over a 25-year term between carbon steel and stainless steel for use in its public street furniture.

The products studied and manufactured included 1200 general waste bins, 500 recycling bins, 800 seats, 400 benches and 80 drinking fountains. Two broad costing components were considered:

1. The initial (procurement) cost

Stainless steels are almost universally used around indoor and exterior pools for railings around or into the water, fixtures, furniture, grills, etc. The finishes are bright and readily cleanable for hygiene and are resistant to staining or corrosion by the chemical treatments required for the maintenance of public health.

This article discusses the unexpected problem (and the solutions) that showed up in the 1980s because of the changing design and operation of indoor heated and chlorinated swimming pools when combined with the increased use of stainless steels as structural supports in the ceilings over pools. The problem: 304/316 stainless steel

When working with stainless steel assets, a lot of attention is put into getting the 'pre-install' aspects right. Design, specification, fabrication, and commissioning are all equally important, but how the stainless steel in these assets is cared for and maintained is just as critical for optimum life and performance.

ASSDA Member Kleanwell specialises in asset management through the provision of cleaning and maintenance programs. Their work focuses on products where stainless steel is predominant - lift and elevator cladding, facades, awnings, and ducts among many others.

Jessica Wehbe, Director of Strategic Relationships at Kleanwell, says there is a clear gap

Water quality plays a crucial role in the decontamination and reprocessing of reusable medical devices, and stainless steel has helped facilitate the standard required for their sterilisation. 

The release of AS/NZS 4187:2014 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices in health service organisations requires hospitals across Australia to comply with a range of stringent new requirements consistent with European and global standards for sterilisation processes. Its aim is to ensure reusable medical devices are adequately cleaned, disinfected and sterilised to protect patients and prevent infection.

Water quality is critical for sterile processing, and one requirement of the revised standard includes the replacement of non-compliant cleaning,

Stainless steel hot water heaters offer superior design combining high thermal efficiency, corrosion resistance, durability and performance for domestic applications.

ASSDA Member Rheem Australia has been committed to delivering hot water systems for over 80 years, with its first gas water heater manufactured in 1939 in Waterloo, Sydney. Through new product development and innovation, Rheem Australia has pioneered the commercial production of Australian-made hot water systems, designed and built for Australian conditions.

Operations Manager at Rheem, Gavan Schaeche, says, “Rheem Moorabbin is leading the way with its very own Stainless Steel and Commercial Centre of Excellence. The centre performs 125km of stainless steel welds

A collaboration between ASSDA Members using 'gold' stainless steel has delivered the epitome of opulent luxury at The Star Sydney.

The Star Sydney's multi-million-dollar transformation has seen its Pyrmont Street entrance revolutionise the guest arrival experience, with a porte-cochère facing the glittering Darling Harbour and a refurbished Grand Foyer combining innovative architecture, contemporary art and technology.

Over 4000m² of grade 316 stainless steel with a gold finish is featured throughout the Grand Foyer and porte-cochère, enriching the luxurious look and feel of the integrated resort. ASSDA Member Steel Color Australia supplied 1mm and 1.2mm thick stainless steel sheet in

Australian designed and manufactured stainless steel wedge wire grating has been instrumental in delivering 'Aquatique', the first sculptural water installation of its design in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Star Sydney's Grand Foyer has been transformed as part of an $850 million redevelopment for the integrated resort. A unique immersive visual experience is now welcoming guests in a masterfully choreographed interplay of light, water, digital art and live performance.

The key elements of the installation include an 8K resolution, 25m wide crescent-shaped digital screen, laser light shows and 'Aquatique', a cascading sculptural water feature spanning 8m with a 2m diameter centre stage.

Setting the benchmark in boutique luxury and innovation using stainless steel is Brisbane’s Emporium Hotel.

Developed by the Anthony John Group, The Emporium Hotel opened in July 2018. Nestled in the premier lifestyle and cultural precinct of South Bank, the 143-suite hotel is turning heads with its exquisite interior design, bespoke handcrafted features and luxurious facilities.

Stainless steel was the material of choice for the five-star hotel and selected for its quality, opulent aesthetic and luxury appeal. Over 5.5 tonnes of grade 304 stainless steel sheet, 1.2mm thick in a No. 8 mirror finish was used throughout the five-star hotel

Stainless Steel Pool Fencing

Safety is the number one consideration when building a pool fence, and stainless steel delivers in compliance and material strength while fulfilling design and aesthetic needs.

A stunning canal-front home on the Gold Coast features a streamlined stainless steel vertical balustrade system as supplied by ASSDA Member Miami Stainless.

The custom-designed stainless steel pool fence features 50mm square mirror-polished posts and upper and lower rails. Complying with Queensland pool fencing and safety barrier regulations, the vertical stainless steel wire balustrades were spaced 80mm apart and installed using Miami Stainless’ Nutsert Swage Stud System on the

What is the fire rating of stainless steel? This is a common enquiry from ASSDA Members and the construction industry, especially with the current concerns about flammable cladding. The three major branches to this question are covered in this article.

Will stainless steel burn, and if it does, will it give off fumes or facilitate the spread of fire?  

This question is readily answered because stainless steels are steels. It is recognised that steels do not burn and only start to melt at about 1400^oC. This means that stainless steels do not have a “fire rating” as

Innovative Melbournian architecture has delivered a striking stainless steel feature in the city’s latest commercial mixed-use development.

Melbourne is setting the benchmark for world-class design with Collins Square now one of Australia’s largest CBD commercial precincts, covering an entire city block on Collins Street. Already home to a number of leading global corporations and the revitalised heritage-listed Southern Goods Shed, the $2.5 billion project will at completion comprise of five commercial towers and over 10,000sqm of retail space.

Black mirror finish stainless steel columns are the focal point in the lobbies and food precincts of Towers Two and Four of

Stainless steel is playing a vital role in the structural integrity of a new state-of-the-art library at one of Brisbane’s most prestigious boys’ school.

The Centenary Library at Anglican Church Grammar School was designed by Brand + Slater Architects, and the ambitious project was part of the school’s master plan to provide a technology-rich, world-class centre for its 1800 students. Comprising four levels, the tertiary-inspired building features an extensive range of learning spaces including a 250-seat lecture theatre, teaching and meeting rooms and over 80 individual study areas.

The library stands 23.5m tall on a heritage-listed part of the school

You return home after a long journey. Imagine being greeted by a beautiful stainless steel sculpture surrounded by landscaped gardens on your return. One ASSDA Member has used stainless steel to symbolise everything we love about our communities: Security, comfort and home.

It’s easy to think of stainless steel in relation to tubes, panels and rolls in the construction industry, but Brisbane-based ASSDA member, Concept Stainless Design, has taken the product and crafted it into stunningly beautiful sculptures for developers Villa World at their new subdivision on the northern Gold Coast.

Located 70km south of Brisbane, Arundel Springs will

Stainless steel has brought life to a unique food precinct located in a recently opened premium office tower in Brisbane City's Golden Triangle.

Developed and constructed by Grocon, 480 Queen Street’s sustainable and eclectic design boasts a 6 Star Green Star and a 5 Star NABERS rating. The building’s food gallery, otherwise known as Room 480, is located on level 2 and capitalises on the stunning views of Brisbane River and Story Bridge to deliver a restaurant style experience and retreat for diners.

Complementing this space is a suspended stainless steel sculpture, designed by local architecture and interior design practice

Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge is sporting increased safety measures with the application of innovative stainless steel products and laser-fusion technology.

 The 76-year old heritage-listed cantilever bridge now incorporates three-metre tall, stainless steel safety barriers on its pedestrian walkways, as a result of an outstanding collaboration between multiple project stakeholders. Completed in December 2015, the $8.4 million project was led by design and construct head contractor, Freyssinet.

The design brief was to develop an anti-climb structure that was both functional and aesthetically appealing, whilst ensuring the heritage values of the bridge were maintained.

This presented a number of engineering challenges, including

A modern and innovative design using coloured and textured stainless steel has left an impressive statement on an Adelaide streetscape.

South Australia’s premier shopping district Rundle Mall underwent a full makeover from 2012-2014 as part of the Adelaide City Council’s initiative to revitalise the precinct.

Part of this redevelopment included a redesign of the facade of a commercial tower at 80 Grenfell Street, housing the Adelaide headquarters of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

Design practice HASSELL delivered an iridescent façade design using coloured stainless steel cladding, supplied by ASSDA Member Steel Color Australia. The extent of the façade referred

When Sydney's Star City Casino emerged from the chrysalis of its construction scaffolding, its metamorphosis included a gleaming 340m² stainless steel-and-glass canopy facing the harbour.

ASSDA Member TripleNine Stainless fabricated and installed the canopy over the main entrance of ‘The Star’, as it is now known, as part of an $850 million redevelopment. This transformation saw Sydney’s only casino swing its orientation 180° from Pyrmont’s fish markets toward the city’s glittering Darling Harbour.

The Star’s façade was designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners and is comprised of 147 flags of clear, low-iron glass supported by two fingers of 20mm and

Stainless steel’s star has ascended in the public’s conscience as thousands of Westfield Sydney shoppers enjoy the world-class design and materials on show in its newest retail development.

Covering 103,000m2, the $1.2 billion Westfield Sydney development is bound by the Pitt Street Mall and Market and Castlereagh Streets in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. It integrates Westfield Centrepoint, the Centrepoint Convention Centre, Imperial Arcade and Skygarden, plus a new office tower at 85 Castlereagh Street and an extensively modified and refurbished tower at 100 Market Street.

While the size of the project is enormous, it’s the design that’s turning heads.