At the ingress of Victoria’s Port Philip Bay stands the Queenscliff Ferry Terminal – a beacon of architectural prowess and stainless steel ingenuity. Opened in April 2023 after a decade-long collaboration between visionary architects and dedicated clients, this world-class structure epitomises the marriage of functionality and aesthetic allure.

Linking Queenscliff to Sorrento and beyond, the terminal serves as a gateway to the scenic wonders of Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, and the iconic Great Ocean Road. As the bustling hub for Searoad Ferries’ car and passenger services, it orchestrates over 8,200 crossings annually, welcoming more than 960,000 passengers.

Designed by F2

Located in Pilbara of Western Australia, Gudai-Darri is Rio Tinto’s first Greenfield mine in the region in more than a decade. Stretching across both Banjima and Yindjibarndi country, both Traditional Owners were engaged through the planning and development stages in Rio Tinto’s most technologically advanced iron ore mine yet. Gudai-Darri features the world’s first autonomous water carts, trucks, drills, and trains, as well as a robotic ore sampling laboratory and solar farm. Gudai-Darri has a 40-year mine life and will support thousands of jobs moving into the future.
 

THE CHALLENGE

Rio Tinto faced the challenge of providing a sustainable

ASSDA Member Stainless Steel Wire & Mesh has played a pivotal role in delivering a stainless steel coastal fencing solution that has now become the gold standard in ecological management and restoration efforts.

Situated in the Northern Beaches of New South Wales, Curl Curl Beach faces the full force of several coastal conditions, enduring relentless assaults from strong winds, salt movements, extreme temperatures, pollution, and high humidity. This region is classified as a corrosive category C5, however, the location which is adjacent to the beach has been classified as CX under AS 4312:2019 Atmospheric Corrosive Zones, Figure 2.1 (Newcastle region)

A FISH-FRIENDLY WATER EXTRACTION FACILITY  

For the past six years, ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator AWMA Water Control Solutions have been a proud partner of Rangitata Diversion Race Management Ltd (RDRML) in delivering one of the world's largest fish-friendly water extraction facilities using stainless steel.

The Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) plays a crucial role in extracting water from the Rangitata River in New Zealand's South Island, serving irrigation, stock water, and hydropower generation needs year-round. However, the environmental impact on native fish populations was a concern for RDRML.

To address this challenge, AWMA was awarded the design and construct

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

Stainless steel has contributed to one of Western Australia's architectural masterpieces overlooking the Murchison River Gorge.

Kalbarri National Park is located approximately 550km north of Perth in Western Australia (WA) and is dubbed as one of the state's best scenic nature destinations. Delivering a major tourism boost for the Mid-West region, the WA State Government with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions opened the highly anticipated Kalbarri Skywalk in June 2020.

The skywalk allows visitors to immerse themselves in breathtaking views of Murchison River Gorge and the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. Two cantilevered viewing platforms 'float' mid-air

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

ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator Arcus Wire Group has delivered an innovative duplex stainless steel wire rope cable solution for a hydropower project in the Middle East.

The 344MW Kokhav Hayarden pumped storage hydropower plant is located 120km northeast of Tel Aviv. The project is the first and largest of its kind in Israel, as well as the lowest of its kind globally. The powerhouse lies 275m below sea level and features two 3.1 million m³ reservoirs at different heights. Expected to be operational in early 2023, the hydropower station is designed to provide flexible backup power and stability

For almost 30 years ASSDA Member AirEng has delivered customised, state-of-the-art stainless steel airflow solutions for a wide range of local and global industries including agriculture, mining, food and beverage and water treatment. 

AirEng continues to be a leading industrial fan specialist, providing businesses with steadfast solutions, employing leading edge technology, practical design, and robust construction. All AirEng products are proudly designed and manufactured locally in Australia at their production facility in Bayswater, Victoria, spanning over a 3.2-acre site. 

Industrial fans are used for various applications and unique industry needs. They are generally broken down into three different fan types,

Brisbane’s Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade saw Australia’s largest use of stainless steel reinforcement bar to date, transforming the structural performance of one of the city’s busiest roads.  

An initiative of Brisbane City Council and designed and constructed by Lendlease, the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade involved widening the 7km road from four to six lanes between Theodore Street at Eagle Farm and Cooksley Street at Hamilton. This was achieved via a retaining wall built between 10m to 15m out into the Brisbane River. As a major road corridor, Kingsford Smith Drive links the Brisbane CBD to Brisbane Airport, the Port of

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,

1934 marked the birth of the world’s first stainless steel passenger railcar in the United States, and today it represents over 80% of all passenger railcars in Australia. Stainless steels deliver a sustainable materials solution for the rail industry, offering excellent physical properties including formability and weldability, in addition to its high strength, durability and aesthetic appeal.

The typical lifespan of a passenger railcar is 30 to 35 years, however with a proper maintenance program, stainless steel railcars can last more than 50 years. While only requiring minimal maintenance, dirt and other surface contaminants from daily use can affect the

The seaside town of Terrigal on the New South Wales’ Central Coast has welcomed a new addition to its foreshore with a scenic walkway using stainless steel.

The long-awaited Terrigal Boardwalk connects the existing pedestrian networks of the Terrigal Beach promenade and The Haven, providing a safe and accessible route around the headland. The new attraction provides social, health and economic benefits for the local community, allowing visitors and tourists to enjoy the public space and ocean front area.

The project was jointly funded by the Central Coast Council ($2.9M) and the NSW Government’s Restart NSW Regional Growth Environment and

Stainless steel is playing an important role in delivering effective infrastructure to achieve water savings, securing a sustainable environment and future for irrigation communities in Australia.

Murray Irrigation's Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operator Program (PIIOP) Round 3 in New South Wales is a modernisation project focused on upgrading larger infrastructure within the main canals of its irrigation assets, including Mulwala and Wakool Canals.

Mulwala Canal is Australia’s largest irrigation canal, and together with Wakool Canal runs 157km long. It has the capacity to deliver more than 1,500,000ML of water per year to irrigators in the Southern Riverina, helping to generate more

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

Stainless steel is the ultimate materials solution for electrical enclosures in safeguarding the network and communications technology invested in underground mining sites.

Olympic Dam is a large polymetallic underground mine located in South Australia, approximately 550km northwest of Adelaide.

Home to a major source of oxide copper gold deposit, Olympic Dam produces combined quantities of copper, gold, uranium and silver through an underground mining system integrated with a metallurgical processing plant. The large deposit was discovered in 1975 and in 1988, the mine was opened by WMC Resources. Today, Olympic Dam is owned and operated by BHP, following its acquisition

Mirror finished stainless steel sign blades can be found scattered along the central boulevard of Sydney’s revitalised Darling Harbour.

Through a recent $3.4 billion transformation, Darling Harbour has become Australia’s largest entertainment and events precinct boasting world class facilities, including over 40,000 square metres of exhibition space. This urban rejuvenation builds on the success of Darling Harbour and in turn, will generate $200 million annually in economic benefit for the NSW economy.

The Harbour is ringed by attractions, entertainment and extraordinary waterfront restaurants. The Boulevard creates an active north-south pedestrian connection between Central Station and Cockle Bay. Its prime location

Stainless steel has delivered the confidence it will provide the structural performance and meet the 100-year life-cycle of a new marina development on the New South Wales’ South Coast.

The Waterfront, Shell Cove, is a joint residential and mixed-use development between Shellharbour City Council and Frasers Property Australia located 22km south of Wollongong.

Central to the development is its waterfront location and world-class marina that will offer pontoon berthing for approximately 270 vessels, direct access to the Pacific Ocean, charter boat operations, a public boat ramp and a variety of marina facilities and services.

Stainless steel reinforcement has played a

Taking pride of place within Perth’s Optus Stadium Park is the Arbour featuring a stainless steel cable net canopy delivered by ASSDA Member Structural Dynamics.

The 60,000-capacity arena is the latest major development to hit Western Australia’s capital, boasting a world-class multi-purpose venue that combines innovative design with community infrastructure.

The impressive Arbour stands 10m tall and 20m wide, and stretches 450m around the south side of the Stadium. It connects a new six-platform railway station to the Swan River, over which the Matagarup Bridge is currently being constructed to provide pedestrian access to East Perth.

Over a thousand stainless

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