The history of ZINCALUME® steel
22 February 2011
When BlueScope Steel (then John Lysaght Australia) launched ZINCALUME® steel in 1976, the product created an unprecedented revolution in Australian metal roofing and the building market as a whole.
The development of ZINCALUME® steel was an exciting progression in metal coating technology. The first experiments using aluminium and zinc alloy coatings were conducted by Bethlehem Steel in the USA, but Australian researchers at BlueScope Steel (then John Lysaght Australia) perfected the process to ensure reliable and consistent quality output from the continuous metal coating production method.
Significant comparative testing was also conducted using existing galvanized steel and the new alternative including exposure trials and experiments with coil painting. The testing proved that ZINCALUME® steel provided superior performance in external cladding applications
In addition to the new metallic coating, improvements were made by the industry to ancillary products such as the development of neutral-cure silicones and the availability of compatible zinc flashings. This enabled ZINCALUME® steel to be launched as a complete solution that resulted in widespread adoption throughout Australia.
By 1978, customers in Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific had begun to recognise the value of ZINCALUME® steel's longer lifespan, prompting BlueScope Steel to commission a second production line at its Westernport Works, to supplement supply from the original Port Kembla plant.
By the end of the decade, ZINCALUME® steel was available in 13 cladding profiles and was being used as the substrate for COLORBOND® steel, which then was only available in six colours including Mt Olga Orange, Bronze Olive and Weathered Copper.
In the early eighties, ZINCALUME® steel was capturing the imagination of the country's architectural talent, causing a resurgence in steel construction. Award winning architect, Glenn Murcutt, highlighted the aesthetic and practical attributes of ZINCALUME® steel when he used it for roof and wall cladding on the award-winning Magney House at Bingie Point in NSW, a project widely published in Australia and overseas. More recently, building designer Dick Clarke of Envirotecture won plaudits for his award-winning sustainable house The Ecobode, which featured a twisted roof plate made from ZINCALUME® steel.
Since it's introduction, ZINCALUME® steel has gone from strength to strength. In 1999, BlueScope Steel celebrated the production of 10 million tonnes.
Additionally, BlueScope Steel's multi-million dollar research and development program means that ZINCALUME® steel is subject to continuous improvement. In 1994, for example, ZINCALUME® II was launched offering greater resistance to marking during manufacture and installation, a lubricant-free surface for easier handling and the benefit of being ready to paint without primer.
More than three decades of performance monitoring across a wide range of Australian climatic conditions – using exposure test sites and field inspections – has proved that ZINCALUME® steel stands the test of time. As such, in 2005, BlueScope Steel increased the maximum ZINCALUME® steel roofing warranty to 30 years*.
The benefits of specifying ZINCALUME® steel are not limited to its durability and strength either. As with all BlueScope Steel products, ZINCALUME® steel continues to be supported by a full range of technical bulletins that can provide a practical guide to its correct use and maintenance, supported by a nationwide team of technical professionals and tools such as Steel Select.
Since its launch, ZINCALUME® steel has triggered a revolution in steel cladding and construction. Today, specifiers can use ZINCALUME® steel with confidence, knowing that it delivers long-lasting performance and great design possibilities.
*Warranty subject to application and eligibility criteria. For full terms and conditions and to determine the eligibility of your project, see www.bluescopesteel.com.au/warranties.
