In an industry-first collaboration, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) has coordinated a working group to establish a realistic benchmark for sustainability in paint within the steel industry.
The updated Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) Credit 3.1 Paints and Coatings, published on 5 August 2024 within SSA v1.3, stipulates that painting of steel products must adhere to paint manufacturer specifications as detailed in their safety data sheets and/or technical data sheets. This compliance ensures worker safety during the paint application process. Adhering to these specifications also guarantees the paint is dry before the products leave the site, thereby reducing the risk of exposing building occupants to volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The VOC limit specified for SSA Credit 3.1 is that stipulated in the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Green Star Building Exposure to Toxins Credit and now only applies if a steel product is painted at a building site and building occupants are exposed to those painted elements. This would typically include architectural steel features inside a building, but unlikely to apply to structural steel within a building frame.
St Peters Lutheran College Performing Arts Centre, photographer Scott Burrows
The new benchmark makes it easier for members of the ASI’s SSA scheme to demonstrate they meet best practice sustainability standards for applying paint to steel.
A previously contentious aspect of SSA’s Credit 3.1 was requiring applicants to provide evidence that paint VOCs decay overtime. Lengthy discussions with working group members comprising paint manufacturers, building industry representatives and members of the Australasian Corrosion Association were had over a period of four months. Topics included the sustainability and circularity of steel, the importance of anti-corrosion paint to the longevity and durability of steel, the VOC levels in solvent based paint and the decay times of VOCs associated with the drying time of paint.
A key outcome was understanding the complexities of measuring VOC decay times for solvent based paints.
Technical input from Dulux and AkzoNobel was invaluable in gaining intelligence in paint chemistry and determining what’s possible for steel fabricators. Built Australia provided input into the site practicalities of what is achievable in measuring VOCs on building sites and providing assurance to project teams that VOC limits are met.
The working group ran various scenarios to determine what was achievable for fabricators, what is in their zone of responsibility and what could be auditable by the ASI’s SSA scheme. This informed the best way forward for a revised SSA Credit 3.1 SSA.
As an approved initiative of the GBCAs Responsible Products Framework, the updated SSA Credit 3.1 Paints and Coatings was endorsed by the GBCA, who also published an associated FAQ F-00332 What can be excluded from the scope of Minimum Expectations in the Exposure to Toxins credit from Green Star Buildings.
ASI’s ability to unite key stakeholders for positive outcomes benefits ASI members and businesses within the Australian steel supply chain such as fabricators, roll formers and reinforcing businesses who seek to showcase their commitment to sustainability within the building industry, via participating in ASI’s SSA scheme. For more information on ASI’s SSA scheme, visit the website or email ssa@steel.org.au