THE CONTINUAL EVOLUTION OF STEEL

Steel is one of Australia’s go to building products. While it has always been an integral building component for our countries high rises and apartment developments, there has been a shifting trend towards using steel for the domestic building industry, replacing traditional wooden frames. In addition, architects today have pushed the boundaries of steel to create eye-catching external features that help to distinguish their projects.

Gone are the days where steel is hidden away as a rarely seen skeleton of a building, as it becomes the hero finish that gives a building its inimitable exterior finish and striking presence. At Fielders, we have a long tradition of creating innovative products and profiles that have the ability to create unique shapes that deliver on distinct specifications provided in the design briefs. One such example is our ARAMAX FreeSpan roof sheeting which allows designers to eliminate the cost and complexity of a buildings secondary structure thanks to its 20 metre span. The ARAMAX FreeSpan serves as a visually stunning and structural component of the structure, reducing cost without compromising performance.

Image: The Hangar

The Finesse range of interlocking panels is also a popular product that provides projects with a sleek stylish look while still offering the durability and flexibility offered by steel cladding. And then there’s the curving capacity of our Millennium profile, that allows architects to do some truly amazing things when it comes to the design of a building or property. Highlighted perfectly by this contemporary home inspired by the Lord’s Cricket Ground Press Box (see below).

With all these stunning applications available to home owners, architects and builders alike the possibilities for steel construction, finishes and roofing truly are endless.

Image: Finess Interlocking Panels

Why Fielders Millennium is all the rage…

We recently inducted Millennium as a standalone product part of the popular architectural Finesse range available at Fielders, bringing a total of five unique profiles to the range.

Millennium joins Interlocking Panel, Shadowline 305, Nailstrip, and Neo-Roman suite, providing home owners and commercial developers with a versatile and modern solution for both stylish and elegant design.

One of the profiles most impressive features is its unique curving capacity rarely achieved by cladding profiles, allowing for exceptional results such as those accomplished with the iconic home inspired by the Lord’s Press box (pictured below). 

With Clean lines and a striking finish, Millennium is easy to design and install producing a sleek, simple and visually appealing final product.

The Fielders Finesse range has been designed to combine the aesthetic appeal, durability and flexibility of steel cladding. Ideally matched with COLORBOND® Steel Metallic colours, the profiles are the ideal high-end modern feature without the traditional high-end price tag.

Find out more about Millennium and the Finesse range on the Fielders website. 

10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT STEEL

Steel is one of the most important and versatile materials in the world. With its undeniable strength and ability to be repeatedly recycled, it has become a vital component for construction, transport and telecommunications and is even more crucial than one might think to the overall functionality of our day-to-day lives.

Here are 10 interesting facts that will make you think twice about the use of steel and how significant it really is:

1. Steel is an integral part of the circular economy promoting zero waste, reuse of resources and is continuously recycled, helping build a sustainable future.

2. The strength of steel is what makes it an essential factor in the construction and the durability of buildings around the world, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which required 52,800 tonnes of steel in its construction.

3. The steel industry globally spends more than $12 billion annually on improving the manufacturing process, new product development and future breakthrough technology.

4. Steel is the main material used in enabling the delivery of renewable energy: solar, tidal and wind.

5. Steel comprises approximately 75% of all major appliances.

6. The steel industry is the second biggest industry in the world after oil and gas with an estimated global turnover of USD900 billion.

7. By 2050, steel use is projected to increase to be 1.5 times higher than present levels in order to meet the needs of our growing population.

8. Annually over 15 million cars are recycled worldwide, which provides enough material to produce about 15 million brand new cars.

9. The entire telecommunications network around the world would be non-existent without steel!

10. By using a steel frame to build a house instead of wood, you could save up to 40 fully grown trees, working towards a more sustainable future for the environment.

These 10 facts should provide you with further insight into the versatile world of steel, ensuring that your next encounter with steel generates a second thought. 

Resources:

http://polsteel.co.uk/fun-fascinating-facts-steel/

http://www.steel.org/~/media/Files/AISI/Fact%20Sheets/50_Fun_Facts_About_Steel.pdf

https://youcallwehaul.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/did-you-know-10-facts-about-steel/

http://www.wescoweld.com/blog/2015/8/25/10-fun-facts-about-steel

http://www.capitalsteel.net/news/blog/steel-facts-might-surprise-you

http://www.worldsteel.org/epub/whitebook/index.html#/6

http://omahasteel.socialmediacontractors.net/2013/11/20/5-fun-facts-about-steel/

https://www.worldsteel.org/

Gen-U-Win has launched!

The Colorbond® Gen-U-Win promotion is back again having officially launched nationally across our Fielders branches and distributors this month!

Following the success of the last Gen-U-Win promotion that saw winners from across the country share in the huge prize pool, this time round Aussie homeowners will have the chance to win an exciting major cash prize of $100,000.

Entrants will also go in the running for a state-based prize of $2,000, with winners selected every month throughout the duration of the promotion.

To be eligible to enter, simply visit a Fielders branch or distributor between now and February 29^th 2016 and spend at least $200 or more on products made from genuine Colorbond® Steel.

What’s more, homeowners who purchased over $200 worth of Colorbond® product from May 1^st 2015 onwards are also eligible to enter.

To register your entry, visit www.colorbond.com/genuwin and follow the prompts to the homeowner entry page and progress through each step by filling in the necessary details. Remember, it is important to keep hold of the original invoice or receipt as proof of purchase when entering.

We are extremely excited to take part in the Colorbond® Gen-U-Win promotion once again and giving our Fielders customers the chance to win big!

For the promotion’s T&Cs click here and if you would like more information about Colorbond® Steel, you can visit their website: http://colorbond.com/

The new Fielders website has arrived

Last month was an exciting time as we launched our brand new state-of-the-art Fielders website, a hub of information for our latest commercial, domestic and home improvements product and services.

We are pleased with the outcome and hope you are too, with the development involving a substantial amount of planning to ensure that it enhances your experience and usability.

As you can see, we have adopted an image rich and modern aesthetic to better align with the innovative Fielders brand, while at the same time, ensuring our content remains relevant and dynamic.

To achieve the final result, we undertook a significant review and update of our product information and materials to ensure technical resources are up to date to better service you, the customer, who regularly visits the site.
It was our top priority to create a website with the consumer firmly in mind, so the development was executed and reinvigorated in a way that best caters to the visitor experience.

We have also ensured that that the site is easier to navigate so you will be able to efficiently locate information and materials. An example of this is shown below, with the KingFlor page clearly set up to make it easier for you to find information and materials on a specific product type with much less click-thru.

For your convenience, the website also contains a page for our Home Improvements range so you can easily find information on our Fielders Centenary, Dominator Fencing or Endurance Sheds.

What’s more, our home page will keep you up to date with the latest in Fielders news and give you the option to simply sign up to our mailing list so you’re continually up to date.

To experience our new and improved website in its entirety, please see the following link: http://fielders.com.au/

South Australia Celebrates its Architecture

Friday 3^rd July 2015 marked the annual celebration of the best of SA’s architecture at the South Australian Architecture Awards, held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

On behalf of the entire team at Fielders, we would like to congratulate all of the winners and nominees at this year’s event. It was fantastic to be there and celebrate the outstanding work produced by South Australian architects.

As a major partner of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) SA Chapter, we were delighted to sponsor this year’s Educational Architecture award category.

A big hats off to John Wardle Architects and Phillips/Pilkington Architects who won this category for the Jeffrey Smart Building at the University of South Australia; a well-deserved recognition for a great piece of design. Congratulations to the commendations in this category, including JPE Design Studio for the Adelaide High School Learning Centre and Flightpath Architects for the Cornerstone College project which featured ARAMAX roofing.

Some other notable winners on the night included the Adelaide Oval Redevelopment which took out two categories in the City of Adelaide Prize, plus the Award for Public Architecture. A special congratulations goes to Cox Architecture, Walter Brooke and Hames Sharely for their outstanding success in this development - one that has well and truly put Adelaide on the map in terms of international sports and recreation.

As the supplier of KingFlor steel formwork to the redevelopment during the construction phase, it was great to see the finished product officially recognised and we’re proud to have collaborated with the architects and contractors on this now landmark South Australian stadium.

While we were there to witness all the highlights of the night, we were also present on our social media platforms, providing real-time updates on the night’s events and award wins. If you want to catch up on some of the highlights from the 2015 awards, head over to our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Once again, congratulations to all nominees and to this year’s winners that will be heading to the national finals in November. We look forward to next year’s awards, continuing our partnership with AIA and supporting the work of South Australian architects.

For more information on the Australian Institute of Architecture, please visit:

http://architecture.com.au/

Fielders ARAMAX FreeSpan building blocks

Fielders join forces with Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy

We're proud join forces with the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy as major sponsor, as we aim to give many more non-elite cricketers an elite cricketing experience.

Coinciding with the re-signing of Boof as our official Brand Ambassador, our sponsorship with the academy will assist in fostering the development of our young cricketers to provide them with all the tools they need to make the most of the sport.

Darren recently spoke of our partnership and how he's proud to have us involved with this important initiative.

"As a Fielders Ambassador, over the years I have done television, radio and newspaper advertising with Fielders and I couldn't be happier that they have invested themselves in helping us to help cricketers of any ability be the best they can be via our internationally recognised cricket programs," said Boof.

Our support of the DLCA will assist in growing its operations and opening a Darren Lehmann Aboriginal Cricket Academy in 2016, while expanding its reach into India.

Since opening in 2005, the Adelaide-based DLCA has hosted players from all over the world, with 18 international, 14 international "A" players and almost 100 First Class players progressing through the system.

The academy run a number of programs that are extension of the International High Performance Program, including tours for 16 to 18 year old cricketers from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore, who have toured Sri Lanka, India, and the UK to participate in the Gap Year and Winter programs plus Regional Camps.

Based on Australian Cricket Team Coach, Darren Lehmann's approach to the game, the DLCA has proven to be very successful at developing cricketers of all ages and abilities - we couldn't be prouder to be involved with such a worthwhile program.

Find out more about the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy online at www.dlca.com.au