Steel & Tube has provided a large volume of high-quality roofing, cladding and reinforcing steel products for the construction of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s new high-tech premises in Auckland.
As well as standard steel products, the diversity of Steel & Tube’s product range means we could fulfil some of the project’s more demanding requirements. In fact, one of the products we sent to the East Tamaki site is not made from steel at all – it’s a very large, sophisticated and high-tech polypropylene pipe.
The piping product is suitable for a range of uses, including carrying hot or chilled water, has better flow rates than competing steel-based products and, surprisingly, has far better Green Star credentials than steel. Where a plastic pipe struggles at higher pressures and temperatures, this ultramodern pipe can handle up to 85°C, effectively replacing the need for expensive copper pipe.
The pipe and fittings are also designed to be lightweight and easy to install, so transporting them to the site and putting them in place has proven to be a lot easier than using traditional alternatives.
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare says its new 23,000m² building will provide increased office, research and development, laboratory, manufacturing and warehouse space and enable it to double its New Zealand-based activities over the next few years.
Steel & Tube’s new focus on improving our level of service, diversifying our product offering and adding new value to our customers’ projects requirements all help reinforce the organisation as New Zealand’s leading steel distributor.