Color Steel Sandwich Panels Must Comply with AS/NZS 4859.1 and AS/NZS 1530.3 Standards

The certification criteria for color steel sandwich panels in Australia and New Zealand have been expounded upon in detail, which involve the AS/NZS 4859.1 and AS/NZS 1530.3 compliance manuals.

• Scope of the Core Standards

 - AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 "Thermal Insulation Materials for Building" is applicable to the thermal insulation core materials in color steel sandwich panels, such as polyurethane (PU), rock wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and extruded polystyrene (XPS). Its key requirements are the testing and classification of thermal conductivity (λ value), dimensional stability testing under high temperature and high humidity environments, assessment of compressive and tensile strength, and long-term thermal resistance performance evaluation.

 - AS/NZS 1530.3:1999 "Flammability Test of Building Materials" is for the overall fire performance assessment of color steel sandwich panels. The main requirements include the flame spread index (FSI) test, heat release rate evaluation, burning drop debris detection, and smoke generation measurement.

• Key Test Items and Requirements 

The principal test items in AS/NZS 4859.1 include: as per AS/NZS 4859.1 Annex B, the thermal conductivity should have λ≤0.045 W/(m·K) for top-notch thermal insulation grade. Per ISO 2796, the length variation rate should be ≤2% under the conditions of 70℃ and 95% relative humidity. The compressive strength, as per ISO 844, should be ≥150kPa for roofing applications. And per AS/NZS 4859.1 Annex D, the water absorption rate should be ≤3% by volume after a 24-hour immersion.

AS/NZS 1530.3 classifies fire performance like this: For Group 1, FSI≤20, which is for high-rise buildings and escape routes. Group 2 means 20100 are regarded as non-compliant and are prohibited from being used for building enclosures.

• Certification Process (Five Pivotal Steps)

 - Material Pre-evaluation: Confirm the type of core material (PU, rock wool, EPS, etc.), and check the thickness of the metal faceplate (should meet AS/NZS 2728).

- Laboratory Testing: Select a laboratory accredited by NATA. - Document Preparation: The technical document list should cover the product specification sheet (including sectional view), raw material safety data sheet (MSDS), test report (in both Chinese and English), and factory quality control plan.

- Certification Application: Submit to CodeMark (mandatory certification for building products) and WaterMark (additional certification for water-related components).

- Marking and Compliance: It is essential to mark "AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 Compliant", "Fire Rating: Group X (AS/NZS 1530.3)", "Manufacturer: XXX", and "Batch No.: XXX".

• Solutions to Regular Issues

- Polyurethane sandwich panels having excessive smoke emission: Add flame retardants (phosphorus-based flame retardants are suggested), or switch to melamine foam core material.

- EPS core materials not meeting fire rating requirements: Use flame-retardant EPS (add graphite flame retardants), or increase the thickness of the metal faceplate (≥0.5mm).

- Rock wool sandwich panels having a relatively high thermal conductivity: The optimization directions include increasing the density of rock wool to ≥100kg/m³, or adopting a composite structure with vacuum insulation panels (VIP).

• Market Access Precautions 

- Special demands in various states of Australia: In Victoria, CodeMark certification is mandatory; in Queensland, an extra Cyclone Rating has to be met.

 - Supplementary standards in New Zealand: There are the NZBC C3.15 (seismic resistance requirements in earthquake zones) and the rainwater penetration test (AS/NZS 4284). Cost optimization suggestions involve applying for series products (unified certification for different thicknesses) and conducting pre-tests ahead of time (to prevent failure in formal testing).