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In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we’re having a kōrero with Hafez
In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we're having a kōrero with Hafez, HERA's lead research engineer, about the weld science quietly reshaping how steel structures are designed and built across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. So the question of how our steel structures perform during an earthquake is not theoretical. It is urgent. And the answer depends, in large part, on something most people never think about. The weld.
HERA's seismic research program has roots going back to the late 1990s, when early work studied how steel structures behave during earthquakes in New Zealand. That research fed into NZS 3404 and helped steel structures perform well during events like the Canterbury and Wellington earthquakes. The current program, running since 2018, goes further. It is focused specifically on how welds perform in critical seismic connections and how fabrication can be made more cost effective without compromising safety.
In this conversation, Hafez walks through the three active research workstreams currently being tested at AUT's structural test hall. From optimising weld size and type in cruciform samples, to testing whether access holes can be simplified or eliminated entirely, to examining how under matched filler materials perform with high strength steel in end plate connections. Each workstream is a collaboration between HERA, the University of Waikato, University of Auckland, AUT and international research partners.
He explains why replacing complete penetration welds with fillet or partial penetration alternatives could reduce fabrication costs by up to five times, why New Zealand is the only country that permits fillet welds for seismic applications, and how a simple welding factor could replace complex weld design calculations for engineers entirely.
Hafez also talks about a practical HERA guide being developed alongside the NZS 3404 update, with easy to use tables so engineers can find the right weld size by knowing only the plate thickness, steel grade and whether the connection sits in a yielding or non yielding region.
And he shares where robotic welding fits into all of this. The short answer is that NZ fabricators are in the earliest stages of adoption. The research program is already reviewing which connection types are best suited to robotic welding and what needs to change before it becomes a practical reality for most shops.
Resources and links
- Learn more about HERA's Industry 4.0 rangahau: https://hera.org.nz/research/industry-x-0/
- Subscribe to our podcast: https://www.hera.org.nz/podcasts/
📬 Got questions or feedback? Reach us at info@hera.org.nz
