Whether you live, or are planning to build in a bushfire prone area, or simply want to increase the bushfire performance afforded to your home, COLORBOND® steel can be a key part of your bushfire design solution. The CSIRO’s research and investigation into the performance of residential boundary fencing in bushfires (download here) found that "a steel fence offers greater protection to people's homes against bushfire than other alternative materials because of its non-combustibility"....Of the different materials tested, pre-painted and metallic coated sheet steel (in this case made from COLORBOND® steel) performed best under all exposure conditions and in particular when faced with a 30 minute flame immersion test used to stimulate potential effects of an adjacent house fire, which is common during bushfire events."

Roofing, walling, gutters and downpipes made from COLORBOND® steel may be used as part of a compliant system in bushfire prone areas, including in the most extreme, BAL-FZ (Bushfire Attack Level – Flame Zone) as defined in AS 3959:2018. In BAL-FZ “there is an extremely high risk of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, and a likelihood of exposure to an extreme level of radiant heat and direct exposure to flames from the fire front.” (AS 3959:2018). 

For more information on BlueScope Product Solutions for Bushfire areas, please visit our BlueScope Australia website.