BlueScope
BlueScope is Australia's largest steel manufacturer and the parent of Colorbond, Zincalume, Truecore, Galvaspan, and Lysaght. The brand-family map for builders.
Ask Chalkline about this →BlueScope is Australia’s largest steel manufacturer, the parent company of the steel and steel-product brand family that dominates Australian residential roofing, framing, and structural cladding. Production sits at the Port Kembla NSW integrated steelworks. For a builder, BlueScope matters because most of the steel and pre-painted product brands on a residential job sit inside the BlueScope family.
The brand family a builder sees
| Brand | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Colorbond | Pre-painted steel (paint over Zincalume base) | Roofing, walling, fascia, gutters |
| Zincalume | Zinc/aluminium/magnesium-coated steel | Roofing and structural framing base sheet |
| Truecore | Coated steel framing sections | Steel wall and roof framing |
| Galvaspan | Galvanised structural sections | Light structural framing, purlins |
| Lysaght | Roll-formed steel products from BlueScope steel | Trimdek, Custom Orb, Klip-Lok roofing |
Each is a separate trade name with its own technical data sheet, but all draw from the same BlueScope base steel and coating chemistry. Lysaght is the roll-formed product arm: Trimdek, Custom Orb, Klip-Lok and the other named profiles are Lysaght products manufactured from BlueScope steel.
Why it matters
- Specifier brand vs product: an architect’s “Colorbond roof” usually means a Lysaght Trimdek or Custom Orb in Colorbond pre-painted finish. The Lysaght brand is the product; Colorbond is the finish material.
- Substitution caution: non-BlueScope steel or a non-licensed pre-paint may look identical but does not carry the BlueScope warranty cover.
- Coastal grades: products formulated for coastal exposure (Colorbond Ultra, Zincalume coastal grades) are required in the breaking-surf zone; standard grades are a warranty exclusion there.
- Specify by brand AND product: “Colorbond Ultra Trimdek in Surfmist” tells the supplier the finish, base steel, profile, and colour. “Colorbond roof” is a starting point, not a spec.
Also known as: BlueScope Steel, BlueScope Group.
Category: Materials / brands
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Last updated: 2026-05-29. Verified: 2026-05-29. Quarterly review for currency.