Previous | Next | Contents

ESDEP WG 1A

STEEL CONSTRUCTION:

ECONOMIC & COMMERCIAL FACTORS

Lecture 1A.2: Steelmaking and Steel

Products

OBJECTIVE/SCOPE

To introduce the history of steelmaking and steelmaking today. To describe how steel is produced and the standardisation of steel products. To summarise the consumption of steel in building and civil engineering worldwide.

PREREQUISITES

Lecture 1A.1: Introduction to Steel's Role in Construction in Europe

RELATED LECTURES

Lecture 1A.3: Introduction to Structural Steel Costs

Lecture 1A.4: The European Building Market

SUMMARY

The history of steelmaking is introduced and the developments described which have led to modern steel production. The essentials of modern production are summarised.

World production of steel is described and the European standardisation of steel products (Euronorms) is introduced. The use of steel in civil engineering and building in the different regions of the world is discussed.

1. A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF STEELMAKING

Of the construction materials in common use, steel is the one which offers the greatest load resistance for the smallest section. It is primarily an alloy of iron and carbon.

The production of industrial steel is relatively recent, dating back only one hundred and twenty years or so. However, ferrous metals, of which the main component is iron, have been known since antiquity. The first examples were of iron found in its natural state in Sumer, capital of the ancient Babylonian civilization. The first proof of actual production of iron goes back to the Chalybes, a tribe living on the South Coast of the Black Sea around the XVIIth Century BC.

The use of iron spread into Europe and Asia, but it was only in the Middle Ages that any significant improvements in manufacturing can be noted with the introduction of tuyeres, which blew air from bellows powered by hydraulic energy. Before the discovery of steel, iron was frequently used in the construction of buildings, bridges, railway stations, etc. In the year 1855 an Englishman by the name of Bessemer improved the process of purifying pig iron by blowing air in at great pressure. Over the next 25 years, a Frenchman Emile Martin then two Englishmen, Thomas and Gilchrist, introduced further improvements which allowed us to make the transition from iron to the modern period of steel.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the use of iron in construction was prohibited; in accordance with the new regulations only steel could be used. Nevertheless, to this day there exist numerous structures made of iron which are still in service. Renovation of structures built in the second half of the 19th century is to be expected. The most important question to address is whether the structural material is iron or steel. In order to answer this, a sample must be taken and laboratory tests performed in order to determine the mechanical and chemical properties of the metal. These results will enable us to define the techniques which need to be adopted, particularly in relation to welding.

Further developments in substituting coal and subsequently coke for charcoal prepared the way for industrial steel production which began in the middle of the XIXth century AD.

2. STEELMAKING TODAY (PERFORMANCE AND OUTPUT)

Even though the same principles initially developed over 100 years ago are still used in the majority of steel production, instruments and techniques have developed considerably:

The developments have resulted in:

These factors have made it possible to simplify construction thus reducing fabrication, joining and assembly costs whilst at the same time enabling improvements in aesthetic appearance.

For example in bridge construction, the main beam of a bridge made 100 years ago consisted of a riveted combination of flats and universal sections. Today, a single plate with a variable thickness permits the optimisation of the section and hence a saving in weight and manufacturing costs. In addition the maintenance of the bridge is reduced since surfaces are smooth and encourage the rapid dispersal of water.

All of these factors have made it possible to maintain competitive prices and provide the quality demanded by users.

3. STEELMAKING IN THE WORLD AND IN EUROPE

3.1 Production

3.1.1 World production

In 1989, world crude steel output was approximately 784 million tonnes.

Note: "Crude steel" refer to products which appear either in a liquid form (ready to cast) or in the form of solid ingots (obtained by liquid steel cast into a mould to be processed later on).

The world steel producers are found geographically as follows (Figure 2):

 

 

Far East: Japan (108 MT) - China (61 MT) - South Korea (22 MT)

191 MT 24,5%
Former USSR 161 MT 20,0%
EEC12  140 MT 18,0%
USA  89 MT 11,5%
Other countries 203 MT 26,0%
Total 784 MT

 

The graph of world raw steel production reflects the development of the world economy (Figure 3).

3.1.2 International trade

In 1988, more than a fifth of the steel produced in the world (167MT out of 780) was involved in international trade. Because of its high specific value i.e., the ratio between the price per ton and the density, steel is a product that "travels" more easily than other materials such as aluminium, wood, cement or glass. Nevertheless, most international steel trade is over short and middle distances, and seldom over long distances. Exchanges are essentially intra-community exchanges - 41 MT out of the above-mentioned 167 MT were exchanged between the different EEC countries and, on a larger scale, 83 MT between continental European countries. Moreover, 23 MT of steel were exchanged between Asia and Australasia.

3.2 Consumption

The growth of apparent raw steel consumption shows that the need for steel is rising in the world (Figure 4).

Improvements in the making of steel and its intrinsic properties have led to a decrease in its specific consumption, i.e. the weight of steel used for a specific purpose. Although Figure 4 indicates only a slow increase in raw steel consumption, greater use occurs because the improved quality of products, reduces the weight of steel in them.

Global changes in the world economy, the possible growth of steel needs, the developing areas and the arrival of "new" producers are all factors that influence the economy of the steel industry.

Certain patterns of production have gradually appeared:

3.3 Steelmaking and the Environment

The environmental nuisance created by the steel industry has been considerably reduced. Considerable investment has been made in connection with environmental factors:

4. HOW IS STEEL PRODUCED?

4.1 General

The basis for industrial production of steel is pig iron, and although the fundamentals of the production method are largely unchanged, instruments and techniques of production have been greatly improved.

There are several types of steel. Depending on whether the metal will be used, for example, in building, electronics, automobile or packaging industries, it will require suitable physical, chemical and mechanical properties for that purpose. These properties are obtained through:

4.2 Steelmaking

Iron is, as a chemical element (Fe), the main constituent of pig iron (96% iron and 3-4% carbon). It provides the basis for the refining of steel.

Iron, pig iron and steel are three manufactured products that appeared in this order in the history of materials. They represent different chemical combinations of iron and carbon. The carbon content determines the nature of very different products:

There are three steps in the steelmaking process:

  1. From raw materials to liquid steel
  2. aim: to adjust the chemical content of the steel
    two processes:

    "integrated" steelmaking

    "electric" steelmaking.

     

  3. From liquid steel to semi-finished products
  4. aim: to solidify the steel into blanks
    two processes:

    continuous casting

    ingot casting.

 

  1. From semi-finished products to finished products
  2. aim: to shape and size through rolling, and finish for sale.
    two groups of products:

     long products (beams, bars, wire)

    flat products (plate, sheet, coil).

Note: Not all steels are formed by rolling; they may also be forged, cast or manufactured from alloy powders.

The process is described in Lecture 2.2.

5. EUROPEAN STANDARDIZATION OF STEEL PRODUCTS

5.1 Standardization Process

Steel products have been standardized in order to ensure a common language between producers and customers of steel products. Since the beginning of the XXth century, countries have developed their own standards defining and classifying steel products. The creation of the EEC has made it necessary to establish common standards named "European Norms" (EN).

5.1.1 The establishment of European Norms within member states for steel products

The "Commission de Coordination et de Normalisation des Produits Sidérurgiques" COCOR, founded in 1953 to service the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was commissioned to coordinate standards. Since 1965 COCOR has been placed under the authority of the European Commission and has published about 175 Euronorms. Each country is free to adopt or not, fully or partially, the Euronorms and Background Documents.

The completion of the European Single Market scheduled to occur at the end of 1992 has required the speeding up of standardization. The Commission created and financed, within COCOR, an independent technical department exclusively devoted to standardization activities: the ECISS (European Committee for Iron and Steel Standardization). ECISS, with the assistance of Technical Committees (TC), has developed documents which are submitted to COCOR for approval before being proposed to the CEN (Comite European de Normalisation) for adoption as Euronorms.

When a Euronorm (EN) is adopted by the CEN members, it must be fully applied as a national norm by all EEC Countries (even if they voted against it) and by EFTA members which voted for it. The EN, once adopted, invalidates and replaces the Euronorm and the corresponding national standard.

5.2 Contents of the Euronorms (EN) for Steel

The EN is concerned with the standardization of the manufacture, chemical composition and mechanical characteristics of steel products. By way of illustration, consider one aspect of these norms, the way steels are designated.

The specification of steel quality is essentially composed of:

Example: A hot-rolled non-alloy structural steel (for use in the manufacture of welded or assembled structural elements to be used at ambient temperatures) is designated:

EN 10 025 S355

The designation may be followed by symbols concerning:

× the weldability and guaranteed values of impact energy (B);

× the deoxidation method used, if applicable (FU);

× the steel's suitability for a particular application, if applicable (KP);

× whether the steel is delivered in an effectively normalised condition (N).

The range of symbols is detailed, for this example, in the text of EN 10 025.

The relevant Euronorms and current national equivalents are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Corresponding Table of Euronorms, ISO Standards and National Standards for EC Countries

European Standard EH

Euronorm (I)

ISO Standard   

Germany

DIN

Belgium NBN (2)

Denmark DS

Spain

UNE (3)

France

NF

Greece

Italy

UNI

Ireland

Luxembourg

Netherlands

NEN

Portugal

NP

UK  

 BS (4)

 

17-1970

8457 TI

59110

= 524

 

38 089

A 45-051

 

5598

 

 

EU 17

= 330

 

 

18-1979

377

50125

A 03-001

 

36 300 38 400

A 03-111

 

UNI-EU 18

 

 

EU 18

2451

4360

 

19-1957

657/8

1025 T5

533

 

38 526

A 45-205

 

5398

 

 

EU 19

2116

 

 

21-1978

404

17010 500-49

A 02-001

 

38 007

A 03-115

 

UNI-EU 21

 

 

EU 21

2149

 

 

22-1970

783

50145

A 11-201

 

7 223

A 03-351

 

3918

 

 

EU 22

 

3688/1

 

23-1971

642

50191

A 11-181

 

7 279

A 04-303

 

3150

 

 

 

 

4437

 

24-1962

DP 657/10

1025 T1 1028

632-01

 

38 521 36 522

A 45-210

 

5879

5680

 

 

EU 24

 

4

10025

(25-1986)

630-1052  4995

17100

A 21-101

 

38 080

A 35-501

 

7070

 

 

EU 25

1729

/ 4360

 

27-1974

DIR 4949

 

147

 

38 009

A 02-005

 

UNI-EU 27

 

 

EU 27

1818

 

 

28-1985

883/1 2604/4

17155

/ 829

/ 830

 

38 087/1

A 38-205 A 38-208

 

7070

 

 

EU 28

 

= 1501/1-2

 

29-1981

7452

1543

= A 43-101

 

38 559

A 48-503 A 46-505

 

UNI-EU 29

 

 

EU 29

 

1501/1 /4360

 

30-1969

 

17100

(= EU 25 = EU 30)

 

 

 

A 33-101

 

3063

 

 

EU 30

 

 

 

31-1969

 

 

 

 

 

A 43-301

 

7063

 

 

EU 31

 

/ 970/1

 

34-1962

657/13

1025 T2 T3 et T4

= 632-02

 

36 527 36 528 36 529

A 45-211

 

5397

 

 

EU 34

2117

4

 

36-1983

437

EU

/ 271

 

7 014

A 06-301

 

UNI-ISO 437

 

 

 

 

6200 5381

6. STEEL IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILDING ACTIVITIES

6.1 Steel in Construction

In construction, the penetration of steel in civil engineering and building activities is very variable across the regions of the world. In 1988 steel consumption in three major regions of the world was as shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Steel consumption in major regions

(Kt)

Kg/inhabitant

JAPAN

USA

WESTERN EUROPE

9050/10400(1)

5200

5700/6200

74/85

21

17/18

(1) with or without "composite construction"

For each type of work, these consumptions are spread across different types of construction as shown in Table 3.

Table 3 Steel consumption by type of construction

(% tonnages)

JAPAN

USA

EUROPE

housing

industrial

other buildings

pylons

bridges and hydraulic engineering

21

34

34

3

8

4

33

45

5

13

2

58

31

5

4

TOTAL

100

100

100

Table 3 shows, for all constructional steelwork, the particular importance of:

There are marked differences between countries in the consumption of constructional steelwork, for example in Europe in 1988 (Table 4).

Table 4 Consumption of constructional steelwork (1988)

(Kt)

Kg/inhabitant

United Kingdom

West Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Sweden

Finland

Switzerland

Portugal

Austria

Norway

Denmark

Greece

Ireland

Belgium

1227

1045

683

570

500

727

100

94

185

89

100

94

80

73

50

60

195

22

16

15

11

13

31

28

17

25

18

10

11

20

11

5

17

28

estimated TOTAL

5867

17

Source: European Convention for Constructional Steelwork

Several "small" countries have a very high constructional steelwork consumption/ inhabitant (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Norway). In the United Kingdom, which is the European country with the largest constructional steelwork industry, the use of steelwork/inhabitant is higher than in any other major country.

Steel product tonnages of all construction steelwork are globally distributed as follows:

Steel products:

Hot rolled sections H, I, U, L about 60%

Plates about 20%

First processing products:

Coated sheets,

Cold rolled sections, pipes about 20%.

7. CONCLUDING SUMMARY

Previous | Next | Contents