Steel structures help define our modern world. It is no exaggeration to say that steel production and construction are the main factors shaping our reality. Given the global importance of steel, pioneers in both manufacturing and construction are eager to introduce new technologies to improve the industry as a whole. This article will look at four technologies that will help shape the future of steel structures.
People in the construction industry have an almost magical power to create some of the coolest steel buildings. One technology that makes this magic possible is BIM. In short, the BIM package will collect data from various construction management packages and specialties, and collect construction project data, including design, into one file. This prevents costly conflicts that can lead to cost overruns. For creatives, this frees up time to create cool buildings that are functional and on budget.
Since steel was first produced in the Iron Age, alchemists and later scientists sought to make the material stronger and better for certain functions. An early attempt to strengthen steel was to reduce the carbon content. More recent attempts have included the addition of other metals and materials. These attempts were successful, but with them increased costs, which affected world steel prices.
Now, researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a possible way to make a material that can effectively be called supersteel. The process the researchers have developed, called grain boundary delamination, has the potential to make steel stronger and more flexible with the same input of raw materials.
Depends on who you’re talking to and what options are considered some of the most sustainable building materials currently available. This is great news for those who want to build steel structures. However, in order to further promote the sustainable adoption of steel for environmental protection, one hurdle must be overcome, namely copper.
The concentration of copper in recycled steel can lead to cracking in the manufacturing process. This is possible at a copper concentration of 0.1%. At the same time, closed-loop recycling and scrap dilution technologies are constantly being improved to help prevent high concentrations of copper from affecting recycled steel.
Slag is a by-product of the removal of phosphorus during steel production. For every ton of steel produced, there is about 0.2 tons of slag. The slag needs to be handled or recycled, but this increases production costs. A Japanese steelmaker has developed a slag-free process. The process involves reacting lime with phosphorus oxides and limiting the amount of silicon used in the phosphorus removal process. This can reduce costs for those in need of structural steel.
Technology has brought steel production to its present level. Technology promises to help the steel industry reach higher levels and build taller and more impressive structures.