First of all, I want to start off by taking the opportunity to thank our members and partners for their continuous support of the constructsteel market development programme. Since its official launch in January 2021, I am happy to share that 14 steel-producing members of worldsteel have joined us. This indicates two trends: first, positioning steel in construction is increasingly becoming a priority for steel producers worldwide. Secondly, steel construction promotion requires a global approach supporting local activities at the country level.

Positioning steel in construction cannot be done by the steel industry alone. In addition to the steel producers who are already members of constructsteel, membership is open to partners, customers and stakeholders across the construction chain. Currently, we are in discussions with a large player in the plasterboard and glass sector, as well as with several steel construction associations to join constructsteel. This is a testament to the importance of a global approach to promoting steel construction.

Recently, and as a result of constructsteel’s first member meeting, we concluded that the promotion of steel in construction requires a two-pronged approach. The first one is the creation of dedicated segment-focused working groups which position steel via technical research and marketing campaigns. Secondly, expanding the steel construction ecosystem will be complementary to our working group activity. Here is an overview of the dedicated working groups.

Dedicated working groups & goals

  • Steel Bridges – To produce a Best Practice Guide focusing on key unique selling propositions of steel in both aged and new bridges.
  • Modular construction – To produce a report focusing on research areas needed to increase the use of steel in Medium-rise buildings.
  • Composite construction – Research into gaps to support
    composite steel beam and precast concrete slab and steel/ timber hybrid designs.
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – Research into making the case for steel over the whole life cycle vis a vis competing materials, e.g. LCA roofing study
  • Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) – Design of a circular prototype two-storey net zero carbon affordable house in collaboration with Gensler.

Expanding our steel construction ecosystem

Through our defined working groups, we will communicate our efforts globally, promoting our activities via our website and social media channels, and acting as the amplifying voice of our members. In addition to our digital channels, we will actively pursue networking opportunities at global and regional levels as means of bringing the construction industry together, sharing ideas and best practices.

As part of this global approach, this monthly newsletter provides an overview of steel construction developments and expert insights, focusing on upcoming trends likely to impact the construction industry and how the steel industry can better serve the construction industry. We hope you find this content useful and invite you to subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media channels to stay informed of all constructsteel activities.