Association: BCSA: Steel in Construction

Steel's market share has grown to record levels. The latest independent market research has confirmed steel as the material of choice for architects, engineers and contractors. Last year, steel broke the record for the marketshare of multi-storey buildings with a 71.8 percent share - up by 3.7 percent. The future is challenging: the global credit crunch is affecting overall confidence in the construction industry, but the underlying demand for steel construction remains good.
Steel construction has excellent sustainability credentials: steel is 'multicycled' - it may be continually recycled without loss of properties and, in the UK, 94 percent of steel is reused or recycled.
Steel structures have low carbon footprints; they are lighter than concrete frames and need less foundation construction; steel requires fewer site deliveries and is fabricated offsite in safer and healthier environments.
Steel structures can also provide long spans with both passive and active energy storage systems and only need 100mm thick concrete floors to provide the thermal mass fabric energy storage for daily temperature cycles. Most importantly, they are high quality, low defect with minimal waste.
A new joint BCSA/Corus three year market development plan has been established to communicate steel's sustainability credentials; the programme includes: