Steel shows growth in key markets

Structural steelwork has been confirmed as the preferred market choice as a framing solution in the 2015 Market Share survey, which confirms the upward trend of demand for steel in key markets.

The survey is the latest in a series, by independent researchers Construction Markets, that has been carried out annually since 1980. Based on interviews with 750 architects, builders and designers, the survey is the biggest of its kind in the UK.

The total market for structural frames in 2015 was estimated to be 40.6 million square metres of floor area, up 7.2% from the previous year.

Steel continued to dominate the key market for multi-storey office developments where it enjoyed a market share of 68%, up almost 1% from 2014.

The single storey industrial buildings sector continued to be dominated by steel with the material’s market share increasing slightly to 91.3%.

According to the survey, this market has continued to see strong demand with growth in the non-industrial sheds market (up 0.8%), infrastructure buildings (up 4.3%), cold stores (up 5.8%) and farm buildings / agriculture (up 9.6%).

BCSA Director General Sarah McCann-Bartlett said: “The survey shows that steel is the preferred choice of the growing construction market across all the building types analysed.

“The cost-effectiveness of steel, its flexibility, speed of construction and contribution to sustainability are all factors that continue to be valued by developers, contractors, designers and building users, so we are confident that future market share surveys will continue to illustrate the dominance of steel as a framing material.”