Market share stays strong

Steel continues to be overwhelmingly the structural framing material of choice for multi storey non-residential buildings, according to the latest survey from independent market research consultants Construction Markets.

The 2011 survey, commissioned by BCSA and Tata Steel, is the latest in a series going back to 1980 and is thought to be the biggest of its type in the UK, involving over 450 interviews with construction specifiers.

The survey shows that steel frames continue to dominate the multi storey market with a  67.7% market share, despite the difficult construction market conditions. The survey also shows that the market contracted by a further 6.3% in 2011, with overall floor area constructed in all multi storey buildings reducing to 10,850,000m2, which was only 71% of the size of the market at its peak of 2008, when it was 15,266,000m2.

Steel now has a 69.4% share of the multi storey offices market. In the ‘other multi storey buildings’ sector, which includes retail, education, leisure and health, steel has a 67.3% share.

In situ concrete had a market share of only 20.7%. Load bearing masonry had a 6.6% share, while precast concrete accounted for 2.8% and timber 2.3%.

Alan Todd, General Manager of Construction Services & Development in Tata Steel Europe said: ’Even in the difficult market that we find ourselves, these figures clearly show that the key multi storey construction markets continue to value steel above any other framing material. It is good to see that steel is the natural choice of framing material for the construction industry where factors like speed, cost, and sustainability are important.’