News
Steel remains the competitive choice
The Market for Structures – Non-Residential Multi-Storey Buildings – Total.
Steel is confirmed as the structural framing solution of choice of the overwhelming bulk of the multi storey buildings market in the 2007 Market Shares Survey. The survey, by independent market researchers Construction Markets, shows that steel’s total market share remained above 71%.
Steel enjoyed a near 72% share of the key multi storey offices market. Nearest rival, in situ concrete, remained at below a 20% market share, having first fallen below 20% in 2003.
The survey is the 27th in a series going back to 1980, and charts the success of steel as the leading structural framing material, largely at the expense of in situ concrete. Some 600 specifiers are contacted by the researchers for the study, making it the biggest of its type in the UK.
The survey shows that the total multi storey buildings market showed growth of 8%. The offices market grew by over 22% in 2007 to over five million metres of floorspace. The ‘other buildings’ category, which includes retail, leisure, education and health buildings, grew by 1.6%, with rises in retail and leisure counter-balancing falls in education and health.
Alan Todd, General Manager Corus Construction Services and Development, said: “The performance of steel in the construction market has been one of the great industrial success stories of the post war period in the UK. It is no surprise that the 2007 survey confirms that the continuing competitive advantage of steel is appreciated by designers, clients and specifiers.
“There are a number of initiatives underway within the steel sector that will mean more designers and clients in the future will be convinced of the overwhelming advantages to be gained from using steel. Sustainability is growing in importance all the time and steel’s solid credentials in this area are being increasingly appreciated.”
Mr Todd added that Corus’ successful launch of Advance as the new name for its range of structural sections 18 months ago was appreciated by designers for helping them comply with the Construction Products Directive (CPD). “Since September 2006 designers need to be sure that sections they specify comply with the CPD, and choosing Advance, the world’s first CE marked section, is the simplest way to achieve this.’
