Structural steelwork demand to rise 19% by 2018

The biggest annual increase will come this year, with a 9% rise to 895,000 tonnes. This is on the back of a 6% increase seen in 2014.

The survey by Construction Markets predicts that growth will continue at a steadier 3% per annum.

The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) said that its members had capacity to meet the growing demand and insisted that although prices were now rising, steel remained the most cost competitive framing material.

BCSA director general Sarah McCann-Bartlett said that the industrial sector continued to dominate demand for steel with 47% or 422,000 tonnes of the UK’s structural steel consumption forecast for this sector.

“The strength of the industrial sector reflects the ongoing trend for on-line retailing and the growing need for warehousing and distribution facilities to support this,” she said. “Steel has a high strength-to-weight ratio so it is ideal for industrial buildings because of the ability to provide very long column-free internal spaces.”

Construction Markets expects structural steel consumption in industrial buildings to see 23% growth between 2014 and 2018.

The office sector took a strong hit during the recession. However, growth in the private office sector has rebounded, first in London and now in other cities. This has driven demand for structural steelwork in this sector, with growth of 13% expected in 2015, and 48% growth in structural steel consumption between 2014 and 2018.  In 2015, structural steelwork consumption in the office sector (public and private) is expected to total 96,000 tonnes.

“The future for the UK’s structural steelwork sector is bright, and the inherent advantages of steel like speed of construction, offsite manufacturing, and cost mean that steel will continue to be the framing material of choice,” said Ms McCann-Bartlett.

UK structural steel consumption 2015-18

 

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