Steel is strong. It’s solid and durable, which makes it an exquisite material in manufacturing automobiles and other vehicles. The sustainability of steel is another significant factor that shines a light on the future of transportation.

Worldsteel spotlights the maritime sector — among the many types of vehicles — and demonstrates how steel made a difference. See the details of how the combination of steel and latest technology is paving the future of the industry — POSCO Newsroom presents worldsteel, “Artificial Intelligence, Steel and the Future of Shipping.”

Technology is rapidly transforming operations across all industries — from retail to healthcare to real estate — and the implications of these changes are significant. Developments in road vehicle technologies for cars and trucks seem to hit the headlines constantly. But these aren’t the only type of vehicle with an eye on the future.

Welcome to the age of autonomous shipping — made possible by the powerful combination of artificial intelligence and steel. The maritime sector, like so many others, is experiencing unprecedented disruption. Experts are now in agreement that automation is a necessity if the industry is to stay relevant in the decades ahead.

While modernisation always presents challenges, the opportunities on the horizon for the shipping industry are enormous. If shipping companies can successfully implement fresh solutions based on technologies like artificial intelligence, they will be able to streamline and enhance their operations. The result will be valuable benefits such as cost-savings, better routing, and the ability to identify new business areas.

Tomorrow’s ships will be complex hubs filled with sensors and data-capturing devices with significantly enhanced connectivity capabilities thanks to improvements to satellite technologies. When it comes to the design, building and testing of vessels and their components, cloud technologies will also have a big impact.

Perhaps the most important potential outcomes, however, relate to the environmental impact of shipping. Shipping is already the world’s most energy-efficient means of transport, but there is still work to be done in terms of energy efficiency and carbon footprint. Automation technologies are set to have a notable positive impact on sustainability outcomes for the industry.

For example, more efficient shipping routes which use less fuel or alternative energy sources have the potential to minimise or eliminate carbon emissions entirely. At the same time, making improvements to shipping practices and routes can reduce the number of polluting road vehicles needed to transport cargo once it arrives at a destination — another sustainability win for the sector.

l The Future of Shipping

An example of the future of shipping in action is Yara Birkeland, an autonomous, electric and zero-emissions container vessel from Norway, which is expected to launch in 2020. Within its initial two years, Yara Birkeland will move from manned to autonomous operations, marking a world-first for the sector. The ship will directly replace around 40,000 truck journeys per year, reducing NO_x and CO₂ emissions significantly.

In the Yara Birkeland project and others like it, steel has an important part to play, acting as a key enabler for strides forward in shipping automation and other future-facing technologies. Vessels like the Yara Birkeland make use of steel throughout their designs, including the panelling of the hull, the engines, and on-board solar panel systems.

As autonomous shipping takes off, more and more companies are entering the race and hoping to get in on the action. For example, a “future-proof” ship concept called Electric Blue was revealed by leading brand Rolls-Royce in 2017. It includes steel-built modular components that can easily be replaced or upgraded as necessary in the future, as well as featuring a clean design focused on low building and maintenance costs.

The future of shipping is fast approaching, and it will only continue to gain pace throughout 2020 and beyond. As the technologies powering the world’s most important industries change, steel remains at the heart of helping to create greater business efficiencies, positive sustainability outcomes, and sophisticated, cutting-edge design.

Images: Yara; Rolls Royce Marine, Flickr

The original content published on the worldsteel’s ‘Our Stories’ section is available at: https://stories.worldsteel.org/innovation/artificial-intelligence-steel-and-the-future-of-shipping/

POSCO Newsroom had been following the progress of the contest and conducted an in-depth interview with the Grand Prize Winner Jin-Young Son and discussed his winning idea, SIMS – Snap-Interlock Module System (Check out his interview here).

Meanwhile, the World Steel Association explores how Song’s new modular system can help transform the landscape of architectural communities as well as the steel industry. POSCO Newsroom presents worldsteel, “New Modular System Could Transform Construction.”

The Snap Interlock Module System (SIMS) is an elegant, steel-built innovation that could shake up modern construction methods.

Steel is the cornerstone of the construction industry. The adoption of steel beams has facilitated the construction of more ambitious buildings and infrastructure, but has remained relatively unchanged over the last century.

Now, an award-winning innovation is promising a new era of innovation in architecture and engineering.

In 1953, German architect Konrad Wachsmann imagined a structural component that could be industrially produced and universally deployed as the basis of any construction project. He wanted to standardise the basic building blocks of the construction industry like LEGO pieces that could fit into any project.

“The balance between the elastic property and the structural strength of steel can be precisely calculated and controlled by numerical analysis.”

The idea of a universal structural component has caught the imagination of other architects and engineers over the years, but finding a suitable material or design proved difficult.

Inspired by this challenge, Jin Young Song, an assistant professor at the University of Buffalo, began experimenting with interlocking steel components. He used digital models and 3D-printed prototypes to arrive at a module with four hooked legs that snapped together.

Each module has four interconnecting legs and a central slot. Two modules slide together to create a dual axis shape with eight points of connection. Each of these points connects with the leg of another module allowing simple, sturdy structures to be easily assembled.

▲ Each SIMS module has four legs and a central slot that form the basis of its structure (Image Source: Dioinno Architecture PLLC / Jin Young Song)

l New Method, Same Reliable Steel

The Snap Interlock Module System (SIMS) demonstrates remarkable durability and is flexible enough to produce endless geometries. Best of all, it’s so simple it can be assembled by a single worker.

Song considered a number of different materials to construct the modules out of, but ultimately the dependability of steel made it ideal for his system.

“The balance between the elastic property and the structural strength of steel can be precisely calculated and controlled by numerical analysis,” stresses Song.

“Advancements in the fabrication of steel using multi-axis cutting with parametric tools, robotics, and additive manufacturing are accelerating new uses of steel.”

“The assembly is so simple that a one-storey steel pavilion can be built in a backyard and that’s a game-changer.”

The simplicity of SIMS combined with the strength of steel could drastically reduce the complexity of construction projects. Unlike conventional steel beam and post construction methods, building with SIMS requires no welding or bolting.

New designs can be rapidly tested and temporary structures can be assembled and once they’re finished the modules can be packed up again for use in a future project.

SIMS opens up a whole new world of possibilities for architects and engineers. It could potentially be applied in the construction of partition walls, substructures and fences. But for Song, the most exciting application probably hasn’t even been thought of yet.

“We are exploring a couple of interesting ideas such as using SIMS to build envelopes for solar panels or rain screens. But really, because the system is based on easy assembly and the idea of modular stocking, what’s most exciting is how other people will use it.

“The assembly is so simple that a one-storey steel pavilion can be built in a backyard and that’s a game-changer.”

The original content published on the worldsteel’s ‘Our Stories’ section is available at: https://stories.worldsteel.org/construction-building/snap-interlock-modular-system-transform-construction/