One in 9 people all over the world do not have access to drinking water. (Source: World Finance)

However, it seems the world just can’t get enough of water. Global water demand is projected to increase 55 percent by 2050. Most of the demand will be driven by the agriculture industry, which currently makes up 70 percent of freshwater consumption, but is projected to grow another 69 percent to meet the food demands of the growing population. New-growth industries will put additional pressure on freshwater supplies. For example, water used to cool power stations is projected to increase by more than 20 percent by 2055 and water demand from the manufacturing industry in developing nations will grow by 400 percent by 2055. Unfortunately, 97.5 percent of earth’s surface water is inadequate for human use.

The growing demand is putting heavy pressure on current water supplies that appear to be shrinking due to global warming and climate change. As a result, there have been extensive efforts by individuals and households to conserve and recycle water. However, in major cities around the world, water is wasted before it even reaches people’s taps.

Water leaking through the cracks

In the U.S., about 2.1 trillion gallons of water slip through the cracks, literally, each year, or about 6 billion gallons of water per day. The ancient water infrastructure throughout the country is full of leaking pipes, cracked mains and broken meters.

For example, the largest water filtration plant in the world, Jardine Water Filtration Plant, is located in the city of Chicago and pumps out purified water to about 5 million residents via thousands of miles of pipes. However, about 22 billion gallons of water leak through old pipes and broken water mains in the city every year. In Philadelphia, the Water Department pumps out 250 million gallons of purified water daily to nearby residents, but more than 60 million gallons are lost through the pipes every day.

Billions of gallons of drinking water are wasted through cracks and leaks in water pipes. (Source: UCLA)

In Canada, home to some of the most abundant supplies of freshwater, there are cities with 35 to 45 percent water loss. Ontario, for example, has outdated and leaky pipes responsible for the loss of about  CAD 700 million per year in wasted drinking water.

In the UK, about 872 million gallons, or 20 percent the nation’s treated water supply, leaks through old pipes before it reaches residents. This is 62 million gallons more per day than water loss rates from a decade ago, showing the severe consequences aging pipes can have.  

Faulty water pipes

The biggest problem with water systems around the world is simply their age. They were built ages ago, often with insufficient materials and outdated technology, and now, they’re too expensive and extensive to repair or replace.

However, old pipes can pose a number of problems. Besides the gallons of wasted purified water, an outdated water system can pose major health risks. In the U.S., 1 in 4 people drinks unsanitary water due to insufficient water infrastructure. It has already been proven that contaminants can enter the water system through leaks that are most often caused by corrosion and material defect.

Cast iron pipes are highly susceptible to corrosion and structural damage. (Source: Micro Power Grids)

Water pipes installed decades ago are traditionally made of cast iron and laid on wooden blocks or rocks. Such pipes are highly corrosive and most susceptible to damage. Also, a well-functioning pipe keeps contaminated water out with pressure from mains that forces water out of minor cracks, but not in. Over time, damage to a certain section of a pipe can cause this pressure to drop, and groundwater often finds its way in through cracks.

Making it right with steel

The ideal solution for outdated, faulty water pipes would be to replace them with new ones equipped with the latest damage detection and repair technologies. However, such projects are not only expensive, but a city’s water system is often politically, regionally and physically intertwined with other entities, making it difficult to take on such a mammoth task.

Thus, cities opt for isolated repairs instead, either placing a stainless steel clamp over the damaged area or inserting a smaller stainless steel pipe inside the existing, cracked pipe. Stainless steel is the most common material for repairing and replacing outdated cast iron, concrete and lead pipes due to its excellent strength and resistance to corrosion. Higher grades of stainless steel, such as POSCO’s PossSD, can also resist high levels of pressure and are naturally resistant to microbes. Stainless steel can also be manufactured to withstand extreme temperatures.

Major cities such as Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei are undergoing massive projects to replace the majority of their water pipes with stainless steel to ensure safe and abundant drinking water for residents. For other cities, repairing leaky pipes with stainless steel will save millions of dollars currently leaking through the pipes and prevent illnesses associated with contaminated water. As the global demand for water continues to grow and fresh water supplies continue to shrink, conservation is becoming more important than ever, ensuring that stainless steel will play a vital role in water pipe repairs and replacements for years to come in efforts to correct and maintain the system that serves the basis of all human activities.

Cover photo courtesy of The Spruce.

Cities like Hanoi are expanding at an increasing rate. (Source: Channel News Asia)

Urbanization is also speeding up growth. By 2030, more than 10 million people will reside in Ho Chi Minh City. Not only demographically, Vietnamese urban areas are getting bigger physically, with a spatial expansion rate of 2.8 percent per year, which is faster than any other urban area in the Southeast Asian region. The growth is stimulating demand for new homes, roads, infrastructure as well as labor.

As a result, the country is already the biggest steel consumer in the region, driven by a strong construction industry and abundant FDI.

Foreign Direct Investment

During the record-breaking year of 2017, Vietnam saw registered FDI increase 44 percent YOY, and exports rise 23 percent. The majority of investment came from nearby countries such as Korea, Singapore, Japan and China, where the cost of labor is much higher than in Vietnam. Plus, of the country’s 92 million people, 60 percent are of working age, and have demonstrated high output levels. Thus, loads of manufacturing jobs are being offshored to Vietnam.

For example, Korea’s Samsung Display invested USD 2.5 billion in Vietnam last year, bringing total investments to USD 6.5 billion for the production of their display products. Polytex Far Eastern, a Taiwanese company, also invested USD 490 million for their yarn factory in Vietnam. With the continued flow of FDI, the country’s economy is reaping the benefits in terms of financial gain as well as developments in infrastructure.

Foreign Investment has created many jobs for Vietnam’s workforce, such as the workers above in a Samsung Factory. (Source: VN Media)

Two metro projects are under way in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, both funded by foreign companies. Ho Chi Minh City’s Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line will run through the city at a length of 19.7km, and is planned for completion in 2020. Most of the funding comes from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and Shimizu-Maeda.

In Hanoi, the 13km Cat Linh-Ha Dong line is mainly supported by China Railways Sixth Group along with a consortium of other Chinese companies, and is scheduled to open for operation in 2018. Such major infrastructural upgrades will further boost the cities’ efficiency and create a better living and business environment.

A Strong Construction Industry

With FDI stimulating the economy and creating jobs, the Vietnamese are enjoying higher living standards and searching for homes in or near major cities. The growth of the middle class and urbanization have led to a booming construction industry.

According to POSCO Research Institute, Vietnam’s construction industry made up 33.3 percent of total GDP, with an 8 percent growth in 2017 alone. Moreover, the industry is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7 percent for the next 10 years. As a result, Vietnam’s construction industry is driving the nation’s steel demand. From 2011 to 2016, Vietnam’s steel demand grew by an average annual rate of 18.1 percent, the highest of Southeast Asian countries with the Philippines in second place at 13.6 percent and Thailand following behind at 5.7 percent.

Vietnam has seen the most rapid growth in steel demand in the region. (Source: SEAISI 2017)

With more and more homes and public infrastructure being built, Vietnam’s construction spending has grown at a CAGR of 8.5 percent and construction steel accounts for more than 93 percent of steel demand in Vietnam. Of those figures, structural steel demand is expected to make up 80 percent of the country’s entire steel demand, reaching 24 million tons by 2020. In comparison, the construction industry is accountable for 65.3 percent of total steel demand in Indonesia and 59.7 percent in Thailand, two of the biggest economies in the region.

Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing construction industries in the world. (Source: SEAISI 2017)

Currently, Vietnam’s domestic steel production capacity only meets 40 percent of its demand, meaning companies must secure stable, high-quality supplies of steel to match its growing demand.

SEE ALSO: Top 5 Steel Consuming Regions in 2018 and Beyond

POSCO’s Solution Marketing

For steelmakers like POSCO, Vietnam holds numerous possibilities for new partnerships and cooperation with construction companies. POSCO has been working closely with its partners in Vietnam for years, supplying premium products as well as supporting partners with technical and marketing solutions. POSCO also chose to open its first overseas structural steel solution center in Vietnam early this year at  POSCO SS VINA.

SEE ALSO: POSCO Opens its First Overseas Structural Steel Solutions Center in Vietnam

POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon (center) during a visit to POSCO SS VINA last year. (Source: POSCO SS VINA)

The center is composed of 3 main departments: Solution Planning, Solution Development and Technical Services. Due to the influx in demand for structural steel, the solution center will develop customized marketing strategies fit for the local market, and 25 experienced construction experts will provide support for projects using POSCO’s steel.

As Vietnam eyes another year of growth and development, POSCO SS VINA also looks forward to a busy year providing material and technical solutions for domestic construction projects that will play a vital role in Vietnam’s economic and social well-being.  

Cover photo courtesy of Smithsonian.

It’s no easy task to prepare a city for such big-scale events, but it’s a great opportunity for host cities to boost their economy and make a lasting impression on visitors. For most, the airport will be their first impression of the city, so host cities have vamped-up their airports with the help of steel.  

Take a look at the airports expecting the most traffic in the beginning of the year:

Guarulhos International Airport – Brazil

Every year, from February 24 to 28, the people of Rio de Janeiro hold the Carnival, which unofficially lasts from the end of December to March in the form of hundreds of street parties called blocos. In 2017, more than 1.1 million people showed up for the Carnival from all over the world and spent about USD 782 million during their stay. The Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is the busiest airport in Brazil, and traffic has tripled from 12.9 million people in 2004 to 39.5 million in 2014. To accommodate the growing number of passengers, the airport has undergone several additions and renovations in the past couple of years.

Terminal 3 at Guarulhos International Airport opened in 2014 ahead of the FIFA World Cup. (Source: Passenger Terminal Today)

Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, GRU built the 192,000 square-meter Terminal 3 to increase its passenger capacity by 12 million, bringing up the total capacity to 42 million. Terminal 3 consists of 2 main buildings made up of 40 metal modules weighing 70 tons each, held together by concrete pillars.

Then, in 2016, Terminal 2 was renovated ahead of the Summer Olympic Games to fit modern airport standards. With a budget of USD 50 million, architects took existing facilities that were close to 30 years old and rebuilt them into the modernized Terminal 2. The new terminal now accommodates plenty of retail space and a massive food court, and non-aeronautical revenues make up 51 percent of the airport’s entire revenue.

It seems the airport, and the city, made a lasting impression as last year, over 94 percent of tourists that took part in a survey said they would make another trip to the city and over 91 percent responded they would recommend Rio to their friends.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – USA

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is another airport that sees millions of visitors every year during the month of February. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, landed on February 13 this year, marking the end of a month-long celebration. It’s basically the American version of the Rio Carnival, and social crews or Krewes organize different parties all over town. The event draws about 1.4 million participants on average.

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport’s North Terminal is scheduled for completion in 2019. (Source: Atkins)

Starting in 2016, MSY is working to complete a 972,000 square-foot North Terminal by February 2019. The project will cost about USD 1 billion to construct. When finished, the new terminal will include 35 new gates, a massive parking garage for 2200 cars as well as a central utility plant.

Besides increasing the passenger capacity, the project created about 64,000 jobs and generated USD 6.4 billion in local spending and USD 2.4 billion in local earnings. The project is also responsible for tons of steel consumption in the form of beams, bars and panels. On November 17, 2017, workers erected a steel beam at the highest elevation of the new terminal, signaling the project will most likely be completed on schedule.

Incheon International Airport – Korea

It’s not every year Korea gets thousands of visitors in the month of February, but as the host for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Incheon International Airport (ICN) is bustling with passengers. Global passenger flights were up 15 percent this year compared to last year, and up 24 percent in the U.S. alone. In Vietnam, bookings were up 550 percent from the previous year, the Philippines saw a 200 percent increase and Canadians booked 40 percent more flights, all in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Incheon International Airport’s second passenger terminal opened on January 18, 2018. (Source: Medium)

To greet the growing number of passengers, ICN completed its second terminal earlier this year using POSCO’s 446M steel. The same type of steel was used to build the first passenger terminal in 2001, but this time, architects decided to apply a special process called Bead Blast to create a rough texture on the roof of the terminal to minimize reflectivity as it can interfere with sight during take-off and landing. The steel also contains high amounts of chromium (26%) and molybdenum (2%), making it extra corrosion resistant.

As the #1 ranked airport in service quality for the last 10 years, ICN will now be able to service more passengers, 72 million to be exact, and 5.8Mt of cargo every year.

SEE ALSO: POSCO’s World Premium Stainless Steel Products, Preferred Option for Strength and Beauty

Airports play a central role in the tourism industry of its respective country, and the national economy as a whole. Steel continues to be the most widely-used construction material for the building and renovation of bustling airports around the world, and will continue to help cities make a lasting impression on all its visitors.

Cover photo courtesy of Wilmotte & Associés.

CEO Kwon explores CES 2018

As such, CEO Kwon made his first official visit to the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month to stay on top of the latest trends in connectivity and smart solutions that can be applied to the manufacturing process in smart factories.

SEE ALSO: POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon Visits CES 2018

Ultimately, a smart factory for POSCO would entail using smart sensors to pick up data, smart analysis through AI and automated production processes. Moreover, the smart factory would store and analyze its big data and apply it to make future improvements and prevent malfunctions. Aligned with many of POSCO’s business growth engines, major topics and themes at CES 2018 included smart homes, smart cities, autonomous cars and AI, and more than 3,900 companies put forth their best innovations.

Smart Connectivity

As more and more cities undergo smart transformations, the next big trend will be data collection and analysis through 5G connectivity. It was no surprise to see numerous innovations in smart transportation, smart grid, public safety, healthcare, data analytics and more at CES 2018. Moreover, city officials from early-adapting cities such as Kansas City, Miami and Las Vegas took to the stage to discuss their cities’ smartization plans. Some of the topics discussed included using GIS mapping software, smart construction, inclusive technology and autonomous transportation to enhance citizens’ productivity, efficiency, safety and well-being.

CES 2018 was a platform for smart city discussion. (Source: Bosch)

CEO Kwon visited related booths to learn about new technologies POSCO could apply to its businesses. Currently, POSCO’s smart factories are run by POSCO ICT’s smart platform called PosFrame, which allows the factory to apply a digital genome map to operations via data collection, instantly convert smart factory initiatives in domains, act as a common platform for new technologies and apply the same, standardize smart factory model to other facilities through reusable software.

Also at this year’s CES, POSCO ICT signed an MOU with DPR Construction, a leading smart construction company to apply PosFrame to construction sites for more efficient, cost-effective and smarter construction processes.

Smart Transportation

Another major theme at this year’s CES was mobility. Namely, autonomous and electric mobility. Companies from all across the board from traditional car manufacturers and software companies to gaming companies lined up to showcase their new innovations.

Even as the market for sustainable EVs and autonomous EVs look to expand in 2018 and beyond, EVs only make up about 1 percent of the global fleet of cars and there’s still a ways to go before EVs become the norm. Drivers need to feel safe in their EVs or autonomous EVs, want greater range on a single charge and need to see more charging infrastructure in their communities before making the switch.

SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: Electric Vehicles and the Future of the Automotive Market

What’s more is that just because a vehicle runs on electric batteries, it doesn’t automatically mean the vehicle is eco-friendly or transmits less harmful emissions. Manufacturers and consumers alike have to take a lifecycle approach to assess the car’s impact on the environment from production to end of life recycling.

POSCO works with numerous partners to develop leading solutions for electric vehicles.

That’s why POSCO is working with automakers to come up with vital solutions in the auto industry for a greener future. It supplies partners with an advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) called POSCO GIGA STEEL that is both lightweight and super strong, allowing cars to travel with less energy without compromising passenger safety.

POSCO is also a lithium provider and has developed an innovative technology to speed up the extraction process, saving time, costs and damage to the environment. It also works with car makers to apply premium electric steel to partners’ electric motors to increase efficiency and cut costs.

With so many exciting new innovations and technologies surrounding EVs, POSCO will undoubtedly play a significant role in ensuring automakers have the tools they need to realize a green future.  POSCO will work to stay ahead of newly emerging technologies to enhance the efficiency, sustainability and performance of all of its solutions.

This means that data from city dwellers’ devices and their interaction with the physical city will determine how the government allocates resources and even influence the private sector as well. Although major developing smart cities are inspired by technology, old-school construction resources like steel are still required.

Here’s a look at where the next wave of smart cities will emerge and what opportunities lie ahead.

Countries Ripe for Smart Development

The major developing cities to watch are located in India, China and Africa. These areas of the world are ripe for growth, and what they have in common is a vast amount of land. Before modern ICT and IoT were available, it was almost impossible to imagine a way to uniformly connect these large areas into a single city. However, thanks to technology, governments will be able to bring greater numbers of people together and better manage resources for all. And development is already well underway.

India

In India, the “world’s oldest city” is being developed into a smart city. The city is called Varanasi, and it’s a holy place for the Hindu religion. However, its outdated infrastructure has created a demand for rejuvenation, and Varanasi’s renovation plans involve a lot of steel. With plans to outpace Japan as the second largest producer of steel, Varanasi will be rapidly expanding its own production capacity and turning to the global steel industry for material and technological support. Planned improvements to Varanasi include creating more affordable housing, improving the public transportation system and upgrading the sanitation system. All three of these improvements are major undertakings, and all three have roots in steel. Creating new housing structures, rail systems and modern sanitation will boost steel consumption.

SEE ALSO: Revving Up for Growth: India’s Automotive Market is In Full Gear

A model of the planned smart city in Dholera, in southern Gujarat, India. (Source: Cities Digest)

Aside from Varanasi, there were nearly 100 cities considered for smart city development in India, and approximately 20 of those have been approved by the Indian government for funding. The smart cities on India’s shortlist come from a variety of regions. This redevelopment project is part of a larger goal by the Indian government to bring the large country together. By implementing smart city technology throughout the vast country, India will be able to create a better-organized society.

China

China is rapidly developing its smart cities. With plenty of funding and technology to spare, the Chinese government has earmarked 500 cities for smart city development. While the original goal was to complete the transformation for all 500 cities by the end of 2017, more than half of the listed cities are still undergoing development.

So far, Qingdao, Hangzhou and Xiamen cities are ranked at the top for smart city governance according to the National Development and Reform Commission and the China Center for Urban Development. These cities are already equipped with wifi internet service on buses, smart register and pay services and robots that interact with citizens on a daily basis. Hangzhou, in particular, has been a sort of test tube for Alibaba’s City Brain project where they gathered massive amounts of data for artificial intelligence (AI) to process and make decisions with. The technology has drastically improved the city’s efficiency by decreasing traffic and the time it takes to respond to emergencies. As a result, City Brain will be exported to and implemented in other Chinese cities. Although not everyone is sold on the idea because the technology may put citizens’ privacy at risk, it is still expected to speed up smart city implementation all over China.

Tianjin City is one of the cities in China developing into a smart city. (Source: Bosch)

These cities will require support from the steel industry to develop and engineer high-quality, high-traffic amenities with technology at the core. Similar to Varanasi, many Chinese city projects will initially focus on housing and transportation upgrades.

SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: 3 Managers Explain POSCO China’s Success in Challenging Chinese Market

Africa

In Africa, over 300 cities will transition into smart cities, but many development projects are facing delays getting off the ground. Much of Africa is in need of establishing standard city amenities like city government offices, schools and an open market for privately-owned businesses. Nevertheless, the region presents a tremendous opportunity for growth, and Africa’s smart cities may become some of the most efficient locations around the world.

The Modderfontein Smart City is being developed in Johannesburg by Chinese firm Zendai. (Source: Future Cape Town)

Because there is a lack of complex infrastructure, these smart cities will be built almost from scratch, allowing the people of the city to benefit from a more customized smart-city technology. Instead of working around a historical route or building, African smart cities have the flexibility to transition into smart cities optimized for the exact needs of their developing governments, education systems and business communities.

The construction of African smart cities will start from scratch. (Source: SOFREP)

This is a city planner’s dream come true. And it’s ripe for steel consumption. The steel industry can provide high-quality materials and technologies, ensuring the best construction methods and materials from the onset. Without having to re-engineer structures, African smart cities are expected to be state of the art.

While opportunities are vast in this new arena of development, many of the top steel companies have already signed contracts with developing countries to assist with smart city production. But that doesn’t mean all of the work has been assigned. With thousands of cities slated to go smart within the next five years, the steel industry will have many opportunities and play a large role in the redevelopment of these communities. Steel companies that have an eye for technology and the highest quality products will be highly sought after in the years to come.

Cover photo courtesy of IoT India Magazine.

SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: Electric Vehicles and the Future of the Automotive Market

However, implementing autonomous transportation systems is no easy task, from perfecting the technology to sorting out legal matters. Take a look at these 6 early-adapting cities around the world that have embarked on the road to driverless transportation systems.

Singapore

Last year, the city-state became the first in the world to launch an automated taxi service. While many companies such as Uber have been testing driverless taxi systems, no one has launched a working model yet. Singapore’s autonomous taxi service launched by nuTonomy only has six cars, but the company has plans to have a full fleet of driverless taxis on Singapore roads by 2018. For now, the fleet consists of modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics that have an emergency driver at the wheel and researchers who ride in the back to gather data. The service is expected to drastically reduce the number of vehicles on Singapore’s congested roads.

Singapore is the first city in the world to have a running autonomous taxi service. (Source: Auto Evolution)

Los Angeles

After much delay, city officials finally made it legal to test driverless vehicles in L.A. this year, and by 2020, the city could have fully autonomous vehicles operating on its roads. So far, 43 companies such as General Motors, Apple and Uber have testing permits in California, which means that a driver must be at the wheel, prepared to take over in case of an emergency. The Department of Motor Vehicles will finalize the rules and regulations surrounding autonomous vehicle testing in 2018. Autonomous transportation is a sector that will continue to generate much investment, and L.A. was already losing business to other cities in the U.S. due to its regulatory restrictions. With the new guidelines in place, the city can expect to be bustling with startup activity and innovative solutions to its transportation challenges.

For now, L.A. law requires drivers at the wheel of every autonomous vehicle. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Munich

Germany is home to the most advanced automakers in the world, and in August 2017, German lawmakers drew up the guidelines for operating autonomous vehicles. Under the new guidelines, all autonomous vehicle software must be programmed in such a way that human life will be protected at any cost, over animals and property. Germany’s Transportation Ministry is the first in the world to draw up such guidelines for automated driving, and wide-implementation of autonomous transportation is expected to follow, starting with Munich.

Munich Airport now provides autonomous shuttle services between Terminal 2 and a satellite facility. (Source: Bombardier)

Recently, Munich Airport launched an autonomous shuttle service that links Terminal 2 to a new infield satellite facility with an underground train. The trains are called INNOVIA Automated People Mover (APM) 300 and were built by Bombardier. The train tunnel is 382 meters and will have the capacity to move 10,900 passengers every hour in either direction.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is another early-adapting city with plans to have autonomous transportation up and running throughout the entire city. However, the city’s first attempt at automated transportation ended badly when their automated shuttle bus collided with a semi-truck less than 2 hours after its debut. The cause of the accident was a delivery truck that backed into the bus. The shuttle was equipped with LiDAR sensors to map the roads. It was also fitted with cameras to identify obstacles on its path, and GPS locators for operators to locate the shuttle’s location. Despite the advanced systems, the city learned the hard way it cannot control what others do on the roads.

The truck hit the autonomous bus that didn’t have the ability to reverse. (Source: MBTMag)

China’s Zhuzhou City

Many good things are happening in China in terms of autonomous transportation. Recently in Zhuzhou, an autonomous, caterpillar-like bus was spotted. The Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), was developed by CCRC, a Beijing-based company that deals with the supply of rail transit equipment. It moves along Zhuzhou roads via sensors and can travel up to 70km per hour on its electric batteries and is expected to cut carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion.

The ART looks like a cross between a bus and a train and glides through the city using sensors. (Source: Curbed)

London

In September, the UK’s first driverless bus was tested in London’s Olympic Park. Interestingly, residents, visitors and tourists were invited to take part in the test runs throughout the month of September, free of charge. Like other autonomous buses, this electric bus navigates the roads via sensors, cameras and GPS maps. So far, the tests have been successful and the city hopes to implement the buses throughout the city in the near future. Take a look at some of the initial reactions.

Going into 2018, companies such as Uber, General Motors and BMW are expected to continue investing in autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing services. As more and more cities fine-tune their regulations and guidelines surrounding such modes of transportation, the world should see driverless transportation options pop up in more places, with fewer errors, providing more sustainable transportation systems.

Cover photo courtesy of Business Insider. 

India

India’s government is incentivizing the use of steel by providing construction grants for regions that need revitalization. This government money is fueling growth and increasing steel consumption in regions across the country. Some predict that India will increase its rank and surpass China as the top consumer of steel in 2018. This is because India has not yet achieved the level of development China has. In China, the economy is shifting. For years, much of China’s economy was made up of companies in the manufacturing industry, but with a growing upper and middle class, many of China’s industries are going from factories to office spaces. Services are expected to increase in China and lead to a decrease in the need for supplies like steel.

Indian steel consumption is rising thanks to new development projects. (Source: Quora)

SEE ALSO: India: A Rising Sun in the Global Renewable Energy Industry

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

Vietnam and the Philippines have been named two countries to watch in the ASEAN region. Unlike China and Japan, which have relatively more established economies, Vietnam and the Philippines are still in the development phase. Their rapid development is due in part to the growth of e-commerce. As the Vietnamese and Filipino governments race to build stronger countries, they’ll need steel to make improvements in the country’s infrastructure. Many of the cities in the region are outdated and in need of a total remodel. From creating a solid infrastructure to building offices and housing, steel will be in high demand in Vietnam and the Philippines in 2018.

Many ASEAN cities like Ho Chi Minh City pictured above is ripe for growth and development. (Source: Visa2Vietnam)

CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States)

CIS, also known as the Russian Commonwealth, is a confederation of 11 states made up of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. While Russia is the biggest and most powerful member state, the developing states are eager to catch up. CIS countries will undergo development projects including major infrastructure construction. Such state-level projects will require large amounts of steel and CIS countries will have to vamp up its own production as well as meet its needs through imports. As CIS countries develop, their citizens quality of life will likely increase, and they are expected to consume more goods such as cars and appliances made of steel as well.  

CIS member states are ripe for development and steel consumption in 2018. (Source: The Kremlin)

Japan

In the summer of 2020, Japan is set to host the biggest global summer games event. The government is investing significantly in this effort to build new sports facilities and other structures to accommodate the global event. A new stadium itself is said to have a budget of over USD 2 billion, and most of the construction will require steel. Japan already has some of the best infrastructure in the world. But it will need to adapt in order to accommodate the large number of visitors Tokyo will host over the three-week event.

Japan will need to build many sports venues such as its new stadium pictured above for 2020. (Source: CNN)

The United States

In the United States, the steel market is consumer-driven, and steel is a USD 113 billion industry. The U.S. is already the largest importer of steel by a wide margin. But the U.S. demand for steel is expected to increase. Steel is used for construction, infrastructure, energy, production, packaging, appliances and manufacturing. Many cities in the U.S. are expanding and improving their infrastructure. Cities like New York and San Francisco have aging buildings and transportation systems that need to be revitalized. Steel construction is also a way of creating more energy efficiency. As U.S. cities move to become more conservative with their natural resources, steel is one of the ways to reduce energy use. Things like steel reinforcements, steel roofs and other upgrades make buildings more efficient. Many household appliances and automobiles are also made of steel. As U.S. consumers purchase household appliances, cars and buildings, the U.S. demand for steel will continue to grow in 2018.

While 2018 will not likely see 2017 rates of growth, the steel industry will continue to grow as demand for steel-based goods increases. As developing countries become more dependent on modernized infrastructure, housing and conveniences, the steel industry will continue to show growth for the foreseeable future. Even in China, where manufacturing is beginning to slow down, there is a great demand for steel. In developing smart cities, for example, steel and technology work together to create more efficient cities for all citizens. Steel infrastructure will play a major role in the improvement of cities across the globe for years to come.

Here is what bridge expert Marco Rosignoli had to say about emerging megacities, the greatest challenge of providing efficient transportation and what kind of bridges will need to be built to accommodate the changing urban environment.  

The Cities of the Future

Today, megacities are the gateways of globalization. They drive flows of people, goods, knowledge and money around the world, and they also make a large contribution to economic growth at a national level. Tokyo accounts for 28 percent of the Japanese population and generates 40 percent of the country’s GDP. Paris accounts for 16 percent of the French population and generates 30 percent of its GDP. Many metropolitan regions have higher GDP pro-capita than the national average, higher labor productivity, and faster growth rates.

Given their weight in the national economy, the ability of megacities to compete at a global level is paramount. To attract investment, these cities need modern, efficient infrastructures. As the competition shifts from competition among countries to competition among cities, many countries are developing policies to develop their cities into globally competitive megacities.

“Mega” Challenges for “Mega” Cities

Recent studies show that transportation is the biggest infrastructure challenge of megacities and has a big impact on city competitiveness. Transport problems affect megacities at all levels of development and range from obsolete systems and aging infrastructure of mature cities such as London and New York to an insufficient system capacity of transitional cities and even non-existing basic infrastructure of emerging cities such as Karachi.

The mass transport systems of megacities must be capable of transporting millions of people while putting as little strain as possible on the environment. A good quality of life requires a well-functioning infrastructure, and an effective infrastructure contributes to economic prosperity.

Traffic congestion during rush hour at Shanghai, China

Congestion costs are huge for megacities’ economy, employment and the environment. Air pollution and traffic problems are the top two environmental problems of megacities, and road transport alone is responsible for over 40 percent of discharge of suspended particles into the atmosphere. Although water, electricity, health care, safety and security also need investment, recent studies suggest that these sectors are less likely to see a strong link between spending and improved competitiveness of megacities, despite their important impact on the attractiveness of the city for investment. Instead, stakeholders will prioritize spending on improving transportation infrastructure to boost city competitiveness.

Investing in Transportation for Megacities

Stakeholders are split on whether to invest in new transport capacity or reorganize, revitalize and increase the efficiency of existing infrastructure. When new investment is made available, it will likely be used to deliver incremental improvements to existing transportation systems rather than on new infrastructure projects.

The Goethals Bridge in New York under reconstruction (Source: New York Post)

Thus, megacities can expect to see public investment go toward the maintenance of existing bridges, restoring and partially rebuilding instead of constructing from scratch. Maintenance efforts will include the demolition of existing bridges, combined with the conversion of old-generation steels into new families of high-grade steels. This will reduce the environmental impact and achieve a net earning in structural capacity that will pay off part of the energy cost of the reconversion process.

Overall, public investment in traditional roads and roadway bridges will diminish, and will increase for eco-friendly sectors such as mass transit systems, electrified ground transportation for food and public services, light-rail transit bridges serving local districts from mass transit hubs, and high-speed railway networks connecting megacities to airports, ports and other megacities. The environmental impact of private transportation will also lead to new, greener mass transit solutions, which will become a top priority for investment.

Bridges of the Future

Many urban bridges in the U.S. were designed to be as light as possible in light of the scarcity of steel following the 2nd World War. This led to the use of long-span trusses incorporating built-up sections with trusses and lightening holes. Such bridges require constant maintenance and hand painting of large surfaces, which makes their maintenance financially prohibitive. Bridges that are still in acceptable service conditions may suggest replacement just to avoid maintenance costs.

New-generation urban bridges designed for long service life and minimized lifecycle costs will use plate girders and multiple protective layers of replaceable materials. Modern high-grade steels allow for the use of a smaller number of structural members, which diminishes the number of field splices, diaphragms, lateral braces, and steel surfaces to protect.

The Stonecutters Bridge and container port in Hong Kong

Compared with reinforced concrete, steel offers a higher strength-to-weight ratio that increases the design efficiency of modular bridges. These days, steel bridges are becoming increasingly stronger and lighter. As a core material, steel facilitates the delivery of prefabricated units, simplifies the design of bridge piers and foundations, and is easier and faster to recycle or use in smaller quantities.

In the future, these lighter and smaller bridge units will require more field splices, and new types of bolted, welded or hybrid connections will be introduced to increase the structural efficiency of connections, impose less structural constraints on their distribution, and avoid the weakening of the cross-section with drilled holes.

Moreover, the availability of deck assembly areas and interference of construction operations with adjacent infrastructure will govern bridge design. Incremental launching construction from aerial platforms will see new applications, especially when combined with on-site welding of the field splices among modular bridge units. The welding of field splices will allow for optimized segmentation of bridge units, will diminish the cost of field splices, and will relax the fabrication tolerances of the units.

Incremental launching construction in London, UK (Source: Knight Architects)

Overall, emerging megacities will translate into an increased demand for bridges, whether it is from building a new bridge or a reconstructing an existing bridge. The challenge will shift from structural considerations to rapid, cost-effective construction processes within a complex urban environment.

Future bridges that will accommodate stricter environmental and sustainability regulations will feature shorter, lighter spans that can be prefabricated in smart factories and transported and erected rapidly in a congested urban environment.

Steel bridges offer many advantages over prestressed-concrete bridges under these new demands. A transition to greener megacities will provide a wealth of business opportunities, eco-friendly technologies and construction materials, and diversification for the coming future.

Continue on to Part Two of Marco Rosignoli’s post on technical and materials solutions for the construction of large-scale bridges in megacities.

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This year, thousands of Haitian refugees with protective status in the U.S. following the 2010 earthquake, crossed the border into Quebec, Canada. The Trump administration announced in May that the temporary status for those refugees will end in January 2018. Facing deportation, the number of asylum seekers migrating to Canada is on a rapid rise. For now, the Canadian government has turned the Montreal Olympic Stadium into a temporary shelter while legal matters get sorted.

A group of asylum seekers outside of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada (Source: Montreal Gazette)

In Northern France, over 1000 refugees from Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea are seeking shelter. In October 2016, the government shut down the temporary Calais Camp and is discouraging the re-establishment of new refugee settlements in the area. Many of the displaced persons are school-aged children, now living in makeshift tents and open wastelands often facing police harassment.

Due to war, natural disasters and even national policy, millions of people globally have no place to call home. Though the underlying reasons will most likely take years to restore, the most urgent matter is providing refugees with adequate water, food and shelter. This urgency often leads to temporary solutions to a long term problem.

The Cities of Tomorrow

Kilian Kleinschmidt worked for the UN and UNHCR for 25 years before he set up his own aid consultancy called Switxboard. In an interview with Dezeen, Kleinschmidt said, “[Refugee camps] are the cities of tomorrow. The average stay today in a camp is 17 years. That’s a generation. Let’s look at these places as cities.”

He added there are thousands of job vacancies in Europe alone, but they are in places with no housing nearby. He believes everyone can benefit from viewing the refugee crisis as an opportunity to stimulate the economy as well as societies. Governments and aid agencies need to first provide more permanent housing solutions and connect refugees to resources to rebuild their lives, instead of focusing solely on survival.

In fact, most refugee camps provide tents that only last up to 6 months. Not only are they insufficient shelters against the weather and other external threats, they generate waste. Many organizations and housing professionals worldwide acknowledge this problem and are putting forth viable solutions.

Longer Lasting Solutions

IKEA is one such company. Starting in 2012, the IKEA Foundation came up with IKEA’s Better Shelter, a flatpack that comes with all the parts and tools necessary to build a refugee shelter. Each shelter consists of steel frames, insulated polypropylene panels and even solar panels for electricity. Everything comes packed in a box, just like other IKEA furniture, and can be assembled in about 4 hours. Last year, London’s Design Museum awarded Better Shelter with the Beazley design of the year. Although one house costs USD 8000 dollars, it lasts up to six times longer than tents, and the steel materials can be recycled to build other facilities.

UNHCR workers and volunteers set up an IKEA Better Shelter (Source: UNHCR)

Calais is another example of shelters providing a longer-term shelter solution. Early this year, the government of Calais, France opened a migrant shelter made of steel shipping containers. The 125 containers with bunk beds, heaters and windows can house up to 1500 people. Because there is no running water system, the shelter is by no means a permanent residency, but the steel shipping containers will last longer and are safer than cotton tents.

Aid workers move materials in and out of the shipping container shelters (Source: International Business Times)

Due to ongoing conflicts around the world as well as regular occurrences of natural disasters, governments and organizations need to reevaluate the global refugee crisis. Responding to emergencies with whatever resources are at hand is vital, but in order for refugees to settle down and contribute to society, they need to be empowered with more permanent residences.

Homes with steel frames or steel shipping containers can be a start to building long term shelters. Such homes can last years, provide safety and privacy and are relatively affordable. Moreover, steel can easily be reused for other building projects once the shelter is no longer needed. International and national laws regarding refugees date back to the end of World War II. A lot has changed since then, and it’s time for governments, companies and individuals to come up with sustainable solutions to shelter refugees.

*Cover Photo Courtesy of Inhabitat.

Of these many railways across the globe, which are becoming bigger, faster and longer today, The Steel Wire explores two recently established railway systems that opened limitless opportunities for the countries they connect.

The World’s Longest Tunnel Through the Alps

The world’s longest and deepest train tunnel officially opened in December 2016, after nearly two decades and USD 12.5 billion worth of construction work in Switzerland. The new 35-mile or nearly 57km tunnel was designed to replace the previous tunnel, which had limited train speed and cargo capacity as it would wind up, down and around the Alps.  

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT), which can carry passengers deep under the Swiss Alps from Zurich to Lugano, has been praised across Europe for improving connectivity from Rotterdam to the Adriatic and revolutionizing European freight and passenger transportation. The almost perfectly flat pass allows high-speed passenger trains and heavy freight trains with twice the cargo to race through up to 155 mph. The efficiency and reliability of rail freight traffic and increased transport capacity of the route will allow as many as 260 freight trains to pass through the GBT every day (the maximum number was 180 for the previous mountain route).

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) in Switzerland, the first flat route through the Alps (Source: Zacharie Grossen)

The GBT was deemed one of the biggest engineering feats in Swiss history. The Alps have always posed an obstacle to trains traveling between the North Sea and the Mediterranean due to zones of stone that had been crushed to bits as the Alps formed. Throughout construction, project engineers were constantly battling the pressure from the Alps and the humidity inside the tunnel.

So how were they able to dig the longest tunnel ever, perfectly level, through the base of the Alps?

In order to keep the pressure of the Alps from crushing the tunnel, specially designed steel reinforcements were used for tunnels and flexible beams that had moving parts held together with clasps. Ventilation was of the utmost importance for the project engineers to fight close to 100 percent humidity and 115 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. Nine-mile long ventilation tunnels were designed to bring fresh air into the tunnel.

This behind-the scenes video provides an immersive 360-degree look into the tremendous amount of work that’s been put into building the GBT.

The tunnel has overtaken Japan’s 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in the world and pushed the 50.5km Channel Tunnel linking the UK and France into third place. This new world record may not last long though as China has recently announced plans to link the northern port cities of Dalian and Yantai under the Bohai Strait with a railroad that is an estimated 76 miles (123km) long.

Chinese-funded Railways Linking East Africa

Another recently completed railway project is the Chinese-backed electric railway across Africa, which officially began operation in October 2016. The electrified and environmentally friendly project will replace the previous, diesel-powered Addis Ababa-Djibouti line.  

The project was initiated when a pre-feasibility study conducted in 2007 showed the importance of renovating the line from an economic and financial perspective. This 466-mile or 750 km long tunnel is expected to cut travel time between the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port in Djibouti from three days by road to 12 hours by rail. The express line will also help optimize trade by giving businesses and passengers a cheaper and safer alternative to the notoriously dangerous trip between the two cities that are often clogged with cargo trucks.  

Africa’s first fully electrified cross-border railway connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti (Source: AFP)

According to Transport CS James Macharia, “The laying of the tracks in itself will have a huge impact on the GDP even before completion of the project. Local businesses are expected to contribute up to 40 percent of all supplies whilst more than 50,000 Kenyans will be employed either directly or indirectly by the project.”

The USD 4 billion project was built by China Railway Group and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and partly financed by Chinese banks. Why did China see the railway as an investment opportunity?

China has provided about USD 12 billion in loans to Ethiopia since 2000, and is Ethiopia’s main trading partner for exports and imports. The railway construction will not only reduce the cost of doing business but will further create an export market for China’s booming steel and construction industries. According to Deborah Brautigam, professor of international political economy and director of SAIS-CARI, “They have overcapacity in China. They have steel that they want to use. They’ve got experienced companies that know how to build railways.”

These recently built railway systems show just how far reaching railway innovation and engineering have become. The world today would be unimaginable without these advancements. What other industries and businesses are next to evolve thanks to railway innovation?