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A tower crane sure looks like a giant standing tall like a commander at a construction site. In fact, tall buildings can not be constructed if it wasn’t for the tower cranes. Before finding out more about tower cranes, let’s first look into an ancient construction method.

The pyramids in Giza, northern Egypt, are considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World! They are said to be built about 2,500 years ago by ancient Egyptians who piled up 2.3 million blocks totaling over 2.5 tons. The completed pyramid was gigantic — 147m high, 230m wide, and 230m long.

No one knows exactly how the Egyptians transported the stone blocks, but many scholars presume that they created slopes on the sides of the pyramid and moved the stones using a wooden roll.

They say that it took about 20 years to build a single pyramid, so when calculated, it could be said that more than 13 blocks — which weigh more than 2.5 tons — were stacked per hour, day and night. No wonder some say that the pyramids were built by aliens.

l A Tower Crane Is A Game Changer?

What if there were tower cranes of today when building the pyramids of Giza? Since a tower crane can lift construction materials amounting to dozens of tons at a speed of more than 50 to 80m per minute, it would have taken less than two to three years to complete a pyramid.

The invention of the crane goes back to 6c B.C, Greece. When the ancient Greeks built structures like the Parthenon, they needed to lift heavy marbles, and they did so by attaching sheaves to long wooden posts. In Korea, the first crane to be recorded was “Geojunggi,” and it was invented by Yak-Yong Jeong in 1794. Geojunggi was applied in the construction of Suwon Castle.

With technology development in structural mechanics, modern buildings are becoming taller and bigger. Therefore, lifting heavy materials higher has become necessary, and the construction machinery suitable for this is the tower crane.

As the name suggests, a steel-made tower crane refers to a crane that is as tall as a tower. With this machinery, it becomes possible to transport heavy loads of more than 3 tons in any direction — up and down, left and right. Thus, enabling the beautiful skylines and landmarks of downtown areas.

HSA650^*, POSCO’s premium high-strength steel for construction, was applied to the Lotte World Tower, Dongdaegu Bus Transfer Center, and Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. These places have another thing in common — they utilized tower cranes in lifting the pillars and columns crafted with HSA650.
^*HSA650(High Strength Steel for Architecture) : Steel for structural construction with high yield strength of 650Mpa-class and seismic performance.

l What Are the Scientific Principles Behind Tower Cranes?

Tower cranes are divided into T-Tower Cranes and Luffing Cranes. A T-Tower Crane is shaped like the letter “T” and consists of a tower mast, which is the vertical column, and a jib, which is the horizontal arm, forming a right angle. A Luffing Crane lifts the jib vertically and takes the shape of the letter “L” to avoid obstacles within the operating radius.

The principle of how the tower crane works is a combination of the sheaves in the Geojunggi and Archimedes’ principle of the lever. With four movable sheaves equipped on the trolley pulley and a hook to transport the load, the tower crane can lift eight times more than its original power source. And with the operator cab serving as a support point, a counter weight made with concrete is suspended on a counter jib, a horizontal arm at the rear, to balance the weight with the front jib.

The principle of the lever shows that heavier objects can be lifted by moving the trolley pulley to a point closer to the fulcrum. In fact, even on construction sites, heavy weights are moved as close to the fulcrum as possible.

l How Does the Tower Crane Become Taller?

You’ve probably seen tower cranes bustling at construction sites. And one day, you might have noticed that the tower crane was somehow becoming taller. How did this happen?

Right under the tower crane’s operator cab is a “Telescopic Cage” that provides working space for telescoping^* and supports the top of the crane with hydraulic cylinders and guide rails.

Making the tower crane taller works like this. First, the operator cab is raised about 3m along the guide rail using the hydraulic cylinder of the telescopic cage to create an empty space. Then, an additional mast that acts as a pillar is added and fixed with bolts. So, the height of the tower crane grows to the height of the new mast.

^*Telescoping: A method of “inserting in” a new mast on the stable base of the tower crane.

Tower cranes whose foundation is fixed with reinforced concrete can be raised up to 150m or more by installing steel bracing at regular intervals on each floor of the building.

Among them, the title of the World’s Largest Crane goes to SGC-250 — referred to as “Big Carl.” With a maximum reach of 275 meters, Big Carl was designed and built by Sarens, a Belgium-based crane rental service company. Since September 2019, this enormous ring crane has been under operation at the construction site of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in the UK.

According to Sarens, high-strength steel was the key enabling the company to create this stunning example of modern engineering. See the details as POSCO Newsroom presents worldsteel, “World’s Biggest Crane ‘Big Carl’ Is Steel-Built Behemoth.”

The largest crane in the world, the SGC-250, uses the power of high-strength steel to deliver unprecedented lifting capacity.

20 planes, 63 trains, 126 trucks, 1,408 elephants – the world’s largest crane can lift them all. This gargantuan lifting machine has a capacity of 5,000 tonnes, thanks to a whopping maximum load moment of 250,000 tonne-metres.

A tonne-metre is a measure of how much a crane can lift in relation to how far the load is positioned from the base of the central mast. Dividing the tonne-metre rating by the distance from centre gives the max capacity at that distance. A 250,000 tonne-metre rating means if the load is positioned 100 metres from the central mast the maximum lifting capacity is 2,500 tonnes. So even when extended out to a 100-metre radius, this crane is capable of lifting the weight of eight planes, or 563 elephants.

Designed and built by Belgium-based heavy lifting powerhouse Sarens, it is called the SGC-250 – or, to use its nickname, ‘Big Carl’. The ring-based crane, the first of Sarens’ third generation of ring cranes, is now being put to work in its first project at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK.

More than 600 prefabricated sections of the new power station will be lifted into place, including the main sections of the steel containment liner and dome for each reactor building. It is a process that construction director Rob Jordan describes as “innovative… pre-fabrication helps us boost quality, gives better conditions for skilled workers, and saves time”.

It is only possible because of the SGC-250’s height – 0.25 km high in its tallest configuration, a little taller than One Canada Square in London’s Canary Wharf – and sheer load capacity. Such immense lifting height is the product of a 118-metre high-strength steel built main boom, which stands 160 metres high, and a 52.3 metre heavy duty jib which adds an additional 100 metres.

l A Unique Design

Why ‘Big Carl’? That’s in honour of Sarens director of technical solutions, Carl Sarens. “The SGC-250 is a game changer,” he said. “Sarens is proud to have conceived its design, designed it, and built it. We believe that this creation will serve Hinkley Point C, and other sites around the world, like no other crane can.”

The design process, he explained, involved 16,000 hours of R&D, 6,000 hours of CAD design and more than 25,000 hours of specialist design detail work. Construction commenced in August 2017, using components sourced from across Europe, and was completed in 14 months ready for the official public launch in November 2018.

Conceptually, the SGC-250 was inspired by the trend towards modularisation within construction. Increasingly, large portions are being prefabricated within a controlled environment, then transported to construction sites for lifting into their final positions. These individual models are so heavy, cranes with very high lifting capacities are required – and tall lifting heights are needed to deal with the size of major projects such as Hinckley Point C.

After construction in Belgium, Big Carl was transported to the UK in 2019, with 280 trucks taking it piece-by-piece for reconstruction on site – which required the use of five smaller cranes. After 10 weeks, the SGC-250 was boomed up in August and began its first lift in mid-September, with the first significant lifts to begin in spring 2020. It is scheduled to work on the site for four years in a £20 million contract, supported by 52 other tower cranes.

Cleverly, the crane was transported in boxes that are now being used as its counterweights. These were filled with locally sourced material on site: there are a total of 52 counterweights, each weighing 100 tonnes.

There is 6km of rail track at the site, allowing the crane to travel between three lifting locations – an industry first for a fully-rigged crane, says Sarens. Smaller models such as the SGC-120 rest on a steel ring, but due to the scale of the building operation, the SGC-250 moves on high-grade steel rails that allow it to shift between positions without the need for reassembly.

It runs on 96 individual wheels when moving between positions. But despite its tremendous weight, careful design of the four bogies that run on a double ring beam made from high-strength steel and a spreader mat means it exerts a maximum ground pressure of just 25 tonnes per square metre. It can also slew 360 degrees, thanks to an extra 128 wheels. The ring itself has a diameter of less than 50 metres.

For the actual lifting, there are more than two kilometres of thick steel cables to which the crane’s hook is attached. Similar cables are also are used to operate the pulleys that lift the boom, and these must take the enormous strain of moving the massive components.

Because of its size and status, safety was a design priority. “The hoisting and slewing control system consists of the highest quality components and meets the highest performance level (PLE),” said Carl Sarens. “The design of the crane has been reviewed completely and all functionality and overload tests witnessed by a third-party inspection company.”

The crane can be fitted with a collision avoidance system and is expected to continue operations during the night, to lessen local disturbance and allow all the other smaller cranes to operate during the day.

Whether it’s the rails, the cables or the high-strength steel that forms the boom, this record-breaking lifting machine is a steel-built engineering triumph that is set to change the face of large-scale construction.

Images: EDF Energy
Video: Sarens

The original content published on the worldsteel’s ‘Our Stories’ section is available at: https://stories.worldsteel.org/construction-building/worlds-biggest-crane-big-carl-is-steel-built-behemoth/

These days people consider various criteria carefully, for example, environmental standard, when purchasing even household items like furniture and decorative items. For construction materials, stricter standards should be applied, one would think. This is why POSCO came up with ‘INNOVILT’, a premium brand of steel products for construction that applies POSCO steel. It’s a brand everyone — from workers to end-users — can recognize and trust.

l Why Did POSCO Launch a Construction Material Brand?

Since POSCO mainly produces flat products, its performance didn’t stand out in the construction market, which mostly consists of rebar and section steel. Instead, POSCO worked with its client companies to create solutions for premium steel products for construction. As a result, lighter, stronger, more aesthetically pleasing and cost-efficient products were developed. Since ‘High-end’ steel is no longer used just in automobiles and home appliances, POSCO’s world-class technology began to stand out in the construction field as well. However, since most businesses are carried on in B2B (business to business) form, POSCO was unable to deliver these solutions directly to end-users.

At the same time, new changes were detected in the construction market in Korea. As the value of safety and sustainability became higher, the end-users’ opinion, as well as the direct business parties’ — such as builders and contractors — had a greater impact on material decisions. Noticing this change, POSCO concluded that the B2B strategy is no longer viable in the domestic construction market. Hence, to make better steel products for construction than other competing materials such as wood, stone, and nonferrous metals (aluminum, etc.), changing the communication strategy was crucial. The new strategy would be B2B2C (Business to Business + Business to Customer), which actively engages the general public as well as the specialists.

On account of all these events, POSCO launched ‘INNOVILT’, a construction material brand. POSCO intends to increase customer value by expanding the premium technology and expertise — accumulated from other industries — to the construction market. Additionally, the public, who were unable to access construction material information, can easily comprehend the value and credibility of the material by recognizing the brand.

l ‘INNOVILT’ Let’s Bring the Value of Steel Into Construction 

▲ ‘INNOVILT’ brand concept

‘INNOVILT’ is the brand name. It stands for innovation, value, and built and aims to innovate the value of construction through POSCO Premium Steel. The brand slogan is — “Built the next, Let’s INNOVILT”. The core values of the brand are as follows: Hi-Tech, Creativity, Sustainability, and Partnership.

It is a known fact that POSCO’s Hi-Tech steel is used as a premium material in automobiles, home appliances, and mobile phones. And in these kinds of consumer goods, the end-user can easily judge and distinguish materials. For example, when someone says that a refrigerator made of black stainless steel is significantly better and is more expensive than other products, most people would agree.

Let’s think about it. There are hundreds of steel grades produced by POSCO, and POSCO hadn’t developed this cutting edge steel technology just for the automotive and home appliance industry alone. So 51 years of POSCO’s technology is in practice in construction steel products, making them more innovative than ever. Then how about adapting this technology into our homes? Actually, this is what ‘INNOVILT’ is trying to communicate across. “Embrace and invite INNOVILT into your house.”

l ‘INNOVILT’— Made With POSCO Steel 100%

So does this mean all POSCO steel becomes INNOVILT products automatically? The answer is No. To become an ‘INNOVILT’ product, the manufacturer of the steel products for construction must submit an application to POSCO. POSCO then reviews this application with its experts. Using POSCO steel 100%, such as WTP (World Top Premium) product, is essential. The selection criteria include the product technology, marketability, and also the stability and management ability of the client company. If the client company passes the evaluation, the company is given the right to use the brand name, and the product can be sold under the name ‘INNOVILT’.

Such a case — a steel company branding and managing client companies’ products — is unprecedented. Also, client companies who produce steel products for construction with POSCO steel or need strategic partnerships with POSCO will have mutual exchange as members of the ‘INNOVILT Alliance’.

▲ ‘INNOVILT’ brand system

The first INNOVILT product will be selected in December, but that doesn’t end there. POSCO is set to hold a brand committee every quarter and manage the INNOVILT brand continuously. The committee will look into whether the INNOVILT products are causing any quality issues that harm the brand reputation and whether the client companies continue to adopt POSCO steel 100%. POSCO will also hold meetings where solutions, applied technology, and co-marketing methods could be discussed so that INNOVILT products — just like its name — can keep being innovative. Putting up its name for this, POSCO aims to make INNOVILT completely credible to consumers.

l End-users : Experience Says It All

How can the brand ‘INNOVILT’ be applied in the real market? The following is an example showing how it works with ‘Steel Curtain Wall’.

▲ End-users, as well as business parties, can opt for the ‘INNOVILT’ brand.

Let’s say POSCO produces the WTP steel PosMAC and supplies it to a company N, an ‘INNOVILT Alliance’. Company N produces steel curtain walls which are INNOVILT  and then promote and sell the products under the name ‘INNOVILT’. Architectural design and construction companies compare general steel, aluminum, and ‘INNOVILT’ for curtain wall materials. As a result, premium material ‘INNOVILT’ is chosen and applied. The end-user may also express preference knowing that INNOVILT has a good price, and is distinctively safe.

Consumer’s experience of the benefits INNOVILT offers is the most important part of the brand. End-users can now proactively recognize, select, and enjoy the materials by themselves unlike before. For example, in the past, consumers used to be passive, regarding steel curtain walls to be just aluminum. But in the future, through INNOVILT they can make more informed decisions. With INNOVILT, such information previously unknown to customers, as the durability and insulation of the material, is now at consumer’s disposal.

As seen here, INNOVILT buildings and infrastructures will naturally become a safer, more sustainable, and cost-efficient space. If the concept of INNOVILT as a premium construction material is firmly established, end-users can make active requests for INNOVILT material like in apartment interior & exterior and so on. Some might even say, “My house is INNOVILT built.”

l “My House Is INNOVILT Built.”

INNOVILT is a construction material made of steel from the world’s most competitive steel maker. Now, through INNOVILT, users can explore values they had never experienced before in their lives.

An INNOVILT ‘PosMAC Barrier’ has an excellent corrosion-resistant and rainwater storage function, enabling the roadside trees to grow in an eco-friendly way. An apartment building can use INNOVILT ‘Stone-like Panel’ instead of cheap stone materials. It’s safer and there’s no need to worry about harmful substances. These are some examples of INNOVILT that consumers can experience in their daily lives.

INNOVILT continues its innovation to embrace all the values in construction that can’t be compromised — like economic feasibility, stability, and sustainability. In recent years, especially, sustainability is the most valuable idea across all industries. Steel is infinitely recyclable since it’s made from natural raw materials. Accordingly, utilizing INNOVILT means choosing the best technology and material that ensure economic feasibility and sustainability.

In terms of industrial ecology, the credibility of POSCO steel can be extended to the products of client companies, creating greater business value. POSCO also created the INNOVILT Smart Platform(link) where you can look at steel products for construction including INNOVILT. 3D planning and designing are also possible here using BIM (Building Information Modeling). On November 29, INNOVILT will be exhibited at the ‘POSCO E&C’s the Sharp Gallery’, located in Seoul. POSCO plans to fully support various promotion and marketing so that INNOVILT can play a substantial role in expanding the sales of its client companies.

‘Construction’ is a familiar yet difficult subject to comprehend. This is why POSCO presents a new paradigm with INNOVILT — a single name that users can rely on while choosing construction material. Build the Next. Let’s INNOVILT!

The U.S. is headed towards a major shortage of truck drivers. (Source: The New York Times)

However, the U.S. is short of about 30,000 to 35,000 drivers for every 750,000 trucks, and the number of driver shortages may reach up to 245,000 by 2022. That’s because right now, the average age of truck drivers in the U.S. is 55, and potential new recruits are choosing to sign up for construction or manufacturing jobs instead.

All this leads to climbing prices for freight transportation. Last December, at the peak of holiday deliveries, U.S. companies saw the highest monthly average rate for freight transportation since 2010. The high operation costs and lower profit margins are putting a heavy strain on industries. Heading into 2018, companies have to compete for carriers as there is just one truck available for every 12 loads.

As a result, Major automakers are heavily invested in autonomous electric freight trucks such as Tesla, Volvo and Daimler, and there are many proponents of an eco-friendly, safe and driverless future for freight transportation. However, autonomous freight trucks are not a realistic option for companies just yet. At a time of transition between the old and the new, there is a serious lack of capacity in freight transportation, and companies are left to deal with the higher costs for delivery.  

But good news right around the corner

Although the driver shortage is a major concern, it is a natural phenomenon in the transition towards a safer, more sustainable and more efficient freight transportation industry.

Uber’s autonomous freight trucks are in operation with a human safety driver on the highways of Arizona. (Source: Future Car)

Already, Uber has its autonomous trucks on the highways of Arizona. Every truck does have a human driver present to take over anytime, and the company uses transfer hubs to transfer goods between highways and local roads. Autonomous trucks are the safest and most efficient for use on highways, so human drivers transport goods from highways to the final destination. The company is working to operate without human backup drivers in the near future.

Waymo’s autonomous freight trucks have gone through almost a decade of testing and is now delivering supplies for Google in Atlanta. (Source: Wired)

Waymo is another company with autonomous trucks already in operation. Just this month, the company’s autonomous freight trucks started transferring equipment for Google data centers in Atlanta.

Embark was the first company to complete a successful coast to coast run with an autonomous truck. (Source: Micro Power Grids)

Embark also has its autonomous trucks in operation. Earlier this year, the company made a successful 2,400-mile trip from California to Florida with a human safety driver on board. The company has plans to commercialize its services in the coming years.

SEE ALSO: 6 Cities On the Road to a Driverless Future

Speeding up delivery

Numerous other automotive and tech companies besides those mentioned above are getting ready for autonomous freight transportation. The faster autonomous freight trucks are able to operate commercially, the faster industries can cut costs, improve delivery times and reduce their carbon footprint.

This means software technology, high-capacity batteries as well as the right automotive materials will play a crucial role in the future of the freight transportation industry, as well as in related industries. This transformation will open up new business opportunities for automakers, software companies as well as steel manufacturers like POSCO.

For autonomous truck manufacturers looking for ultra-lightweight yet super strong materials for optimal fuel efficiency, POSCO developed POSCO GIGA STEEL. The advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) material is 3 times stronger and 3.5 times cheaper than aluminum. Steel is also 100 percent recyclable and an electric vehicle made of AHSS requires 30 percent less energy than aluminum throughout its entire lifecycle. POSCO also developed a premium non-oriented electrical steel called Hyper NO for the most advanced and sustainable electric motors.

SEE ALSO: Why Electrical Steel Can Make All The Difference In EV Motors

POSCO also works with its auto partners to research and provide customized technology and materials solutions for their autonomous EVs. In the midst of a critical shortage of truck drivers, POSCO hopes to speed up autonomous EV adoption both for personal and commercial transportation and aid the transition into a more efficient and environmentally sustainable economy.

Cover photo courtesy of Time.

The budget for the entire event was estimated to be around USD 10 to 13 billion to get PyeongChang in prime shape to host more than 6000 athletes and officials from all over the world. As a result, the winter games will take place in 13 different venues, 6 of which have been newly built and the remaining 7 were renovated specifically for use during these games.

The Olympic flame lands in PyeongChang during the flame lighting ceremony. (Source: Sputnik News)

As the biggest steelmaker in Korea, POSCO played a crucial part in building the International Broadcast Center (IBC), Media Residence Hotel and the Kwandong Hockey Center with its World Premium Products and innovative construction solutions.

SEE ALSO: POSCO Steel Shines at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

International Broadcast Center

This year’s Winter Olympics will set a new record as the first Olympics to be broadcast live in all U.S. time zones, and all of this will be coordinated through the IBC. POSCO custom-made H-beams for the center’s pillars and columns using Pos-H, a type of steel produced by precisely cutting and welding POSCO’s hot-rolled steel plates and thick plates together.

The HSA5-based Pos-H is seismic wave resistant and can be customized to fit specific height and thickness requirements for different parts of a building. Plus, compared to existing hot-rolled steel which only comes in a standard size, manufacturers have the added benefit of reducing the amount of steel used, thus saving costs.

For the first time ever, all time zones in the U.S. can watch live coverage of the Olympics. (Source: Heerim)

POSCO also applied GI-Ace steel and fire-resistant cladding to the IBC’s columns to not only increase fire resistance but reduce construction time. POSCO’s dry fire-resistant cladding is different from traditional methods that require numerous layers of fire-resistant paint to be applied, requiring additional manpower and hours to complete. Dry-cladding can be wrapped around the surface of the columns in a one-time process.

Finally, the 5-story IBC is now capable of supporting a much larger load thanks to a new composite beam with concrete integrated into POSCO’s SM490 steel. Overall, POSCO supplied 8,218 tons of steel for the IBC.

Media Residence Hotel

The Media Residence Hotel is another important facility POSCO’s materials and construction solutions played a vital role in. POSCO wrapped the exterior walls of the 300-room, 4-story building with PosMAC, a magnesium alloy coating, that is 10 times more corrosion resistant than standard galvanized steel.

The interior walls are also lined with steel. Instead of wallpaper, the Media Residence Hotel is lined with a special type of printed steel that feels like fabric to the touch. POSCO also applied PosMAC to the modular bathroom floors instead of traditional tiles. PosMac is 5 times more corrosion-resistant than zinc plating, and has an aesthetically-pleasing finish. POSCO’s stainless steel, PossSD, made up other parts of the bathroom as it is also highly corrosion-resistant and workable. In addition, each entrance was made with POSCO’s high-strength and corrosion-resistant 329LD duplex stainless steel with surface treatment and color processing.

Media Residence Hotel was constructed off-site, then put together at the venue. (Source: The Korea Herald)

What’s noteworthy about this construction project is that 100 percent of the building was constructed off-site via modular construction. Compared to the time it would take to build a traditional concrete building of the same scope, the construction period for the Media Residence Hotel was 18 months shorter. Since each room is a relocatable building unit, it will be moved to a different venue and recycled as another hotel or dormitory. All in all, POSCO supplied 1,405 tons of steel for the entire construction project.

Kwandong Hockey Center

Kwandong Hockey Center will be home to some of the most exciting action of the winter games, and the facility was built on the “ice wave” concept to reflect the dynamics of ice hockey, waves of the nearby East Sea and the region’s strong winds.

Again, POSCO’s duplex stainless steel 329LD was used to cover the stadium’s exterior to protect against rapid corrosion that is prevalent in coastal areas. Aside from protection against corrosion, the stainless steel is extremely high in strength, allowing the builders to reduce the thickness of the steel plates by 25 percent compared to standard types of stainless steel.

POSCO’s duplex stainless steel keeps the Kwandong Hockey Center strong and corrosion-free. (Source: Curbed)

POSCO also aided the construction process by providing additional support such as internal wind pressure structural analysis, surface treatment and a panel processability evaluation to maximize the benefits of POSCO’s products.

With these new and upgraded facilities completed, PyeongChang is now equipped and ready to host the 23rd Winter Olympics. The only thing left to do now is to witness history as the best athletes from all over the world compete for gold. Best of luck to all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes!  

Cover photo courtesy of Snow Best.

The 2018 North American International Auto Show brought the biggest names in the auto industry together for a show and tell. (Source: News Atlas)

Continuing on what we saw during the past few years, the focus this year again was on improving safety, performance and design, all at the lightest weight possible for fuel economy. While there have been debates in the past about the best lightweight material, there was a clear winner at this year’s NAIAS. Almost every car, including the 2018 Car of the Year, was clad in advanced high-strength steel (AHHS) and significantly lighter than their predecessors.

Take a look at some of this year’s steel-clad cars.

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons Why AHSS Tops the Market for Lightweight Auto Materials

2018 Car of the Year: Honda Accord

The 2018 Honda Accord took home the prestigious title of Car of the Year due to its lightweight and improved strength and performance. The 2018 model contains 29 percent ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) in its chassis and 54.2 percent high strength steel (HSS). With these applications, the Honda Accord achieved a weight reduction of 110 to 176 pounds while improving its body torsional rigidity by 32 percent and its bending rigidity by 24 percent.

2019 Chevy Silverado

The all-new Chevy Silverado comes armed with plenty of steel. One of the features that contribute to its improved safety is the bed floor made of roll-formed HSS. Also, 80 percent of its fully-boxed steel frame is made of HSS and AHSS forms the Silverado’s safety cage. Overall, the new model is taller and 7 inches wider than before. Nevertheless, the all-new Silverado is 450 pounds lighter with a 10 percent increase in torsional rigidity than the previous model.

2019 Dodge Ram 1500

The 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 is another steel-intensive vehicle revealed at NAIAS. About 98 percent of this year’s model is made from HSS, and is the lightest, longest and most efficient frame in the half-ton truck segment. The wheelbase and crew cab is 4 inches longer than the previous model. The Dodge Ram 1500 also has several new safety features. The unique front-splayed frame rail technology, frame-mounted HSS tire blockers and fully-boxed side rails allow the car to absorb more energy in case of impact and minimize structural damage.

2019 Kia Forte

The 2019 Kia Forte is taller, wider and longer than before with 54 percent of its chassis made of AHSS. It also has a 16 percent stiffer body-in-white and the new seat frames are lighter yet stronger as Kia has its eyes on top ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the second consecutive year. The lighter and stronger vehicle will consume about 9 to 20 percent less fuel as well as drop noise levels by 5 decibels.

Why the Steel Overload?

As mentioned above, the latest cars are steel-intensive and automakers increasing the amount of HSS, UHSS and AHSS in their mix of materials. Of course, the main reason for this is steel’s innate properties that make it the ideal solution for automakers looking to cut back on weight and still satisfy safety standards. However, automakers also learned a good lesson from automakers who chose another popular lightweight material – aluminum.

SEE ALSO: Materials Matter: Why Steel Beats Aluminum in the Sustainability Debate

Back in 2014, Ford released its F-150 with an all-aluminum body. The move was bold and the cars sold fast as it was a whole 700 pounds lighter than previous models. Consumers got to drive away with a drastically improved fuel economy, but it didn’t take long for them to realize the big, expensive problem with aluminum bodies: repairs.

The 2015 Ford F-150 has an all-aluminum body. (Source: Hennessey Performance)

Although steel and aluminum are similar in terms of its lightweight properties, aluminum reacts differently than steel under heat. Aluminum does not have metal memory, while steel does, making it hard to reshape and repair following an accident. Welding aluminum also takes much more skill and precision than steel, and there are few repair shops that are equipped to handle aluminum. As a result, drivers not only have a hard time finding repair shops for their aluminum cars, they have to pay a hefty price for repairs compared to repairs for steel cars. For example, Jalopnik reported one of the first cases of the F-150 repairs back in 2015 cost USD 17,000 and a month-long repair time.

Of course, this was a rare case highlighting the steep learning curve of repairing aluminum vehicles, but it also highlights the fact that steel is still the norm when it comes to automotive materials, and judging from the 2018 NAIAS, it’s going to stay that way for quite some time.

Cover photo courtesy of Honda of Lincoln.

Scientists predict 2018 may be a tumultuous year for earthquakes. (Source: Take Two)

As structural damage is the leading cause of injury and deaths during an earthquake, architects, engineers and builders need to make sure buildings are built with the right materials and design.  

SEE ALSO: What it Takes to Build a Natural-Disaster-Proof House

The Materials

The most dangerous type of earthquakes are ones that trigger horizontal movements, because tall buildings are better at resisting vertical loads than horizontal ones. These ground motions can damage building foundations in a matter of minutes, causing severe injuries and deaths. Building a structure to withstand seismic waves starts with the right materials with the right properties, and steel is by far the most widely used material for building earthquake-resistant buildings.

According to the World Steel Association, ductile buildings are safer as they dissipate energy from seismic waves. A building will typically have ductile parts that can undergo plastic deformations without complete structural failure during an earthquake. Steel is the most common type of material for such parts.

Moreover, due to the law of inertia, the lighter the building, the less force seismic waves will exert on the building. That’s why it’s important, especially for taller buildings, to be made of light and flexible materials such as steel that can “bend” with the movement of earthquakes. On average, multi-story steel buildings are 60 to 70 percent lighter and 10 times stronger than concrete-framed buildings of the same size.

The Design

With steel, builders can add vital designs and reinforcements to keep the structure standing through an earthquake. Here’s some of the most widely-used measures.

Cross braces transfer the force of an earthquake to the ground. (Source: Earthquakes in India)

The structural integrity of buildings can be reinforced with steel cross braces that frame the exterior of a building in an x-shape. Ultimately cross braces can transfer the force of seismic waves back down to the ground, instead of letting the building take the hit. Builders can also reinforce the walls of buildings with additional vertical walls, or shear walls, that add stiffness to the frame of the building, allowing it to resist swaying or horizontal movements.

Base isolators absorb much of the shock of seismic waves. (Source: Embelton)

Base isolation involves separating the building from the foundation so that the isolators to absorb shock from the earthquake. The isolators allow the building to move at a slower pace because they dissolve a large part of the shock. Moment-resisting frames also effectively dissipate energy from floors and roofs to the building’s foundation and the stiff yet flexible frames can change shape during an earthquake. Although more costly, moment-resisting frames enable buildings to withstand an earthquake with excessive horizontal movement.

Putting it into practice with POSCO’s Steel House

In September 2017, Young Bae Kim’s home in Gyeongju province, Korea was hit with a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, just 8.9 km from where the earthquake started. Surprisingly, Kim’s home was unscathed. “I could feel the ground shake, but the house was completely under control.” Kim expressed.

Kim lives in one of the Steel Houses built by POSCO employees who volunteer to build homes and bridges for communities in need. Each Steel House is made with POSCO’s lightweight structural steel known for its durability, fire resistance and vibration resistance. The homes also incorporate PosMAC, a specialized galvanized steel that is 5 to 10 times more corrosion-resistant than standard steel and is more durable and affordable.

POSCO Employees volunteer their time to build steel houses in rural communities.

Because all the Steel Houses survived the Gyeongju earthquake while other homes were damaged, more and more people in Korea are choosing steel for their homes over traditional building materials such as wood and concrete. The same trend can be observed in Japan, where earthquakes are much more frequent. In order to build more earthquake-resistant buildings, steel is still the best solution available.

Cover photo courtesy of CNN.

However, these building projects are on another level of huge, and with all the megacities popping up throughout the country, China boasts many of the biggest infrastructure projects in the world. Here’s the Steel Wire’s look at some of the most impressive to date.

Three Gorges Dam

China is home to the largest dam in the world, measuring 1.5 miles in length and sitting 60 (!) stories tall. The Three Gorges Dam took 1.92 million tons of rolled steel to complete, along with 10.82 million tons of cement and 1.6 million cubic meters of timber. The dam opened in 2003 on the Yangtze River and last year, generated a record-high 97.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, 4.35 percent higher than the previous year.

The Three Gorges Dam is the biggest dam in the world and is made up of 1.92 million tons of steel. (Source: Wikipedia)

Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) was the second largest and busiest airport in the world in 2016, just behind the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. PEK recorded 94,393,454 passengers that flew in and out in 2016, a 5 percent increase from 2015, and is easily the biggest airport in all of Asia.

Beijing Capital International Airport is the biggest airport in Asia, and second in the world. (Source: Top China Travel)

The first phase of the airport cost USD 3.5 billion and was completed in 2008, but in order to handle the growing number of passengers, an expansion project is planned for 2025. The estimated 5-year project will almost double PEK’s capacity and cost an additional USD 13 billion.   

Jiaozhou Bay Bridge

China is also home to the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. The massive structure stretches over 26.4 miles and connects the cities of Qingdao and Huangdao. The 110ft width accommodates 6 traffic lanes that are supported by 5200 steel pillars.

The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is held up by 5200 steel pillars. (Source: Feel the Planet)

The bridge first opened in 2011 and took USD 2.3 billion and over 10,000 workers to build. The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge also took 450,000 tons of steel to complete, allowing the bridge to be able to withstand earthquakes up to 8.0 in magnitude, typhoons and the force from a 300,000-ton object.  

Jiuquan Wind Power Base

Not surprisingly, the largest wind farm in the world located in China. Jiuquan Wind Power Base is made up of 7,000 turbines that generate enough electricity to sustain a small country. The plant was approved in 2008, and the government has pledged an additional USD 17.4 billion by 2020 as part of the effort to develop China’s renewable energy industry. For now, only 3.3 percent of all the electricity generated in China comes from wind turbines. With the additional investment, Jiuquan Wind Power Base will be able to generate a massive 20 gigawatts of sustainable electricity.

The Jiuquan Wind Power Base generates enough energy to power a small nation. (Source: The New York Times)

New Century Global Center

What does the biggest building in the world look like? A mini country. Located in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the New Century Global Center combines a shopping mall, water park, hotels, movie theaters, offices, restaurants, ice rink and more into 19 million sq.ft. of space. The structure is made of glass and steel and measures 500 meters long, 400 meters wide and 100 meters high. Designed by architect Zaha Hadid, it even has artificial sun for the perfect weather, 24 hours a day.

The New Century Global Center located in Chengdu is the largest city in the world. (Source: Thousand Wonders)

Port of Shanghai

The world’s biggest ports are mostly located in China, and the biggest one is the Port of Shanghai. In 2012, 744 million tonnes of cargo and 32.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of steel containers passed through the port. The entire area of the port on the Yangtze River covers 3,619km² comprised of 3 main ports: Wusongkou, Waigaoqiao and Yangshan Deep-Water Port. About 25 percent of China’s trade passes through the Port of Shanghai, or 2,000 steel container ships per month.

The Port of Shanghai is the largest port in the world and a quarter of China’s trade passes through it. (Source: Thomson Reuters)

Most recently, the 4th phase of the Yangshan Deep-Water Port was completed, making it the largest automated port in the world. It spans across 2.23 million square meters, and can automatically handle 4 million standard containers per year, or 25 per hour. It was also built to accommodate the heaviest ships in the world.

China is using its steel to build up the country’s infrastructure, and set world records along the way. Besides being impressive in size, the structures are expected to contribute to greater connectivity and economic prosperity throughout China.

Cover photo courtesy of Morgan Stanley.

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.

For the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) completed last April, builders used POSCO’s Pos-H steel. Building parts were made by precisely cutting and welding the hot-rolled steel plates and thick plates. Pos-H is custom-made for structures and does not produce any waste unlike existing hot-rolled shape steel with fixed dimensions. In addition, POSCO’s dry fire-resistant cladding technique was applied to all the pillars of the IBC. The dry fire-resistant cladding technique eliminates the process of applying fire-resistant paint to pillars for fire prevention, and instead, fire-resistant materials are wrapped around the pillars.

The Media Residence that will house reporters during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics resembles a steel showroom due to its impressive design. PosMAC, which is over 5 times more corrosion-resistant than general galvanized steel sheets as it is coated with zinc, magnesium and aluminum, was specially printed to bring to life the fiber texture. PosMAC was used for the exterior of the bathrooms and walls for durability as well as artistic value. The surface steel plates plated with aluminum and zinc, called ALZASTA was treated to achieve a glittering spangle pattern texture and applied to the residence fire doors, valve enclosures and hallways. PossSD, stainless steel with a level of reflectivity equal to that of a mirror, was used inside the bathrooms.

The Media Residence was completed on December 15, after 8 months of construction. All of the 300 rooms were prefabricated in a factory and assembled at the site. This is known as modular construction. It reduced the construction period by 18 months compared to building with general concrete. More than anything else, modular construction makes it possible to move the structure to another location and reuse it. In this respect, modular construction is regarded as the best choice for the facilities that will be removed after the Winter Olympics. The Media Residence will be reused as a hotel or dormitory.

Finally, the Kwandong Hockey Center’s exterior walls are made of 329LD POSCO stainless steel, which is highly corrosion-resistant and robust. POSCO provided the structural analysis by calculating the optimal thickness for the walls and reduced the thickness by 25 percent.  

After the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, POSCO will continue to provide construction solutions through is WPP and technologies for its partners.  

Cover photo courtesy of Heerim.