Are you curious about the lives of POSCO’s overseas expatriates who enjoy working and leisure in an exotic environment? POSCO Newsroom reports on the local lives of overseas expatriates. In Part 1, we meet Don-Gun Kim, an resident engineer working at Renault in France.

Hi. I am Don-Gun Kim, a resident engineer who has been working as an expatriate at the Renault Tech Center in Guyancourt, a suburb of Paris, since November 2021. POSCO Group has maintained a close cooperative relationship with Renault Group in the steel sector since 2014, and is gradually expanding the scope of technological cooperation to include secondary battery materials and hydrogen. Our cooperation extends beyond producing cars with reduced environmental impact. We are actively working to expand our efforts in developing sustainable materials, aiming to significantly reduce carbon emissions and promote a more environmentally responsible car market.

I joined POSCO’s Gwangyang Forming Research Group (formerly the Automobile Processing Research Group) in 2010 and have been working at the Songdo Steel Solution Research Institute since 2012. Anyone who enjoys challenges and romance would dream of working and living abroad at least once. I also thought working overseas after joining POSCO would be a good idea. I realized that I would need experience in a variety of fields to do so, and I was dispatched to the Automotive Materials Solutions Group in 2018, even though I was still affiliated with the research center.

After I started working with Renault Nissan and continued working in Songdo, I naturally had the opportunity to challenge myself as an expatriate overseas. I heard that many people applied for the Renault resident engineer position, but I was selected to work as an expatriate at the Renault Tech Center in 2021 in recognition of the work I had performed over the years.

Renault’s departments have different policies, but the one I belong to operates on a flexible work schedule. Anyone can commute to work according to their schedule between 7 AM and 8 PM as long as they keep a 35-hour work week. This policy was created after the COVID-19 pandemic: if you work at the office for at least two days a week, you can work from home for the remaining days. As you may have expected, I work according to POSCO’s working hours. I stay home on Fridays unless Renault requests a meeting. Even the cafeteria is closed that day because most employees are not in the office (Smile).

You might think that I am fluent in French since I am an expatriate in France. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most of my colleagues are French, but we communicate in English. I wanted to learn French when I arrived in France, but it took work. So, I can only say hello or simple greetings. One useful expression is “Je ne parle pas français,” which means “I don’t speak French.” Everyone understands it well, although my pronunciation is poor. It is very useful when I receive an advertising call since they hang up immediately.

My colleagues are mostly French or Canadians. I am the only Korean there. I was initially worried about how to deal with them, but I found that French people are friendly. The American teacher who teaches me English says that Korean and French people are surprisingly similar in many ways. He thinks we are very curious about each other and like talking.

I think it is really true. They enjoy talking over coffee breaks, and I get more information and ideas during tea time than during meetings. Since business meetings are official events, expressions are limited, and thoughts are bound to be rigid. However, as we chat about personal matters, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed, and better ideas emerge. I have this kind of occasion more often. I learned about the overall need for materials for eco-friendly cars through conversations with Renault colleagues and held an event called POSCO Group Tech Day at Renault on November 16, 2023. Moreover, as communication became smoother, we had opportunities to supply new materials and strengthen collaboration between technology and sales in various areas.

People who are thinking about becoming an expatriate often ask, “Will I adapt well to a foreign country?” I had the same question at first. But people are similar wherever you are. I was initially shy, and they seemed uncomfortable talking to me, so I approached them proactively, said hello, and started talking to them, and from then on, everyone started to treat me comfortably. There was a time when I said I wanted to go on a trip to Annecy, France, and a co-worker with whom I was not very close told me it was his hometown and led me to his desk. I followed him, and he unfolded a map and explained the attractions I should visit. I remember him patiently answering all the questions I had.

It is not easy to find a place to live, go to the hospital, and find a school for your child in France. You have to have a phone number and bank account to get a house, but you need a home address to get a phone number and bank account. Being a foreigner in an unfamiliar place and solving these things one at a time was difficult. We all know that these procedures are carried out very quickly in Korea. Sometimes, I wondered why everything was so slow and frustrating. I received a lot of help from the Korean community whenever I faced a difficulty. There was a lot of information on how to get to the hospital and how to get the items I needed, which was very useful in helping me adapt to local life. Asking colleagues was also helpful. You can obtain useful information by actively asking questions and seeking opinions on things related to the local area.

The most important thing in expatriate life is family. If you have children, it is no exaggeration to say that their school life determines your quality of life. Expatriates send their children to international schools, except in English-speaking countries. Since the official language of international schools is English, teaching them the language in advance will help them gain confidence in school life.

It is a word that represents French culture, which is related to understanding and accepting differences. French people say that even when they cannot go to work because the subway workers are on strike, it should all be for a reason, and they do not complain since they believe that it will help them in the end. I am not sure if that is true…(Smile)!The phrase means “It depends” in English and is often used to explain the slow French administrative services. It may take 4 weeks or even 4 months to produce a single document, and you will get the answer “Ça dépend” when you ask how long it will take. It also means not to worry about it, accept it and wait if it is not very important in your life. It should be noted that “not very important tasks” include administrative services such as obtaining a driver’s license or residence permit. The culture encourages you to pay more attention to the people around you and enjoy a happy life than trivial things. Of course, the reality is quite different. ^^

① Tourist attractions in Paris

France is the world’s no.1 tourism country. It is not an exaggeration to say that France has the most cultural heritage in the world. In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre Museum, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, and the Palace of Versailles, you can also see Giverny (Monet’s garden), Van Gogh’s tomb, and Disneyland within an hour’s drive. I remember going to see an exhibition of the Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings, the world’s oldest extant book printed with movable metal type, at the National Library in Paris. I wonder if there could be a better education than getting an annual membership to the Musée d’Orsay or the Louvre Museum and taking your child there every weekend. Of course, it is not easy to visit them once a month.

② Tourist attractions outside of Paris and Europe

You can easily travel to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium by car from Paris. It takes 10 hours to travel to Barcelona and 15 hours to Rome. You can visit most countries in Europe within 4 hours by plane. You can travel to countries that have joined the Schengen Agreement* without separate passport verification, so it is worth taking full advantage of it if you are stationed in Europe. I went to the Netherlands to visit the Yi Jun Peace Museum in the Hague and the painting by Rubens that Nero and Patrasche, the main characters in the movie The Dog of Flanders, last saw.

*Schengen Agreement: An open border treaty providing for visa-free travel between member states of the European Union (EU)

③ Bread
Bread can be categorized into three types in French: Pain (bread like baguettes), Viennoiserie (Viennese pastries like croissants), and Pâtisserie (pastries and cakes like cakes and macarons). French people are very proud of their bread. Soon after I arrived in Paris, colleagues asked me if I had found my own bakery. I wondered why they were asking this question, but it wasn’t long before I found my own bakery. I thought bread was bread and how could one differ from others, but I completely changed my mind after trying baguettes made in Paris. Moreover, the price was unbelievably cheap at around 1.2 euros, so it was very satisfactory. There are many kinds of bread other than baguettes, and I encourage you to enjoy them.

④ French wine tour
France has many famous wine-producing regions. Bordeaux, the farthest city from Paris, can be reached in about 6 hours by car, and other places such as Champagne, Loire, and Burgundy can be reached in 3 to 5 hours. So, if you are at all interested in wine, I highly recommend enjoying various wine tours on weekends!

⑤ Course meal for fine dining and raclette
Fine dining course meals are expensive in Korea at 200,000 to 300,000 won, but they are not as expensive as you might think in France. Course meals priced around 100,000 won are wonderful, so I recommend visiting local restaurants even without Michelin stars. Many tourists visit Paris, so it sells a variety of meals. Personally, I recommend raclette, a winter food most Europeans enjoy. It is a leading Swiss cheese dish, along with fondue, made by dipping potatoes, vegetables, ham, etc. in melted cheese. Casual dishes include onion soup, veal, duck, etc. Try them whenever you get a chance.

On April 15, I attended the Expatriate Leadership Course Before/During Assignment held at POSCO Group University. I received specialized training in leadership, global negotiations, and communication during the 5-day program. Most expatriates work alone, and talking or asking about the head office is difficult. However, this program was a good opportunity to satisfy the thirst for information about changes and trends in Korea and the head office. The content, which helped you to change your thinking to a discussion/participation type and refresh your future career vision, was a big professional and psychological help.

When I return to the Songdo Steel Solution Research Institute, I plan to conduct research and development for technological cooperation and sales expansion with customers. The global capabilities and negotiation skills acquired through this training program will greatly help me to communicate and work with customers. The Expatriate Leadership Course Before/During Assignment is an integrated program and was great because I was able to communicate with people working or planning to work in other countries, share local experiences, and empathize with them. I was very proud to be able to convey our experiences vividly to junior expatriates.

I now have about a year left in my expatriate position. I plan to achieve good results at Renault in the time remaining. Personally, I want to make many good memories with my family. I will travel often and capture the scenery around France in my heart so I can smile later and say, “I made these memories in France.” This was Don-Gun Kim, a POSCO special correspondent currently working as a resident engineer at Renault in France.

The U.S. is the birthplace of many iconic figures, movies, and buildings. The Statue of Liberty is one such work of art which stands as a symbol of freedom and independence. The Empire State building is another architectural icon in the center of New York, a city which in and of itself represents the U.S. Although these monuments appear majestic on the exterior, it is their interior composition that has kept them standing tall all these years. These and other international iconic structures embody the limitless ways steel builds culture around the globe.

The Statue of Liberty

A Gift from the French

An early sketch of the Statue of Liberty (Image courtesy of Copper Development Association Inc.)

More than a hundred years ago, the French sent a giant gift to celebrate America’s independence and to honor their friendship. The Statue of Liberty was first assembled in France, taken apart, shipped to the U.S. and then erected once more. It still stands tall, but even stronger today thanks to some important improvements made along the way.

As the Leaning Tower of Pisa is to Italy and the Eiffel Tower is to France, the Statue of Liberty embodies and represents America’s values of freedom and independence. Although Lady Liberty looks as smooth and stunning as her first debut, her journey was nothing short of rocky.

The statue was assembled in the U.S. in 1886. The iron and copper figure stood the test of time for almost 100 years. However, from 1982 to 1986, the statue underwent major reparations to so that Lady Liberty could make it to her centennial anniversary in 1986. It was a costly effort, and interestingly, marked one of the earliest joint efforts between the private and public sectors to fund a public project.  

What was wrong with Lady Liberty?

In short, the Statue of Liberty can be broken down into three main parts: the copper exterior (a sheet of copper that covers the entire statue), the internal skeleton or pylon made of puddled iron, and the Armature (a frame that connects the copper exterior to the internal skeleton).

The armature is made up of iron bars, 1300 of them, weighing 20 pounds each. Due to concerns about corrosion, layers of protective materials were applied to the bars, such as coal tar, aluminum, and lead. The coating itself weathered over the years and began to trap moisture. Thus, the iron started to rust.

Engineers decided to replace the entire armature, but with what?

Four prospective materials underwent extensive testing:

1. Aluminum bronze
2. Cupro-nickel
3. Ferralium
4. Stainless steel

The obvious choice was stainless steel as it would not rust, but also gift builders with its elasticity, light-weight, strength, and ductility.

Ten years after the repairs, in 1996, inspectors deemed the armature corrosion-resistant and it has remained so ever since. It would have been wiser and less costly to start with steel in the first place, as the engineers of the Empire State Building did, but it seems even steel could use… even more steel.

A Steel on Steel Testament

The Empire State Building Stands tall in the middle of New York City

In the Big Apple, The 86-year-old Empire State Building also recently underwent enhancements. Engineers added 39 tons of steel plates onto the building’s existing steel mast (the pointy part at the top, also known as the tower) to improve its carrying capacity.  

The planning for this project alone took over two years. Steelworkers, engineers, and builders had to take into account the bustling city below. High winds were another factor to consider. In the end, engineers came up with a cocoon-like encasing to be placed around the tower at the top of the building during construction to keep falling pieces in and strong winds out.  

Once set inside the cocoon, workers began wielding 39 tons worth of steel bars and plates onto the tower. The process was tedious as steel parts could only be transported into the cocoon in small pieces.  

In the end, the sturdier mast with a greater carrying capacity was worth the struggle.

The Empire State Building was built in 1931 and was the tallest building in the world at the time. Due to its unique design, the American Society of Civil Engineers named it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It is also a significant part of American culture, as the Empire State Building has been featured in more than 90 movies, including “King Kong” in 1933.  

Every year, the Empire State Building generates more than $100 million in revenue. About 20% of the revenue comes from the antennas attached to the 200-ft-tall steel broadcast tower. The remaining 80% is generated by the flocks of tourists that visit from all over the world, confirming the Empire State Building as an international landmark.  

However, it is not the only building receiving international attention and recognition.

The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi

The Capital Gate Building in Abu Dhabi, UAE leans westward in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre complex (Image courtesy of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center)

Abu Dhabi is another country where steel lays the foundation for iconic buildings. The Capital Gate Building may not have a long history, but it is an architectural wonder. It is often compared to Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it has four times leaner The Capital Gate leans to the west a whopping 18 degrees.

How is this possible?

Engineers used a technique called pre-cambered core. Basically, they offset the core to counter the gravitational force created by the leaning mass of the building. The core or base of the building is a 7-foot mass of steel mesh and concrete locked down to almost 500 piles, which are drilled 100 feet into the ground. The external skeleton called a diagrid is also made of steel. These features, as well as some extensive math equations, allow the building to stand tall, at an angle.

The landmark leans in the center of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre complex and the Capital Centre master development. It captured international attention when The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed the Capital Gate Building as the “World’s furthest leaning man-made tower” in 2010.  

The list of iconic steel structures is endless…

Although the ones we discussed are just three iconic structures, it’s easy to see why steel makes up so many other buildings, statues, and memorials all over the world.  In the U.S. alone, iconic structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Willis (Formerly Sears) Tower are all made of steel.

Steel is cheaper, more sustainable and more durable than other materials such as iron and wood.

In addition, emerging technology will only further enhance the compatibility of steel for architecture and construction. One promising area of innovation is 3D printing for buildings.

The Mesh Mould 3D Printer developing a steel frame (Image courtesy of Gramazio Kohler Research)

Printing Steel in 3D

The typical concrete construction process consists of:

1. Setting up a steel/metal frame (rods) for the building
2. Pouring concrete over the rods
3. Formwork- using a wooden “shell” to hold the concrete in place as it dries

The problem with this process is the formwork. Because custom-made formwork is extremely expensive and non-reusable, builders opt for standardized, block-shaped formwork. This limits design creativity on top of the economic and environmental inconvenience.

Mesh Mould is a digital 3D printer in the works by researchers at the ETH Zürich research institute. The printer would produce steel frameworks that are both fine and dense, so that poured concrete would not seep out before it solidifies. The developers of Mesh Mould also created a special concrete mix to accompany the steel frames. Mesh Mould would eliminate formwork completely. Not only will this make the whole construction process more sustainable, it will lower material expenses and also save time. Others have taken notice as well. Mesh Mould received the 2016 Swiss Technology Award.

Statues, building, and monuments can be made of numerous different materials. However, when exploring iconic buildings and monuments that have stood the test of time and breached scientific barriers, steel proves to be the perfect fit.

Early scaffolding usually consisted of wood and rope – even today in parts of the world, bamboo is still used, even for high rises. But a much more common material for making stronger and safer scaffolding is steel.

Steel Transforms an Old Idea

At first, steel was used as coupling devices, replacing the rope used for joining together the wooden poles. One of the first uses of steel couplings? A renovation of Buckingham Palace in 1913. Then steel pipes arose, taking the place of wood poles in the 1920s.

Today, steel is the most common material for scaffolding in most of the world, with couplers, clips and clamps joining together standards, ledgers, braces, and transoms, to create elaborate frames that can completely encompass buildings, going up even more than 100 meters high.

However, creating gigantic scaffolding structures have weight. They take up space and need to be transported to and from the construction site. And workers need to put up that steel staging and take it down again.

A Better Solution

Which is why POSCO has created a major step forward in scaffolding technology – Ultra Light (UL) 700, a stronger, thinner, and lighter type of support structure.

Due to UL700 having 40-percent higher tensile strength than conventional steel scaffolding, POSCO has been able to reduce the thickness of scaffolding pipes from 2.3mm to 1.8mm. That makes UL700 25 percent lighter than conventional scaffolding, which in turn helps reduce transportation costs by 25 percent and gas emissions by 25 percent.

In addition, the lighter weight is less dangerous for workers, and reduces worker transportation time by 23.5 percent. UL700 is also more resistant to bending and has lower deformation, which also makes it more efficient. Despite all those advantages, UL700 is also very cost competitive, so companies can enjoy the scaffolding’s wide range of benefits and still come out ahead.

Check out this video to get an in-depth look at the many advantages that POSCO’s new UL700 steel scaffolding has to offer.

POSCO’s High Manganese Steel Floor Plate Wins the Jang Young Sil Award for Its Vibration-Resistant Qualities

PosCoZy Floor Plates Creates Quieter Apartments

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Connecting Two Oceans
Led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who developed the plans for the Suez Canal in 1869, construction to build a sea-level waterway began. His success building the Suez Canal made him a legend, though the Panama proved to be a much tougher environment than the Suez. He raised $60 million to establish a canal company.

Beginning at the Limon Bay in the Atlantic, the canal would follow the course of the Chagres River Valley for half its course, cutting through Central America at its narrowest point. But unlike the Suez Canal, they would encounter a mountain range. The plan was to dig through the mountains at the lowest point, the Culebra (meaning snake in Spanish) to build a sea-level canal. One hundred twenty million tons of earth had to be moved and progress was slow. Mud and rock slides created chaos at excavation sites, causing workers to make cuts shallower than they first anticipated, taking more time and money. Critics tried to persuade de Lesseps to reconsider building a lock system, but off-site in France, he convinced investors to quadruple the budget instead. The Chagres River flooded during rainy seasons, rising over three meters in a single hour. The rain washed away carved out dirt, machinery and men. The canal would take 15 years longer than first promised, and de Lesseps concealed this from his investors.

Aside from the dangers of the earth itself, workers were battling yellow fever, a mysterious tropical disease, assumed to be caused by poisonous gases in the air. Six thousand men died in the first five years, with an alarming 350 dying every month. Panama became known as the fever coast. By the end of 1885, only one tenth of the canal had been dug. De Lesseps’ principle engineers pushed for a lock system, and resigned when de Lesseps refused. In 1888, his canal company eventually went bankrupt, triggering the biggest financial crash in human history. De Lesseps died a ruined man, charged with bribery and found guilty of misappropriation of funds. The scandal of the Panama Affair, brought down the French government, and Panama would forever be associated with disgrace.

Reviving the Canal
Seventeen years later, another country picked up where the French had given up. In 1902, the U.S. Senate voted to pursue the French efforts in Panama. Purchasing the project for a mere $10 million, President Theodore Roosevelt wanted the canal so the U.S. Navy could dominate the oceans. He handpicked the primary engineer, John Stevens, who built railroads around the world. As a railroad engineer, Stevens had a new approach, using dynamite to blast his way through the Culebra. He built a train system as a giant conveyer belt to remove excavated rock out of the cut, before it could slide back in. Dirt trains, a plow system and moveable tracks did the work faster than 600 men. His use of industrialized steel tracks sped up excavation and reduced the risk of mudslides.

In May 1906, the rains returned and Stevens’ new methods and machinery were no match. Stevens realized digging through the Culebra would not be possible, and the dream of a sea-level canal was buried. He decided to dam the Chagres River where it met the Atlantic to build a lock system, flooding a huge section of the country. Thus, he created the largest man-made lake which would raise ships through the Culebra.

Suddenly, in March 1907, Stevens quit without reason. Roosevelt turned to the army, and Colonel George Goethals took over the project. The locks of the Panama Canal are the largest concrete structures on earth. Goethals worked for six years, blasting through 80 million tons of rock, shattering all excavation records. His steel lock gates stood six stories high, each chamber bigger than the Titanic. Nothing of this magnitude had been powered by electricity ever before. In 1913, the Culebra was finally conquered, changing the world forever by joining the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. A humble tugboat was the first ship to make the journey through the Panama Canal.

A Modern Canal Made Possible with Steel
The Panama Canal has since been updated, under many phases of expansion. In 1935, another dam, the Madden Dam, was built to create another man-made lake to store water for the canal. Following WWII, relations between the U.S. and Panama became tense. In 1974, negotiations towards a settlement between the U.S. and Panama began. In 1999, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) took control of the canal, and it is now one of the chief revenue sources for Panama.
A third set of locks are under construction, and in June 2015, flooding of the new locks began. The canal is set to reopen in April 2016. The electro-mechanical installation phase commenced with the installation of the first steel rolling gate on the Atlantic side. With 16 gates total, the massive steel structures weigh about 3,400 tons. The size of the gates vary depending on locations and positions on the lock chambers. The tallest is eleven stories high.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Steel played a large role in the construction of the canal, from the tracks, cranes and industrialized carts that removed the dirt from the Culebra. The great Panama Canal could never have been realized as a sea-level canal, as it was first dreamed. Only due to a system of large steel locks, does the canal exist today, finally connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

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Košice, Slovakia: A Steel-Inspired Capital of Culture

As one of the oldest industrial hubs of Slovakia, steel production has played a vital role in the economy of the eastern city of Košice for quite some time. The main development of iron started in the 13^th century and the technology of steel production progressively improved until 1959 when a deed was signed for a modern metallurgy plant. Five decades later, the Košice mill has developed into a steel-producing plant that has managed to widely reach the markets and achieve a position among significant steel producers.

 Košice has since reforged itself into a city of the arts, and was designated “European Capital of Culture” in 2013, along with Marseille, France, for its efforts to transform dilapidated industrial structures into contemporary art galleries, performance theaters and independent culture centers. In addition to the city’s gorgeous Gothic architecture, it is also home to the renowned ice hockey team HC Košice that plays regularly at the Steel Aréna. (Image: http://bit.ly/1CjHtVM )

Visakhapatnam, India: Steelworks on the Sea

Often coined The Jewel of the East Coast, the port city of Visakhapatnam was identified as one of the fastest-growing in the world, economically and demographically, with steel playing an important role.

In the 1970s, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, announced the government’s decision to establish a steel plant at Visakhapatnam. It has since become the only Indian shore-based steel plant and is situated on 33,000 acres, making the city a gateway for the development of the steel industry.

In addition to its flourishing economy, Visakhapatnam’s beaches, hilltop parks, caves and wildlife sanctuaries have helped the city become a significant tourist destination of natural beauty. Its serene temples, such as Simhachalam Temple, allow visitors to experience the spiritual side of India. (Image: http://bit.ly/1JR9l3k )

Pittsburgh, USA: The Original Steel City

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became one of the most well-known steel cities in the world during the American Civil War, when the city’s economy was amplified by the increased production of iron and weaponry. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing half of the nation’s steel, and during World War II, the city saw local mills operate 24 hours a day to produce 95 million tons of the metal.

Today, Pittsburgh may not produce as much as it did in its heyday, but the “Steel City” still boasts more than 300 steel-related businesses and visitors can even go on steel tours. Additionally, the city’s most visited attractions, such as the Carnegie Museum, founded by Andrew Carnegie, the most influential figure in the expansion of America’s steel industry, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, a stunning house that uses steel as a main building material, are a testament to the importance the metal still plays in this historical and cultural city. Sports fans shouldn’t miss out on a Steelers football game. (Image: http://bit.ly/1LPF7jt )

Newcastle, Australia: Surf & Steel

When military rule ended in 1823, the penal settlement that was originally Newcastle advanced into a pioneer town. The dawn of the 20^th century saw the city evolve into a site for steelworks, due to its abundance of coal. In 1915, a local steelworks opened, beginning a period of some 8 decades in which Newcastle’s fortunes were brought on by the steelworks and heavy industries. A deadly earthquake struck in 1989 and ten years later, the steelworks closed after 84 years of operation, having employed about 50,000 throughout its existence.

Creative repurposing has transformed the old and outdated to new and trendy, and art projects and festivals have allowed inner-city neighborhoods to prosper. It is along the sandy shores of “Best in Travel”-ranked Newcastle that bohemian culture meets surf culture and top-rated restaurants overlook an industrial port. Today, even as Newcastle embraces its rough-and-tumble industrial past, it is continuously looking to the future as a regional capital of creativity and cool.

Whether you’re traveling to the Australian coast or the cultural capital of Slovakia, these vacation destinations forged from steel and sweat have plenty to offer travelers seeking new experiences and wanting to explore unfamiliar lands. Safe travels this summer! (Image: http://bit.ly/1H6mPVJ )

(Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line)

Following the first edition of the series, we would like to discuss about urban renewal cases of neglected railroads. One of the best known cases, the High Line of New York has a meaning more than just a simple ‘park’, since it is an urban garden built upon the abandoned railway lines of 1930s. The High Line has become one of the top visitor attractions in New York and an emblem of the historical decline from the industrial heyday. Let’s explore further about the High Line and other example of rebirths of former railroads.

‘The High Line Park’ Started With a Simple Interest of an Ordinary Citizen

(Image: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line)

In 1847, life-threatening accidents were frequent in New York City because freight trains, carriages, bicycles and pedestrians kept colliding down on Manhattan’s Far West Side. In order to solve this problem, the City of New York and Metropolitan Transportation Authority planned to construct an elevated railway in 1929. Finally, it was launched in 1934 and enabled cargo to be delivered directly from the railroad to factories and warehouses.

However, the railroad transportation drastically declined as highway construction and cargo truck started to advance in the 1950s. The overhead railway vanished into the history after the last train squealed its way in 1980. It has been discarded for 20 years until Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, agreed to dismantle the overhead railway in 1999.

On the threshold of the demolition, two civic activists formed a non-profit organization called, ‘Friends of the High Line’. They saw the potential that this useless, old heritage can be redeveloped into a unique overpass. The ‘Friends of the High Line’ consisted not only the regional residents but also various other people such as entrepreneurs and fashion designers. Furthermore, the organization proceeded their project by benchmarking Promenade Plantée of France.

Keep it simple, keep it wild, keep it quiet, and keep it slow!
This redesigning project was a collaboration of James Corner of Field Operations, a landscaping firm, Diller Scofidio+Renfro, an architecture studio, and a plant designer named Piet Oudolf. The main design concept of the High Line was to ‘keep it simple, keep it wild, keep it quiet, and keep it slow’. This design principle intended to maintain the traces of the overpass area including the wildflowers and vines grown out during the abandoned periods. The High Line embodies an extraordinary meaning since it is a creation of innovative designers, active citizens, generous men of means, and supportive corporates.

As shown by the cases above, it is quite difficult to preserve a trace of a certain city. It requires the government’s support while having complicated relations with the profit of property owners. Above all, it requires proactive and voluntary efforts of its citizens. As a city harmonizes over time, it asks for continuous efforts and patience of many people living within the city.

Promenade Plantée, the Archetype of a Renovated Urban Garden

(Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promenade_plant%C3%A9e)

The original model of reusing old transportation corridors is the Promenade Plantée in Paris, France. For cargo transportation, Paris had opened up a bridge-type railroad that penetrates the center of Eastern Paris in 1859. However, this railroad was deactivated in 1969 and deteriorated into a crime-prone area.

In the early 1980s, Paris decided to transform this railway, the city’s headache, into the ‘Promenade Plantée’, meaning ‘a walking trail’, by planting green lives around the area. Unlike the citizen-driven project of the High Line, the Promenade Plantée project was organized by the city authorities of Paris. And, the design of the site was developed by a landscaper, Jacques Vergely and an architect, Philippe Mathieux while architects named Patrick Berger and Jamine Galiano designed the pedestrian overpass shopping district.

The abandoned railroad built 10m from the ground level transformed into a floating esplanade, penetrating the city. Especially, the rusty area that was about to be demolished was reborn into the pedestrian overpass shopping district. And, the 70 redbrick-arches under the railroad redeveloped into ‘Viaduc des Arts‘, an art district of handcraft workshops, galleries, furniture exhibition halls, and cafés. Though the pedestrian overpass shopping district was completed only in 2000, it became one of the most popular spots among Parisians along with the Promenade Plantée.

Recreating the City While Maintaining its Previous Identity
A city tends to flow along with the lives of the citizens. As it shown by the case of Paris, the marks that embody the original identity of the city must be preserved as much as possible. The marks could be stunning and valuable or not at all. Nevertheless, it is significant because these traces of the city could contribute as an important historical asset for the future generation, as the traces have evolved a long period together with the citizens. Accordingly, cities develop their unique identities and this cannot simply happen only with a concept for city development but must stem from a sincere echo within our lives.

A city is a place where happy moments are accumulated, but it also encompasses the memories that people would like to forget. Thus, a city cannot simply disappear by eliminating the previous objects and replacing them with the new ones, because every moment has traces of our lives and becomes the history that brought us to today. In fact, when people recall the past and add value to it, the city can bring out its genuine beauty as a place where people strive to continue their lives with each other.

*This story was originally developed by Kim, Mi-na – Participated in Hanoi master plan, Ho Chi Minh Thu Thiem Binh Khanh master plan, and other international urban development projects especially in Da Nang, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and more. Currently, she is executing planning and marketing for global business projects at POSCO A&C. She is interested in the topics related to public-nature of cities and urban renewal.

Read on to find out more about what steel is used for and how steel is weaved into our daily lives.

Surprise #1) Steel brings amusement to our lives!

Have you experienced the excitement of amusement parks and the thrill of roller coasters? Without steel, you would not be able to enjoy roller coasters!

Roller coasters go back to the 17^th century, but they first appeared in 1817 in Paris, France. It then spread to the U.S. in the 19^th century and by 1920, they became so popular that most amusement parks had more than one installed.

Due to the Depression and the rise of television, roller coasters temporarily lost interest. However, with the appearance of “steel coasters”, roller coasters regained the interest of consumers. Compared to roller coasters made of wood, steel roller coasters could be made higher, faster while also being more safer. As of January 2012, 94% of roller coasters (2,791) around the world are made of steel.

Surprise #2) Steel brings profound musical tunes to our ears!

Steel also allows us to hear wonderful melodies. The sound of the piano has a beautiful sound that can transport us to a heavenly state. Contrary to what you might have expected, pianos are constructed with steel – a material which you would not associate with delicate music, correct?

The strings (piano wire) found within piano are made of strong high carbon steel to maintain tension. To be produced, high carbon steel is heated above 900 degrees Celsius and then is dipped into a container with melted lead at temperatures between 430~520 degrees Celsius which is a process called patenting. The end product has high strength, high viscosity qualities which are fit for usage in springs as well.

Surprise #3) Steel keeps us alive!

Did you know that everyone has steel inside their bodies?

3g of iron is essential for our bodies to function. Though a minor quantity, without it, we cannot survive! About 60% is found in our blood, 30% is in our liver and spleen and the remaining 10% is found within myoglobin cells, cytochrome and other particles inside muscles and bone marrow.

Iron is necessary for the body’s red blood cell formation. When there is not enough red blood cells, this affects our energy levels so that we get tired easily.  60 to 80% of patients with anemia have iron deficiency, but the symptoms do vary.

In many cases, the symptoms of anemia are shortness of breath, face becomes pale, and signs of anorexia. Moreover, hair falls out, nails become weak, and skin becomes very dry. Iron certainly plays a very important role within our bodies so we should make sure we maintain it!

Other Facts about Steel that You Didn’t Know Before

Generally people assume that the steel industry is the representative industry that produces harmful pollutions as a byproduct due to the use of coal for steel production. However, when one takes into consideration the entire life cycle of raw material extraction and processing, steel actually produces the least emissions per unit among building materials.

Steel is the only building material that can last for over 100 years. In addition to the merit of long-term usage, 90% of it can be recycled again unlike other materials. One ton of steel can go through 40 rotations of the reproduction cycle so that the cumulative amount of usage is actually over 10 tons.

Steel is recognized not just for the manufacturing process but also as eco-friendly consumer products as well. Representative examples of this are the eco-friendly, high strength steel used for automotive steel sheets, galvanized steel sheets for automotive fuel tanks, chrome-free zinc-plated steel for home appliances and so on. High tension steel plates are thinner than regular steel plates, however, they are merited for making it possible to produce lighter cars. In addition, they can enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions and hazardous substances.

That’s not all! Japan and other major nations are looking towards the development of electric power transmissions and the component necessary for this to happen is electrical steel products. There is increasing demand for steel plates used for rotational machinery within motor units as the non-oriented electrical steels have excellent magnetic properties for efficiency.

Bright future for steel. There is no limit to the use of steel!

The necessity and importance of steel for society is increasing more and more. They say that steel already has a large influence on the things around us. They help make all things from needles to ships. However the boundaries are expanding even more! From housing and skyscrapers, to the numerous bridges and spires, steel is all around us. Steel is even found in our transportation that takes us from place to place as they are what makes up cars and subways too.

What was most surprising among the uses of steel that we introduced? Stay tuned for more stories on steel that we will write about here on POSCO’s blog!

What is SkyCube? 

SkyCube will provide an accessible means of transportation to experience the great natural surroundings found in Suncheon. Suncheon Eco Trans’ SkyCube was made possible through investments between POSCO and Suncheon City’s Private Enterprise Investment Agreement. As the nation’s first PRT, it is a big deal. SkyCube runs for 4.64 km from Suncheon’s Dream Bridge to Suncheon’s Literature Center. The path that it runs is surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Suncheon.

Pictured here: PRT car passing through the track

SkyCube has a total of 40 cubicles and is a unique system in that it allows the surrounding environment to be preserved. The implications of these benefits may prove to be beneficial for transportation systems built in the future.

Reasons to Visit Suncheon

 Pictured here: PRT routes in Suncheon that preserve the natural environment

Suncheon is a unique wetland ecosystem that needs to be preserved as much as possible. SkyCube passengers can enjoy superb views of Suncheon. The area in which SkyCube runs is a vast natural wetlands area with 120 native marsh plants and over 240 species of migratory birds. It is currently registered within the Ramsar Convention which is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. In 2006, the Korean Tourism Organization selected Suncheon as one of the top 5 wetlands in the world.

Pictured here: Suncheon Bay Garden (Photo from http://bit.ly/PJSJTB)

Besides, Suncheon Bay Garden, which opened on April 20, became a landmark after successfully completing the very first Korean garden festival, ‘Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013’. Suncheon Bay Garden consists of Cypress Forest and Autumn Tint Path and more, divided into sections in accordance to the tree species and features various themed attractions such as Meditation Path and Meditation Place. While there are many places to visit throughout the Korean peninsula, many people recommend the ‘ecological tourist travel course’ in Suncheon.  

Pictured here: Suncheon Eco Trans opening ceremony

What is the Significance of SkyCube?

In January 2011, POSCO and Suncheon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the basis of jointly developing technology for the nation’s unique state-of-the-art transportation system. A test track was set up in Sweden and the system performance was verified to meet the safety requirements of northern Europe. The culmination of these efforts was precisely “SkyCube”.

 Pictured here: Beautiful natural scenery as scene from the PRT

The technology behind SkyCube is more economical compared to former technologies as the train can be controlled 24 hours without human involvement. With the same transportation capabilities, PRT are more cost-efficient in terms of construction as well as operating costs. SkyCube advantage is it is an eco-friendly solution since the PRT system runs on electric energy 100% and therefore does not generate exhaust emissions.

Moreover, polyurethane coated wheels were used in lieu of steel wheels in order to reduce noise and preserve the natural environment.

For these reasons, this state-of-the-art transportation technology seamlessly fits in with the natural ecosystem.

Pictured here: Internal arrangement of the PRT which is being seen as the future for eco-friendly transportation

The Advantages of the PRT System

Pictured here: PRT cars waiting at a station

PRT is an ecofriendly alternative to the regular public transport system. The system covers all necessary elements for the best green transportation solution including punctuality, safety, reliability, accessibility and privacy. Installation and operation is possible even in urban areas and short interval stops, with distance of 1 to 2 minutes, is achievable.

Unlike existing public transportation that runs on predetermined timetables, PRT runs based on passenger needs. At times when there are not many passengers, empty cars will wait before passing through stops and during rush hours, nearby cars will be called to meet service needs. Passengers do not need to wait over one minute for the PRT. Like taxis, passengers can get on the PRT and travel to their final destination without making stops in between. Passengers can have their privacy and travel within efficient timeframes.

System installation costs about 1/10^th of the cost it takes to build subway systems. They are also 1/3^rd the cost of light rail train systems and capacity is about the same. Because operation of PRT is automatic, cost efficiency is high and costs can be further reduced if cars are not operated when there are no passengers. PRT is an advantageous solution for development of new cities or new routes or advancements to existing routes.

Capable of being constructed with 90cm of concrete, 60cm of steel, the PRT tracks have the flexibility to be installed on main roads as well as sharp curves.

Pictured here: SkyCube passing through a station

Foreign PRT Systems

First developed in the 1970s, a small track rail system for 20 people was developed at Morgantown West Virginia University. PRT (Personal Rapid Transition) and GRT (Group Rapid Transition) were used as routes to connect the college campus with the city.

This was followed by further developments in Japan, France and Germany. Of these, the Cabintaxi developed in Hamburg, Germany, was the most advanced. The Cabintaxi developed in 1970 was in commercialization stage in 1980 however due to German government budget issues, the full development was postponed indefinitely.

By 1990, the PRT was a step closer to becoming fully commercial, but was not readily available still. Many studies were in place, however many were stopped. Systems under current operation were ULTra in England and 2getthere in Netherlands.

Thus, SkyCube is a superior operating system that supplies electricity to the track by using a third rail. In addition, compared to competing systems, it has already received safety system certification and is recognized in the world market for excellence and responsiveness.

Each drawing in the exhibition had its own story. There were images of a child riding a bicycle with her dad, hanging around with their friends and their parents’ workplace; QPSS. Our young painters must have input so much thoughts and efforts in their paintings. If you were there, you would have felt their innocence and playfulness showing in the lovely works.

A sticker was given to the QPSS employees who visited the scene so they could pick the artwork they liked the most. Once the vote was over, QPSS held an awarding ceremony to congratulate the winners of the exhibition. Let’s take a look at some of the excellent artworks.

Manager Ha Jae-chul, who has been working in QPSS, shared his review on the exhibition with ‘Hello, POSCO.’ He said, “It was interesting to see my colleagues’ daily lives in the children’s pictures. Because their partings were so lovely, we all had a very enjoyable moment.” I believe our ‘Hello, POSCO’ readers would also be feeling the same way with the adorable and warmhearted minds of the little kids.

Actually, there is a story behind how the exhibition was held at QPSS. To celebrate China’s Children’s Day on June 1st, QPSS prepared special gifts for the employees with kids. The present was a box of colored pencils and a sketchbook, providing them with the space to draw their creative thoughts and delightful dreams. Needless to say, the children absolutely fell in for the presents and in return, gave QPSS their wonderful pieces of artwork.

Have you decided which drawing you want to put your sticker on? Let’s find some peace of minds by staring at these loveable images. Who knows? It could remind you of the happiness and innocence when you were young.