▲ Home Insurance Building, the world’s first skyscraper (Lifespan: 1885 ~ 1931)

But what about for residential construction? Steel is definitely used to build our houses – wall panels, pipes and all – but are they simply design components? If not, how crucial are they?
In the past, builders did use to prefer wood over steel to frame residential buildings. However, because of its durability, steel is gaining more popularity.
What are some of the strengths of steel for residential construction in functionality as well as aesthetics aspects? What potentials does POSCO see for steel as residential construction materials? POSCO Newsroom reports.

l Steel Beauties around the World

Although wood has been popular as structural materials for residential construction, here are some of the advantages that steel has over wood. Steel has a higher strength to weight ratio than wood, which means steel components are stronger without adding much weight.

This is what makes steel structures stronger than wood, which is very attractive in areas prone to tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Steel is also fire- and termite-resistant, making it more durable than wood. To promote the strength of steel as residential construction materials, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) introduced ten houses as part of its #lovesteel campaign. Here are some of the examples.

(1) Corten House in Belgium
Located in Kontich, Belgium, the house was completed in 2013. The steel used by the firm DMOA House for the Corten House has plenty of assets to fall in love with, for its structural strength, pureness as well as the warm color of rust. The versatility of steel allows it to shape in any way.

▲ Courten House (Photo by: Luc Roymans)

The owner of the Corten House says, “We were especially charmed by its deep rusty red color, which intensifies around sunset. While being a raw material, Corten steel also brings a vivid ambiance. The house combines a unique and contemporary style with warmth and coziness.”

(2) Flip House in San Francisco, USA
Designed by Fougeron Architecture, this 2013 Residential Architect Merit Award winner is a flip of tradition San Francisco home.

▲ Flip House (Photo by: Joe Fletcher)

Like many San Francisco homes, the original house poorly integrated its many levels with each other. Instead of selecting a new site or building a completely new home, the Fougeron Architecture reinvented and remodeled the house to suit the unique needs of a growing family in a dense urban culture. The glass panels that create the undulating curtain walls of the facade fills the rooms with natural light, allowing a great view of San Francisco – the thin steel frame made it possible to contain the glass panels.

(3) Residence at Alibag in Mumbai, India
Situated on a steep hill with Mumbai in the distance, the steel and concrete used in this design defy conventional approaches. The architect chose to deconstruct cuboid that is tilted and suspended over the ground giving the impression of a floating house. With the steel structure, the designers at the Malik Architecture successfully created concrete planes making contact with the ground, while steel floats above it.

▲ Alibag Residenc (Photo by: Malik Architecture)

All in all, using structural steel provided a column-free, and flexible use of interior space. At this residential house in Alibag, structural steel has been used in its purest form, a major aesthetic element in the overall composition.

(4) Kloof Road House in Johanenesburg, South Africa
Located at the foot of a nature reserve in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, black steel is used extensively for the house’s exterior, creating a distinct bland with the soft green colors of the garden and white-washed walls.

▲ Kloof Road House (Photo by: Nico vander House)

Steel and glass are prominent materials used in Kloof Road House and have been uniquely integrated into the design, from the boundary wall all the way into the interior details. The angled columns and steel beams pierce the double volume space. These structural elements were designed to appear sculptural, while the sculptures on display simultaneously compliment the structural components of the building.

(5) Moebius House by Tony Owen Partners
A suburban house overlooking Sydney Harbour, the complex curving structure is made possible by pre-cut steel-framed panels. The design is a good example of ‘liquid architecture’ whereby projects are designed parametrically using 3D modeling software.

▲ Moebius House (Photo by: Tony Owens Partners)

ㅣSteel Houses Made by POSCO

The houses introduced by the worldsteel proved the value of steel as structural material for residential construction, well beyond design components. Nonetheless, one of the major drawbacks to using steel in residential construction is price. It is still challenging to find contractors to build residential homes with steel framing. Compared to wood, steel homes cost about 14 percent more to build and require more time to complete.

The benefits of steel, however, seem too good to ignore. POSCO, who has been well aware of steel’s potential as residential construction material, took on projects to help curb the notion that steel house is expensive.

In 2018, at the heart of Seoul’s Seodaemun district, POSCO built a youth share house Nuri, made of steel, for people who are just starting out in their career. Nuri not only provides a place to nurture young people facing housing insecurity, but also uses five POSCO technologies that are ideal for structural safety, durability and energy saving.

For the construction of Nuri, POSCO used the rust-free and corrosion-resistant PosMAC. In addition, PosART (aka POSCO Artistic Steel) decorates the lobby of the Nuri, symbolizing the young residents’ passion and dream sprouting and springing up there. PosART broke ground and became commercialized last year as Korea’s first high-resolution inkjet print – PosART is also semi-permanent.

▲ PosART at POSCO Steel House, Nuri

With the company’s own steel materials, POSCO also builds and donates steel houses for the underprivileged communities – both POSCO employees and Beyonders (POSCO’s global youth volunteer corps comprised of community-minded university students) actively participate. Ever since the company broke ground for its first steel house in 2009, POSCO donated more than 50 houses to the communities in need.

Steel is also in use as the major source of residential construction material for POSCO’s Steel Village. Just like steel houses above, POSCO’s Steel Village project is also a community-oriented project where POSCO’s technology and materials are put into good use.

Since 2014, POSCO built more than 104 houses – and steel bridges – in Vietnam’s underprivileged communities. This year, POSCO is undertaking the Steel Village Project in Indonesia Cilegon district where POSCO’s integrated steel mill PT.KRAKATAU POSCO is located.

l Steel Buildings Last More Than 100 Years

To sum up, here are some key statistics of steel use in construciton:

▲ Steel use in construction: statistics – sourced from worldsteel and reproduced in POSCO Newsroom

More than 50% of all steel goes into buildings and infrastructure – and the global construction recovery rate for the 100% recyclable steel is at 85%. Not only that, thanks to new high strength steel, building components require 25-50% less material.

Steel buildings last more than 100 years – that’s why steel is one of the major structural materials for so many commercial buildings whilst establishing itself as crucial design components in residential buildings.
The strength of steel as residential construction materials is getting recognition and its use is likely to be expanded. As a steel company, POSCO will continue the journey to promote the potential of steel in a way that can help contribute to the community it serves.

World Steel Association has drawn up a global campaign namely, “#LOVESTEEL” an annual initiative to promote the usage and adoption of steel. This year, steel beverage cans are in the limelight. Using the appealing pink symbols that will represent steel cans in future local stores, the #LOVESTEEL campaign not only aims to increase consumer and manufacturer awareness of its compelling qualities, it also intends to cultivate public understanding of the major shift in the steel technology that enabled the advancement and adoption of steel as beverage packaging material.

Although most cans were made from aluminum for decades, many of the can manufacturers in Europe and Asia have converted to steel, a trend which their steel producers expect to continue. POSCO Global Newsroom introduces this World Steel Association’s #LOVESTEEL campaign’s motives in promoting this growing trend— adoption of a material that is so familiar and common in our lives for commendable reasons. Let’s go into a deeper dive.

Steeling the Beverage Can Market

As a direct comparison to older steel cans, today’s cans can be described as state of the art—It is now stronger, lighter, and thinner than ever and great for keeping beverages cool. What is more is its ability to be shaped and decorated with different designs and colors making beverage packages more appealing to the consumers.

By how far and how much has steel transformed in its thickness, weight, and strength? Let’s quantify. During the last ten years, the average weight of steel cans was reported to be reduced by 30%, and so has the thickness. Development of ultra-fine steel materials has optimized strength and lightweighting in comparison to aluminum. Compared to aluminum, it is 30% higher crush resistance, 40% greater performance in strength, 20% higher denting resistant making steel a both efficient and highly sought after material.

With such awareness to current design technology, the growing trend in the application of steel beverage cans is not a surprise. Steel cans in Europe and Asia for example, leads the market by 55% while 45% is aluminum.

Cultivating Environmental Awareness with Eco-friendly Steel

Even with such benefits, the environmental effects of adopting steel cans offer further blessings. Aluminum cans were popularly commercialized for decades, yet has been contributing to high CO2 emissions, and waste of energy and resources.

At the other end of the spectrum, steel’s recyclability saves considerable amount of energy amounting up to 62% and 1.5 tons of CO2. As steel is a 100% recyclable material, its magnetic property allows easy separation and assembling of steel. In other words, the steel cans we recycle today can be a medical equipment, your neighbor’s bike, or a toaster tomorrow. How amazing is that? The campaign video makes inspiring comparisons of such energy conservation over a single recycled steel can:

Global Initiatives Highlight Steel Can Competency

Considering such eco-friendly, reliable, and even fashionable nature of steel cans, worldwide steelmaking companies such as POSCO, Tata Steel, British Steel, and manufacturers alike have supported the usage of steel cans by distinguishing it in the post-market stage as well.

While POSCO is one of the major members of World Steel Association, this #LOVESTEEL campaign is of great significance especially due to POSCO’s supply of BP(Black Plate) for the majority of domestic steel cans.

Tata Steel has emphasized to the manufacturers of the steel-can-making efficiency that enables fast production and reduced damage rate while achieving cost efficiency.

Competing against the aluminum market, Ecotop, is an invention by British Steel to penetrate the aluminum market. The steel top enables convenient can opening without the need to pull with an aluminum ring. Two instant pushes will create an opening resolving difficulty in can opening along with pressure resistance.

Even individual beverage brands such as Coca Cola and Carling Black Label have switched to steel due to its ability for enhanced decoration and use of more colors.

Coca Cola was one of the early adopters of steel soda cans. (Source: Coca Cola)

Observing from the myriad ways in which steel adds value to the economy and the environment, the only small trick to push this movement ahead may be for us to simply choose the soon-to-be ubiquitous beverage that prints the vivid #LOVESTEEL mark. Your future hunt to quench thirst at a grocery store or by a vending machine may just be that big break.

“Vote with your mouth” is the catchphrase for consumers. (Source: World Steel Association)

Besides utility managed solar farms, solar developers are targeting other open spaces, such as auto parking lots, for large-scale energy savings (Source: Phys.org)

The surge in these installations is prompting a parallel upswing in solar infrastructure, which is seeing its own technology advances as a result of high demand and the need for greater cost efficiencies. While sturdy racking is important to protect against the ravages of nature, one of the main requirements for large solar farms — and any larger installation — is solar tracking equipment.

Solar tracking offers grid operators the opportunity to squeeze efficiency from sunlight at all hours of the day. While fixed-panel arrays are highly efficient for general-purpose energy harvesting, single-axis solar tracking can increase a solar farm’s annual output by roughly 30 percent. Dual axis trackers can add 10-20 percent beyond that. For example, air mass tables for solar panels show that a panel mounted on a tracker can harness as much as 60% of solar intensity in the late afternoon at an angle of 15 degrees, 50% at 10 degrees, and capture 25% at a mere five degrees. In large installations these gains can mean the ability to respond with enough power to satisfy peak demand.

Solar tracking systems explained

A solar tracking system is used for a variety of applications. Depending on the applications, the mounting systems will differ somewhat. Typically solar trackers hold single or multiple standard flat panels, arranged in rows and funneling power to an energy storage site or directly to a substation.

Parabolic mirrors can focus sunlight onto solar collectors. (Source: EU Solaris)

However, solar trackers are critical for large-scale solar installations using concentrated solar power (CSP). These trackers hold mounted mirrors that reflect sunlight to a central collector tower containing hot liquid or gas. They are also a key element in concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) installations that use parabolic mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight (and even ambient light from the sky) into solar collectors that are part of each unit. These panels and mirrors require precise angles to enable optimized concentration of the light onto a fixed-location tower, into Fresnel lenses, or into a solar thermal collector. The tracking system may be centralized, where a single motor moves many rows of panels at once, or a distributed system, where an individual motor moves one row or table of panels.

Horizontal single axis trackers (pictured above) are better suited for lower latitudes. (Source: Energia Solar)

Solar tracking devices can be classified by the number of axes around which they rotate and by their orientation. Horizontal single axis trackers (HSATs) are horizontal to the ground and mounted on rotating tubes supported by pylons or frames. Horizontal single axis trackers with tilted modules (HTSATs) are similar but installed at an angle, for higher latitudes, but rotate the same way. Vertical single axis tracker (VSAT) panels, also for higher latitudes, rotate around a vertical axis, but the layout must be designed to prevent the rows of panels from casting shade on each other. A hybrid horizontal/vertical tracking system is referred to as a tilted single axis tracker (TSAT).

A tilted single axis tracker is a hybrid of horizontal and vertical tracking systems. (Source: The University of Queensland)

In addition to the panels or mirrors, tracker hardware may include steel posts or rails, cables, junction boxes, slew drives to rotate the panels, and hydraulic dampers to provide flexible resistance against the wind. The structures must be robust, well-anchored, easily transported and installed, and must be able to withstand the elements, including hot or cold locations, strong storms, heavy rain or snowfall, and even seismic activity.

Perceptions of solar tracking

For a time, solar tracking for large-scale installations had a reputation as a more expensive and maintenance-intensive technology despite the higher energy capture rates. Some of these reliability perceptions still linger. In actuality, according to Greentech Media, solar tracking systems boast a 99.9 percent uptime rate and advances continue in mechanical functionality and software-based optimization. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that of all utility solar projects constructed in the US in 2016, 79% used solar tracking rather than a fixed panel.

Advances in solar tracking

Despite being perceived as a less exciting infrastructural component of the solar industry, solar tracking has seen a number of technological and mechanical breakthroughs that promise increased growth due to lower costs and increased weather resistance.

One of the challenges is the economics of land use and site preparation. Until recently, utilities and third-party solar farm developers had to plan carefully to ensure that the needed amount of power could be generated from a particular site size given solar tracker configurations (e.g. HSAT vs VSAT). Additionally, they had to take into consideration the site contours and how much grading and preparation would be required to adapt the site to optimized solar tracker deployment. As a result, there has been stiff competition for flat sites.

Utilizing slopes and rolling terrain

In California, a company called Nevados Engineering is on the verge of launching single axis trackers designed to work on south-facing and sun-facing slopes and varied terrain, which offer better solar exposure. The company’s All Terrain Tracker (ATT) technology uses unique bearings that allow articulation with the driveline so it can fit the terrain using the same kind of posts as on flat land. Every post in the row is used to withstand the slope load, which is the toppling force exerted by the structure being pulled down the hill by gravity. The tracking units can handle slopes of over 20 degrees and can also handle side-to-side, and vertical, post misalignment of up to two feet. The advance vastly reduces the need for grading and landscaping, enabling solar developers to purchase significantly cheaper sloped or contoured terrain to maximize solar energy capture.  The company’s software enables developers to predict solar production for a site to calculate the economics.

Nevados Engineering’s All Terrain Tracker technology and help install solar trackers in all kinds of terrains. (Source: LA Cleantech Incubator)

“We need to look beyond what we expect solar trackers to do,” said Yezin Taha, CEO of Nevados Engineering. “Installing trackers on a slope can capture 7% more solar energy than trackers on flat ground, and 32% more energy than fixed tilt systems.”

Leveraging non-standard sites

Another recent development, floating ground mounts, has also made more large-scale solar sites available. While most solar trackers are mounted on posts that are driven directly into the ground or less frequently, on posts that use concrete foundations or ballast, certain kinds of terrain won’t support driving posts or invasive concrete structures. These sites, such as capped landfills, can be highly suitable for solar installations due to their height, restricted access, and unsuitability for other uses. The development of floating ground mounts, where the tracker is placed on a gravel pan that can be filled with a variety of materials, has made possible the use of these kinds of sites where posts can’t be driven.

Resisting the elements

Advances in resistive materials also show promise for the solar tracking industry. Posts and other tracking components are typically made of galvanized steel, which means they are coated with a high zinc content layer. Galvanization has been the most weatherproof and anti-corrosive solution to-date, but it still allows rust to form over time. Moisture can be an electrolyte that enables galvanic corrosion to occur, so that as humidity increases, the rate of corrosion increases. Also, atmospheric contaminants can catalyze the chemical reaction. Chlorides in marine environments, as well as and sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides in industrial locations, may present a higher risk of corrosion.

Recently steel companies such as POSCO have begun to add magnesium to the coatings for further protection, a process that had been prohibitively complex until now.  POSCO’s PosMAC is a combination of zinc, aluminum and magnesium that “heals” any exposed parts of the steel by forming a layer of simonkolleite, a stable compound, over the vulnerable area. The development promises greater ruggedness and durability for tracking components.

Streamlining operations and maintenance

Finally, the advent of sensors, drone-based inspections, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will have a growing impact on solar farm operational costs by enabling remote monitoring, hardware predictability, just-in-time replacement and streamlined functioning. An operator in Germany could easily determine when to clean the solar panels in a Dubai installation after a dust storm or know when a tracking mechanism becomes jammed.

Solar tracking mechanisms can be monitored easily with the help of artificial intelligence. (Source: Micro Power Grids)

These advances, coupled with the cost efficiencies of solar and the increasing availability of grid-level energy storage solutions, will continue to boost the utility-scale solar energy market and take market share from fossil fuel power plants. The expansion of solar power offers a significant opportunity for multiple industries, from materials providers to solar panel manufacturers, tracking system component manufacturers, sensor distributors, battery makers, software developers and even drone suppliers. By leveraging the confluence of these technologies each industry can ensure that they participate in the solar market’s return on investment.

Tom Breunig is the publisher of Cleantech Concepts, an online magazine and market research firm tracking cleantech R&D and innovative business models.

The Global Contribution of the Steel Industry

Did you know that steel is making the world a better place every day? The amount of daily steel production is enough to build 548 Eiffel towers. Also, steel companies provided 7.8 days of training to each employee in 2013 and 8 million people which is about the same as the population of Switzerland, is working in the steel industry. Moreover, the $100 billion paid in tax is equivalent to putting 10 million students through school each year or building 5,000 new hospitals!

Watch this interesting video created by worldsteel to learn about steel’s global contribution!

Can You Imagine Your Day without Steel?

As mentioned above, steel is enriching the world every day. And, this marvelous material accompanies us through the day: in the bedroom, at work and every where we go. Did you know that steel is indispensable to our daily lives? If you are doubtful, just check the infographic below!

Even More Steel?

Have you ever imagined how pervasive steel is? Can you think of more steel use in our everyday life? Check out our previous postings to learn about the material’s ubiquitous presence in our life and share with us if you can think of anything more!

• What are Automobiles Made of?
  

The automobile is an important part of our daily lives. And steel is a crucial requirement to build this important part. POSCO’s light, but also very durable automotive steel sheets are advancing the global auto industry.

• What is Steel Used For?
  Steel brings amusement and vibrancy to our lives by bringing musical tunes to our ears. Find out more about what steel is used for and how steel is dissolved into our daily lives.

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Worldsteel’s #lovesteel Campaign

In September 2013, the worldsteel launched its #lovesteel campaign for social media and worldsteel website. The #lovesteel campaign is a series of short videos that highlight working experiences in the steel industry. The series consists of interviews of people of worldsteel member companies, and their insights on exciting world of the steel industry to inspire young people who are interested in steel career.

POSCO Also Participated!

In fact, as a member company of worldsteel, POSCO was one of the participants of the campaign. The 14^th video of the series features Yerim Kim who is working in Investor Relations at POSCO. Let’s find out what inspires Yerim to work in the steel industry by watching the video below.

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If one thinks “working in the steel industry would be boring and stiff as steel”, then he/she is hugely mistaken. In an attempt to eliminate any prejudices similar to this, World Steel Association (worldsteel) launched #Lovesteel Campaign in September 2013. In a form of a series, the campaign illustrates short interviews of young employees and their passions and love toward the steel industry. Furthermore, #Lovesteel Campaign presents how starting a career in steel industry can be indeed exciting and attractive despite the common misconceptions toward the industry.

Whether you are a potential employee considering working in the steel industry or a current employee seeking to build up the career, #Lovesteel Campaign is an excellent source of information and opportunities not to be missed! 

#Lovesteel’s 14^th Participant Company, POSCO

Thirteen companies have been participating in #Lovesteel Campaign since the initial launch in September 2013. POSCO became the 14^th company to join the campaign. Let’s look into episodes of #Lovesteel Campaign POSCO!

1.        Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your job?

My name is Yerim Kim, I’m working in Investor Relations at POSCO. My job is to understand the company’s strategy and business activities in order to find a way to convey these effectively to our investors worldwide. So I have to be aware and stay keen on the events that are going on in-house and also the events that are going on outside the company.

2.        How did your education and experience lead to this job?

I majored in both English literature and business and I always wanted to work in a field where I could make use of both of my academic backgrounds. I got to know the company while working in a previous job in media. I love the idea of the company and its willingness to move forward, so I always wanted to be involved. And as a result, I have ended up in here now.

3.        What do you most like about your job?

The best part of my job is that I get to meet a wide range of people: they’re from all over the world and from different backgrounds but their main interest is the same: it’s about POSCO. So in my work, I get to fulfill their interests and their inquiries. I also get a chance to know my company better, which is very rewarding.

4.        What has most surprised you about the steel industry? 

The most surprising thing about the industry is that it covers a wide spectrum of businesses. In order to understand the dynamics of the steel industry, you have to understand the trend of raw materials, and the trend of demand industries such as automobile and ship-building. So while following all the economic trends, you also get to obtain broader perspectives in global business.

5.        What do you love about steel?

What I love about steel is its availability. You find it every day in your life around you, for example in bicycles, steel products, and even this building where we’re standing in right now. So I get to find inspiration to my work all around me. If you’re looking for something dynamic, steel will be your answer.

Meet other young people in steel field with #Lovesteel videos

You can take a look at more young workers’ stories here.