Demand for structural steel is continuously rising, fueled by a general increase in construction activity around the world and the obvious benefits of steel as a framing -strong, reliable and predictable, and a long service life easily recyclable which makes it a sustainable choice. The steady drop in production-related greenhouse gas emissions adds to its appeal. So compelling are these benefits, in fact, that the global market is expected to expand by as much as 64 percent by 2025.
Rising legislative pressures
However, this sector also faces a number of challenges namely, new legislation and regulatory changes call for greater quality and traceability in welding operations. These changes affect all players in the industry – whether service centres, fabricators or on-site construction companies.
Tougher competition
As the competition is rising in the structural steel business, all stages of design, fabrication and construction are keen to exploit the latest technologies to further increase productivity, improve quality and lower costs. This would include exploring the process optimisation potential offered by gas-enabled technologies during key fabrication steps such as cutting, welding, heat treatment, flame straightening, gouging and grinding.
Connected welding
At Linde, we have developed an end-to-end, fully integrated portfolio of gases, gas mixtures, consumables, equipment, application technologies and services to support all structural steel fabrication steps- the answer to these challenges i.e. connected welding workflows. This holistic offering helps fabricators meet rising traceability, quality requirements and also helps boost productivity and cost-efficiency.