Steel

Steel is a highly sophisticated industrial material with very high strength values as compared to other competing materials. It is elaborated in an energy-consuming smelting and shaping process which heavily jeopardises its environmental suitability, in spite of its being almost fully recyclable. The most widespread procedure to manufacture steel parts is the rolling process. It yields semi-finished, strictly standardised products which subsequently are further processed by cutting, welding etc. to form the final components. Structural steel grades also feature a high degree of ductility, which means they are able to undergo plastic deformations under stress peaks, a feature which enables them to adapt to critical situations. In general, steel shows a rather benevolent load-bearing behavior and, as a result also of its extraordinarily high strength, is suitable for the most demanding building tasks, as wide-spanning bridge structures.