The particular characteristics of structural steel offer optimal solutions that satisfy architectural, engineering, and economic aspects.
ArcelorMittal Europe’s trademark steels are HISTAR® and FRITENAR® - structural steel grades combining high strength, good toughness, and superior weldability, exceeding requirements and offering supplementary guarantees.
The solution for lightweight, long-spanning structural elements is to implement the castellated ACB® and Angelina® beams. With their circular and sinusoidal web openings, they elegantly combine function with flexibility.
CoSFB (Composite slim floor beams) integrates the advantages of composite design with traditional slim floor construction.
Engineers' news
Harvesting energy from wind
21 July 2020Challenges as wind turbine producers aim to meet demand for more powerful generatorsIn late 2019, the European Union unveiled its ‘Green Deal’ – a roadmap of actions which will help the bloc to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean and circular economy. Increasing the availability of renewable energy – and wind in particular – is a cornerstone of the Green Deal and will see wind energy account for at least half of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050. Meeting this demand will require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. Achieving that target will require significant efforts from electrical steel producers and manufacturers of wind power generators such as ArcelorMittal customer, Indar Wind Energy.
Industry NewsCorrosion protection: an integral part of the fabrication process for steel structures
When it comes to choosing materials, steel, because of its exceptional physical and mechanical characteristics, is the most popular amongst designers. It can be used to rapidly build economical, durable, and safe structures. The steel used to make hot-rolled sections, which can themselves be indefinitely recycled, is made from recycled scrap. It is particularly suitable for machining and shaping. However, it tends to react with agents in the atmosphere to form stable thermodynamic bonds – ferrous oxides and/or salts.The ability of steel to revert to its natural or original state is called corrosion. In layman’s terms: steel rusts!
ArticleUpdated version of A3C software now available
9 July 2020Version 2.99 of the A3C: ArcelorMittal-CTICM Columns Calculator software is now available for download.A3C allows for the calculation of steel and composite columns (partially or totally encased with concrete) in cold and fire conditions. The software fully complies with the EN version of Eurocode.
Website NewsArcelorMittal Europe sets out path to net zero by 2050
8 July 2020ArcelorMittal Europe has set out the path to net zero by 2050, with pioneering technologies at the forefront of the company’s roadmap for carbon-neutral steelmaking. Europe’s largest steelmaker, unveils breakthrough technologies that will take the company to 30% lower CO2 emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. ArcelorMittal Europe is investing in two routes to carbon neutrality, Smart Carbon and an innovative DRI-based route, in recognition of the need to act now to reduce CO2 emissions, in line with the EU’s Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Calls for new policy framework, to support the industry in its transition to carbon neutrality, name five market conditions that are needed for Europe’s steelmakers to compete globally.
Corporate NewsGrowing partnerships in our Partners section
30 June 2020We value our partners. We are proud to cooperate with the companies and institutions that count on ArcelorMittal's technical know-how and expertise in their mission to create innovative, sustainable, and value-added solutions for their key markets. As our partnerships continue to grow, so has our newest Constructalia section – Partners.
Website NewsRodange sends out first shipment from in-house downstream facility
10 June 2020ArcelorMittal Rodange has sent out the first shipment of curved rails from our new rail transformation centre. A product of the new in-house downstream facility, this marks the start of a win-win operation for ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products.
Product News
Harvesting energy from wind
Challenges as wind turbine producers aim to meet demand for more powerful generators
In late 2019, the European Union unveiled its ‘Green Deal’ – a roadmap of actions which will help the bloc to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean and circular economy. Increasing the availability of renewable energy – and wind in particular – is a cornerstone of the Green Deal and will see wind energy account for at least half of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050. Meeting this demand will require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. Achieving that target will require significant efforts from electrical steel producers and manufacturers of wind power generators such as ArcelorMittal customer, Indar Wind Energy.
Growth from onshore and offshore installations
According to WindEurope, an association which represents companies active in the European wind energy sector: “Climate neutrality and the Green Deal [will] require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. And the growth needs to come from both offshore and onshore wind.”
Electrical steels are the core component in wind turbine generators. “That means electrical steel manufacturers such as ArcelorMittal are subject to the same market demands in terms of growth and competition as the rest of the supply chain,” notes Xabier Irure, global commercial director for Indar. “Electrical steel suppliers need to meet these challenges if they are to help the wind energy industry to stay ahead in the game.”
NGO electrical steels
ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has been one of the world’s leading suppliers of the non-grain oriented (NGO) electrical steels used in wind generators for decades. With the market demanding more powerful machines and higher efficiency to respond to industry pressure and initiatives such as the Green Deal, the development of new electrical steels and improvements to existing grades are more critical than ever.
“Development of the electrical steels we need requires an R&D team with a high level of technical skill and an organisation which can produce them,” notes Xabier Irure. “These are some of ArcelorMittal’s main strengths. That’s why ArcelorMittal has been on Indar’s supplier panel for many years as one of our main sources of NGO steels.”
High-tech steels required to meet the challenge
ArcelorMittal is also able to supply the heavy plate which is required to meet market demand for taller and more powerful windmills (turbines). “Onshore turbines are typically between 70 and 160 metres and generate from 2 to more than 6 megawatts (MW) of energy,” explains Xabier Irure. “When it comes to offshore, bigger is better. OEMs are already working on projects which can generate more than 12 MW of energy. These towers will be up to 240 metres in height.”
Organisations such as the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) are forecasting growth in new installations over the next four years. For example, GWEC foresee an average growth rate of 2.7 percent annually. “The need for clean energy is set to increase rapidly in the next few years due to the roll-out of electrical vehicles, and the focus on renewable energy, particularly in Europe,” says Xabier Irure. “Wind power stakeholders, such as Indar Wind Energy, expect our need for electrical steels to boom as a result in the medium term. One of our concerns is the lack of local capacity to meet our needs for NGO electrical steels needs in the EU. Fortunately, we know ArcelorMittal is anticipating this issue and is well prepared to extend its own production capacities.”
Rapid development of new technologies needed
One of the key challenges for Indar is the rapid development of new technologies and specifications for wind turbines. “Just five years ago, the design for a wind energy generator would have been used for 8 to 10 years,” explains Xabier Irure. “Today, three to five years is the life expectancy of a design. Within that time, an improved design will be launched. That implies more product validations, shorter time-to-market, and more complexity.”
About Indar Wind Energy
Indar Wind Energy is a business unit of the Indar Group, a company founded in 1940. Indar Wind Energy designs, manufactures, and delivers wind power generators and provides after-sales service. The company is headquartered in Beasain (Spain) and manufactures generators in Beasain, Segorbe (Spain), and Milwaukee (USA). Since 1998, Indar Wind Energy has delivered over 21,000 generators which can generate more than 30 gigawatts (GW) of energy.
More info: www.ingeteam.com/indar
Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Images: Indar, Shutterstock - Gunnar Pippel, Voyagerix, Rudmer Zwerver
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Corrosion protection: an integral part of the fabrication process for steel structures
When it comes to choosing materials, steel, because of its exceptional physical and mechanical characteristics, is the most popular amongst designers. It can be used to rapidly build economical, durable, and safe structures. The steel used to make hot-rolled sections, which can themselves be indefinitely recycled, is made from recycled scrap. It is particularly suitable for machining and shaping. However, it tends to react with agents in the atmosphere to form stable thermodynamic bonds – ferrous oxides and/or salts.
The ability of steel to revert to its natural or original state is called corrosion. In layman’s terms: steel rusts!
Suitable corrosion protection for long-lasting steel
The primary quality of steel - i.e. its ability to retain its physical and mechanical strength, or in the case of a steel structure, its load bearing capacity - is generally long-lasting and is only compromised when corrosion reduces its cross section to such a degree that safety is adversely affected.
The service life of a structure depends on the rate of reaction between the steel and its environment. These reactions depend on the nature and concentration of the corrosive agents present.
Corrosion protection of structures must therefore be considered as intervening in this process in order to prevent the reaction or greatly reduce the rate.
Large numbers of steel structures, some of them a hundred years old, which have benefited from the combination of a suitable corrosion protection treatment and regular maintenance, show impressively the potential of steel. However, these types of structures, requiring high maintenance costs, are no longer acceptable today.
New requirements govern the design of the steel structures of the twenty-first century:
• Environmental protection policies enforced at both the national and international level have led to a considerable reduction in the amount of corrosive load in the atmosphere over the last twenty years. This has resulted in a noticeable drop in the average corrosion rate of steel and zinc as well as improved resistance of coating systems.
• The design of steel structures is substantially improved through the effectiveness of welding procedures and the vast range of rolled sections available thus contributing positively to ensure that corrosion protection systems have long service lives. Maintenance and renovation costs continue to fall because the amount of exposed surface area has been greatly reduced and ease of access improved. The ability of new coatings to resist the stresses in their surroundings has been increased considerably. New inexpensive coating methods are employed in fabrication shops and on construction sites.
• Zinc baths have sufficient capacity and are large enough to allow widespread hot-dip galvanisation of steel structures involving large components.
• Combining the hot-dip galvanisation technique with adapted paint systems for zinc coatings - so called duplex systems – renders maintenance unnecessary with, in most cases, the corrosion protection not requiring any attention for the entire service life of the structure.
• Corrosion protection is becoming an integral part of the fabrication process for steel structures.
Text: ArcelorMittal Commercial Sections
Images: ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products, ArcelorMittal, ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products
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Corrosion protection of rolled steel sections using hot-dip galvanization
Corrosion Protection: Hot-dip Galvanizing of Structural Steel
Corrosion Protection: Hot-dip Galvanizing of Structural Steel
Updated version of A3C software now available
Version 2.99 of the A3C: ArcelorMittal-CTICM Columns Calculator software is now available for download.
A3C allows for the calculation of steel and composite columns (partially or totally encased with concrete) in cold and fire conditions. The software fully complies with the EN version of Eurocode.
This version includes the following modifications:
- fire design of steel concrete composite circular sections with embedded steel profiles
- new buckling curves for profiles with flange thickness higher than 100 mm
- new database for steel and profiles (V2020-2)
- new Configuration window
- new functions in the edition of the Calculation report
Download the updated version of A3C for free on our Software page.
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ArcelorMittal Europe sets out path to net zero by 2050
ArcelorMittal Europe has set out the path to net zero by 2050, with pioneering technologies at the forefront of the company’s roadmap for carbon-neutral steelmaking.
- Europe’s largest steelmaker, unveils breakthrough technologies that will take the company to 30% lower CO2 emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050.
- ArcelorMittal Europe is investing in two routes to carbon neutrality, Smart Carbon and an innovative DRI-based route, in recognition of the need to act now to reduce CO2 emissions, in line with the EU’s Green Deal and the Paris Agreement.
- Calls for new policy framework, to support the industry in its transition to carbon neutrality, name five market conditions that are needed for Europe’s steelmakers to compete globally.
Smart Carbon and DRI
ArcelorMittal Europe has announced details of how it plans to become carbon neutral by 2050 in its first climate action report. Building on the company’s work that has demonstrated that the steelmaking process can become carbon neutral, the report publishes details of the ground-breaking work underway to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 before reaching net zero in 2050.
The company is pioneering two breakthrough carbon-neutral routes for steelmaking: Smart Carbon and an innovative DRI-based route.
Smart Carbon is a carbon-neutral steelmaking route that leverages all clean energies – circular carbon, clean electricity, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) - within the high temperature-controlled reduction environment of ironmaking. In its first phase, Smart Carbon will primarily use circular carbon.
Reaching carbon-neutral steelmaking via DRI involves moving from using predominantly natural gas to hydrogen as the key reductant in ironmaking. As this hydrogen becomes ‘green’, the steelmaking process comes close to carbon neutrality.
Complementary technologies will enable progress
While both the Smart Carbon route and the DRI-based route have the potential to deliver carbon-neutral steel by 2050, the important difference between the two routes is that Smart Carbon can deliver results sooner, through its use of complementary technologies which enable incremental progress. Uniquely, Smart Carbon has the potential not only to provide carbon-neutral steel, but also carbon-neutral cement, and the building blocks to make recycled carbon materials to replace polyethylene-based plastics. Smart Carbon can also contribute to CO2 removal, through the increased use of circular carbon, using sustainable biomass and waste, combined with scaling up CCS.
By investing in both routes – and in recognition of the need to act now to combat climate change - this means ArcelorMittal Europe can significantly reduce scope 1 CO2 emissions* – which include all process emissions - by 2030 over a 2018 baseline, while waiting for the large-scale, affordable renewable energy needed for hydrogen-based steelmaking.
ArcelorMittal Europe’s 2030 target therefore combines Smart Carbon technologies and increased scrap usage, specifically by developing new ways to increase the use of low-quality scrap metal – which is hard to recycle - in the primary steel production process.
Leveraging all three clean energies
In the longer-term, both routes have the potential to leverage all three clean energies to achieve carbon neutrality, namely:
- clean electricity (generated by sources such as solar and wind)
- circular carbon (making use of biowaste materials, such as sustainable forestry and agriculture residues, to produce bioenergy)
- carbon capture and storage (capturing CO2 before it is emitted, transporting it and storing it safely underground)
Commenting on the report, Aditya Mittal, President and CFO, ArcelorMittal, and CEO ArcelorMittal Europe, said:
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing us all. Understandably, much attention is currently focussed on navigating the unexpected and unprecedented outbreak of Covid-19. However, climate change remains a huge long-term challenge that will require diligent attention and progress for decades to come. And like Covid-19, it is not something that one country or one company can solve alone. Carbon emissions also know no border, so it will take a global effort, with all nations and companies playing their part.
“ArcelorMittal Europe is doing a lot of work to develop a path to net zero. The technologies we are working on have the potential to make a big impact. Indeed, steel should and can play a leading role in achieving the vision for Europe as outlined in the Green Deal. Our research and development team are one of the best in the industry and relish solving complex problems. But it needs a team effort. The support the EU and member states can give to ensure we have well-designed policy to make large-scale, competitive, carbon-neutral steelmaking a reality, is critical.”
Industrial-scale demonstration projects for every part of the carbon-neutral roadmap
ArcelorMittal Europe has industrial-scale demonstration projects under construction for every part of its carbon-neutral roadmap. The company is building industrial-scale demonstration plants at its operations in Belgium (Carbalyst® and Torero) and France (3D and IGAR in Dunkirk). In Hamburg, Germany, we are in the design and funding phase prior to the investment decision of an industrial-scale project to use hydrogen instead of natural gas in the direct reduction of iron ore (DRI). These demonstration plants will allow the company to scale-up technologies that will be used in the Smart Carbon and DRI-based routes. The progress made has also been possible thanks to financial support from EU member states and European Union funding. ArcelorMittal Europe is now in the process of applying for funding for a further six projects.
While some of the technologies that feature in ArcelorMittal Europe’s roadmap will be ready for commercial-scale use by 2025, and by 2030 many of the Smart Carbon technologies can be mature and partially deployed across our facilities in Europe, the report also highlights the need for the right policy framework to enable European steelmaking to contribute to the EU’s climate targets, particularly given the costs involved. In total, the estimated investment needed for ArcelorMittal Europe to fully implement Smart Carbon is €15-25bn and €30-40bn for the DRI-based route. An additional €15–200bn would be required for the associated clean energy infrastructure (see report for more detail).
Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, explained:
“I am proud of the work that has brought us this far in our efforts to create Europe’s first and largest carbon-neutral steelmaker. Our progress would not have been possible without the many partners we have on our Smart Carbon and innovative DRI projects. Today, the biggest barrier to transitioning to carbon-neutral steel, beyond the necessary technologies reaching commercial maturity, is the absence of the right market conditions. The financial costs of realising carbon-neutral steelmaking are undeniably huge. However, with a shift in market conditions brought about by having the right policies in place, European steelmakers will be able to unlock the means to reduce emissions from steel globally, while also ensuring the European steel industry remains competitive.”
Medium-term market conditions required
The medium-term market conditions needed include:
- Creating an environment where carbon-neutral steel is more competitive than steel which is not carbon neutral.
- A fair competitive landscape that accounts for the global nature of the steel market, addressing domestic, import and export steel dynamics, as well as the distinction between primary and secondary sources to make steel.
- Access to sustainable finance, to innovate and make long-term investments.
- Access to abundant, affordable clean energy: the scale of the steel industry’s energy needs are such that concerted cross-sector and government efforts will be required to develop the necessary clean energy infrastructure.
- Public instruments to accelerate innovative technology deployment to transition to carbon neutral steelmaking.
Carbon Border Adjustment should be introduced in the European Union
The report also reiterates the company’s position that a Carbon Border Adjustment should be introduced in the European Union, which would ensure that EU-produced steel and imported steel tonnes in direct competition would have an equal carbon cost, creating a fair market and, crucially, encouraging investment in lower-emissions steel production.
ArcelorMittal Europe announced its target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 in December 2019, and its ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050 in June 2019.
The ArcelorMittal group will publish its 2030 target later this year.
*ArcelorMittal Europe 30% CO2 reduction target includes: ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products, and Industeel
Text: ArcelorMittal
Images: ArcelorMittal
Report: ArcelorMittal
Videos: ArcelorMittal
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Growing partnerships in our Partners section
We value our partners. We are proud to cooperate with the companies and institutions that count on ArcelorMittal's technical know-how and expertise in their mission to create innovative, sustainable, and value-added solutions for their key markets. As our partnerships continue to grow, so has our newest Constructalia section – Partners.
Steel for construction
Our high quality steels are the perfect base for the creation of elements or finished products for use in a wide scope of the construction market. From heavy plates to organic or metallic coated coils, our production portfolio meets the highest demands in terms of resistance, corrosion protection, and aesthetics.
Meet our partners utilising our extensive Granite® range or corrosion resistant Magnelis®: Blachdom Plus, Budmat, and Regamet in their roofing solutions; BUCON for their steel tanks; Metpol with their plasterboard solutions; Meteor Systems and Zimmermann in their horticultural and agricultural systems; and InQuik for their innovative bridges.
Discover: Metal Union’s application of our metallic coated steels in their profiles, Gagnepark’s usage of sections and Cofraplus® for their multi-storey car parks, and Matière’s patented bridges with our heavy plates.
Steel promotion
From partnerships with associations promoting steel as a building material to new technologies and construction solutions with steel – and everything in between – we work closely with our partners to disseminate knowledge about steel in construction.
A new addition to our Partners section is ConstruirAcier, who inform and advise architects, engineering offices, and investors on the economic and environmental challenges faced by steel in architecture.
Text: Constructalia
Images: Blachdom Plus, BUCON, ConstuirAcier, Gagnepark, Matière, Meteor Systems, Metpol
Rodange sends out first shipment from in-house downstream facility
ArcelorMittal Rodange has sent out the first shipment of curved rails from our new rail transformation centre. A product of the new in-house downstream facility, this marks the start of a win-win operation for ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products.
A one-stop shop for customers
ArcelorMittal Rodange produces grooved rails, light rails, and crane rails. In the past, many of these were processed by external sub-contractors. Now, with the creation of our in-house downstream facilities, the service centre will enable the Rodange plant to act as a one-stop shop for customers, offering full solutions performance and reliability advantages.
The service centre, located in mill hall C (formerly the rebar mill), will deal mainly with grooved rails and to a lesser extent with light rails and crane rails. In addition, this will develop the access to the tram rail market and lead to further opportunities for downstream operations.
What services are on offer with the new service centre at ArcelorMittal Rodange?
In the first phase, the service centre will offer the following finishing services:
• drilling (fish plating is done directly by the mill; the service centre will provide tie bar drilling)
• bending (only for grooved rails)
• straightening
• cutting
More services are planned for a later phase.
What are the benefits for the customer of ArcelorMittal Rodange?
• one single contact
• ArcelorMittal warranty provided
• packaging options
• the possibility to group standard rails with complex finished rails - ‘transformed rails’ versus ‘rolled’ rails
• increased flexibility and reduced lead time which leads to better service
Since the beginning of operations in March 2020, more than 1000 tonnes of products with special finishing have been collected.
Text: ArcelorMittal Luxembourg, Constructalia
Images: ArcelorMittal
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Engineers
Iconic. A piece of art. The symbol of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is the best known example worldwide of structural steel architecture. The design and dimensioning of modern buildings requires careful consideration of many factors such as technical requirements including building physics, architecture, and cost-effectiveness.
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Tools
...and moreArcelorMittal also offers a number of pre-design tools in order to support engineers in the use and calculation of our range of steel products and solutions. These free tools cover various design aspects of steel and composite structures in accordance with Eurocodes (beams, columns, castellated beams, slim floor solutions, steel grades, connections, etc.), different performances (e.g. fire & seismic calculations, life cycle assessment, and cost estimation), and construction types.
Our technical team is always at your disposal and will gladly assist you by answering all of your questions in order to provide you with the most beneficial offer.