Page 15 - ITAtube Journal 1 2023

the world and the growth pattern is greatly dependent on the regional GDP growth (Figure 17).
North America and parts of Asia are widely using tubular products for structural buildings. Europe on the other hand still designs mostly with standard concrete or steel structures. A recent study published by Global Construction Perspective and Oxford Economics, entitled “Global Con- struction 2030”, forecasts an 85% growth in global construction output to 15.5 trillion by 2030, with three countries, China, USA and India, leading the way and accounting for 57% of global growth alone. Europe, on the other hand, will reduce its pace of invest- ment. There is room for additional produc- tion capacity for structural tubes, especially in India, to follow the market trend. The tube industry needs to further promote the benefits of tube applications and showcase the architectural perspectives (Figure 18).
Tubular profiles are an ideal choice when visible structures are desired due to their varied shapes and closed cross-sections combined with smooth sides. Best mechan- ical properties and the possibility to bridge large spans are further highlights of tube profiles. Besides round shaped structural tubes, rectangular profiles are dominating architectural applications. Such profiles
are normally cold rolled and formed in so-called turks-heads. In this process great attention must be given to the metallur- gical properties of the edges. Normally unalloyed steel is applied, anyhow alloyed steels with its improved material properties should also be considered.
The automotive market representing about 15% of the global tube market is a quite steady and reliable market. The car registration level in 2020, which fell due to the Corona crisis, could only be slightly increased to around 77.2 million light vehicles worldwide in 2021 and 2022 due to various challenges in the supply chain (Figure 19). According to IHS, the recov- ery process will take longer in the volume markets of Europe and North America. Future growth will take place primarily in Asia, especially in China. However, China
ITAtube Journal May 2023
Figure 18: Building with Tubular Structures Source: Civil.IITB
Market information
Figure 19: Figure 16: Light Vehicles: World new Car Registration (units/month and average)
Source: VDA 01/2023
Figure 20: Focal points of potential pipe volumes in the vehicle sectors Source: HIS
could increasingly become a sales problem for the western automotive industry due to the American decoupling tendencies and strengthening local car industry in China. However, the tendency to further reduce the weight of vehicles supports the trend towards the use of tubular products. The transition towards electromobility may also support the application of tubular com- ponents since the additional weight of the batteries need to be compensated to the extend possible. The automotive industry offers a lot of attractive tubular applications.
15