Page 16 - ITAtube Journal 2 2022

Market information
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Figure 19: Low-carbon emission tubes in sustainable engineering Source: ArcelorMittal
The global construction market with about 5% of the global tube market presents another opportunity for pipe manufactur- ers with growth potential. Figure 19 shows a variety of applications for structural tubes.
The market penetration of structural tubes is quite unevenly distributed in the world and the growth pattern is greatly depend- ent on the regional GDP growth. Present high interest rates and cost increases due to inflation are temporary slowing down the market potentials. In mid-term anyhow this market segment will offer further inter- esting opportunities.
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.
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. Regarding the CO2 footprint tubular profiles are of great advantage, since the applied steel can be produced from metal scrab in electric arc furnaces driven by green electrical energy.
The automotive market, which accounts for around 15% of the global pipe market. With most car manufacturers and many of their suppliers now reporting that their produc- tion capacity is either no longer constrained by semiconductor shortages, overall car
ITAtube Journal December 2023