Dapeng Town Industrial Park, Tongshan District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China
Against the backdrop of increasing global attention to energy and environmental issues, the ultra-low energy consumption building market is gradually becoming the focus of the construction sector. This trend brings unprecedented development opportunities for the steel structure industry.
Ultra-low-energy buildings aim to greatly reduce the energy consumption of buildings in use through advanced design concepts and technical means. The characteristics of steel structure are highly compatible with the requirements of ultra-low energy consumption buildings. Firstly, steel structure has the characteristics of high strength and light weight. Compared with the traditional concrete structure, the self-weight of steel structure building can be greatly reduced, which is of great significance for the reduction of the load of the building foundation. In ultra-low-energy buildings, additional energy consumption due to overloaded structures can be reduced, for example, by reducing energy input during foundation treatment.
In terms of thermal insulation properties, steel structures can be perfectly combined with highly efficient insulation materials. In the walls and roofs, etc., the insulation materials are filled or attached between or on top of the steel frames by means of rational structural design, forming a continuous and highly efficient insulation layer. For example, the use of new thermal insulation composite panels with steel structure can effectively prevent the transfer of heat and reduce the heating and cooling needs of the building. Moreover, the high spatial flexibility of steel buildings facilitates the arrangement of various energy-saving equipment and piping systems inside the building. For example, ground source heat pump pipes and ventilation pipes can be more conveniently installed in the building to improve energy utilisation efficiency and achieve the goal of ultra-low energy consumption.
In the construction process, the advantages of the steel structure industry are obvious. Most of the steel structure components are prefabricated in factories and then transported to the construction site for assembly. This industrialised production method greatly shortens the construction cycle and reduces energy consumption and environmental pollution at the construction site. With the ultra-low energy consumption building advocated by the green construction concept echo. At the same time, prefabricated production can better guarantee the quality of components, ensure the overall performance of the building, and provide quality assurance for the realisation of ultra-low energy consumption.
From the perspective of the industrial chain, the development of the steel structure industry will drive the synergistic development of related upstream and downstream industries. Upstream steel production enterprises will increase the R&D and production of high-performance steel to meet the requirements of steel structure in terms of strength and corrosion resistance. For example, the development of new weathering steel to reduce the maintenance cost and energy consumption of steel structures. The downstream enterprises of insulation materials and sealing materials will also usher in development opportunities, and work together with the steel structure industry to create high-quality ultra-low-energy building products.
In addition, with the expansion of the ultra-low-energy building market, the design and R&D of steel structures will continue to innovate. Professional design teams will study in greater depth the optimised design solutions for steel structures under different climatic conditions and functional requirements. For example, in cold regions, the design of thicker thermal insulation layer and the combination of steel structure; in hot regions, focusing on the design of shading and ventilation of steel structure, so that the steel structure building is better adapted to the requirements of ultra-low energy consumption.
In short, the booming development of ultra-low energy consumption building market has opened up a broad new world for steel structure industry. With its own advantages, the steel structure industry will have great potential in this emerging market, and at the same time, it will also make positive contributions to the global energy saving and environmental protection cause.
