Steel has retained its position as the structural framing material of choice in 2024, according to the latest survey from independent market research consultants Construction Markets. An accompanying forecast suggests modest but steady growth in the market between 2025 and 2028.
The 2024 survey, commissioned by the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA), is the latest in a series going back to 1980 and is thought to be the biggest of its kind in the UK, based on interviews with over 750 architects, builders and designers.
The survey looked at non-residential multi and single storey, as well as residential buildings. The key non-residential multi-storey sector - above five storey - includes offices, retail, leisure, health and education buildings.
The survey reveals that the total market, based on floor area for structural frames in the UK in 2024 was down 6.7% on 2023. Constructional steel commanded a 46.7% share of the market, with 855,000 tonnes of steel erected, significantly more than any alternative material.
The forecast says total UK consumption of structural steelwork is expected to increase to 897,000 tonnes by 2028, with growth coming across a number of sectors. BCSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Clemens says key growth sectors are at the mercy of the new government and investor confidence. "The greatest opportunities lie in the plans to increase green energy supply for the UK, which will need a great deal of infrastructure to support it, and steel is best placed to deliver the different structures and building types involved. The New Hospital Programme (NHP) will provide significant opportunities for constructional steel, if the Government starts to deliver the project to meet its target of 40 new hospitals by 2030."
Structural steel continued to dominate the industrial single storey - or shed -market in 2024, taking a 94.1% share, despite a 6.9% reduction in total floor area across all materials compared to 2023.
In the multi-storey frames sector, steel accounted for 1,546,000 sqm of office floor area, which equates to 74.3% of this market. Private education, which includes student accommodation, also saw a significant growth from 2023 to 2024, with a 16.4% increase in floor area, giving steel a 64.5% market share.
BCSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Clemens said:
"The survey shows that structural steel remains the preferred choice of the UK construction market across all the building types analysed. Steel's inherent benefits in terms of design, functionality, speed of erection and site quality, along with the demonstrable competence of BCSA steel fabricators, have all played their part in demonstrating to clients, contractors and engineers that they make the right choice when they choose steel.
"Steel also makes an important contribution to the circular economy through reuse and recycling, which are all factors that continue to be valued by developers, contractors, designers and building users alike. This is then further demonstrated by the industry's commitment to support the wider UK journey to net zero carbon. As such, I'm confident that future market share surveys will continue to illustrate the dominance of steel as a framing material."
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