Metal construction garners markets with industrial buildings and stations

The end -of -year assessment is positive for metal construction engaged in many sites, ranging from industrial building to the 2024 Olympics stations, in a context where steel prices stabilize.

Roger Briand, president of the French metal construction union confirms the resumption of growth in the sector, or + 6.5 % at the end of August (versus 2020).With 800 companies, or 20,000 people, the union even hopes to reach 8 to 9 % growth by the end of December and remains optimistic for the first half of 2022, thanks to good order books.

Annual turnover is 3.9 billion euros, including 10.8 % for export.With an annual production of 780,000 tonnes, the activity therefore regains its pre -crisis levels, or + 8 % compared to 2020 and + 2 % to 2019.

Industrial buildings for logistics, food, pharmaceutical, or luxury sectors represent more than 61 % of the tonnage implemented.The request for warehouses dedicated to e-commerce has also increased in recent months."They are not only carried out under metal construction, but this solution remains relevant for projects up to 5000 m2" explains Roger Briand.

From left to right: Jean -Ebastien Courivaud, delegate manager at Legrand, Roger Briand, president of the French Metal Construction Syndicate, Julien Fraccaroli, Director at Fayat Metal Grands Projects, Yunus Avci, Chargé d'Affaires at Legrand and Pierre Raymond,Managing Director at GAGNE.

Public procurement gives breath to the profession

Another important sector for metallic construction, that of agricultural buildings which "benefited from a good recovery" with 13 % of the tonnage implemented

Note also the breath given by public procurement ("rarer" regrets the union) in the sector, thanks to the work of the Grand Paris Express, with a view to the 2024 Olympic Games, in particular lines 16 and 17.Several stations and bridges will thus be made in metal construction.

The actors in the sector note many requests and requests for quotes for new projects.Companies whose margins have been impacted due to increases in raw material costs, however, find a drop in steel prices since September 1."Prices have decreased from 3 to 4 % but we stay in expectation" notes Roger Briand.

Protests from the steel sector against the method of calculating the RE2020

If the economic situation offers reasons of satisfaction to the profession, other subjects, on the other hand, plunge the atmosphere.This is the case of the next RE2020 regulations and its calculation method based on the dynamic ACV method (and no longer "static").

ACV or life cycle analysis makes it possible to measure the environmental impacts of products.By choosing the dynamic ACV, the government is criticized for favoring bio -based materials including wood (by the way, a material competing with metal on certain projects).

The method indeed penalizes more CO2 emissions produced at the start of the life cycle than at the end of life.However, the wood stores carbon and displays a good assessment from the outset.But he will free up at the end of life (burial or combustion), which seems paradoxical and "unfair" in the eyes of the steel sector (as well as that of concrete) which makes efforts to improve its carbon footprint and recycle its materials.

Steel recycling: an asset reduced by the calculation of the dynamic ACV

However, the introduction of the D Module D of the life cycle of a product, in this case end -of -life, makes it possible to enhance the recycling of steel, underlines Roger Briand."But it is planed by 43 % by the exclusive use of dynamic ACV, a double penalty for our sector," regrets the president.

This bias reduces the virtues of recycling in terms of emission, while the sector is invested in this process and wishes to amplify it.Indeed, steel is already recycled at more than 90 %.But by making dynamic ACV exclusive, the government slows down the recycling solutions for steel, estimates the sector.

According to the union which takes up the estimates of Arcelor Mittal, more than 650,000 tonnes of steel are recycled each year.It is true that the scrap recovery market has existed for years, with selling prices of around 300 euros per tonne (against purchase prices for steel around 800 to 900 euros)

Steel can be used and reused endlessly, says the union, which says it is exemplary in this area.The profession wants to develop the re -use of steel (without carbon impact during its second life, according to the RE2020) and integrate it into the creation of mixed steel, wood, concrete, low carbon buildings.Work carried out by CTICM design offices....

Building REP sector: Porty metal construction

The creation of a building repair sector* (expanding liability sector for producers forcing them to enhance construction waste) is also badly experienced by the profession which considers herself penalized."We are going to have to finance an eco-organization to organize the recycling of other materials" continues Roger Briand.

So even if it means being subject to this eco-contribution, the union decided to take the bull by the horns: the profession therefore declared itself "director on the market" as a producer and manufacturer of the structure of the constructions of constructions.

Advantage: the profession will thus be able to participate in the governance of the Eco Organization (Valobat) and defend its singularity."With a point of vigilance on with regard to foreign manufacturing which must be subject to the eco contribution to avoid us unfair competition" finishes Roger Briand.

Last important subject for SCMF: that of recruitment.Like the manual and generally building trades, metal construction suffers from a bad (and false) image."We do not know our professions and we confuse them with those of the steel industry" regrets the president who evokes the high -performance automated manufacturing lines in the sector.

However, the profession lacks engineers, senior technicians, operators on digital control machines, works conductors.It will continue to raise awareness among young people of these future professions, in particular thanks to its APK association (Association for the Development of Metal Construction Training.

*Which is still awaiting the publication of the decree

Source: Batirama.Com/ Fabienne Leroy