Steel solutions for the construction industry

The change in spatial structures and the creation of new infrastructures are increasing the need for customized, property-specific and site-specific solutions. The focus here is primarily on durable and economical construction methods. Swiss Steel Group offers stainless steel solutions for reinforcements and fastenings.

Top12 ferritische staehle baustelle

Increase service life and reduce life cycle costs

The sustainable maintenance of buildings is an ethical and ecological necessity. However, it is also an economic imperative in order to achieve the lowest possible life cycle costs during the service life of a structure. The aim should therefore be to select the steel grade depending on the corrosion stress and the desired target service life.

Swiss Steel Group offers a range of stainless steel solutions for reinforcement and fastenings that are economical and improve the reliability and durability of structures.

Steels overview

  • Top12 - A low-carbon 12% chromium steel with increased corrosion resistance in media containing halogen and CO2. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, the use of TOP12 enables a lower concrete cover and thus contributes to overall material savings.
  • Top700 - The higher-strength micro-alloyed reinforcing steel enables more flexibility and stability for the highest requirements. The high strength level enables slender structures and economical construction, especially for highly reinforced components.
  • UGIGRIP® - In addition to excellent corrosion resistance, UGIGRIP® offers higher mechanical properties compared to conventional steel, enabling the use of smaller cross-sections and thus weight and labour savings. UGIGRIP® also fulfils the requirements of Eurocode 8, Class M for earthquake-resistant construction and offers a selection of non-magnetic stainless steels for specific building requirements such as in hospitals, banks and airports.
  • Acidur 4529 - The demanding conditions in tunnelling, including fire hazards, dynamic loads and aggressive environmental media, require high-quality construction materials, especially steel. With Acidur 4529, Swiss Steel Group offers a reliable and durable steel solution for such demanding applications, thanks to its excellent corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties, which are proven not only in tunnelling but also in other areas.

Discover the right products and solutions

Korrodierter stahlbeton wasserunterlauf

Lowest life cycle costs for infrastructure structures

The use of large quantities of de-icing salt in winter is common in many countries; in Germany alone, up to 100,000 tonnes are used every day. However, this leads to chlorides in the spray water and spray mist causing corrosion on the steel reinforcement, which results in expensive repairs. Particularly in multi-storey car parks and underground car parks, but also bridges and tunnels, high repair costs are incurred due to chloride corrosion, as cars carry large quantities of chloride-containing slush with them, which heavily pollutes the melt water. Stainless reinforcing steel can be used to prevent corrosion.

The use of Top12 as stainless steel reinforcement saves considerable costs over the course of operation compared to a coating and is the most economical solution over a service life of 50 years, taking into account manufacturing and operating costs (= life cycle costs).

Verschneite stuetzmauer im Gebirge top12 hochbau

Building construction

Challenge: Overcoming limitations due to carbonation-induced corrosion

The use of reinforced concrete offers almost unlimited design possibilities, but carbonation-induced corrosion has been a significant challenge to date. The reaction of cement paste with CO2 from the air causes the pH value of the concrete pore water to drop, which means that the corrosion protection of the reinforcement is gradually lost. This leads to cracks, rust formation and ultimately to an impairment of the load-bearing capacity, which previously required thicker layers of concrete.

The solution: finding the balance between durability and aesthetics

The use of highly corrosion-resistant reinforcing steel now makes it possible to create a slender structure without excessively thick concrete cover. This not only leads to aesthetic benefits, but also reduces concrete consumption and therefore the overall weight of the structure, which in turn saves on transport and handling costs - a particularly relevant aspect for the precast concrete industry.

Geoanker verkehrs infrastruktur bauindustrie stuetzmauer top12

Special steel anchors for geotechnical applications

Anchors and piles serve as safety elements in building and earth structures and must offer absolute safety regardless of the subsoil, especially when exposed to aggressive groundwater. With Top12, Swiss Steel Group has developed a special stainless steel that enables durable and secure anchoring systems without additional coating. Due to its chemical composition, Top12 is inherently protected against corrosion, which saves costs, reduces the overall weight of the structure and enables smaller boreholes.

Transport lieferkette hafen spedition

Constructions in aggressive seawater environments

The geographical location of many European countries with extensive coastlines has had a significant impact on maritime transport in recent years, particularly as a result of EU enlargement, economic growth and the globalisation of trade. This has led to significant developments in harbour infrastructures, which today are mainly made of concrete. These structures must withstand specific environmental and climatic demands, including seawater attack, the physical effects of water movement and exposure to wind, humidity and sunlight.

Exposure to seawater accelerates the penetration of chlorides into the concrete and consequently to the reinforcement. This can lead to early signs of corrosion of the reinforced concrete reinforcement. In addition to visual impairments such as cracks and concrete spalling, the damaging process of reinforcement corrosion can ultimately also lead to cross-sectional losses of the reinforcement itself that are relevant to the load-bearing capacity.

UGIGRIP®: the choice for long-term resistance in marine conditions

The use of stainless steels is recommended, as only they offer a guarantee of durable structures with only low additional investment costs. With UGIGRIP®, Swiss Steel Group offers a steel solution that is perfectly resistant to the corrosion of coastal structures.

Rostfreier stahl staebe abstandhalter

Thermal and technical performance standards for insulating connections

The ongoing development of building standards aims to improve both the comfort and safety of buildings, particularly in terms of technical and thermal performance. Particular attention is paid to limiting energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through efficient insulation and minimising thermal bridges, as these contribute significantly to a building's heat loss.

UGIGRIP® duplex steel is ideal for combating thermal bridges

Whether for external or internal insulation, thermal bridge breakers significantly reduce heat loss. To ensure this function, the use of stainless steel reinforcement is essential. Thanks to extensive studies by our research centre on the thermal conductivity of the various stainless steel grades, Swiss Steel Group offers UGIGRIP®, a product range that meets the need for low thermal conductivity.

OCIMA

Service life assessment of reinforced concrete structures

Protect your structures from damage caused by chloride-induced corrosion and increase their service life. Our free web application OCIMA (Online Corrosion Initiation Modelling App) allows you to easily check the target service life at component level and optimise it in real time during the planning phase.

When is it worth using stainless steel?

In cases where corrosion of the reinforcing steel is to be expected due to carbonation of the concrete or chloride ingress, additional corrosion protection measures usually make technical and economic sense. The use of stainless or rustproof steel is particularly recommended in the following situations:

  • To avoid corrosion due to high chloride loads (e.g. due to de-icing salt exposure on car park decks or on piers close to road traffic)
  • To extend the service life of components and reduce life cycle costs
  • To avoid repairs (especially if inspection is restricted)
  • For exposed concrete to avoid rust flags
  • For slimmer and lighter structures by reducing the concrete cover

Swiss Steel Group for a sustainable future.

Learn more

Our Green Steel is based on the circular economy, on energy sources with low CO2 content and is produced using the electric steel process.

  • ~83% lower CO2 footprint
  • ~80% decarbonised electricity in the steelworks
  • ~94% recycled metals as input material

Newscenter

Company insights  |  15/11/2024

Swiss Steel Group consistently implements planned capacity adjustments

Lucerne, 15 November 2024 | Swiss Steel Group is adjusting its capacities due to the current eco-nomic conditions and the persistently weak demand. At the same time, the realignment of the en-tire sales organization will continue as planned. Specifically, capacities in Switzerland and abroad are to be reduced to the extent of around 800 full-time positions.

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Company insights  |  31/10/2024

Change in the Board of Directors of Swiss Steel Group

Lucerne, October 31, 2024 – Effective October 30, 2024, Martin Lindqvist has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board at Swiss Steel Group, succeeding Jens Alder. Lindqvist brings extensive industry experience as the former Chairman and CEO of the Swedish steel company SSAB. Jens Alder will continue to serve as Vice Chairman of the Swiss Steel Group Board of Directors.

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Company insights  |  24/10/2024

Statement on recent media reports regarding Swiss Steel Group

In recent days, various media outlets have published reports about Swiss Steel Group, speculating on the current situation of the Group. Swiss Steel Group would like to address these as follows:

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