Next potential threat: Weak steel?

First pet food. Then cough syrup and toothpaste and toys. Now steel?

A specialized news report out of Washington is suggesting that shoddy steel may be coming out of China. It may not sound that important. But then imagine skyscrapers and bridges collapsing.

I picked this up from the Kiplinger Letter, a news report that is behind a pay wall. Here’s an excerpt:

Steel imports from China that fall apart easily are making U.S. manufacturers and constructions firms more than a little nervous. Reports of failures during initial fabrication and questions about certification documents will mean closer scrutiny. The American and Canadian institutes of steel construction have already advised member companies to be vigilant and report any problems.

The biggest concern is hollow structural sections widely used in construction of skyscrapers, bridges, pipelines, office, commercial and school buildings. This high-strength steel is also commonly used in power lifts, cranes, farm equipment, furniture and car trailer hitches.

Chinese high-strength steel tubes and pipes are also a potential problem. They’re used extensively in power plants and in large industrial boilers, and must withstand enormous pressures and hellish heat around the clock for weeks or months on end. This kind of steel also is used extensively in scaffolding that's erected on building exteriors during construction or renovation, as well as for interior work.

Inferior high-strength steel could cause catastrophic failures of buildings, pipelines or in power plants' boiler tubing. This is a large worry for structural engineers who will be working overtime as states embark on what amounts to a crash program to shore up bridges, following the collapse of the Minnesota span over the Mississippi River. China is already seeing problems. A Chinese power plant exploded recently when high-strength steel tubing blew out, says Roger Schagrin, general counsel for the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports, which represents U.S. manufacturers of these products.

The report notes that steel pipe and tubing exports from China to North America have skyrocketed from almost nothing two years ago to 102,000 metric tons in the first six months of this year. So some U.S. companies are conducting tests on the imported steel.

Could this be a ploy by U.S. and Canadian manufacturers to protect their markets? Sure.

A trade group, the American Institute of Steel Construction, came out with a statement saying it is “premature to draw any conclusions from any of the tests…”

Comments

[John Pollard]

Greetings,

I've been in the material handling business for over 25 years. I'm involved in selling steel shelving, mezzanines, pallet jacks , etc. Years ago the Chinese invaded the US market with pallet jacks. Initially the quality was inferior, but as time went on the quality improved. The Chinese are now invading the US market with warehouse racking. I am suspect of the racking being brought into the country from China. It's one thing to have a pallet jack malfunction and a totally different thing to have a warehouse rack collapse. I know people who are importing racking from China and I know that they don't have the technical expertise to test the steel and to insure that the steel meets US standards. If I asked them it they had the welds tested by an independent laboratory the answer would likely be no. It scares me. I am extremely reluctant to sell warehouse racking made in China to my customers. If catastrophic failure occurs what is my customers recourse? What's mine? At the present time i wouldn't want to trust many steel imports from China. Chinese manufacturing regulations and accepted industry practices differ greatly from US regulations and practices and a lot of otherwise intelligent people don't see to grasp that fact.

[Kate Johnson]

Thanks guys.

xok

[Steel Bending]

Another reason to buy domestic steel, in addition to the environmental issue of shipping all that steel across the ocean.

And as John noted, what happens if the steel gives out? Where does the liability lie?

[metal steel buildings]

interesting post...