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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.
Dan Malone, construction manager for Garneau Manufacturing, based in Morinville, Alberta, Canada, an energy service company that works with many imports, said tests on a lot of 80 tons of Chinese steel tube products found "the welds failed horribly." Malone said there was no question that if the steel had been fabricated into a finished product and installed it would have failed and "would have killed somebody."
It's unlikely that existing buildings or bridges are in imminent danger of collapse. U.S. metals fabricators periodically test imported steels to assure they met specs for strength, hardness and durability. Construction firms generally do likewise. It is possible that some of the substandard Chinese high-strength steel did slip through, so expect construction companies to recheck with their suppliers to determine whether any of the steel they used was purchased from Chinese mills. If so, U.S. contractors, building owners and power plant operators will bring in structural engineers to test the steel. If any structurally deficient steel is found, companies will shore up pillars, girders and trusses or replace boiler pipes entirely.
Imports of specialized structural pipe and tubing steel from China are soaring, up from almost nothing two years ago to 102,000 metric tons in the first six months of this year, according to American Iron and Steel Institute data. China now provides about 25% of U.S. supplies of this high-strength steel, making it the second-largest source behind Canada. U.S. steel mills supply about 16%.
U.S. and Canadian manufacturers and steel wholesaler service centers started testing hollow structural steel and other high-strength Chinese steels a few months ago when suspicions arose over mass-produced documents certifying that the tubular products met strength standards of the ASTM International, a private group that sets standards for industrial and consumer goods. This reflects on the nature of Chinese companies hell-bent on jumping on the country's industrial boom bandwagon. "Most of China's 800-plus steelmakers are small fabricators who have no idea what quality is about, so there is a risk that some guy with a welding torch buys some hot-rolled coil steel and just welds it together," says Charles Bradford, president of Bradford Research, a metals consulting firm
Imports of high-strength steel products from China are likely to plummet as result of concerns. This will benefit Canadian suppliers and some U.S. steel specialty firms such as Atlas Tube, Columbia Structural Tubing, Ex-L-Tube, Ipsco, Longhorn Tube, Novamerican Steel and others.
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POSTED BY: Rodney Party (April 21, 2008 02:51 PM)
While the unions certainly ensure a living wage for workers in the US, their dominance will make sure that in 10-20 years time all US manufacturing is outsourced. Union leaders don't understand business, don't care about long-term market prospects and simply ensure American products are overpriced and uncompetitive on a global scale.
As a Brit who went through all kinds of hell with the British unions 25 years ago, I can pretty much guarantee that the American motor industry will go into freefall at some point, and you can't rely on 'Buy American' forever. At some point the public get sick of subsidizing a failing industry and go elsewhere. The unions do make it fair for workers in terms of the wage they earn, but they will, repeat will, destroy any semblance of a competitive manufacturing industry in the United States.
POSTED BY: Eric Kindberg (July 17, 2008 07:25 PM)
Folks,
I have lived in China for 4 years and bought both junk yard steel for fabrication and new steel. My observations are these: All the steel is inferior to US steel. 14 mm plate, older from the junk yard fractures when bent at a 45%, newer 14 mm plate fractures when bent at 90% in an ironworker. In fact it must be a very high carbon and brittle steel. All structural shapes, angles, channels, you can not purchase thick square or rectangular tube within China that I can find--it is all very thin wall--are sold as not meeting State quality or meeting State quality. In measuring and weighting none are consistent piece to piece. In building construction, I use the higher State quality but question whether it is just another hustle.
I would also like to make you aware that "copper" 2.5 mm cross section multistrand wire while appearing to be copper is in fact copper over aluminum. Only by going to solid copper wires have I been able to get a true copper wire. The manufacturers' sales reps take out a lighter and heat the end of the wire to convince you it is all copper. But that is also misleading because when I brought it to the shop and used a propane/oxy torch the wire was a good deal aluminum, not copper. It takes more temperature than you can get out of cigarette lighter to determine if the house/business wiring is truly copper. To my disgust, I bought fake wire and imbedded it in concrete walls only to have low wattage electronics, a computer, fax and printer on the same line evidently burn it out. The 2.5 mm cross section wire heats up with a 1500 watt instantaneous water heater for showering being used.
I informed the Federal Trade Commission on the fake copper wire because this is a real and present danger to use in US housing, but with no response.
Personally, I think the Chinese producers of steel are not conforming to the ASTM or EU standards.
Certification of quality, except with a potential purchaser having a representative at the steel product production site all the time, is simply impossible.
Certification is meaningless within the China manufacturing theater. Deception, guarding each others back and corruption are rampant and not controlled by the central government.
Best regards,
POSTED BY: Haribhai Popatia (March 30, 2009 02:58 PM)
Has anyone come across issues where 'Chinese' forged components are getting stamped/marked with Italian heats? This is related to industrial valves...
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