Finnish conglomerate Outokumpu, also a world-leading stainless steel
producer, opened its doors in March for a major customer and industry event at
its plant in Melbourne. Outokumpu’s local operation is Australia’s only
dedicated cold rolled stainless steel coil service centre, and one of three
service centres in Asia Pacific, the fastest growing region for the company in
the world.
With a reported $10 billion in sales last year, Outokumpu dominates the
global market for one of the most ubiquitous materials found throughout the
built and manufactured environment. Its stainless steel is used to build cities
and urban infrastructure, water and energy plants, factories, consumer goods,
medical supplies and transportation machinery and systems.
Stainless steel is a preferred material choice for its corrosion
resistance, durability, strength, hygiene, recyclability and aesthetics. According
to Outokumpu Australia Managing Director, Peter George, Australian industries
are among the smartest when it comes to application of stainless steel.
Describing the Marina Bay Pedestrian Bridge in Singapore as a stunning
work of architectural and engineering design with Outokumpu Australia supplying
the steel, he said that the bridge features high strength and
corrosion-resistant duplex to ensure low maintenance and continuing beauty in
hot and humid maritime conditions.
Queensland’s largest road and bridge project, the Gateway Upgrade
Project across the Brisbane River, also specified Outokumpu steel in the most
critical bridge structures - the splash zones of the two main river pylons. Builders
Leighton AbiGroup joint venture used stainless steel reinforcement bar in the
project because they needed materials that would ensure a design life of 300
years.
In the APAC region, Outokumpu focuses on special grades and has won
significant deals recently, including deliveries to Ping An Finance Centre,
China’s highest skyscraper and when built, the second highest in the world.
Outokumpu’s Open Day saw an impressive display of a broad range of
surface finishes, many of which adorn some of the world’s most famous
buildings, including the Chrysler building and One World Trade Centre in New
York.
Mr George explains that these landmark buildings are more than just
beautiful architectural masterpieces; they also showcase the advantages of
high-quality stainless steel and underscore Outokumpu’s position as one of the
world’s leading innovators in advanced materials.
Listing out the advantages of stainless steel for modern building and
construction, he said that the material has high mechanical strength,
resistance to corrosion, excellent aesthetics and cost efficiency, superior
performance in extreme climate conditions; and minimal maintenance requirement.
In addition to the low lifetime cost of stainless steel, Mr George
stresses the importance of technical expertise and support for customers. Given
that the requirements for cost-efficient, high-performing, sustainable
buildings are growing, stainless steel suppliers that can offer technical
expertise, innovation and end-to-end project support will lead the market.
Mr George says that Outokumpu’s polished, brushed and patterned finishes
for wall panels, cladding for buildings, walkways, doors, escalators and other
architectural applications attract the most interest from architects around the
world.
He explains that architects prefer Outokumpu’s high-strength stainless
steels as they make thin structures possible, thus allowing more artistic
freedom.
Outokumpu’s stainless steel is also aligned with
the current trend towards sustainability in the construction sector. Being durable
in the most challenging of conditions, the stainless steel delivers ever longer
project lifecycles. Depending on the grade, the recycled content in Outokumpu’s
advanced materials is 70-90 percent; Outokumpu stainless steel is also fully
recyclable.