Market share trend in UK multi-storey construction

Steel continues to be overwhelmingly the structural framing material of choice for multi-storey non-residential buildings, according to the latest survey from independent market research consultants Construction Markets.

The survey, commissioned by BCSA and Steel for Life, is the latest in a series going back to 1980 and is thought to be the biggest of its type in the UK, involving 750 interviews with construction specifiers. The results show that steel frames continue to have a dominant 66.1% share of the multi-storey buildings despite the difficult market conditions that all in construction are enduring. The survey also shows that the market fell by 2.5% in 2016, with overall floor area constructed in all multi-storey buildings decreasing to 8,866,000m². It is now only 58.1% of the size of the market at its peak of 2008, when it was 15,266,000m².

Headline figures for the market share in the total multi-storey buildings market:

66.1% - Steel

19.7% - Concrete

7.6% - Load bearing masonry

2.6% - Precast concrete

3.9% - Timber

The survey also shows that steel now has a 71.6% share of the multi-storey offices market, and a 57.4% share in the ‘other multi-storey buildings’ sector, which includes retail, education, leisure and health.

This high market share is due in part to the key cost advantages of steel framing:

Column-free floorplates

Steel framing is an economic means of providing long spans without the requirement for intermediate columns, thus creating increased open-plan space which is advantageous to office building letting.

Adaptability

Tenant alterations are considerably less complex with steel-framed buildings, particularly major alterations such as the introduction of internal accommodation stairs or double-height spaces.

Offsite manufacture

This results in a reduction in on-site labour, which as a consequence reduces health and safety risks.

Services integration

The integration of services within the structural elements of buildings leads to economies in the construction by reducing the floor-to-floor height, which has a double benefit of reducing the external cladding required and also reducing heat loss through the envelope. In multi-storey buildings, service integration can allow extra floors to be provided within the same overall building height.

Lightweight

The reduced weight of a steel-framed building has a beneficial effect on the foundation design. It allows the building to be constructed over restricted load areas such as railway station boxes and transfer structures.

Programme

Steel frame installation and its ability to be pre-manufactured offers programme advantages due to certainty of delivery and speed of installation.