10th International Structural Steel Colloquium – Dillinger Hütte brings leading structural steel engineering experts together

The attending specialists from structural steel engineering companies, engineering consultancies, government departments and agencies, universities and research institutes discussed current topics in the practical use of steel, and the latest research results in this field. Noteworthy projects implemented using heavy plate from Dillingen were naturally again highlighted, among them the Makkah Clock Tower, a skyscraper currently under construction in Saudi Arabia. The centre of interest here is the steel used and the challenges encountered in such remarkable civil engineering projects. The sustainable use of steel in civil engineering was, indeed, a particular focus of this colloquium. "Steel is a sustainable material; it can be recycled 100 % - again and again and again. As well as this, the use of steel in civil engineering shortens completion times considerably, and therefore reduces environmental problems, such as noise, dirt and disruptions to traffic, to the very minimum during bridge construction projects, for instance", noted Dr. Karlheinz Blessing, Chief Executive Officer of Dillinger Hütte, in his speech of welcome, and, as he continued: "The expansion of regenerable energy sources would be inconceivable without innovative steel products. This is why it is so important not to compromise the competitiveness of the European steel industry with emissions rights trading and with the burdens of high energy prices". High quality plate supplied by Dillinger Hütte for the structural engineering sector is used in demanding, out of the ordinary projects around the world: in the Viaduc de Millau in the South of France, in the Olympic stadium in Athens, in the multi-storey car park for Stuttgart's new exhibition centre, in the "Simone de Beauvoir" footbridge, in Paris, and in Shanghai's World Financial Center – many of which only became possible thanks to tailor-made solutions from Dillingen.