OREANDA-NEWS. Metinvest's integrated mill Azovstal launched production of S460M hot rolled plate according to the Ukrainian state standard DSTU EN 10025-4:2007. This product decreases steel required for building frames by 10-15%, which results in significant savings for developers.

The new steel grade is produced using a modern thermo-mechanically controlled process (TMCP), which gives high strength, weldability and formability properties.

S460M hot rolled TMCP plate is widely used in Europe for the construction of buildings with steel frames, bridges and overpasses because of its characteristics. Usage of this product also allows to reduce steel consumption of projects and the cost of construction compared to traditional steel grades S235 (St3) and S355 (09G2S).

Commercial shipments of the new product have already commenced: Metinvest shipped an order for 6,300 tonnes of S460M plate for the construction of a bridge in Poland in July. Ukrainian customers also plan to use S460M plate in their projects. The first shipment is planned in August to Metinvest's Service Metal Center in Kyiv.

“The launch of high strength S460M steel production is one of the initiatives of the Ukrainian Center for Steel Construction, of which Metinvest is a member,” said Metinvest Products and Markets Development Director Roman Kurashev. “This initiative is directed at raising the competitiveness of construction with steel and reducing the costs of developers. This will help to increase the share of steel buildings in Ukraine in the long term.”