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We consider domestic and foreign standards for rolled metals used in bridge building. Domestic standards contain elevated requirements to the reliability of rolled metals in terms of their fracture resistance by delamination. Foreign standards admit the application of rolled metals in broader strength ranges but do not contain obligatory requirements imposed on Z-properties and the necessity of monitoring of possible delaminations. Due to the obligatory control of reliability, bridge steels of domestic production are also extensively used in the construction of special building structures.

This article presents a survey of reports delivered at an International Conference hosted by the I. P. Bardin Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy in February 2008. Presentations given by specialists from Russia’ Ukraine’ the United States’ Belgium’ Brazil’ and Austria focused on important problems being encountered in ensuring that Russian pipe manufacturers have an adequate supply of high-quality steel for the construction of pipelines that are being built or have been planned. The reports examined aspects of the production of high-strength tube steels at Russian plants and experiences with the use of steels of strength classes X80–X100 in pipelines.

The use of controlled rolling for coiled steels of type 05G1B — which are distinguished by their low carbon content (0.04–07%), economical alloying (Cr, Ni, Cu), and microalloying with niobium — ensures formation of the requisite set of characteristics in the coiled product: a combination of high strength with good weldability and cold resistance. This is achieved through the formation of a ferritic-bainitic structure with fine ferrite grains and dispersion-hardening of the steel by niobium carbonitrides. New high-weldability steel 05G1B can be recommended for use in the production of electric-welded large-diameter gas-line pipe of strength class K56.

The Fourth Congress of Steelmakers, organized by the Association of Steelmakers, was held in Moscow in October of 1996. Deputy Minister of Industry S. Z. Afonin delivered a speech on “The Development of Metallurgy in Russia and the Nations of the CIS” at the plenary session of the conference. L. N. Shevelev and O. V. Yuzov (respectively representing the Metallurgy Committee of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, or MISiS) spoke on “Trends in the World Market for Steel,” L. I. Leont’ev and Yu. S. Yusfin (Ministry of Science of the Russian Federation and MISiS) gave an address on “Modern High-Efficiency Furnaces for Steelmaking Shops,” and G. Fuchs (from the German firm “Fuchs Sistemteknik) discussed the “Status and Prospects of New Types of Metal Charges for Steelmaking in Russia and Abroad.” G. A. Dorofeev (of the company “Intermet-Servis i Ko”) and others also addressed the session. Among the sections organized at the conference was “Converter Steelmaking,” where 49 papers and reports were presented, “Electrical Steelmaking” (44 presentations), “Steel Production in Open-Hearth Shops,” (12 presentations), “Treatment of Pig Iron and Steel Outside the Furnace,” (52 presentations), and “Teeming of Steel” (56 presentations).

Improving the efficiency of the heating of the steelmaking bath through the use of oxygen while reducing pollution remains one of the most difficult but important problems in the science and practice of metallurgy. Of the different high-productivity steelmaking methods now used, the oxygen-converter method is the leading technology: the unit consumption of oxygen averages 65 m3/ton in oxygen-converter steelmaking, 30 m3/ton in electric steelmaking, 60 m3/ton in open-hearth practice, and 70 m3/ton in two-bath furnace steelmaking. Most of the oxygen is consumed in refining processes.