Feature Story In this issue No. 332 August 2005 Published monthly by Public Relations Center General Administration Div. Nippon Steel Corporation More about Nippon Steel http://www.nsc.co.jp WWW WWW WWW If you have received the web-version of Nippon Steel News, you are already a registered subscriber, thus no new registration is required. Associates who wish to become subscribers are requested to click on the icon to complete and submit the registration form. Regular Subscription Born in Tokyo 1953, Kei Tsuji displays her installations, centered on dyeing and weaving, in deserts, woodlands and waterfronts the world over. Produced through a fieldwork approach, her installations represent a continuous pursuit of the connection between herself (dyed and woven cloth) and the realm of time and space (principles of the natural world). Operating Roundup Nippon Steel/POSCO Strategic Alliance Is Extended Nippon Steel and POSCO of Korea, after the initial 5-year term of the strategic alliance agreement, have now agreed to extend this agreement for at least another five years. WWW WWW WWW Consolidated Operating Results for 1st Quarter of FY2005 Consolidated operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2005 (April 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005) are: sales of ¥904.7 billion, operating profits of ¥146.0 billion, ordinary profits of ¥153.1 billion and a net income of ¥91.6 billion. WWW WWW WWW Basic Agreement on Wire Drawing Business Integration Chukyo Seisen Co., Ltd., Nippon Steel, K.K. Chitac and Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. have reached basic agreement to integrate the wire drawing business of Chukyo and Chitac. WWW WWW WWW NITTETSU SUPER FRAME Method (Two-part series: 2) Distinct advantages of the NSF method are faster construction, reduced execution costs, excellent performances required for housing and economic merit in terms of depreciation. “Documents: Consecrating to the Earth” (A series of fieldwork installation by Kei Tsuji) —Contribution for August 2005— Installation in Tiwi Island, Melvill Island, N.T. Australia (1992)
Transcript
Feature StoryIn this issue
No. 332August2005Published monthly by Public Relations Center General Administration Div. Nippon Steel Corporation
More about Nippon Steelhttp://www.nsc.co.jp WWWWWWWWW
If you have received the web-version of Nippon Steel News, you are already a registered subscriber, thus no new registration is required.
Associates who wish to become subscribers are requested to click on the icon to complete and submit the registration form.
Regular Subscription
Born in Tokyo 1953, Kei Tsuji displays her installations, centered on dyeing and weaving, in deserts, woodlands and waterfronts the world over. Produced through a fieldwork approach, her installations represent a continuous pursuit of the connection between herself (dyed and woven cloth) and the realm of time and space (principles of the natural world).
Operating Roundup
Nippon Steel/POSCO Strategic Alliance Is Extended Nippon Steel and POSCO of Korea, after the initial 5-year term of the strategic alliance agreement, have now agreed to extend this agreement for at least another five years.
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Consolidated Operating Results for 1st Quarter of FY2005 Consolidated operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2005 (April 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005) are: sales of ¥904.7 billion, operating profits of ¥146.0 billion, ordinary profits of ¥153.1 billion and a net income of ¥91.6 billion.
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Basic Agreement on Wire Drawing Business Integration Chukyo Seisen Co., Ltd., Nippon Steel, K.K. Chitac and Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. have reached basic agreement to integrate the wire drawing business of Chukyo and Chitac.
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NITTETSU SUPER FRAME Method (Two-part series: 2)Distinct advantages of the NSF method are faster construction, reduced execution costs, excellent performances required for housing and economic merit in terms of depreciation.
“Documents: Consecrating to the Earth” (A series of fieldwork installation by Kei Tsuji)—Contribution for August 2005—
Installation in Tiwi Island, Melvill Island, N.T. Australia (1992)
Cluster of Large Steel-framed Houses for Lodging Foreign Students in Japan
Nippon Steel’s NITTETSU SUPER FRAME (NSF) method for build-ing steel-framed houses has established a steadily expanding track record in housing construction, thereby raising its position in the national consciousness. The most recent noteworthy appli-cation of this method is in a dormitory construction project for for-eign students at the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park. In this project, the NSF method was used to build four 3-story steel-framed dormitories having a total of 200 rooms. Such a large-scale
application of the NSF method was heretofore unprecedented. In this two-part series, NIPPON STEEL NEWS will feature a
round-table discussion by several people involved in this innova-tive and large-scale steel-framed house project at the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park that is being promoted through the collaborative effort of industrial, governmental and academic sec-tors. The discussion focuses on evaluations of and expectations for the NSF method.
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No. 332 August 2005
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Development Group LeaderFlat Product Sales Div.Flat Products Division
Nippon Steel Corporation(Moderator)
Pursuit of “Made in Kitakyushu” with Customer Collaboration
Hashimoto: In the present foreign student dormi-tory project, we emphasized the importance of “Made in Kitakyushu” and the adoption of easily recyclable materials. We also strove for the devel-opment of new production and construction meth-
ods as a means to shorten the construction term. The production of structural panels and on-site erection, in particular, were said to have caused an array of difficulties. Is this true?Ueki: Our company was first told about the dormi-
tory project in April 2004 and in September re-ceived formal notification of our selection as a subcontractor. Because the size of this steel-framed housing project was of unprecedented scale and because of the tight building schedule,
No. 332 August 2005
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our staff and that of Nippon Steel repeatedly con-ferred with Fudosan Chuo Joho Center, a project owner, and Kawaguchi Construction Company, a principal contractor. In the course of these meet-ings, significant adjustments were made to the way that the NITTETSU SUPER FRAME (NSF) method was to be applied in this project, thereby enabling us to begin work. Although construction of the dor-mitories was often hampered by the unusually large number of typhoons last year, we managed to complete the project within the target term.
In the present project, not only light-gauge steel shapes supplied by Nippon Steel’s Yawata Works were adopted. Also included were unique eco-friendly materials such as the ceramic sheathing materials (produced by Nichiha Corporation from blast-furnace slag and used in structural wall pan-els) and the particleboard (produced in Kitakyushu
by Taihei Kogyo Co. from building waste wood and used in structural floor panels). Thus, this project clearly demonstrated our strong commitment to re-cycling and to reducing the burden placed on the global environment. It also afforded us valuable experience that we now actively plan to use in fu-ture business developments.Murahashi: A modular size based on one-meter units was originally proposed by Kitakyushu City in the competition for the foreign student dormitor-ies. After an analysis of various methods of laying out 200 rooms on a narrow tract of land, we sug-gested a design based on 91-cm modules. The adoption of this design allowed for the effective use of Taihei Kogyo’s particleboard and Nichiha’s ceramic sheathing materials.
Then, Nippon Steel joined with UEX Co. in try-ing to solve the issue of shortening the construc-
tion term. We finally decided to manufacture the insulated panels at the factory, transport them to the construction site without further processing, assemble them there and then install the exterior materials over the panels. This was quite a new experience for Nippon Steel and posed a chal-lenge to minimizing the construction term.
By adopting such recyclables and meeting the challenge of shifting to the in-shop manufacture of materials, we aimed to keep a clean construction site that would generate a minimum amount of waste. Nippon Steel’s posture was not to recom-mend that customers use existing steel materials and application methods. Rather, it was to collab-orate with customers to develop new manufactur-ing and application methods suitable for the basic concept and requirements of the project.
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Structure of Fire-resistant Exterior Wall Structure of Sound-insulating Floor
Floor joist Finishing materialGypsum boardParticle board 20 mm
Rock-wood thermal-insulation material
Joist
Joist track
Ceiling covering material
Ceiling joistLight-gauge steel shape
Interior material (gypsum board)
Light-gauge steel shape
Aeration furring strip
Slag cement perlite board
Thermal-insulation material
Moisture-permeable water-proof sheet
Exterior material
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NSF Method Offers Great Potential
Hashimoto: Would you suggest improvements to the NSF method and give your candid opinion about its future potential?Takitani: What we can cite as distinct advantages of the NSF method are: faster construction, re-duced execution costs that are around 10% lower than the reinforced-concrete method and econom-ic merit in terms of depreciation.
However, during the construction of the dormi-tories, we found that several issues have yet to be resolved regarding the NSF method. For instance,
the system reveals a regulatory issue associated with fireproofing and fire prevention. In applying for confirmation of fireproof construction, the pres-ent foreign student dormitories were only ap-proved to be quasi-fireproof. In order to obtain formal approval as being of fire-preventive con-struction, the regulations governing three-story wooden buildings were made mandatory for the dormitories. This required that verandas, columns along a passage and other structures that were not key structural elements of the dormitories be
provided with fire protection. Efforts should now be made to inform as many relevant people as possible that this is unreasonable insofar as the NSF method is concerned. I think that such a re-sulting regulatory revision would give impetus to the steady diffusion of the NSF method.
In addition, given the novel technology of the NSF method, an evaluation of the habitability pro-vided by it has yet to be rendered. In this regard, because the researchers and students at the Kita-kyushu Science and Research Park are all scien-
Example of three-story condominium construction using the NSF method (Abashiri, Hokkaido)
Example of shop construction using the NSF method (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka)
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No. 332 August 2005
Feature Storytific people and particularly because many of the foreign students at the University of Kitakyushu major in environmental engineering, it is advisable that an evaluation of the quality of steel-framed houses, or the NSF method, should reflect how such foreign researchers and students feel as they live in the dormitories. Such feedback would contri-bute to improvements in the technology. This, in turn, would help to promote the diffusion of steel-framed housing not only in the domestic market but
also abroad, especially in Asian markets.Hashimoto: Asia is a promising market. This is particularly true in China, where most houses are traditionally built of brick. Due to brick manufac-ture, the amount of acreage under cultivation has fallen and deforestation continues to advance. As a measure to protect the environment, the Chi-nese government prohibited the use of bricks for housing in major urban areas and has actively conducted surveys and research aimed to devel-
op alternative housing systems. Among a variety of other systems, steel-framed housing received the most attention and was chosen as one of the recommended methods. Nippon Steel is now en-deavoring to meet the expectations of the Chi-nese government.
Ms. Kimura, from the standpoint of a structural designer, would you comment next on the poten-tial of steel-framed housing and on its future uses?
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Kimura: The present foreign student dormitories serve as collective housing. I think that the NSF method also possesses great potential for the construction of detached single-family homes. Further advances in the technological develop-ment of steel-framed houses will allow the system to be adopted for larger structural frames such as public buildings.
It is important, therefore, that the diffusion of the NSF method should be promoted from the user’s perspective. Even if we emphatically rec-ommend the NSF system to users as an excellent construction method, they cannot fully see the ad-vantages of the system unless they have an inter-est in architecture or have expert knowledge. What appeals most to such users is something in-tangible about a house that makes them want to live in it. Such intangible factors are closely rela-ted to the “heart” in building design that I men-tioned earlier. Crucial in incorporating the hardware of the NSF method into a realization of such intangible properties is the means of dealing with design factors.
You would never purchase unfashionable
clothes, regardless of how excellent the quality of fabric might be, would you? Conversely, even if they were somewhat expensive, you would be ready to buy clothes of exquisite design that look comfortable to wear. Although safety and security are essential to buildings, users will never be sat-
isfied with such fundamental prerequisites alone.Hashimoto: Thank you for your valuable sugges-tions. We will continue to strive to develop com-modities that provide customers with pleasure and satisfaction and are well received in the market.
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Hashimoto: Collaboration among industrial, gov-ernmental and academic sectors is essential for the future diffusion of steel-framed houses. In-deed, this new system has only a very limited proven track record. Nevertheless, it has bene-fited from a revision in 2000 of the Building Stan-dard Law of Japan that now stipulates as a basic policy that performance requirements can replace conventional specification requirements. This means that proper performance verification will open the way to meeting stringent requirements. In this sense, collaborative efforts between indus-trial, governmental and academic sectors have become important.Kuroki: In the Japanese archipelago, which stret-ches vertically from north to south, weather varies widely from one region to another. This naturally affects the design of buildings. Moreover, efforts to promote the diffusion of steel-framed houses in
China, Korea and Taiwan must take into consider-ation a growing diversity of requirements that re-flect greater variations in weather conditions and regional characteristics. Simulation technology will be essential for coping with this situation. Further, we have accumulated know-how that we hope to capitalize on in order to create versions of steel-framed houses that will fit each region and, more-over, to scientifically verify performances.Hashimoto: With regard to the business develop-ment of steel-framed houses in Asia, it is neces-sary to adopt materials that are locally available in each region and to make specifications and stan-dards for steel-framed houses that are appropri-ate for the local conditions of each region. The simulation technology that Mr. Kuroki referred to can be utilized globally.
I think it would be great if, subsequent to the present dormitory construction project, the Kita-
kyushu Science and Research Park were to be-come an information center for steel-framed houses and to serve also as a basis for industrial, governmental and academic interaction in Asia.Kuroki: Since the construction of the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park, an array of human resources has gathered in Kitakyushu City. I ex-pect that a new, global network based on the spiri-tual interaction mentioned by Ms. Kimura will emerge from the Science and Research Park. I hope that steel-framed housing technology will achieve widespread use via this global network, as various inherent problems are resolved.Sato: I also expect that this project will constitute a model case that will further enhance collabora-tion between industry, government and academia.Hashimoto: Thank you very much today for at-tending the discussion meeting and for expressing your valuable opinions.
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Tough and DurableSteel-framed houses show less age deterioration and high anti-termite performance
Lumber, over time, is likely to cause drying contraction, torsion, camber, cracking and other defects. In addition, considerable “creep phe-nomenon” develops five to ten years after construction, although there is no sign of it in the beginning. The NSF method, on the other hand, employs steel framing members that suffer only limited age deterioration and preserve a comfortable living environment.
180 kgf/m2 (living room design load)
Book shelf
Deflection
Steel-framed house
Wooden house
Newconstruction
5 years afterconstruction
10 years afterconstruction
Fig. 1
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A far-sighted Decision in Favor of Steel-framed Housing
Safe and Comfortable Detached Homes
No. 332 August 2005
In July 2004, Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa had their 31-year old home rebuilt using the NITTETSU SU-PER FRAME (NSF) method (steel-framed housing system). Originally of wood frame construction, their home in the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Pre-fecture, was beset with termite damage and rain-water leakage.
“As the ocean is not far from here, the wind blows hard and often drives rainwater laterally against our house,” says Mr. Tetsuo Ishikawa. “Our house was also infested with termites. Be-cause damage to the house was considerable, costly maintenance was required. In light of this, and as a measure to make our home earthquake-proof, we made a comparative study of an array of alternatives for rebuilding and finally decided in favor of steel-framed houses. Another factor in this decision was a strong recommendation by our daughter who has already experienced life in a
steel-framed house.” Steel-framed houses are simply impervious to
termites and, unlike wooden homes, are free from any floor deflection (creep phenomenon) (Fig. 1). Because of this, the performance of new steel-
Highly Resistant to Earthquakes and TyphoonsAdoption of high-strength steel members for framing members
Alter Layout of Large Spaces as DesiredLiving space surrounded with rigid high-strength panels
The coating layer melts out to protect the surface of base metal.
Cross section of galvanized steel sheet
A wall structure is adopted that rig-idly supports the entire structure with high-strength panels around the periphery of the house, there-by providing a large open space (72 m2 maximum).
This system allows easy alteration of room layouts to meet the chang-ing demands of life in its respec-tive stages.
Zinc coating
Zinc coating
Base metal
Base metal
• Base material
• In case of damage occurrence
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framed houses remains unchanged over long per-iods of time.
Highly rust-resistant galvanized steel sheets are used to form the steel framing members (Fig. 2).
Mr. Ishikawa says, “I conferred with the staff of Sanko Construction Co., our building contractor, on an average of once every two weeks over a six-month period as I developed a detailed room arrangement and layout.”
Conspicuous among the rooms that we complet-ed in this way are a spacious living room on the 1st floor and two rooms (about 26 m2 in total) on the 2nd floor with partition walls that are remov-able depending on each stage of life (Photo and Fig. 3).
“Presently the Western-style room and the Jap-anese-style room are divided into three parts. But in the future when we live together with our chil-dren and grandchildren under one roof, the re-movable walls can be taken out. That is great,” says Mrs. Sachiko Ishikawa.
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Steel shapeStructural plywoodDamp-proof airtight film
Thermal-insulation material
Aeration layer
Exterior wall
Warm and ComfortableAdoption of an external thermal-insulation system
The external thermal-insulation system prevents not only the occurrence of mildew and mites but also inner-wall condensation that leads to decay and deterioration.
Fig. 4
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Comfortable Living Ensured throughout the Year
No. 332 August 2005
Nearly one year has passed since July 2004 when Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa began living in their new house. Having gone through both a summer and a winter, they talk about their experience.
“In our previous wooden house, it was steamy in the summer particularly on the 2nd floor. During the rainy season, mildew always annoyed us. This year we felt cooler and drier in the summer. Dur-ing the winter, our floor heating system was good enough to make the rooms warm, virtually elimin-ating the need for an air conditioner. Because the temperature within the house was kept constant, I did not feel cold when visiting the toilet at night,” says Mr. Ishikawa.
The external thermal insulation that tightly en-velopes the house works in combination with the high thermal conductivity of the steel to maintain a uniform temperature throughout, thereby realizing a comfortable living space (Fig. 4). As a result, steel-framed houses feel cool in summer and warm in winter.
“The walls are thick, preventing noise from trav-
eling outward. When our child occasionally visits our home and plays the piano, or even when I op-erate the washing machine at night, there is no problem. Similarly, we are not irritated by noise from outside the house,” says Mrs. Ishikawa.
Although Japan was struck last year by an unu-sually large number of typhoons, Mr. and Mrs. Ishi-kawa appear to have survived them safely and quietly. Looking back, they say, “We heard that some houses had difficulty because the typhoons
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Mr. Tetsuo and Mrs. Sachiko Ishikawa
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No. 332 August 2005
blew tiles off their roofs, thereby causing problems for the neighbors. We were fortunate in that we were not the cause such inconvenience.”
Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa add that during recon-struction their steel-framed house attracted the at-tention of the neighborhood. “We, too, frequently visited to see our house under construction. Some of our neighbors commented that the house was
so robust that it would be quite safe against earth-quakes. I told them that we would always wel-come them during a major earthquake,” says Mrs. Ishikawa.
“So far, we have had no problems with our home. We are perfectly satisfied with having it re-built as a steel-framed house,” Mr. Ishikawa con-cludes.
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