Steel Structure Engineering Industry: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook

In 2025, China's steel structure industry achieved steady growth driven by the dual-carbon strategy, new urbanization construction and increased investment in infrastructure. The annual total output value of the industry is expected to reach 1.35 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%, with steel structure output exceeding 110 million tons, accounting for 12.5% of national crude steel consumption. Industry concentration continued to improve, with the total market share of the top ten enterprises approaching 35%. Leading enterprises strengthened their competitiveness through technological upgrading, intelligent manufacturing and green factory construction, while small and medium-sized enterprises accelerated their focus on niche areas or regional markets, highlighting the pattern of "the strong getting stronger". At the policy level, mandatory standards such as the General Code for Steel Structures were effectively implemented, and green and low-carbon development became the core orientation. Enterprises with carbon footprint tracking and BIM forward design capabilities gained greater advantages in market competition.

Looking ahead to 2026, the steel structure industry will enter a new stage of high-quality development. Demand will continue to release dividends: the construction sector, benefiting from the start of 2 million new affordable housing units and accelerated urban renewal, is expected to have a market size of 780 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.2%; bridge and transportation engineering, driven by the "Transportation Power" strategy and regional infrastructure advancement, will see demand grow by 10.5% with a scale expected to exceed 190 billion yuan; the energy sector, relying on new energy projects such as wind power and photovoltaic, will witness a surge in demand for high-end steel structure products, with the niche market scale expected to reach 220 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%. On the cost side, steel prices are expected to be "low in the first half and stable in the second half", with the average price of hot-rolled coil remaining between 3,800 and 4,200 yuan per ton, easing cost pressure. Technologically, the penetration rate of smart factories will further increase, with technologies such as robotic welding and digital twins accelerating their implementation. Meanwhile, the industry will accelerate green transformation, and the full-life-cycle carbon management system will be gradually improved.