On October 10, the consortium of Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as "CERI", leading party) and China MCC20, serving as the General Contractor, completed the installation of LP beams for the High-Quality Technical Upgrade Project of Medium-Thick Plate Rolling Mill of Liuzhou Iron & Steel Company, Ltd., marking the first successful application of LPs in metallurgical building construction nationwide. 

The Project involves the addition of 2 new 3-row charging walking beam heating furnaces in the existing plant building. In the "beam-supported column pulling" design of the plant building, LPs were used for both the upper and lower flanges of the beams for the first time. LPs, or longitudinally variable thickness steel plates, are manufactured using variable thickness rolling technology that enables the thickness to vary continuously along the rolling direction. LPs are especially suitable for large-span simply supported beam scenarios, realizing both material savings and overall structural weight reduction. 

The successful application of LPs has convincingly demonstrated their technical viability and economic advantages in large-span industrial plant structures. Compared with conventional uniform-thickness steel plates, the steel consumption of LPs is reduced by 15%. Utilizing LP flanges in large-span simply supported beams can further decrease overall steel consumption by up to 5%. This innovative achievement highlights CERI’s leadership in industrial construction technology, accelerating the transformation of conventional metallurgical plants toward lighter and lower-carbon solutions. It serves as a milestone in advancing the industry’s sustainable development. 

CERI will continue to advance its research on LP's load-bearing performance, broaden engineering applications, establish relevant corporate design standards, further strengthen cost competitiveness, and support practical outcomes in enterprises’ green technological upgrades, driving LPs' wider application across industrial building projects. 

Beam Fabrication 

On-site Installation of LP Beams