Dongkuk Steel Becomes First in Industry to Officially Prove Structural Stability of "D-Mega Beam"

Dongkuk Steel, a subsidiary of Dongkuk Steel Group, announced on December 4 that its large built-up beam, "D-Mega Beam," has become the first in the industry to receive a technology certification after being recognized for its structural stability in the structural performance evaluation by the Korean Society of Steel Construction. Even minor defects in construction steel can significantly impact overall safety, and with this certification, the company can now verify and demonstrate the product reliability of its welded steel beams.

Dimagabeam products being manufactured at Dongkuk Steel's Pohang plant. Dongkuk Steel

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The D-Mega Beam is a "customized steel beam" that Dongkuk Steel first produced in April. It is manufactured by welding steel plates into beam shapes using the latest equipment from Italy's Corimpex. Unlike standardized specifications, it is differentiated by its ability to be custom-made according to customer requirements. As the only domestic product capable of producing ultra-large units up to 3 meters, it was named "Mega." Based on H-beam standards, the product can be manufactured in sizes ranging from a minimum of 150mm x 300mm to a maximum of 3,000mm x 1,250mm.

Interest in large welded steel beams has been rising as major infrastructure projects such as data centers, plants, and logistics centers are being developed, with a focus on stability and space efficiency. However, compared to H-beams produced by rolling, welded beams have lacked a means to guarantee the stability of their welded joints, resulting in slower market adoption. Dongkuk Steel expects that official recognition of the structural stability of its welded steel beam products will gradually activate the market.

The testing was conducted over three months from June to September, and the company applied for technology certification in October, ultimately obtaining it. Large-scale experiments were carried out to simulate real-world building conditions, including applying strong pressure and twisting forces, to determine whether the steel could continuously withstand the load. The results confirmed that the D-Mega Beam exceeded the structural design stability standards set by structural engineers, and the welded joints remained solid and defect-free.

The company's efforts to differentiate its products were key to obtaining certification. This is reflected in the certification technology name: "Design and Manufacturing Technology for Large BH Beams with High Welding Efficiency." Dongkuk Steel is the only company in Korea to employ a "horizontal welding" method. Unlike other companies, which tilt the product and weld from below at four points, Dongkuk Steel places the product horizontally, sets the welding angles at 45 degrees on both sides, and completes the process with two welds as the product moves. Simultaneous welding on both sides enhances stability.

A Dongkuk Steel representative stated, "As a product whose performance has been verified through full-scale structural testing, we expect to secure competitiveness in the large beam market going forward," adding, "We plan to continue expanding the scope of product applications by strengthening collaboration with design and construction firms."

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