GNEE Steel Delivers S690Q Steel Plates To The UAE For Crane And Energy Structure Applications

Recently, GNEE Steel completed the export shipment of a batch of S690Q high-strength structural steel plates weighing a total of 280 tons. These plates were successfully transported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via Dubai Port and will be applied to the main beam structures of large container cranes at the Abu Dhabi Port and supporting steel structures for the Sharjah Oil and Gas Field, respectively. The order was completed in just 45 days from contract signing to final delivery, far exceeding the customer's expected 60-day cycle. All steel plates have passed third-party inspections and fully comply with the project's technical requirements, earning high recognition from the customer.

As a core region for global infrastructure construction and energy development, the UAE and the Middle East face enormous demand for large cranes, port equipment, and oil and gas supporting steel structures, which generally face the triple challenges of high load, high temperature, and high salt spray. Take the Abu Dhabi Port as an example: its container cranes need to withstand the high-frequency lifting impact of fully loaded containers for a long time, and the working environment temperature is between 35-50℃ all year round. Traditional steel plates are prone to strength attenuation, fatigue fracture, etc. In contrast, the steel structures of the Sharjah Oil and Gas Field need to withstand marine salt spray corrosion, requiring extremely high corrosion resistance and structural stability of the materials.

With its high yield strength, stable quenched and tempered microstructure and good weldability,S690Q steel plates can reduce plate thickness and structural self-weight while ensuring performance stability in extreme environments, making them the preferred high-strength steel material for large-scale projects in the Middle East.

The thickness of the supplied steel plates is concentrated in the range of 30–100 mm. Among them, the steel plates for the crane main beam have a thickness of up to 100mm, with a maximum width of 3.2 meters and a maximum length of 18 meters. This reduces the number of structural splice welds and improves the overall load-bearing capacity. The inspection items cover full inspection of mechanical properties (yield strength, tensile strength, impact toughness, etc.), 100% ultrasonic testing (UT) in accordance with EN 10160 standard Level 3 requirements, and surface quality inspection, ensuring no internal defects in the steel plates and no scratches on the surface.

To address the high-temperature and high-salt spray environment in the Middle East, the steel plates undergo shot blasting (Sa2.5 grade) and an additional layer of anti-rust primer, meeting the requirements for subsequent sandblasting and heavy anti-corrosion coating pre-treatment.

Based on the use environment in the Middle East and the customer's past experience, three core issues were focused on.

GNEE Steel provided targeted solutions one by one:

Performance Stability in High-Temperature Environments:

If the quenching and tempering process of S690Q is not properly controlled, it may experience strength degradation, toughness attenuation, etc., in long-term high-temperature environments.

👉 GNEE Steel's Approach: Adopt a precise quenching and tempering process of "high-temperature quenching + low-temperature tempering". Accelerated aging tests simulating the high-temperature environment in the Middle East are conducted to ensure that the strength attenuation rate of the steel plates does not exceed 5% when used in environments below 60℃ for a long time. Each batch of steel plates undergoes a recheck of high-temperature mechanical properties before delivery to ensure stable core performance.

Plate Shape and Residual Stress Issues:

If the residual stress of high-strength steel is not well controlled, deformation is likely to occur during the assembly of large structures, affecting assembly accuracy.

👉 Solution: Adopt a four-step plate shape correction process (hot rolling correction, post-quenching correction, post-tempering correction, and finished product correction) to ensure that the flatness error of the steel plate is ≤ 3mm/m. The residual stress of the steel plate is effectively reduced by controlling the cooling rate (using a segmented cooling process) and the holding time of the finished product tempering. A residual stress test report is provided to the customer.

Rust Prevention During Sea Transportation and Storage:

The long sea transportation cycle and open-air storage in Middle Eastern ports make steel plates prone to rusting.

👉 A customized anti-rust packaging solution is adopted: Imported special anti-rust oil is applied to the surface of the steel plates, the inner layer is tightly wrapped with a PE waterproof film, the outer layer is fixed with high-strength waterproof woven cloth and steel straps, and desiccants are placed inside the package. This effectively isolates seawater and moisture erosion, ensuring no rust on the steel plates within 3 months of sea transportation and storage.

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📩 If you need S690Q steel plates suitable for cranes and energy steel structures in the Middle East, GNEE Steel can provide customized specifications, expedited delivery, and localized technical support services to protect your project.

FAQ

What is the difference between S690Q and S690QL?

S690Q: Minimum impact toughness tested at -20°C (30J average). → Typical Use: Cranes in temperate climates, quarry equipment. S690QL: Certified for -40°C and below (≥40J impact toughness). → Critical Use: Arctic pipelines, offshore platforms, mining vehicles in Siberia.

What grade is S690QL material?

S690QL is a high strength quenched and tempered steel grade that complies to steel specification EN 10025. The designation S690QL refers to a minimum yield strength of 690 MPa.

What is S690 grade steel?

S690 high yield & fine grain steel plate is a high strength, quenched and tempered fine-grain structural steel. Structural steel S690 is used in structures that must withstand very heavy loads. This grade is meant for structures where weight savings is important.

What is the equivalent of S690 steel?

Approximate equivalents
ASTM A514, EN 10149-2 Grade S700MC, AS/NZS 3579 Grade 700, AM 700, Bisalloy 80.

What is the price of S690QL material?

S690QL High Strength Steel Plates, Thickness: 5mm to 150mm at 5,600-13,500 CNY per tonne (approx. 5.6-13.5 CNY per kilogram)/440-900 USD per tonne (approx. 0.44-0.90 USD per kilogram)

What is the hardness of S690 QL steel?

S690QL steel stockholders and suppliers. S690QL is a quenched and tempered high strength steel supplied in full plates or cut pieces with delivery to the whole of the UK. With its high yield of minimum 690MPa it offers better strength than standard carbon steel grades.

What is the effective use of high strength S690 steel in construction?

The high strength S690 steels have an excellent strength-to-self-weight ratio, and they are highly efficient to be used in heavily loaded structures. Typical applications include piles and columns in buildings and supporting members in bridges.

What is the difference between S890QL and S690QL?

S690QL, S890QL, and S960QL are all water quenched and tempered steels that comply with the EN10025:6:2004 specification. These ultra high strength steels have a minimum yield strength of 690 MPa, 890 MPa, and 960 Mpa respectively, making them ideal for use in the haulage sector.

What is the difference between S700MC and S690ql?

The S700MC Steel is basically a structural steel plate developed especially for applications requiring high yield strength. They are used for several load bearing applications. The S690ql is a low alloy structural steel which is high in strength and comes with good weldability.

What is the yield strength of s690 steel?

690 MPa.

Yield strength of 690 MPa. Used in structures bearing extremely heavy loads, such as bridges, offshore drilling rigs and buildings, as well as in heavy construction equipment and cranes.