Today we will tell you about one of the most interesting metals from a chemical and practical point of view. From the Neolithic and Stone Ages, copper has had a huge impact on the development of human civilization. Although the exact time of this discovery will probably never be known, it is believed to have been around 8000 BC. People have used this material as a substitute for stone. From it they made hammers and knives, and later other household items. Punching hardens the copper so that more durable edges are obtained; the bright reddish color of the metal and its durability make it very valuable.

5 interesting facts about copper:

1. The Latin name of copper Cuprum comes from the name of the island of Cyprus, where as early as the third millennium BC there were copper mines.
2. The Statue of Liberty in New York is made in part of copper. 31 tons of copper were used for its casting, while the total weight of the steel structure was 125 tons.
3. Tools made of copper or copper alloys do not generate sparks and are therefore used wherever there is a risk of explosion.
4. In terms of world production and consumption, copper ranks third in the world after iron and aluminum.
5. The oldest copper structure discovered by archaeologists is part of the aqueduct in the Pyramid of Cheops. These copper pipes were installed more than five thousand years ago and are still in working order.

This time, the celebration of the Chinese New Year was overshadowed by the spread of the coronavirus and turned from a small local problem to a huge negative factor affecting the entire global economy. Depending on the situation, the consequences can be greatly increased.

China

According to analysts, the fact that the outbreak occurred shortly before the New Year holidays itself has slightly diminished its impact on the Chinese economy. After the holiday, the situation is only getting worse for now on.

Bloomberg reports that China, as a leading steel producer in the world, is currently not only fighting the spread of the virus, but is also having severe consequences affecting not only the balance of demand-supply, but also logistics and manpower in the country.

To control the situation in their economy, Chinese authorities have begun issuing force majeure certificates to their companies to protect themselves against sanctions for non-compliance with international treaties.

As you know, China has transformed its economy from export-dependent to domestic-demand oriented and is the largest importer of all commodities, including metals. In addition, the Government of the PRC has announced a course to combat the production and sale of low quality steel, and to do so, the country must eliminate obsolete production. So a sharp decline in domestic and foreign demand from China could bring down all global markets.

Experts believe that the effects of coronavirus will continue throughout March, and possibly in April this year.

East Asia

Shortly before the Chinese New Year, several large Asian companies focused on rising prices of hot-rolled coils. Now, these forecasts do not seem so obvious, and by the end of January steel products and scrap began to fall in price throughout the East Asian region. In the event of shocks on the Chinese commodity exchanges and possible fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Chinese currency, a sharp fall in these prices is possible.

Turkey

Turkey is experiencing the most serious difficulties in the Middle East, as the country has not yet overcome its own crisis and its construction industry cannot break from the bottom. At the end of 2019, Turkish companies are actively buying fittings and are now experiencing surpluses: the prices of fittings have fallen, along with the price of scrap, and demand for metal blanks has decreased.

EU

According to experts, the effects of Brexit will be quite negative for both the UK and the EU as a whole. By the end of January, the expected increase in demand for flat products has ceased and there is no reason to hope for better prospects for the European region. Moreover, the US’s intention to intensify trade negotiations with the EU after reaching an agreement with China means, in practice, further imposing its terms, and is not good for the European market.

The European Association Eurofer has already lowered its projection for increasing steel consumption in Europe by 2020 to 1.2% (compared to 1.4% at the end of 2019). The current downturn in the EU manufacturing sector is likely to continue, and according to some reports, growth is only possible in 2021, at 2.3%.

The situation in China, Brexit, trade relations with the US in 2020 may continue to worsen business sentiment in the EU, – concluded Eurofer.

If you are interested in the metal market, follow us on social media!

If you have any questions about buying the metal products, you can contact our consultants: +359 888 045 521 or to write at sales@smartmetalgroup.com. You can also visit our online store. https://shop.smartmetalgroup.com/

Smart Metal Group is a partner with CodCaffee.com
Smart Metal Group is now an official partner of Cod Caffee!

If you need an uplifting and energizing morning espresso, visit the largest online coffee, coffee maker and coffee accessories store at www.CodCaffee.com

There you will find the largest variety of proven coffee makers on the market in Bulgaria, as Lavazza, Julius Meinl, Kimbo, Ecaffe, Tchibo, Covim and many others. In addition, you will find the best Italian freshly roasted coffee brands Caffe Gioia and Caffe Mauro.

You can contact CodCaffee at 0877050964 or email office@codcaffee.com

Smart Metal Group – official importer of hard galvanized wire from Ukraine
As of this week, we have officially stocked solid galvanized wire from Ukraine! We offer sizes F1.65, F1.85 and F3.80mm.

The rigid galvanized wire in the reinforcing yard of Sofia is made of certified steel and in accordance with the standard system GOST 9850-72 (for galvanized steel wire for conductors) and GOST 3282-74 (for general technical characteristics of low carbon steel).
Tensile strength from 700 to 1100 N / mm2.
Quantity of zinc coating 70 g / m2

Contact us now for wholesale quotes at office@smartmetalgroup.com!

How do we mount gabions ourselves?

Mounting gabions is entirely up to everyone. All you need is a desire to work and your choice gabion by Smart Metal Group . If you are one of these enthusiasts, then you are in the right place, because in the installation of gabions , the name is strange.

Step 1 – Prepare the Basis

The first and most important thing to know is where you want to place your gabion construction. Prior preparation at the selected site is required. If the soil on which you want to place the facility is soft or else the ground is sloping, you must make some effort before placing the gabion at that place. Clean the soil base and seal it and secure it to ensure that the soil will not succumb to the weight of the gabion . In addition, it is crucial that you place the gabion on a strictly horizontal surface if you want your construction of gabions to be vertical and not tilt over time .

Step 2 – Assemble the gabion

If you already know where you want to mount your gabion , all you have to do is assemble its construction . You don’t need any tools to do this, just a pair of hands. What you need to know when mounting gabions is how to assemble the cell itself. To mount the gabion structure , you need to use the spiral bundles of the gabion that you received. So what you have left to do is assemble the assembly itself, and it’s nothing more than twisting that spiral between two gabion gratings . It’s as if you sew the edges of the grid to form a cell . If you find it hard to imagine, you can watch the video below.

Step 3 – Stone

Put the already built gabion in the selected location, then fill it. In one such cell you can put everything, it depends on what purpose you will construct the gabion . Here’s the place to use the other staples in the box. Tensioners are those hooks that you need to hook between two parallel sides of the gabion when you begin to fill the gabion . Tensioners do not allow the grid to swell and spoil the shape of the gabion . The additional reinforcement is made at uniform distances in length and height. When the gabion construction is larger, you need to use the so-called diaphragm . The diaphragm is an additional grid that is mounted inside the construction of the gabion and latched in the same way as the other edges of the gabion – again twist the spiral between the diaphragm and the outer wall of the gabion .

And if you still have questions about mounting gabions , the Smart Metal Group team is available.

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And remember: first the cell, then the stones!

By Stanka Yordanova

Rock materials for gabions
The materials with which to fill your gabion construction are so many and varied that it makes their choices even more difficult. Practically, gabions can be filled with whatever you think, as long as the gabions are larger than the openings on the grid, of course. However, here we will focus on the rock materials that you could use for your gabion construction. The choice is reduced to two main groups of rock materials – those that you can get from different quarries and rivers.

The various types of rock materials for gabions originate from the major groups of rocks, namely magma, sediment, and metamorphism. We would like to bring to your attention various ideas for rock fragments that you can use to fill the gabion structure.

A very common option is to arrange granite inside the gabion. Granite is more widely used for interior systems, but nothing prevents you from finding broken granite pieces by placing them in gabion construction. In addition, granite is found in an inexhaustible amount in the earth’s interior, and more interestingly, granite rocks are colored differently. This gives you even more leeway when arranging the inside of the gabion.

Another option for your gabion construction is gneiss rock materials. Gneiss is common and widely used in construction. You can find it in a wide variety of shapes and colors – from gray to beige and sometimes in naturally shaped patterns. Gneiss can easily be properly shaped or you can use unformed raw material.

You can fill the interior space in the sandbox gabions. Sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock and is often used to make paving stones. But because it has a very intense and specific color, the sandstone pieces are used to fill gabion structures. Given the higher cost of this rock material, it is often used for the front face of the gabion, and the rest of the cell is supplemented with cheaper stone. If you still want to build a wall of gabions in yellow-beige or red-burgundy, then the sandstone is the perfect hit for this purpose.

Basalt stone is our next suggestion for your gabion construction. The basalt belongs to volcanic rocks and has a darker color – from gray to black. The basalt stone, like the rest of the gabion rock materials listed above, is frost resistant and well tolerated by adverse external factors affecting any exterior construction.

Marble is also applicable to fill gabions. These white pebbles are used not only for flooring but also for decoration. The marble stones have a characteristic oval shape and can be found in several different sizes, depending on the grating openings of the gabion you use. The gabion structures filled with marble pebbles look beautiful in every way, but because of their white color, they require a little more maintenance than other rock materials.

If you decide to rely on oval shapes to fill your gabion construction, you can also use any type of river stones. You can bet on pebbles of different sizes and colors, or choose the same in size and size. Every decision is a matter of imagination!

An incredibly beautiful idea is to fill the inside of the gabions with glass pieces. The so-called glass stones (glass stones) are a wonderful accent in your gabion construction, which naturally brightens the space. If you are looking for an attractive item for your gabion wall, bet on these glass pieces and some lighting fixtures in addition.

Author: Stanka Yordanova