1. Raw material price fluctuation

Steel price: the bridge is mainly made of cold rolled steel, galvanised steel or stainless steel, the steel price (such as hot rolled coil, cold rolled plate) directly affects the cost.

Zinc price influence: galvanised bridge need to be hot-dip zinc or electro-galvanised, zinc price rise will increase the cost of galvanising.

Aluminium price impact: aluminium alloy bridge price and aluminium ingot (such as Shanghai aluminium futures price) linked.

2. Production process and specifications

Material type:

Ordinary steel bridge (lower cost)

Galvanised bridge (anti-rust, cost +20%~30%)

Stainless steel bridge (corrosion-resistant, price is 2~3 times of ordinary steel)

Aluminium alloy bridge (lightweight, higher price)

Process complexity: fireproof bridge (need to spray fireproof coating), spraying bridge (surface treatment) and other additional processes will increase the cost.

Specification parameters: width, height, thickness (e.g. 100mm x 50mm x 1.2mm vs. 200mm x 100mm x 2.0mm) directly affects the amount of material used and price.

3. Market demand and industry applications

Infrastructure and real estate: when the demand for power projects, data centres, commercial buildings and other projects is strong, the price of bridges may rise.

New energy industry: photovoltaic power stations, wind farms, cable laying demand increases, promote the sales of bridge.

Regional differences: economically developed regions (such as Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta) have high demand and more intense price competition.

4. Competition and brand factors

Manufacturer concentration: SMEs compete at low prices vs. branded manufacturers (e.g. Zhongtian, Zhengtai, Lianshou) premium.

Channel costs: dealer hierarchy, logistics costs (e.g. long-distance transport increases costs).

5. Policies and standards

Industry standards: additional certification costs for products that comply with national standards (e.g. GB/T 19215), European standards (EN 61537) or American standards (NEMA).

Environmental requirements: Galvanising process needs to comply with environmental regulations such as RoHS, which may increase production costs.

6. Other Factors

Labour costs: Fluctuations in labour costs for welding, cutting and other processes.

Energy prices: rising electricity and natural gas prices affect factory production costs.

Exchange rate impact: imported raw materials (such as high-end stainless steel) are affected by exchange rate fluctuations.

Key points affecting bridge prices in the near future (2024)

Steel price trends: 2024 domestic steel prices if capacity regulation or iron ore price increases, bridge costs may rise.

New energy investment: photovoltaic, energy storage projects to accelerate the landing, pulling the bridge demand.

Green low-carbon trend: lightweight aluminium alloy bridge or environmentally friendly coating bridge may premium.