On July 8, Japanese steelmaker Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Metals) announced that it has received the world's first order for its innovative ultra-high tensile strength steel, H-SA700, from Obayashi Corporation (Obayashi), one of the major Japanese construction companies.
Sumitomo Metals developed and received the approval of Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for ultra-high strength steel material H-SA700 which has a yield strength that is about twice as high as conventional steel. It is also a material manufactured with a reduced amount of alloying elements and by omission of heat treatment. It was developed to improve the seismic performance of buildings in the project concerning "Research and development of buildings with new structural systems that use innovative structural materials."