An engineering professional may choose a material because it meets the technical requirements of a project. But when that material becomes difficult to source, finding a suitable alternative can become a concern.
Material availability is becoming an increasingly important consideration as growing demand puts pressure on the supply of materials used across engineering industries. This article looks at how changing supply conditions can affect engineering design, and how engineering professionals can approach alternative materials without losing sight of the original design requirements.
A Matter of Material
Materials have been part of engineering since early societies, used stone and timber to build structures. As engineering evolved, so did the range of materials available for different applications, from steel and concrete to aluminum, copper, and advanced composites.
Steel, for example, remains a major material across modern construction. The scale of its use is reflected in global production, which reached around 1.85 billion tons in 2025, according to the World Steel Association.
Much of this production is concentrated in several countries, with China producing 960.8 million tons of crude steel in 2025, followed by India at 165.6 million tons, and the United States at 81.9 million tons. This level of demand is expected to continue, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) projecting global steel demand to reach around 1.81 billion tons in 2026 and approximately 1.88 billion tons by 2030.
This is also reflected in Australia’s infrastructure pipeline. According to Infrastructure Australia’s 2024 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report, major public infrastructure projects planned between 2023–24 and 2027–28 could require around 8.1 million tons of steel, alongside 136.8 million tons of concrete and substantial quantities of cement, asphalt, aggregates, timber, and glass.
A Material Constraint
When a material becomes difficult to source, engineering professionals may need to reconsider how the design can be delivered. A change in material can affect its properties and, in turn, influence how components are expected to perform.
According to a 2021 study entitled Materials Selection and Case Studies, engineering professionals first need to consider the requirements and constraints of a project design before assessing which materials could meet them. The available options can then be compared based on their suitability and expected performance. These considerations are also emphasized in the practical realities of the workplace.
Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) Civil Engineering Lecturer Dr. Igor Shufrin notes that changing materials can involve issues such as “anchorage and connection detailing, fire and high-temperature performance, long-term behavior under cyclic loading, inspection and repair methods.” These factors show why selecting an alternative material affects how the change will work within the wider design, rather than assessing the material in isolation.
This makes material selection a broader engineering consideration, where the suitability of an alternative can be further examined from several angles:
- Start with what the design needs – Before considering a replacement, engineering professionals need to establish the performance the component must deliver and the constraints the material must satisfy. Material stiffness, required strength, fatigue resistance, durability and resistance to temperature, corrosion or other environmental conditions can determine whether the component will perform safely throughout its service life.
- Look beyond the obvious option – A material may appear suitable based on one property, but its overall performance needs to be considered. Comparing factors such as tensile and compressive strength, stiffness, thermal behavior, and corrosion resistance help determine whether an alternative material can meet the demands of the application without introducing new limitations.
- Consider what changes with the material – An alternative material can affect more than the original material itself. Changes in properties can influence load transfer, fabrication methods, load details, and repair requirements. Considering these effects are important because a material that meets the basic design criteria may still require changes elsewhere in the system.
- Consider what changes with the material – Not every material specified at the design stage will remain readily available throughout a project. When availability changes, engineering professionals need to be able to assess what is still suitable, understand the consequences of changing materials, and make a technically defensible decision that keeps the design requirements in view.
Taken together, this also calls for sound engineering judgement to determine whether an alternative is appropriate to use and how its use may affect the wider project.
At EIT , developing complex material-selection skills alongside sound engineering judgement provides a strong foundation for this aspect of professional practice. The ability to assess material options and make technically sound decisions can help engineering students and professionals respond to real workplace challenges, including situations where project conditions do not go exactly as planned.
References
Crude Steel Production Totals
OECD Steel Outlook 2026
2024 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report
Materials Selection and Case Studies
This article was published October 6th, 2026 and the content is current as at the date of publication.
