29 Towards a greener steel future
Andy Hackett of voestalpine Metsec puts the case for putting steel at the core of industry moves towards the goal of net zero carbon 2050, as production begins to evolve away from fossil fuels, and advises a holistic comparison of materials
A
ll parts of the economy are coming under increasing pressure to become more sustainable in their operations as national and international governments push towards Net carbon zero. With the built environment being responsible for a significant proportion of global greenhouse emissions, the construction industry needs to adopt practices which minimise carbon emissions and promote sustainability. Deciding whether to adopt such processes may not be entirely voluntary either, as central government and local authorities are already putting policies in place to encourage a greener approach, a trend which seems likely to continue in the future. Together with other environmental initiatives, such as the London Plan 2021, which requires medium and large-scale construction projects in London to have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and carbon footprint statements as part of the planning application, these policies place increased pressure on architects to design buildings which can be constructed using sustainable materials and methods. As designers and specifiers look to make their projects as sustainable as possible, everyone in the supply chain is placed under increasing scrutiny, from the materials manufacturer to contractors, installers and sub-contractors. Every process will have an impact on the environment in some way and have implications for the carbon footprint of the project. The challenge is to make these processes carbon neutral. When it comes to materials, the challenges are considerable; the major building materials that are used today, and likely to be used for centuries to come, all have some impact on the carbon content of a building project. This is true of concrete, bricks, steel, plastics and timber. The carbon content can be from a variety of sources: the natural material’s intrinsic carbon content, the processes used to extract the materials, their conversion into usable raw materials, conversion/
ADF OCTOBER 2024
production processes and all of the supporting functions that contribute towards a product being used, from sales and administration to storage and transportation.
There is also the question of whether this carbon remains embodied within the material after the life of the building, such as when metals are recovered, recycled and/or repurposed, or released into the environment; for example, where timber cannot be re-used and might be burned.
Steel yourself
Steel and sustainability might not be a connection that everyone makes immediately, but its credentials make a compelling case for its use in construction, with light gauge steel framing systems (SFS) delivering additional benefits. These include: • steel is easily recoverable and is 100% recyclable – SFS has a reuse and
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
The major building materials that are used today, and likely to be used for centuries to come, all have some impact on the carbon content of a building project
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
