Article: Daily Commercial News - Are carbon neutral steel big box stores possible?

(rendering of a 6,000 sq. ft. retail carbon neutral steel building system from the CN-SBS research project)

The Daily Commercial News recently published an article discussing the possibility of designing and constructing a carbon neutral big box retail store using a steel building system. This article references heavily our Carbon Neutral Steel Building System Research Project (CN-SBS).

Check out the article here for a general overview of this project and go to our CN-SBS website for all of the details. This is a multi-year research project with many partners including the University of Waterloo, Enermodal Engineering (now MMM Group) and Whiting Design. 

(rendering of a 10,000 sq. ft. retail carbon neutral steel building system from the CN-SBS research project)

Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute Releases Industry-Wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Roll Formed Steel Panels

CAMBRIDGE, ON - The Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute (CSSBI) released the first industry-wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Roll Formed Steel Panels manufactured in Canada. The EPD quantifies the “cradle-to-gate” with options. Therefore, the life cycle stages taken into account include raw materials supply, transportation, the North American manufacturing of hot dip galvanized coils, paint coil coating, panel roll forming and end of life recycling. Based on a peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA), this EPD is a transparent tool that can help achieve credits required for building certification within LEED® v4 and other green building rating programs.

This is the first industry-wide assessment of the life cycle environmental impacts of roll formed steel panels. The panels are roll formed from Galvanized (100% zinc) or Galvalume (55% aluminum, 45% zinc) coated steel that may be painted using a continuous coil coating process. A variety of profiles are available for steel roofing, decking and cladding applications. Roll formed panels may be used in residential, agricultural, industrial, commercial and institutional building construction.

The EPD is available for download at http://www.cssbi.ca/resources

As an association, the CSSBI and its members recognize that sustainable construction is an important and essential part of our world’s long-term ecological and economical prosperity. This EPD and other research on the topic of sustainability demonstrates that roll formed steel panels for building applications can play a significant role in any sustainable project.

The CSSBI is Canada’s foremost authority on sheet steel, its products, and its many applications. The CSSBI is an industry association responsible for the development and dissemination of industry standards. A source for technical information and resources, the CSSBI provides expert guidance to the general public and sheet steel manufacturers alike. For more information, visit http://www.cssbi.ca or follow us on Twitter @CSSBI.

Click here to download the Environmental Product Declaration Roll Formed Steel Panels.

Daily Commercial News Article - Does LEED v4 provide a better deal for steel?

Daily Commercial News published an article on February 11, 2016 titled Does LEED v4 provide a better deal for steel? which details the sections and credits in the newest version of LEED v4 for New Construction and Major Renovations and the ways that steel can earn points towards certification.

From the article, 

Under LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (v4), there are five MR credits available for many steel products, for a total possible 13 LEED points:

• Building life-cycle impact reduction (up to five points) 

• Building product disclosure and optimization — environmental product declarations (up to two points) 

• Building product disclosure and optimization — sourcing of raw materials (up to two points) 

• Building product disclosure and optimization — material ingredients (up to two points) 

• Construction and demolition waste management (up to two points).

 The CSSBI is in the process of finalizing its industry average Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for steel roofing, cladding and decking products and it will be available early 2016.

Mark Thimons, vice-president of the Steel Recycling Institute also mentions in the article that steel can play a role in credits relating to recycled content and urban heat-island effect.

Click to read the full article and learn about the ways steel and LEED v4 can work together for a more sustainable built environment.

Which is the more sustainable building material - wood or steel? MYTH #4

Photo courtesy of SCS Global Services 

According to certain “studies,” wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveals some significant inconsistencies with that claim.

This is our FINAL week featuring a myth about the sustainability of wood vs. steel. See here for the past 3 myths -  #1, #2 and #3. We really hope you enjoyed this series. You can check out our Sustainability Section for more information on sheet steel products and how they can contribute to your next sustainable building project.

MYTH: All wood construction products are certified as being sustainably harvested.

REALITY: The majority of forests in the U.S. do not meet the wood industry’s own sustainable harvesting standards. 

• Eighty-one percent of forests in the United States are not certified, 11 percent are Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®)-certified, and seven percent are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)-certified.(1) The sustainable harvest certification provided by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative has often been challenged as to whether it reaches the required threshold of sustainable forestry. SFI was created in 1994 by the paper and timber industry. A report on SFI by ForestEthics concludes in part: 

                 - “SFI is funded, promoted and staffed by the very paper and
                   timber industry interests it claims to evaluate.”(2) 

                 - “Of SFI’s 543 audits, up to the time of the report’s issuance,
                    there were no major noncompliance issues related to soil
                    erosion, clear-cut procedures, watershed issues, or chemical
                    usage.”(3) 

                 - “SFI-certified logging practices are having a disastrous impact
                    on North American forests.”(4) 

• In actuality, only seven percent of the forestland in the United States reaches the threshold of being considered sustainably managed.

If you want to learn about the other myths, you can download the Steel Market Development Institute's Fact Sheet to learn more.

(1) “Forest Certification Around the World: Georgia-Pacific, Sustainable Forestry and Certification,” Georgia-Pacific, 2014. 

(2) “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 2. 

(3) “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 9. 

(4) “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 11.

Which is the more sustainable building material - wood or steel? MYTH #3

According to certain “studies,” wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveals some significant inconsistencies with that claim.

This is week 3 of 4 where we will feature a myth about the sustainability of wood vs. steel. See here for past 2 myths #1 and #2.

MYTH: Wood is more sustainable than steel because wood construction products store carbon. 

REALITY: Carbon storage for construction products is temporary, only shifting impacts to future generations. 

• Carbon is sequestered in the fiber of trees, but that does not mean that wood buildings become large reservoirs of carbon that is stored indefinitely. Upon harvesting, the unused root and leaf systems immediately return their CO2 to the atmosphere by decay. For wood products, the reality is that carbon storage is also temporary and it is released back into the atmosphere at the end of the wood building’s life either by the demolition and subsequent decay of the wood or by incineration. 
• Ann Ingerson of The Wilderness Society states: “As a result of wood waste and decomposition, the carbon stored long-term in harvested wood products may be a small proportion of that originally stored in the standing trees―across the United States, approximately 1 percent may remain in products in use and 13 percent in landfills at 100 years post-harvest.”(1)

If you want to learn about the other myths, you can download the Steel Market Development Institute's Fact Sheet to learn more.

(1) Ingerson, Ann, “Carbon Storage Potential of Harvested Wood: Summary and Policy Implications,” The Wilderness Society, October 23, 2010, p. 1.

Which is the more sustainable building material - wood or steel? MYTH #2

Photo Credit: “Turning Up the Heat: Global Warming and the Degradation of Canada’s Boreal Forest”, Greenpeace Canada, March, 2008. 

According to certain “studies,” wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveals some significant inconsistencies with that claim.

This is week 2 of 4 where we will feature a new myth about the sustainability of wood vs. steel. See here for last week's myth #1.

MYTH: Wood is more sustainable than steel because it is a renewable building resource. 

REALITY: Being renewable is not the same as being sustainable.

• The wood industry claims that for every tree cut down, one or more new trees are planted. However, the claim does not take into account that it will take decades before those saplings mature. In the meantime, the forest is depleted of the oxygen, water storage and filtration, wildlife habitat, global cooling, and other benefits provided by the mature tree.(1)
• Trees are often harvested by clear-cutting, leaving large gaps in the forestland that also impact the plants and animal species left behind.

If you want to learn what the other myths will be, you can download the Steel Market Development Institute's Fact Sheet to learn more.

(1) “Understanding Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Wood (Current Problems and Future Possibilities),” The Sierra Club Forest Certification and Green Building Team, September 24, 2013.

Which is the more sustainable building material - wood or steel? MYTH #1

According to certain “studies,” wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveals some significant inconsistencies with that claim.

Each week for the next 4 weeks we will feature a new myth about the sustainability of wood vs. steel.

MYTH: Studies demonstrate that wood is a more sustainable material than steel. 

REALITY: The most-cited study contained numerous incorrect assumptions about steel, and it omitted wood impacts.

• A study cited often by the wood industry was published by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) and is based on outdated information. For example, it made incorrect assumptions about the quantity of steel needed for its comparisons.
• Wood is typically a single-use material. At the end of its life, a building’s wood frame is typically landfilled or incinerated. This returns any stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as either carbon dioxide or methane, shifting greenhouse gas burdens to future generations. 
• In comparison, steel is the world’s most recycled material. Steel construction products have a recycling rate of more than 90 percent, meaning that at the end of a steel building’s life, more than 90 percent of its steel is recycled into another steel product, using significantly less energy than was necessary to create the original product. A material that can be recycled continually over centuries with no loss in quality and that lowers the burden on future generations is the very definition of sustainability!

If you just can't wait to see what the other myths will be, you can download the Steel Market Development Institute's Fact Sheet to learn more.

L’acier et le virage vert

Une caserne de pompiers - Burlington, ON

L’industrie canadienne de l’acier – en première ligne du mouvement vert 

Réchauffement de la planète et changements climatiques font de plus en plus la manchette dans le monde. Des initiatives telles que le Protocole de Kyoto ont porté ces questions à l’avant-scène et proposent un cadre de travail et des objectifs en matière de réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES). Les GES sont des gaz (vapeur d’eau, bioxyde carbone, méthane, etc.) qui absorbent la chaleur de la Terre et empêchent son évacuation dans l’espace. À mesure que les niveaux de GES augmentent dans l’atmosphère, un effet de serre se produit : l’atmosphère terrestre se réchauffe et entraîne inévitablement des changements climatiques mondiaux. 

Les attitudes devant les enjeux environnementaux sont en pleine évolution dans le monde entier. Les pays développés s’engagent d’ici 2012 à réduire les émissions de GES à 5, 2 % sous leur niveau de référence de 1990. Le Canada s’est notamment engagé à réduire ses émissions de GES à 6 % sous les niveaux de 1990, soit un écart de 29,1 % entre le niveau actuel du pays et le niveau qu’il vise. Initiative ambitieuse, car les émissions de GES du Canada sont en hausse constante au fil des ans et en 2004, elles dépassaient de 26,6 % les niveaux de 1990. Sur une note positive, depuis deux ans, les émissions ont commencé à diminuer, mais il reste beaucoup de chemin à faire. 

La quête d’un Canada plus vert se poursuit et l’industrie sidérurgique du pays ouvre la marche, en faisant de grands pas dans la réduction des émissions de GES, en conservant l’énergie et en réduisant son empreinte environnementale sur l’air, l’eau et le sol.

Faire notre part 

Bien que toutes les industries du pays réexaminent leur empreinte environnementale, l’industrie sidérurgique canadienne réalise d’importants progrès en fabriquant des produits plus verts pour les utilisateurs finaux, tout en faisant le ménage dans ses propres méthodes manufacturières. L’industrie sidérurgique nord-américaine consacre près de 15 % de ses dépenses d’immobilisations au développement environnemental et durable de ses installations. 

L’engagement de l’industrie sidérurgique canadienne prévoit sa collaboration avec tous les paliers de gouvernement pour développer de nouvelles méthodes et technologies qui aident à réduire les émissions de GES et les polluants atmosphériques, à conserver l’e au douce et à réduire l’incidence de ses activités sur les sols en générant moins de déchets. Entre 1990 et 2006, notre industrie sidérurgique a obtenu des résultats remarquables avec une réduction de plus de 24 % en émissions de GES directement liées à ses activités par tonne d’acier produite, tout en réussissant à accroître la productivité de plus de 18 %. 

Coup d’œil plus attentif à la production d’acier au Canada 

Le secteur sidérurgique du Canada est l’une des plus importantes industries du pays, avec des ventes annuelles de plus de 11 milliards $, dont 3 milliards $ en exportations. Le Canada compte 13 aciéries, réparties entre l’Alberta, la Saskatchewan, le Manitoba, le Québec et l’Ontario. Les aciéristes canadiens utilisent deux procédés sidérurgiques différents : 

• Les convertisseurs basiques à oxygène (Basic Oxygen Furnaces – BOF) assurent 59 % de la production d’acier au Canada. Ce procédé combine le minerai de fer non affiné à de 25 à 35 % de ferraille fondue pour fabriquer des produits tels que des barres, des tiges, des profilés, des plaques, des tôles, des tuyaux, des tubes et des produits laminés à plat. 
• Les fours électriques à arc (Electric Arc Furnaces – EAF) assurent 41 % de la production d’acier au Canada. Ce procédé utilise jusqu’à 100 % de ferraille pour fabriquer des produits tels que des poutres, des plaques et des barres de renforcement.

Télécharger INFO environnemental #1: L’acier et le virage vert pour en savoir plus.

Steel and the Green Movement

Fire Hall in Burlington, Ontario

Canadian steel industry – Leading the shift to Green

Global warming and climate change are two terms found increasingly in headlines around the world. Initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol have brought these issues to the forefront and provide a framework and objectives for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). GHG are heat trapping gases, such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, or methane that absorb the earth’s heat and hinder it from being released into space. As levels of GHG build up in the atmosphere, a greenhouse effect takes place that warms the earth’s atmosphere and makes global climate change inevitable. 

Attitudes on environmental issues are changing worldwide. Developed nations are committing to reducing GHG emissions to 5.2% below the 1990 baseline by 2012. Notably, Canada has committed to reducing its GHG emissions to 6% below 1990 levels, which corresponds to a gap of 29.1% of where the nation is and where it wants to be. An ambitious undertaking, considering that Canada’s GHG emissions have been steadily on the rise over the years and in 2004 was actually 26.6% higher than 1990 levels. On a positive note, in the last two years emissions have started to decline, but there remains a long way still to go. 

The quest for a greener Canada continues and helping to lead the way to a greener Canada is the nation’s steel industry, which is making great strides in reducing GHG emissions, conserving energy, and lessening impacts on our air, water, and land.

Doing our part
While all Canadian industries re-examine their impact on the environment, the Canadian steel industry is making significant progress in manufacturing greener products for its end users, as well as cleaning up its own manufacturing processes. The North American steel industry dedicates nearly 15% of its capital spending towards improving the environmental and sustainable development of its facilities.

The Canadian steel industry’s environmental commitment includes working with all levels of government to develop new processes and technologies that help reduce Canada’s GHG emissions and air pollutants, conserve fresh water, and reduce the impact on land by generating less waste. Between 1990 and 2006 the Canadian steel industry has achieved remarkable results with more than a 24% reduction in direct process-related GHG emissions per ton of steel produced, while managing to increase productivity by over 18%. 

A closer look at making steel in Canada 

Canada’s steel sector is one of the nation’s largest industries with annual sales greater than $11 billion, including $3 billion in exports. Canada has 13 steel mills spread between Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. Canadian steel makers use two different steel making processes: 

• Basic Oxygen Furnaces (BOF) account for 59% of Canada’s steel production. This process combines smelted iron ore with 25 to 35% melted scrap steel to produce products such as bars, rods, structural shapes, plates, sheets, pipes and tubes, and flat-rolled products. 
• Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) account for the remaining 41% of Canada’s steel production. This process uses as much as 100% scrap steel to produce products including structural beams, steel plates, and reinforcing bars.

The Canadian steel industry is doing even more to improve it's impact on the environment. Download Environmental Fact Sheet #1: Steel and the Green Movement to learn more.

Low Slope Steel Roofing - the Winners in Life Cycle Cost Analysis

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An independent assessment of the life cycle cost for various low slope roof systems revealed that steel roofing had the longest life span, no leaks due to material failures, and the lowest overall maintenance cost.

These are the results of a study conducted by Ducker Research Company1 for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). The purpose of the study was to compare three commonly used types of low slope roofing systems (2:12 roof slope or less) from the standpoints of service life, maintenance cost, and overall life cycle cost.

The study looked at the following three different roofing types:

1. Metal (mostly unpainted coated steel roofs)
2. Built Up Roofs (BUR) - modified bitumen, asphalt
3. Single ply membrane (EPDM/PVC/TPO)

Four different building categories were surveyed:

1. Office/Bank
2. Retail (store, mercantile)
3. Manufacturing (industrial, warehouse)
4. Institutional (education, healthcare, hotel/motel)

Based on 41 plus interviews with building owners and managers, 36 case studies of roofing systems were selected from the western, northern and southern regions of the United States. In all, twelve case studies were evaluated on each of the three roofing types. Steel comprised the vast majority of the metal roofing systems.2 Most of the roofs were installed between 1981 and 1994; roof areas varied from 4,000 to 750,000 square feet with the average being approximately 92,000 square feet. The expected service life of steel roofing was determined to be 40 years – 17 years longer that Built Up Roofs and 20 years longer than Single Ply systems (see Figure 1).

Life Cycle Cost: All relevant aspects of low-slope roofing were considered: roof design, number of layers, sheet gauge, standing seam or through-fastened, insulation type and thickness, installation systems (i.e. seamed, ballasted, etc.), labour, balance of systems (i.e. venting, parapets, etc.), geographical effects, life span and additional items relating to the full life cycle, as well as the original installation cost.

Steel roofing has two characteristics that the other two roofing materials do not:

1. Steel is a non-porous material and under some conditions requires no underlayment to keep the building dry
2. Steel is easily engineered to withstand increased gravity and wind loads

Service life, durability and life cycle cost are considered the most important criteria in the selection of roofing type, according to building owners. While the majority of buildings had experienced roof leaks, none of the steel roofs had leaked as a result of material failure. By comparison, 30% of the Built Up Roofs and 56% of the Single Ply roofs experienced leaks resulting from material failure.

Furthermore, owners of buildings having steel roofs reported having little or no regular maintenance performed on their roofs. The leaks reported on steel roofing were a result of contractor installation problems. Regardless of roofing type, failure to achieve a quality installation is the primary reason for roof failure. (see Figures 2 and 3)

The service life of a roof will vary by system type and it is critical to apply the average annual cost across the full life of the roof system as illustrated in Figure 4. The Ducker Research study also identified that roofing material quality heavily impacts the overall life cycle cost (e.g. greater level of maintenance activities). In this regard, steel roofing and Built Up Roofing were more consistent across all four building categories.

Conclusion:
The Ducker Research Company study showed that the life cycle cost of a metal roof is significantly less than BUR and Single Ply roofing. Steel roofing had the lowest maintenance costs and had, on average, a 17+ year greater lifespan than the other two roofing systems. The study also concluded that
building owners believe that service life and life cycle costs are the most important factors in roofing material selection and overall, metal roofing is by far the best option based on its lowest life cycle cost. Add to this the fact that steel roofing is 100% recyclable, has industry leading recycled content and easily qualifies for LEED Canada certification.

Click here to download Fact Sheet 21: Low Slope Steel Roofing - the Winners in Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Greener by design – SBS have eco-friendly advantages built right in

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Steel Building Systems (SBS) are breaking new ground and helping architects and builders construct more eco-friendly buildings for today’s environmentally conscious world.

SBS are pre-engineered systems completely customized to meet the needs of specific projects, regardless of size. The systems involve numerous interrelated steel components that are cut, engineered, and primarily assembled at the manufacturer. All components are designed to work together and they do it best when an SBS manufacturer is brought in at the design stage of a project.

The SBS manufacturers work with the project’s architects and builders to maximize design and economical benefits, plus take advantage of SBS multiple green features. The LEED Canada New Construction Rating System recognizes buildings incorporating leading design, construction, and efficient operational practices with reduced impacts on environment and the public. Projects are evaluated and earn points across six categories towards LEED certification. SBS can help builders and architects pick up much needed points in five of these categories.

Recycling means green at the factory floor! 

SBS components are manufactured from cold-formed sheet steel. As the world’s most recycled material, every newly manufactured steel product has some component of recycled material in it – anywhere from 30% to 95% – depending upon manufacturer and product. At the end of a steel product’s life, 100% of it can be recycled again and again. SBS building components are among the greenest construction materials around because all may be reclaimed and recycled for future use.

Faster construction for less site disturbance

When building with SBS, less people are required at the job site than traditional construction methods. This means that the actual impact on the environment and site disturbance is reduced. Components arrive at the job site as needed and with most of the work already completed.

Superior strength weighs less and conserves natural environments

Unlike other building materials, steel is dimensionally stable and not susceptible to rot or chemical breakdowns. Steel’s overall durability and longevity can be greatly enhanced by a wide variety of coatings and paints to further extend its lifecycle. SBS buildings are designed to last, but when the building’s overall use has been redefined, SBS allows for easy expansion by removing end or sidewalls, and even adding floors.

Energy efficiency and thermal performance 

In Canada, when you choose an SBS manufacturer, you are often choosing a single- source supplier for all of your project’s steel needs. Many SBS manufacturers also provide high-performance steel roofing systems complete with vapour barriers and high R-value insulation to minimize thermal transfer and maximize energy efficiency. Combine these benefits with insulated steel interior walls,
windows, and doors and the whole system can provide an extremely tight building envelope, which means less air loss, better HVAC performance, and energy conservation.

Green choices close to home 

SBS manufacturers are located right across Canada in strategic locations to easily manufacture, assemble, and ship SBS components to project sites.Whether it’s by rail or road, choosing a nearby SBS Canadian manufacturer greatly reduces the transportation costs and pollution associated with gathering the building components.

Click to download Environmental Fact Sheet 4: Greener by design – SBS have eco-friendly advantages built right in

Recycled Content of Sheet Steel Building Products

(Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company, Picton, ON - LEED Platinum building)

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The construction industry is a vital part of the growth and success of a country. It is responsible for building the physical infrastructure that provides transportation and facilities for citizens, businesses, industries and institutions. Construction has a major influence on the economic wealth, societal well¬being and sustainability of the built environment. The Canadian construction industry employs more than 1.2 million people. In 2010 it accounted for 6% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), with a total value of 73.8 billion dollars. From 2000 to 2010, the GDP from construction increased 42.7% whereas GDP for all industries increased 20.2%.(1)

Construction also has a profound impact on our natural environment. In North America, the built environment accounts for approximately one third of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as energy, water and materials consumption. Given the increased awareness of “green” construction, there is growing interest in using steel because of the major recycled content and recyclability attributes it provides to architects, engineers and specifiers in the construction industry.

The steel industry, through the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute is committed to providing steel solutions that promote the use of sustainable materials in construction applications. This fact sheet provides an overview of the two main methods used to produce steel, and describes the recycled content of the steels used to manufacture building products such as roofing, cladding, decking, structural and non-structural framing and the many other construction products used in the industry.

Once iron ore is extracted and refined into steel, its life never ends. This makes steel an ideal material to deploy in sustainable strategies for the construction industry. Today’s steel is produced using two technologies both of which require “old” (recycled scrap) steel to make “new” steel. The combination of these technologies enables Canadian steel mills the flexibility to produce a variety of steel grades for a wide range of product applications.

Steel – The World’s Most Recycled Material

Steel is the world’s most recycled material. In 2012 alone, 88 million tonnes of steel were recycled in North America.(2) This is done for economic reasons, as scrap is a valuable commodity and the fact that recycling has significant environmental benefits. Even though two out of every three kilograms of new steel are produced from “old” steel, the fact that buildings, appliances, bridges and other infrastructure products have such long service lives, makes it necessary to continue to mine some virgin ore to supplement the production of new steel.

(1) Statistics Canada - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/construction/construction-eng.htm 
     (accessed January 22, 2014)
(2) Steel Recycling Institute - http://www.recycle-steel.org (accessed January 22, 2014)

Click here to download Fact Sheet 20: Recycled Content of Steel Building Products to learn more.

Lightweight Steel Framing - Looking forward to the benefits

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The CSSBI is committed to the advancement of lightweight steel framing as an environmentally-friendly “green” building product that reduces energy consumption and waste, improves indoor and outdoor air quality and conserves water and natural resources for both new and existing commercial and residential buildings.

Consider the overwhelming benefits of using lightweight steel framing in building construction; it is a product that is produced to consistent properties and dimen- sions, will not rot, shrink, swell, split, warp or provide a food source for mold, bacteria or insects, and is fully recyclable and non-combustible. Steel also has the highest strength to weight ratio of all structural building materials, and is a structural substi- tute for both dimensional lumber and reinforced concrete in building applications. From the perspective of supporting a healthy indoor air environment, steel framing is inert. It won’t release or offgas any volatile organic compounds, since it is free of resin adhesives and other chemicals like those used to treat wood framing products. Read on to find out more about other significant environmental benefits that light- weight steel framing can offer.

The Infinite Life of Steel Framing

All steel building products including steel framing are 100% recyclable. One of the key sustainable attributes of steel is its ability to be recycled without any loss or degradation of its inherent material properties, allowing it to exist for an infinite number of product life cycles.

The steel industry is the single largest recycler in North America. Over 88 million tonnes of steel were recycled in North America in 2012.While some countries report steel recycling rates as high as 85%, Canada’s 2012 recycling rate was in excess of 60%, which translates into over 7 million tonness being recycled that year.

Steel benefits from the most comprehensive and accessible collection infrastructure of any material, and not just in North America, but around the world. Steel is easily and economically extracted from other materials in the solid waste stream through magnetic separation, keeping a valuable commodity out of the country’s landfill sites.

The use of steel scrap is an essential component of the steel manufacturing process. The traditional basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking practice ensures that there is a minimum of about 30% recycled steel scrap in every ton of steel framing produced. However, over the past 50 years, economic and environmental considerations have driven technological advances in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking technology. The EAF technology utilizes >95% recycled steel scrap in each furnace charge and currently accounts for about 40% of Canada’s steel production.

Using recycled steel for building construction also takes pressure off renewable resources. For ex- ample, framing a typical 2000 ft2 (186 m2) house out of steel only requires the equivalent of about six scrapped automobiles, while the same house framed in wood requires lumber from 40-50 trees, which is about an acre’s worth of forest.

Steel recycling is important for the environment since it affects the sector’s energy performance. The EAF and BOF process together recycle huge amounts of scrap steel in making new steel every year, thus conserving significant energy and other natural resources, while reducing emissions. Using old steel products and other forms of ferrous scrap to produce steel lowers a variety of steelmaking costs and reduces the amount of energy used in the process by 75 percent. It is estimated that for every ton of steel recycled, about 2,500 pounds of virgin iron ore is saved, along with 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone. In the U.S., recycled steel saves the nation enough energy to power about 20 million homes for one year.

Download Environmental Fact Sheet 3: Lightweight Steel Framing - Looking forward to the benefits to learn more about how lightweight steel framing is a sustainable construction product.
 

Life Cycle Assessment of Steel Framed Homes

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One of the key sustainable attributes of steel is its ability to be recycled without the loss or degradation of its inherent material properties. The recyclability of steel allows for it to exist for potentially an infinite number of product life cycles.

Steel benefits from the most comprehensive and accessible collection infrastructure of any material, and not just in North America, but around the world. Steelmaking practice ensures that there is a minimum of 28% recycled steel content in every ton of steel produced. Economic and environmental considerations have driven technological advances in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking technology. EAF technology utilizes a 100% recycled steel charge.

Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle assessment, or LCA, is a tool for comprehensively measuring and accounting for the resource consumption and environmental burdens associated with a product over its life.

The life cycle of a product typically represents a number of distinct phases. In the construction context a condensation of the major phases includes:

• Raw Material Extraction and Manufacture - the resource consumption and burdens associated with the conversion of raw materials from the earth to finished building components;
• Construction - the resource consumption and burdens associated with the fabrication of the home; 
• Use - the utilization of the home for its intended purpose; 
• Post Use - the demolition, recycling/disposal of base materials. 

LCA is methodologically rigorous, requiring the completion of four steps. The steps are:

1. Goal and Scope Definition - the demarcation of the physical boundaries round the product system which is to be examined; 
2. Life Cycle Inventory, LCI - the data collection phase, consisting of the measurement and accounting of all material and energy inputs, outputs, and emissions; 
3. Life Cycle Impact Assessment, LCIA - the categorization of the various emission types into common environmental themes expressed in a uniform metric; 
4. Interpretation - the evaluation of each environmental theme as a potential environmental impact.

Download the PDF of our Lightweight Steel Framing Technical Bulletin Volume 3, Number 1: Life Cycle Assessment of Steel Framed Homes to learn more.