Sustainable development requires a whole life carbon approach
Sustainability is about balancing the needs of today AND tomorrow.
This will not be achieved without a truly circular economy, where materials and products re-enter the manufacturing and construction cycle in order to reduce demand for resources and reduce associated emissions.
Supply chains need to be aligned to ensure the optimum use of resources, backed up by transparent reporting and accurate data, and efficient processes.
Existing approaches to design and specification should be challenged. Is a new building required? Can the need be met with an existing building, or is new construction the most sustainable approach? It also means designing buildings with their end of life in mind, focussing firstly on adaptability, disassembly and reuse, then remanufacture, and only then recycling.
Steel is an intrinsic part of the circular economy, partially thanks to its high rates of recyclability, but also its durability and adaptability in design to allow for reuse of components or change of use. When we take into account ‘whole life’ carbon, the use of steel products can lead to better resource optimisation and long-term carbon savings that will help to ‘protect tomorrow’ while also ‘acting today’.
Specifying steel tube for long term outcomes
Tubular steel encompasses structural hollow sections forming part of the building fabric, pipework, and energy infrastructure.
In construction projects, building designs can realise substantial material and energy savings by selecting the most efficient hollow section shape to deliver a given load. Further efficiency comes from the way in which the hollow section is manufactured, the grade of steel chosen, and additional benefits such as using weathering steel for even longer life.
Through these product innovations, steel tube from Tata Steel helps meet the demand for lightweight, energy efficient buildings, supports the UK steel manufacturing industry, and establishes a genuine circular economy for steel products.
Achieving sustainable construction with steel building envelope and decking products
Having decided that a new build is the most sustainable option, the design of a sustainable building envelope features a raft of new considerations to take into account.
How do we design for resilience and adaptability to ensure the longest life? How will the building be designed for disassembly and reuse? And what end of life options are available to ensure efficient use of materials, and lowest whole life carbon values?
Consideration also needs to be given to the sourcing of the products. Where are they made? Is the supply chain responsible?
Building envelope and decking products from Tata Steel help to deliver energy efficient buildings that optimise the use of resources.
Steel products deliver strong, lightweight floor decks and building envelopes, reducing structural loads and keeping foundations to a minimum. And, at the end of a building’s life, they can be reused, recycled or remanufactured to deliver long-term sustainability.
Tata Steel are partners in a range of initiatives and innovation schemes showing how the construction industry can deliver the solutions necessary for a circular economy and a sustainable future. In addition, a range of digital tools help specifiers to select steel products with confidence, and in the knowledge that all have been responsibly sourced and can be traced throughout the supply chain.
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