The Steel Advantage 

Recyclability

Steel has many advantages as a construction material, but a major environmental advantage is its recyclability. Recycling steel saves primary resources, reduces waste and saves energy.

Unlike most other construction materials, steel is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again and again with no loss in its inherent properties. This is an important distinction since other common construction materials can generally only be ‘down-cycled' into lower value products.

Globally over 40% of all the steel we consume is made from recycled steel, and recycling rates for steel construction products are over 90% in some regions. In fact recent research in the UK found that on average 94% of all steel construction products are either reused or recycled.

Compared with primary steel production, recycling one tonne of steel saves, on average, 1.8 tonnes of iron ore and requires only 30% of the energy. These savings are gained each time steel is recycled.

Reflecting its ongoing value to society, steel has always been recycled to meet our ever-changing demands, needs and fashions. Consequently there is a global infrastructure in place for collecting, processing and trading recycled steel.

The steel already in buildings and infrastructures will provide a valuable and sustainable resource for future generations. Architects and engineers specifying steel can be confident that the steel they use today will be recovered and recycled in the future to meet the demands of their children and, in turn, their grandchildren.

A good example of steel's amazing recycling capability is Residence for a Sculptor, which uses steel that is 100% manufactured from recycled vehicles. Today it's on wheels, tomorrow it's the place you call home.

Design and construction

For architects, steel offers more design freedom in colour, texture and shape usage and allows for a broad range of design parameters. It can be cost-effectively curved, shaped and bent into unlimited design shapes. The fashion and finishes that are available for steel are only limited by the architect's imagination. Because it is factory painted, the final outcome is much more predictable, which reduces the architect's risk. As well, it has precise mechanical properties, and architects are able to design to those properties with repeatable, predictable outcomes. (See examples shown in Living Steel case studies Villa Monza in Italy and Home Delivery in Australia.

Light-gauge steel framing is successfully used for residential construction in many countries. It can be economically used in different section sizes as main framing members and as complimentary building elements such as roofing, flooring or internal walls. This building system presents a lot of advantages in the residential area considering its dry-wall construction, prefabricated or panel type framing systems, easy and fast construction and environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings. Slender members allow designers to create more living space. Builders often comment to Living Steel members that they enjoy working with steel because it is a fully engineered solution.

Steel's strength-to-weight ratio is the highest of any residential building material and it can be easily formed and joined. And, this high strength-to-weight ratio enables it to span large distances gracefully and economically, more so than any other building material. Whether single or multiple-storey buildings, steel's long spanning capability enables the creation of large areas of unobstructed space. (See Detached House in Stuttgart; and Semi-Detached Spacious and Steel) Because steel is strong and lightweight, it is easier for builders to manage during construction, and it can be engineered to better withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Its light weight also renders small size foundations sufficient to bear the building loads, providing a more economical and simple foundation design. Light steel building elements can be easily transported, manipulated and constructed on site as well.

Steel homes' quick construction is a great advantage for developers, as well as for the home buyers. Often, much of the home can be prefabricated in the controlled factory environment and then shipped and assembled quickly on site. Some home designs are actually built as modules, transported to the site and lifted into place. The home can be finished, put to use quickly and easily pay back the investment in a very short term. In addition, steel building elements can have a considerably long service life as they can be easily dismantled, repaired, and reused as parts whenever required. Adding and adjusting buildings to accommodate changing family life is easily accomplished since steel-framed buildings are designed so that the external walls bear the weight loads. Consequently, interior walls can be moved and shifted and rooms added on with limited difficulty and at affordable costs. (See Adaptable Low-Cost Living) Steel is also an ideal material for volumetric construction, enabling fast erection time of multi-family, high-rise developments. Our online case studies have many examples of these types of construction projects, but of particular interest is the Lingham Street UK project that was designed as part of the United Kingdom Overseas Development Institute's Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme to develop and demonstrate innovative, demountable construction methods.

Steel also is a great advantage in refurbishment projects. Refurbishment with steel is especially preferred for its dry construction, creating a clean and waste free working environment. In most cases, the building can be operational during the construction work, which also presents an important advantage to the building users. (See River Chameleon).

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