Osmolice bridge: Arcorox® weathering steel combined with XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel

Detailed information

Sustainability and economy: a low CO2 footprint and speedy execution

“As a project owner in charge of bridge making”, says Artur Kijanek from AZ-BUD, “the faster the construction work, the better. We therefore selected ArcelorMittal’s Arcorox® steel solution because of its speed of execution, but also because of the economic advantages of weathering steel. XCarb® recycled and renewably produced was proposed to us as an added bonus to increase the sustainable performance of the bridge, and although this was not our first thought, it is something that has come to be as important as the other elements. As a construction company, it is our responsibility – and our pride – to decarbonise our built landscape as much as possible. Purchasing XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel from ArcelorMittal was a quick win for us in this regard.”

High strength steels for long term ease of use and increased sustainability performances

The bridge in Osmolice is a single span composite bridge with an in-situ concrete deck with a span of 25.60 m and a width of 10 m for which ArcelorMittal delivered 31 tonnes of HEB 900 in high strength weathering steel S460J2W+M from its mills in Luxembourg and fabrication centre in Differdange. The bridge was designed as a counterproposal to a typical pre-stressed in-situ concrete superstructure.

As weathering steel, ArcelorMittal’s Arcorox® sections do not require any protective coating, neither at construction time nor in the future. This saves costs and downtime for maintenance, keeping safety risks as low as possible while ensuring minimal bridge closures.

However, ArcelorMittal's solutions for the steel construction market cover a broader picture, taking into account the most stringent CO2 reduction targets.  This bridge in Poland combines Arcorox® weathering steel with XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel for its low embodied carbon properties. To produce this low embodied carbon steel, ArcelorMittal is using up to 100 per cent scrap and electricity from renewable sources, which reduces the CO2 footprint of the project.

Wojciech Ochojski, Technical Sales Manager Steligence®, comments on this order: “In Poland, this is not the first time we have used this complete offering from ArcelorMittal for a bridge with Arcorox® in high strength steel and our XCarb® recycled and renewably produced brand, as this combination covers our customers’ main needs for a bridge at the best cost for them: the strength of high strength steel (S460 grade), the long-term ease of use of weathering steel (reducing maintenance needs over the full bridge life cycle), and now with the incredible low CO2 footprint of XCarb® recycled and renewably produced.”

XCarb™ initiative: on the way to decarbonisation

The XCarb™ initiative, launched by ArcelorMittal in March 2021, brings together all of ArcelorMittal’s reduced-, low-, and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities.

To produce XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel, ArcelorMittal uses up to 100% scrap and renewable electricity coming from renewable sources such as solar and wind power. ArcelorMittal estimates that XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel has a carbon footprint as low as 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of steel product when the metallics are 100% scrap, which is certified by a published Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

ArcelorMittal’s XCarb™ initiatives also include XCarb® green steel certificates which are specifically designed for ArcelorMittal’s steel products made from iron ore in a blast furnace. They are based on real CO2 savings as well as wider initiatives which reduce ArcelorMittal’s carbon footprint. These important CO2 savings can be added up and then passed on to ArcelorMittal customers in the form of a certificate, which has been verified by an independent auditor.