Solutions by
Performance
As a member of IBU, Institut für Bau und Umwelt, ArcelorMittal has decided to implement a large programme of construction product EPDs in order to demonstrate their best in class performances.
Among our large product offer, product and solution EPDs already include:
- Organic coated steels, such as the Granite® range, which have also received ECCA Premium® labelling including sustainable criteria. All Granite® products are produced heavy metal free.
- European sections range.
- Construction solutions like mineral wool sandwich panels.
- Combination of high strength steels and Magnelis® for best in class guardrail systems.
Other construction product & solution EPDs will also become available in the coming months.
Sustainable design and material selection for sustainable construction is already of major importance for designers, which is why ArcelorMittal is willing to demonstrate the key assets of its construction products.
Solutions by
ApplicationProduct sustainability
ArcelorMittal’s core values consist of “Safe Sustainable Steel”. Therefore, it is of major importance for us to provide steel products and solutions that take into account sustainability performances.
Useful information
MoreThe United Nations’ 1987 Brundtland Commission Report “Our Common Future” states the following: Well-designed ecosystem conservation contributes to the predominant goals of sustainable development in a number of ways… And thus, the sustainability development concept was born.
As a matter of fact, a sustainable product focusses on its global environmental footprint, which means balancing economic, ecological, and technical factors. Carbon emissions, recycled content, and also resource efficiency must be considered at every stage of a modern construction.
The EPD, Environmental Product Declaration, established in accordance with European standards enables the assessment and declaration of a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle.
Establishing a construction product's life cycle means that companies must look at the entire ‘life’ of a product (known as the “cradle to grave” approach) including: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, erection on site, the use phase of the building, as well as end of life, including dismantling and recycling.
This holistic approach is complex as there are many stages that need to be measured and parameters that need to be considered. It is well acknowledged that steel is one of the most sustainable materials for construction, as well as being the most effectively recycled.
Related news & technical articles
LVS3 Large Valorisation on Sustainability of Steel Structures - AMECO
The technical objective of the LVS3 project is to disseminate knowledge acquired in recent years about the environmental impact assessment of steel and composite buildings. During the last decade, a lot of research projects have been funded to develop methodologies, systems, and products aimed at improving thermal efficiency as well as the global environmental footprint of steel buildings. The new EN 15804 standard, intended for environmental calculation of buildings, now takes into account the fact that steel is a recyclable material (Module D).
ArticleAdditive manufacturing as an enabling technology for digital construction: A perspective on Construction 4.0
This paper introduces the concept of Construction 4.0 and examines the digital transformation of the construction sector. The potential of additive manufacturing as a driver for innovation in construction that enables the fabrication of lightweight and functionally graded structures is presented and discussed.
ArticleArcelorMittal commits to ResponsibleSteel™ a new industry standard
17 January 2019ArcelorMittal has taken a leading role in forming and committing to ResponsibleSteel™, the steel industry's first multi-stakeholder global certification initiative.
Corporate NewsSustainable Building Thanks to High Strength Steels
The aspect of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in building. However, this concept is not just restricted to ecological issues but also comprises economic and socio-cultural aspects. Only structures which fulfill all this criteria are permanently successful and therefore sustainable.
Article
LVS3 Large Valorisation on Sustainability of Steel Structures - AMECO
The technical objective of the LVS3 project is to disseminate knowledge acquired in recent years about the environmental impact assessment of steel and composite buildings. During the last decade, a lot of research projects have been funded to develop methodologies, systems, and products aimed at improving thermal efficiency as well as the global environmental footprint of steel buildings. The new EN 15804 standard, intended for environmental calculation of buildings, now takes into account the fact that steel is a recyclable material (Module D).
Sustainability includes environmental, economic, and social concerns for achieving long-lasting development. Sustainability of construction comprises the major health and environmental aspects related to the life cycles of all types of buildings. A building’s life cycle includes production, use, deconstruction, the underlying activities, materials, and energy flows, all of which generate inevitable influence on the planet – both good and bad. Steel, as a building material, has undeniable and inherent advantages in this respect, among others, due to its mature process of recycling.
The aim of the dissemination project LVS3: Large Valorisation on Sustainability of Steel Structures (RFS2-CT-2013-00016) is to provide information on the different steps used for the environmental assessment of steel and composite buildings in AMECO software.
The software and documents were developed and validated within the scope of the European Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) project SB-Steel: Sustainability of Steel Buildings (SB_Steel, 2014).
The project was divided into four steps:
- realisation of documentation and software about the sustainability of steel structures
- translation of the documentation and software interface
- training for partners involved in seminars
- organisation of seminars in different European countries
The dissemination package available consists of different documents and software:
- a design guide
- a background document
- AMECO software
- an App version (mobiles/tablets) of LCA calculations available; also in the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android)
- PowerPoint presentations
- all of the documents translated into the majority of the European languages
All of the documents are also available on the following website dedicated to this project in (almost) all European languages: http://sustainable-steel.eu/
Additive manufacturing as an enabling technology for digital construction: A perspective on Construction 4.0
This paper introduces the concept of Construction 4.0 and examines the digital transformation of the construction sector. The potential of additive manufacturing as a driver for innovation in construction that enables the fabrication of lightweight and functionally graded structures is presented and discussed.
Construction 4.0
The construction industry is adopting new technologies at a slow pace and has not yet been through the major disruptive digital transformation that other industries such as automotive or aeronautics have been through in the form of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 has greatly altered industry and production value chains and business models. As the construction industry faces the challenges of implementing digital technologies, intelligent machines, and smart materials, this transformation is taking place. Known as Construction 4.0, this transformation will bring about greater productivity, time-efficiency, and resource-efficiency while enhancing safety and quality.
Building information modelling (BIM) digitally integrates the aesthetic design and technical details of a construction project into one information package. BIM gives a digital prototype of the building to everyone involved in the construction, before it is built. ArcelorMittal Europe is currently developing BIM objects for every one of its high added value steel products used in construction.
A greater level of digitalisation through BIM integrated with cloud computing technology will result in Cloud-BIM data that allows for easy access on mobile devices. This increased connectivity and access to the most up-to-date information will greatly improve productivity.
In the steel construction industry specifically, adaptive automation solutions such as arc welding robotic technology are already enhancing production. These welding robotic solutions can be fitted with laser cameras to further improve production quality and are capable of cutting complex geometries quickly without the need for finishing steps. Additionally, these robotic solutions are also being applied to steel cutting applications such as tubes, thick plates, and pipes resulting in greater efficiency.
The utilisation of IoT (Internet of Things) technology such as UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) also has the potential to transform the building industry. UAVs can be used for tracking construction projects and making quality assessments in addition to monitoring construction sites, masonry assembly, and carrying out some of the dangerous work that currently decreases site safety.
Overall, Construction 4.0 will enhance stakeholder collaboration, creativity, and strengthen the supply chain.
Additive manufacturing in construction
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is defined as “the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining ” (American Society for Testing and Materials standard).
AM processes are increasingly used in industrial applications due to their unique features such as eliminating the need for tooling and more economical custom product manufacturing. AM processes typically used in the construction industry are commonly extrusion-based processes (cement/ceramic paste and polymer-based materials), binder jetting processes, and the fusion of high melting point materials for both on-site and off-site fabrication of new construction elements or repairing applications.
As AM evolves, it is allowing architects and engineers to design more complex geometries. The main challenges and opportunities of this evolving technology in the construction sector are explored in depth in this paper.
Materials and lightweight and functionally graded structures
One of the ways in which AM is contributing to Construction 4.0 is as a platform for materials design. It allows for the use of natural and recyclable materials, which is conducive to a more sustainable construction approach.
As this paper points out, resource efficiency is fundamental as we move towards a more efficient construction sector. Lightweight structural components allow for a decrease in waste generation, emissions, and consumption. Utilising the technologies describe in the paper will bring us one step closer to this global goal.
Moving forward
Construction 4.0 promises to increase construction productivity, quality, cost, and resource efficiency, all of which will require the adoption of technical innovations such as IoT, BIM, AM, and other digital systems.
Text: Constructalia
Photos and report: Flávio Craveiroa, José Pinto Duarte, Helena Bartolo, Paulo Jorge Bartolo
ArcelorMittal commits to ResponsibleSteel™ a new industry standard
ArcelorMittal has taken a leading role in forming and committing to ResponsibleSteel™, the steel industry's first multi-stakeholder global certification initiative.
First global certification programme
ResponsibleSteel™ was set up in 2015 as a non-profit organisation to drive a more responsible future for the steel industry. It will achieve this by building the first global certification programme and standard for the entire steel value chain from mining, to production processes, to final stage sales, and distribution. Certification standards will include the following areas:
- Climate Change & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Water Responsibility & Biodiversity
- Human Rights & Labour Law
- Local Communities & Business Integrity
ArcelorMittal’s commitment
Explaining ArcelorMittal’s commitment to ResponsibleSteel™, Alan Knight, Global Head of Sustainable Development, said that "responsible production techniques and high ethical and business standards are becoming increasingly important to our customers, and ultimately to their customers and consumers. We want to get to a point where steel users and purchasers have total confidence in their choices. ResponsibleSteel™ provides us with a fantastic opportunity to do this and to create the world’s first certification programme for the industry.”
About ResponsibleSteel™
ResponsibleSteel™ is a membership-based organisation currently comprising 22 members including steel producers, car manufacturers (BMW Group and Daimler), finance providers such as HSBC, industry organisations and NGOs. The scheme will formally launch its certification standards following a rigorous accreditation process which is expected to conclude towards the end of 2019. Once launched, ResponsibleSteel™ expects to rapidly grow its membership base with the aim of becoming the industry-recognised standard around the world.
Sustainable Building Thanks to High Strength Steels
The aspect of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in building. However, this concept is not just restricted to ecological issues but also comprises economic and socio-cultural aspects. Only structures which fulfill all this criteria are permanently successful and therefore sustainable.
In this instance, constructional steelwork certainly has an advantage over other constructive forms thanks to structural steel which spares resources when manufactured and is infinitely reusable. Moreover, the increasing usage of high strength steels enables the possibility to further optimise sustainability of the steel or composite construction.
Modern steels such as Histar® 460, for example, demonstrate an outstanding weldability thanks to thermomechanical rolling and subsequent QST treatment in addition to high strength owing to carbon equivalent.
Principally, the use of high strength steels is worthwhile if tension problems are decisive when measuring structural components. This is often the case with composite girders, comprehensive roof supporting frameworks, trusses or heavily burdened supports. The somewhat higher price per tonne is by far and away exceeded through savings on material, processing, transport and assembly.
Histar® for Car Park Ceiling Girders
In the meantime, one sector in which high-strength steels have been enforced is car park ceiling girders. A span of approx.16m is usually required. An example can be seen in Table 1. With the use of Histar 460 the assessment usually results in an IPE 500 profile as opposed to an IPE 600 when using an S235JR+M. In this way, the component weight can be reduced by 24%. This leads to a cost saving of 17% for the pre-finished structural component.
Apart from the considerable economic advantage through use of the high-strength steels, a contribution to environmental sustainability is made at the same time.
Quintessentially, this is calculated for a car park with a capacity for 1000 vehicles. 250 ceiling girders are used in such a building. If trusses are used according to variant 2, a total of 127 tonnes of steel will be saved. Consequently, in addition to the lower emissions in the manufacturing process, seven journeys to the construction site by lorry can be spared for the ceiling girders alone.
Along with this, there are still savings through shorter supports, shorter lift shafts and stairwells, more favourable arrangements for ramps and a reduced façade area. Moreover, the reduced headroom leads to a lower overall height of the building – for example, a six-storey car park can be built 60 cm smaller.
Reducing Surfaces & Costs
High strength steels also have great advantages when used in industrial construction and multi-storey buildings. Reduced dimensions of roofs or roof girders, for example, lead to decreased building heights.
For this reason, the exterior surface area of the building can be reduced. Apart from saving on construction costs for wall and façade areas, one can also save on regular costs for heating and air-conditioning respectively.
Finally it can be determined that the use of high strength steels in the building industry is generally recommended for constructions in which use of tension is relevant to building specifications. With the use of Histar® 460 as opposed to the S235JR+M, approximately 25% of component weights and approximately 15 – 20% of component costs are saved in everyday applications.
In an extreme case – e.g. with comprehensive timber work construction – saving may even amount to 50%. Apart from economic advantages, a contribution to environmental sustainability is also made. In order to fully benefit from the advantages described, it is important that high strength steels are already included early on in the planning phases for the components in question.