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. 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 and technical articles
Life Cycle Assessment of a quay wall: building sustainable ports
Conscious of the importance of reducing the carbon footprint in civil engineering by supplying durable products with reduced environmental impacts, ArcelorMittal is looking into the eco-design of its product range of steel sheet piles. In 2019, ArcelorMittal assigned a Belgian engineering firm with the task of designing and comparing technical and financial aspects of three different alternatives to build a 200-metre-long quay wall for a new cruise ship terminal in a Belgian port. The new brochure, Sustainable Ports – Life Cycle Assessment, focusses on the environmental impact of the two most cost-effective solutions resulting from this study and on their Global Warming Potential (GWP).
ArticleXCarb® green steel certificates: benefitting the end user
30 November 2021The successful transformation of the steel industry includes zero-emissions steel products being accepted by the end user – and green steel certificates are an important part of this mission.
Product NewsEpco inspires with XCarb® green steel certificates
16 November 2021Epco, a leading producer of insulated panels for garage, commercial, and industrial doors, has recently purchased XCarb® green steel certificates from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products with the Granite® organic coated steel used in its products.“ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® green steel certificates will help us orient the door market towards a greener future,” says Luc De Deygere, CEO of Epco. “We see the certificates as a major opportunity for all involved.”
Product NewsNew! EPD for XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars
15 November 2021ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products has released a new EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars.
Product NewsArcelorMittal's long products: the solution of choice for Spain’s Port of Huelva
9 November 2021The Port of Huelva is the fifth busiest port in Spain and the 29th out of approximately 1200 ports in Europe. ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is contributing to its ongoing expansion with the supply of steel sheet piles, rails, and sections produced in Luxembourg.
Project News
Life Cycle Assessment of a quay wall: building sustainable ports
Conscious of the importance of reducing the carbon footprint in civil engineering by supplying durable products with reduced environmental impacts, ArcelorMittal is looking into the eco-design of its product range of steel sheet piles. In 2019, ArcelorMittal assigned a Belgian engineering firm with the task of designing and comparing technical and financial aspects of three different alternatives to build a 200-metre-long quay wall for a new cruise ship terminal in a Belgian port. The new brochure, Sustainable Ports – Life Cycle Assessment, focusses on the environmental impact of the two most cost-effective solutions resulting from this study and on their Global Warming Potential (GWP).
Port structures: status quo and future needs
Ports have been faced with quite a number of challenges in recent years. On the one hand, sea traffic has steadily increased and modern vessels are getting bigger. On the other hand, our planet is struggling with greenhouse gas emissions. Ports need to expand with new berths being built, but how can we achieve these goals without harming the environment?
Before building a new structure, examining the possibility of extending the service life of existing structures makes sense. This is the best option from an environmental point of view, but older structures typically require retrofitting. Hence, only an economic and environmental analysis can help the owner make an informed decision. When it comes to increasing the dredge level to welcome vessels with higher drafts or when existing structures are close to failure, building a new quay wall may be the sole viable option.
Identifying the most efficient solutions for a modern quay wall
ArcelorMittal appointed Tractebel, an independent Belgian consulting engineering firm, to analyse this multifaceted topic. The engineers proposed focussing on three key indicators: technical, financial, and environmental criteria. Their task consisted of comparing three different technical solutions for those indicators. The selected structure for analysis was a cruise ship terminal capable of accommodating the largest cruise ships. It would be built in a Belgian port, with a draught of 13 m in typical soil and load conditions for a Belgian port.
This brochure focuses on the environmental impact of the two most cost-effective solutions resulting from this study - a steel sheet pile wall and a concrete diaphragm wall - and on their Global Warming Potential (GWP).
Life Cycle Analysis and Global Warming Potential as sustainability indicators
The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of the two most cost-efficient solutions was based on the bill of quantities prepared by Tractebel, performed by ArcelorMittal’s R&D department, and peer-reviewed by an independent panel of experts.
The objective was to compare the Total Life Cycle Cost of the steel sheet pile and the concrete diaphragm solutions, including the burdens or benefits of the end-of-life phase (the dismantling and recycling of the building elements without considering reuse).
For this type of application, an LCA is a reasonably fair and transparent method to compare different solutions and suppliers. Although not required by ISO and EN standards, an LCA is more accurate and realistic when it uses specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) from the producers rather than generic data from databases.
Construction cost (including design) was chosen as the principal key indicator for the choice of solution. The key environmental indicator analysed in this case was the carbon footprint expressed as the GWP. Its impact for the base scenario is summarised in the graph for a 200-metre-long wall. This indicator can be included in a scheme to choose the most sustainable solution, referring to the most economically advantageous tender.
The winner is…the EcoSheetPile™ solution!
In this study for the construction of a 200-metre-long quay wall, the steel sheet pile wall made with EcoSheetPile™ (sheet piles produced from 100% recycled steel in an Electric Arc Furnace) offers a 44% lower carbon footprint compared to the diaphragm wall. This corresponds to a saving of 559 tonnes of CO2-eq.
In its quest to further improve the eco-design of steel sheet piles, ArcelorMittal uses renewable energy in the secondary production route (Electric Arc Furnace), thus further reducing the GWP by around 30% (based on the EcoSheetPile™ Plus EPD).
The EcoSheetPile™ Plus range is part of ArcelorMittal's 'XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced' brand.
Download the brochure to learn more about the goals, scope and assumptions, methodology, detailed results, sensibility analysis, conclusions, and limitations of this study.
Text:
ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling
Constructalia
Images:
Courtesy of Port of Rønne
ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling
Related link(s)
Epco inspires with XCarb® green steel certificates
Epco, a leading producer of insulated panels for garage, commercial, and industrial doors, has recently purchased XCarb® green steel certificates from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products with the Granite® organic coated steel used in its products.
“ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® green steel certificates will help us orient the door market towards a greener future,” says Luc De Deygere, CEO of Epco. “We see the certificates as a major opportunity for all involved.”
Greener production routes
Epco is very aware of the need to continue its active role in helping the world to reduce carbon emissions as Luc De Deygere explains: “The recent flooding in Belgium and Germany and the forest fires in the south of Europe are clear indications that climate change is happening faster than expected. As a business, Epco has already taken action to reduce our carbon footprint. That has seen us install solar panels on the factory roof and make use of electric vehicles. But we need to do more. That’s why we have decided to purchase ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® green steel certificates.”
“We are working with our suppliers to identify raw materials with a low environmental footprint and which contain as much recycled content as possible,” says Luc De Deygere. “These materials must be easy to recycle. Steel is already very environmentally friendly as it contains a lot of recycled material, and it can be recycled over and over. The XCarb® green steel certificates help to confirm this advantage.”
Motivating customers
Epco will pass the XCarb® green steel certificates on to its customers. “We hope they will help to motivate them to follow greener production routes,” says Luc De Deygere. “That will bring real change to the door market.”
About Epco
Belgian company Epco supplies panels under two main brand names – Epco and Tecsedo – from three production sites in Belgium, Poland, and Switzerland. The panels are supplied to customers who provide complete door solutions to end customers around the world.
More info: www.epco.be
Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia
Images:
Epco
Related link(s)
New! EPD for XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars
ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products has released a new EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars.
This declaration refers to XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars for the building industry based on steel production in an Electric Arc Furnace with a renewable electricity supply with Guarantee of Origins. It is certified by IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.) according to standards ISO 14025 and EN 15804.
Rebar (Reinforcing steel in bars, including standard rebars, special rebars – Krybar®, rock bolt, and tie bars - and threaded bars) covers carbon steel for geotechnical use and the reinforcement of concrete. Typical applications include the construction of buildings, bridges, roads, and other civil works (infrastructures, superstructures, etc.).
You can download this new EPD - and others - from our Document library.
Related link(s)
EPD for XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced Reinforcing steel in bars
ArcelorMittal's long products: the solution of choice for Spain’s Port of Huelva
The Port of Huelva is the fifth busiest port in Spain and the 29th out of approximately 1200 ports in Europe. ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is contributing to its ongoing expansion with the supply of steel sheet piles, rails, and sections produced in Luxembourg.
525-metre-long extension
The Port of Huelva is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The area has been one of Europe’s main gateways for maritime trade since Roman times. Huelva maintains this legacy acting as a major hub of the European trade network, linking to the African and American continents. With the need to cater to growing demands while keeping the port’s high quality of service, the Port Authority of Huelva decided to welcome the future with a 525-metre-long extension of its south quay.
A complete solution developed jointly by ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling, the stakeholders, and the decision makers
In April 2017, the Port of Huelva commissioned a feasibility report of design alternatives. This report indicated steel sheet piles as the preferred solution, with key considerations like quality assurance and environmental benefits as only achievable with steel sheet pile walls. The remaining, but not insignificant, hurdle to sort was the economics.
In the ensuing two-year period, the project went from preliminary design to tender award with Ferrovial Construcción SA winning the bid in May 2019. During this period, the ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling team was hired several times by the designers, contractor, and the Port of Huelva for technical advice and solution optimisation. This gave the team a unique understanding of the project, which in turn contributed to aligning project design, execution, and end-use for an economically successful project.
All products made in Luxembourg
The first delivery of steel products took place in April 2020. Overall, ArcelorMittal supplied:
- 8070 tonnes of HZ-M®/AZ® double pile combined wall up to 33m long - tailor made to project requirements in Differdange and Belval and used as principal structural elements for the quay wall. They were produced from 100% recycled steel in electric arc furnaces, obtaining the EcoSheetPile™ label.
- 1180 tonnes of anchorage material from state-of-the-art specialist manufacturer Anker Schroeder.
- 207 tonnes of crane rails, produced in Rodange, to extend the crane track from the existing quay onto the new one.
- 150 tonnes of sections, produced in Differdange and Belval, used to connect the anchoring system.
Finishing works
With the main steel sheet pile structure already in place, the ongoing finishing works at the Port of Huelva are due to be complete in 2022.
The ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling team continues its work at the disposal of stakeholders around the world looking to harness the benefits of sheet piles for their project needs.
Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia
Images:
© Port of Huelva
© ArcelorMittal