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.

ArcelorMittal continues to leap forward in steel solutions with the release of Steligence®. Ushering in a new wave of high-performance building and construction techniques, this fresh and innovative concept ensures that each steel component interacts in a complementary way.

"Taking a holistic approach to sustainable construction." (Prof. Olivier Vassart)

Steligence® was developed after a number of years of scientific and industry reviewed research that has resulted in a profound new approach to construction built on a strong foundation of sustainability.

Addressing current issues in the building industry, Steligence® is a philosophy that incorporates all elements of design and encourages more communication among the architectural and engineering experts involved in a building project.

Keeping only the strongest elements of traditional construction methods, Steligence® incorporates the best available technology in steelmaking and a new and fresh approach to sustainability in terms of the overall design process and the future life of a building.

The Steligence® approach includes a broad range of steel products for construction which individually add value, but together represent a compelling portfolio with a range of defined benefits.

A win-win solution

During a speech at the London launch event, Greg Ludkovsky, ArcelorMittal’s global head of research and development, explained that “as climate, energy and resource scarcity intensifies, win-win solutions like Steligence® become imperative for business and society at large. Buildings play a huge part in all our lives, so creating a construction concept that improves their social, economic and environmental impact while dramatically enhancing their functionality and aesthetics has been a huge but important challenge.”

“What I personally love is that this building visibly features steel, which is so often hidden from view.  In fact, we believe that no other building of this size and scale has been designed specifically to feature steel throughout. Wilmotte & Associés have developed a truly innovative design that shows how beautiful steel is.”  Aditya Mittal.

ArcelorMittal and the “Fonds d’Urbanisation et d’Aménagement du Plateau de Kirchberg,” (“the Fonds Kirchberg”) have announced on December 13 that the architectural practice Wilmotte & Associés Architectes (“W&A”) is the winner of the architectural consultation to design ArcelorMittal’s new global headquarters building in Luxembourg.

W&A was selected by a nine-person jury chaired by Aditya Mittal, CFO of ArcelorMittal and CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe, following a highly competitive process with designs proposed by many of the world’s leading architects.

Other landmark buildings designed by W&A include the Ferrari sporting management centre in Maranello, Google’s UK headquarters in London, the LVMH corporate headquarters in Paris and the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel also in Paris.

The ambitious winning design - which was just unveiled in Kirchberg, Luxembourg today - is primarily steel and glass, and will showcase the diverse benefits of steel over other building materials* as well as highlighting the use of steel in ‘green’, sustainable construction. As well as being ArcelorMittal’s headquarters, housing around 800 employees, some of the space will be leased for other uses. There will also be a restaurant, sports facility and 200 seat auditorium available to the public.

Innovative design

W&A’s design responds to a detailed brief to design a modern, sustainable building that harnesses all the potential of steel from top to bottom.  The result is a truly unique building that includes numerous design firsts, including innovative new products and features that are the result of a close collaboration between the designer and ArcelorMittal’s research and development teams. Technical innovations include:
- A fluid and flexible ground floor space featuring no columns, something that is only possible with steel thanks to the use of a suspended steel exoskeleton
- An integrated flooring system fully designed in steel which removes the need for false ceilings, resulting in high quality acoustics and improved aesthetics
- A curtain wall completely designed in steel which results in a lighter, more airy building due to steel’s higher strength and superior elasticity
- New section bars adapted from products designed for the automotive sector.

The W&A design also responds to ArcelorMittal’s desire to have a sustainable building that promotes steel’s contribution to the circulate economy.  The building follows the “cradle-to-cradle” concept, meaning that it can be dismantled and nearly all the steel products re-used in a new building without the need for recycling.

It is also a low-carbon, energy-efficient building, and will be “BREEAM outstanding,” “DGNB Gold,” and “BBCA” certified. Environmental credentials including solar power generation – featuring 4000 square metres of ArcelorMittal steel photo voltaic cells on the roof - rain water management and automatic window opening for natural ventilation.  It also features a bioclimatic public atrium, ventilated by the Canadian Well system, which naturally cools the air in summer and heats it in winter.  The atrium is designed to evoke the Luxembourg countryside and will feature trees and plants in a woodland style that also bring environmental benefits, acting as a buffer for the temperature.  Further green space will be created by setting the building back from the limit of the plot, creating new outdoor public spaces.  The building will also be certified by a Gold level “WELL” label.

Testimonies

Speaking in Luxembourg at an event to announce the winner, Aditya Mittal, chairman of the jury, said: “Taking the decision to invest in a new headquarters shows ArcelorMittal’s long-term commitment to Luxembourg.  As the world’s leading steel company, it is also a great opportunity to have a new headquarters that showcases the flexibility, creativity and sustainability of steel as a construction material.  All the architects that participated in the competition submitted interesting designs and on behalf of my colleagues on the jury, I would like to thank them all for their creativity.  Ultimately though we could only select one project and W&A stood out for their complete respect of every aspect of our brief, including practicality, aesthetics, economics and sustainability, as well as their enthusiastic engagement with our R&D team.  They have developed a truly innovative design.  What I personally love is that this building shows the beauty of steel, which is so often hidden from view.  In fact, we believe that no other building of this size and scale has been designed specifically to feature steel throughout.  And, equally important, it will be a great place to work for our employees, a fantastic platform to show our customers what steel can do and an exceptional open space for visitors to this part of the city.”

Jean-Michel Wilmotte, Architect, President of W&A, said: “To be asked to design a new steel-based headquarters for the world’s leading steel company is an important commission.  I love working with steel and am confident that we have developed a design that will showcase the very best of the material.  I am particularly excited about the ambition of the building, which is to show how creativity, coupled with modern techniques, can advance the sustainability, economics, and practicality of modern office building design and so improve the lives of those who work and interact with it.  I hope that the employees of ArcelorMittal will be proud of the building and will enjoy coming to work there for many years and decades to come.”

Michel Wurth, President of ArcelorMittal Luxembourg, added: “As a Luxemburger, I’m proud and excited that such a forward-thinking design will be built here largely with steel made in Luxembourg.   Our steel features in so many iconic buildings around the world, it’s great to have an opportunity to create another one here in our home country.  I believe W&A’s design fully captures the atmosphere of tomorrow which is appropriate for ArcelorMittal as a company on the cutting edge of its industry and will also provide a great place for our employees to work.  It will be a new addition to the Kirchberg plateau and of course we will work closely work with the municipality of Luxembourg during the planning phase to fully integrate this new building into the already iconic urban landscape and skyline."

How did it start?

The consultation was initiated in February 2017 following ArcelorMittal’s decision in April 2016 to build a new head office in Luxembourg. ArcelorMittal is the principal industrial employer of the Grand Duchy with over 4,000 employees. The construction of a new, landmark headquarters building illustrates the Group’s commitment to maintaining its presence in the country, where the company has not only its head offices, but also seven industrial sites producing or processing steel, and developing steel solutions for the construction, automotive, general industry and agriculture sectors of the economy.

In the first phase, eight internationally renowned practices were invited to submit initial designs on April 27 and 28. Bernard Tschumi Architects, Foster + Partners, JSWD Architekten, Massimiliano Fuksas Architecture, Rafael Vinoly Architects, Rem Koolhaas OMA, Von Gerkan, Marg and Partners and Wilmotte & Associés were the architects included. In the second phase, three shortlisted practices – Foster + Partners, Rem Koolhaas OMA, and Wilmotte & Associés - were asked to develop a more advanced architectural design. These were then submitted to the jury which evaluated the proposals and then recommended Wilmotte & Associés to ArcelorMittal and to the Board of Fonds Kirchberg as the selected winner.

Ground breaking is expected during the summer of 2019 with completion in the last quarter of 2021.

How will employees be engaged in the process?

A working group – including HR representatives from ArcelorMittal – has been focusing on the integration of workplace challenges in the conception of the building for several months. Workshops will be organized with ArcelorMittal employees to deal with occupational wellness.

 
*This includes the ability to include additional storeys without compromising ceiling height, due to reduced floor thicknesses; fewer internal columns due to the strength of the most modern steel beams, permitting more flexible internal layouts; and, due to the lighter weight of steel buildings as opposed to those using conventional materials, less deep foundations, bringing timing and cost benefits.  Use of steel also brings efficiency to site operations given that even the most complex forms are pre-fabricated off site and only come to site for assembly.  Compared to traditional construction methods, this saves time and manpower on site, and lessens road congestion caused by deliveries.

Glossary of Terms

• Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is the method of assessing the environmental behavior of buildings developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), a private UK building research firm.
• The DGNB System provides an objective description and assessment of the sustainability of buildings and urban districts. If a performance requirement is met, the DGNB awards the DGNB certificate in bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
• The BBCA label testifies to the exemplary of a building in terms of carbon footprint. The label includes three levels of performance: Standard, Performance, Excellence.
• The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) consists of features across the seven concepts (air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind) that comprehensively address not only the design and operations of buildings, but also how they impact and influence human behaviors related to health and well-being.

Text: ArcelorMittal Corporate
Photos: ©ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products Sections and Merchant bars has launched a new brochure about the optimal use of hot-rolled steel shapes in tall buildings.

This ArcelorMittal publication, focusing on high-rise buildings, was produced with the assistance and guidance of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the world’s leading resource for professionals focused on the inception, design, construction and operation of tall buildings and future cities.

This publication highlights how structural steel can be used in tall buildings and directly references the Outrigger Design for High-Rise Buildings and Recommendations for Seismic Design Technical Guides developed by CTBUH Working Groups. The Life Cycle Assessment of Tall Building Structural Systems and Composite Megacolumns Research Reports, which were made possible through research grants provided by ArcelorMittal, are also discussed in this publication.

The EPD® (Environmental Product Declaration) for Hot Rolled Steel Sheet Piling Products, produced by ArcelorMittal, is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impacts of these products.

This environmental product declaration concerns steel sheet piling products produced by the three ArcelorMittal plants: Dabrowa (Poland), Belval and Differdange (Luxemburg). It is based on 2015 annual production, and in the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, performed through a cradle-to-gate analysis, determining the different steps of steel making process and end of life scenarios.

Click HERE to visit our
EPD Library!