ArcelorMittal, as on official partner of THE PLAN, is presenting portions of a series of ten free webinars in Italian on the theme of ‘Social housing and sustainable development - the role of architecture in a better society’.

On 5 July 2022, the fifth webinar – Individual housing and sustainability – will take place. ArcelorMittal’s contribution will include a presentation of steel solutions for private housing projects.

When? Tuesday 5 July 2022 from 15.00 to 18.00 CET

Where? Online

Eng. Marina D'Antimo, Steligence® Engineer at ArcelorMittal Global R&D will speak on steel for private housing projects. The presentation will outline the requirements in terms of corrosion/UV resistance, durability, sustainability, and aesthetics and introduce the ranges of steel designed for private housing:

• Granite® HDXtreme, the latest generation of steel: guaranteed for up to 40 years and designed for roofs and facades of private houses, even located close to the sea
• Magnelis® metallic coated steels with extreme resistance against corrosion for structural elements
• the Estetic® range of organic coated steels: REACH-compliant and offering a wide range of colours and textures for unique interior applications

These steels offer the flexibility to design living space and create large openings. They offer state-of-the-art thermal performance and low maintenance throughout the lifetime of the house. Specific roofing solutions have been developed for rooftop solar applications.

As in previous webinars, the presentation will feature many projects where ArcelorMittal has provided steel and solutions for great applications.

For more information about the sessions, click here.

About THE PLAN

THE PLAN is an architecture and design magazine. Thanks to its highly international approach, it is one of the most acclaimed and widely circulated magazines in Italy and around the world, with a significant readership consisting of professionals from the architecture, design, construction, and real estate sectors, as well as students from numerous universities. THE PLAN's editorial approach is to present architectural projects as highly formative tools of information and learning.

For more information: THE PLAN

Registration

Participation in this webinar is free!

Click on the link below to register:

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ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

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THE PLAN
ArcelorMittal Europe

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ArcelorMittal has achieved ResponsibleSteel™ certification for its Asturias Cluster in Spain and ArcelorMittal Méditerranée in France – the company’s first sites to be certified in both France and Spain.

First mills certified in France and Spain

In Spain, sites in Asturias, Etxebarri, Lesaka, and Sagunto successfully passed the third-party audit carried out by DNV GL based on the ResponsibleSteel™ standard, which is the first global certification initiative for the steel industry focussed on social, environmental, and corporate governance (ESG) aspects.   

And in France, ArcelorMittal sites in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches du Rhône) and Saint Chély d'Apcher (Lozère) also successfully completed the audit process carried out by international auditing firm AFNOR, which specialises in assessment and certification services.

Meeting rigorously defined standards for social, environmental, and governance criteria and stakeholder relations

The audits are designed to verify that a steel site’s activities meet a set of rigorously defined standards across a broad range of social, environmental, and governance criteria and stakeholder relations, including:

•     Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
•     Water Stewardship and Biodiversity
•     Human Rights and Labour Rights
•     Community Relations and Business Integrity

The standard is based on 12 principles which, in turn, include a variety of criteria and requirements. To achieve ResponsibleSteel™ certification, each site must undergo a rigorous third-party audit, with the resulting report reviewed by an independent Certification Committee which makes the final certification decision.

Obtaining ResponsibleSteel™ certification reflects our commitment to our people, the community, and the environment

Commenting, Philippe Meyran, CEO of ArcelorMittal’s Asturias Cluster, said: “Obtaining ResponsibleSteel™ certification reflects our commitment to our people, the community and the environment in which we operate. Society’s expectations are growing and require us to be part of the solution to ensure we leave a more sustainable planet for future generations. Steel is the most widely used material in the world and those using it in sectors such as transport, automotive, infrastructure, packaging, construction, energy, and household appliances increasingly require the assurance that the materials they use have been obtained through sourcing and production processes based on responsible practice. The goal of ResponsibleSteel™ is to satisfy such requirements. This certification distinguishes us from our competitors and endorses the path we have undertaken to decarbonise our business and make it sustainable for future generations. This is what responsible management is about, management that combines economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and transparent governance, in order to contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future for people and the planet”.

Bruno Ribo, CEO of ArcelorMittal Méditerranée, said: "This certification recognises the work of our teams on biodiversity, safety at work, but also the environment, decarbonisation, and equal opportunities...It is not only a recognition, it is also a long-term commitment to pursue substantive actions that are positive for people as well as for the planet and to develop our relationships with all stakeholders, our employees, and partners, as well as the people living near our plants."

A momentous achievement

Acting CEO of ResponsibleSteel, Ali Lucas, said: “We are very proud to award the ArcelorMittal Asturias Cluster and ArcelorMittal Méditerranée with the company’s first ResponsibleSteel certificates issued in France and Spain. These sites have worked very hard to fulfil the 12 Principles of the ResponsibleSteel Standard. It is no easy task – we believe building a responsible steel sector requires a comprehensive approach encompassing a range of criteria across the ESG spectrum. It isn’t enough to only focus on reduced carbon emissions. Certified sites must also ensure that they are fully aligned with our other sustainability objectives, for example, ensuring good water stewardship, creating a healthy and safe workplace, safeguarding labour rights, and engaging with local communities and other stakeholders. We heartily congratulate the ArcelorMittal Asturias Cluster and ArcelorMittal Méditerranée on this momentous achievement.”

Industry-first certifications in 2021

ArcelorMittal achieved its first ResponsibleSteel site certifications last year, when sites in Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg announced that they were the first steel plants to achieve the certification globally in July 2021.

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ArcelorMittal

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© ArcelorMittal
© ResponsibleSteel

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Education escorts us throughout our entire lives – as do the buildings in which we acquire our knowledge and skills. We recollect their architecture, interior design, pieces of furniture, and even their smells. Some have impressed us more than others, but none of them have left us indifferent. In our memories, these buildings are profoundly connected to our experiences and emotions, including the people we connected with there.

Over the last few decades, education has evolved and so have the requirements for educational buildings. Architectural design has significantly increased in importance, technology has conquered interior design, and user comfort is a key concern, all of which are important factors accompanying the learning experience. Architecturally attractive buildings not only express the prestige and status of institutions but contribute to a sense of wellbeing for their users.

We invite you to explore a sampling of our Constructalia case studies about educational buildings in which steel plays an important role. Be it in their structural systems, facades, or roofing, find out how steel contributes to the aesthetics, functionality, and safety of these buildings whilst keeping cost and sustainability concerns in mind.

Experimental construction at the service of science

Seemingly floating over the ground with its gentle slopes and internal patios, the educational experience at the Rolex Learning Center on the campus of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland must be one of a kind. Who wouldn't like to discover its innovative learning labs, libraries, and student mingling spaces? While we cannot take you there, our case study can offer you a glimpse.

It takes a village…

At Vista College, formerly known as Arcus College, hundreds of students receive vocational education at different levels, preparing them for the ever-changing professional world. At its campus in Herleen in the Netherlands, six steel-clad, organic shaped buildings are connected on their ground floors below street level and arranged around two patios, resulting in an environment that encourages openness, flexibility, and exchange.

Ecological intelligence transformed into a building

Stoas Vilentum University of Applied Science, now called Aeres Hogeschool, focusses on research and teaching in the fields of agriculture and ecology. With a durable steel facade, its university building in Wageningen in the Netherlands was also featured as Constructalia case study a few years back. Learn about its 'ecologically intelligent' design that was conceived in close cooperation with its future users.

An all-in-one primary education project

Wouldn’t you like to acquire skills and knowledge at a school that combines education, handicrafts, and leisure activities? Read how this is achieved at Pôle Molière in Le Havre, France where former stables now function as a part of a modern multipurpose school project, partly clad with weathering steel.

Secondary education with a sustainability focus

Find out more about Gallieni High School and its workshops in Toulouse, France that offer a fine example of steel architecture, in an industrial philosophy, designed in accordance with an environmental approach. In this project, like in many others, steel allows for a high degree of prefabrication, offers wide spans for flexible spaces, and optimises user comfort while saving materials and cost.

Just plane lightness

A more specific form of education takes place at Air Vergiate Flying School in Sesto Calende on Lake Maggiore in Italy where, thanks to their lightness, beams with large web openings brought life back to a sacred place of Italian civil aviation. See where future pilots learn to fly planes in this renovation project case study.

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Constructalia

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© EPFL | Alain Herzog
© Dirk Verwoerd for ArcelorMittal
© Little Planet
© ACAUM - Atelier BETTINGER DESPLANQUES Architectes associés & Paul Kozlowski
© ArcelorMittal
© Andrea Raffin for ArcelorMittal

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Constructalia

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©Darby Sawchuk (Parkway Gate)
©Dekmetal (Hala Nebovidy)
©ArcelorMittal

When designing a building envelope with steel, the end product for roofing or cladding is usually at the centre of attention - aesthetically as well as functionally speaking. Profiled sheets of different shapes, sandwich panels with steel shells in diverse surface structures, architectural siding systems, or tailor-made solutions are all aimed at providing the final aesthetics for our buildings. However, the selection of facade and roofing products involves the choice of the material itself, which is often defined in the design phase. Pre-painted steel is a choice option.

Pre-painted steels: endless aesthetic possibilities combined with durable and sustainable properties

Pre-painted steel is a material that not only meets a wide range of technical requirements but offers an infinite number of colour shades, different surface appearances, and printed effects, thus providing endless aesthetic possibilities.

The visual qualities of organic coated steels go hand in hand with the functional properties of their paint systems and steel substrates: very long corrosion and UV resistance; colour stability to maximise durability; scratch and abrasion resistance in fabrication, erection, and use phases; flexibility to withstand forming operations; or optimised low carbon footprint per m². These are just a few characteristics of the material that makes up the vast majority of facade and roofing products and are key criteria to consider when choosing the right steel for your facade or roofing product, taking into account the environmental conditions it will be used in.

The material of choice: ArcelorMittal’s Granite® range of organic coated steels

With its Granite® range of organic coated steels developed for the construction industry, ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products offers pre-painted steels with paint coating systems from 25 to 70-75 μm on galvanised steel or ZnAlMg alloy substrates, guaranteeing durability and corrosion resistance in environments up to categories RC5+ and RUV5 as classified in the newly revised EN10169 standard. The choice of paint system to ensure long term durability depends on the environmental conditions to which the product will be exposed.

Aesthetically, Granite® leaves no desire unfulfilled: apart from the sheer endless chart of solid, metallic, and pearlescent colours, Granite® is available in a vast selection of surface patterns including smooth, grained, embossed, textured, or orange-peel effect - with surface finishes ranging from matt to high gloss and metallic sparkles.

In addition to the numerous economic and sustainability factors, the main advantage of organic coated steel is its consistent quality. Paint film thickness, colour matching, and surface appearance are reproducible within narrow tolerances from batch to batch.

A responsible choice

Granite® coated steel forms part of ArcelorMittal's range of organic coated steel building solutions and, as such, is free from heavy metals and chromates. With this product range, ArcelorMittal is offering a responsible option - a sustainable advantage for your projects.

Sustainability: greener steels with XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced

Making its steel products more sustainable is at the heart of ArcelorMittal's objectives, and decarbonisation is an important part of the process. With XCarb®, the company’s global programme of steelmaking innovation, the aim is to achieve carbon-neutral steel by 2050.

In 2023, ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products will offer organic coated steels with the label ‘XCarb® Recycled and renewably produced’, meaning that they will be produced from recycled steel in an electric arc furnace using 100% renewable electricity. This will be a real breakthrough in CO2 footprint reduction per m² of organic coated steel for the construction industry.

There will be a new dedicated Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the Granite® and Estetic® product ranges, in which ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products will provide extensive information about the environmental impacts of this new organic coated steel offer.

Choose the right organic coated steel to maximise protection and durability

There is a wide range of characteristics that can be built into organic coated products, and this explains the diversity of the solutions proposed by ArcelorMittal. It is therefore essential to define precise prior specifications, so that the optimum solution in terms of technical and economic requirements can be determined.

EN 10169, the standard that specifies the appropriate technical and performance criteria for continuously organic coated (coil coated) flat steel products, defines corrosion resistance categories from RC2 to RC5+ (in its new published version).  ArcelorMittal’s Granite® organic coated steel offers a safe solution for all of these environments with guaranteed performance and without sacrificing aesthetic freedom.

Coastal and industrial environments with high pollution (RC5/RC5+)

ArcelorMittal’s new building for industrial digitalisation (INDI) is located on the ArcelorMittal Gent site, close to the industrial environment of the mill and the sea. The newest organic coated steel in the product family, Granite® HDXtreme, was the intelligent choice for its facades as it offers best in class resistance to corrosion thanks to its coating system.

Marine and industrial environments (RC4)

Due to its marine environment in Toulon, France, the Sittomat waste incineration and energy plant’s original zinc envelope had aged rapidly, creating the need for a renovation of its roofing and facades. Its double-sided 35-micron organic coating made Granite® HDS the perfect solution for this industrial site close to the sea.

Rural, urban, and in between (RC3)

The 55µm coating system of Granite® HDX steel provides the necessary aesthetics, durability, and protection for the perforated facade elements of the Stoas Vilentum University building in the Netherlands. Although not the initial material selected for this project, Granite® HDX turned out to be the more sustainable solution. A special concern were the perforations: In order to avoid compromising the integrity of the substrate over time, ArcelorMittal’s R&D team calculated different options before specifying a 350 g/m² (Z350) zinc substrate that will prevent the cut edges from corroding for many decades.

Granite® Impression Cloudy organic coated steel with its 35µm thick paint coating system was chosen for the front facade of the Distrifill company headquarters in the Netherlands thanks to its lively bicolour effect. The copper and brown merging in Granite® Impression Cloudy make the facade look warmer and give the building that includes offices and a warehouse a more human feel.

Blending into the surrounding landscape aesthetically while providing a viable solution to make the construction earthquake resistant were the reasons why Granite® Deep Mat was used for the sandwich panels that make up the facade of the Bottovini wine centre in Northern Italy’s Piemonte region. And – the beauty lies in the detail: The textured surface coating reinforces the natural feel.

Apart from durability, the requirements for the material to be used for the envelope of the stadium in the Polish town of Tychy were light weight and good formability. The solution? ArcelorMittal’s Granite® HD, characterised by excellent resistance to atmospheric agents as it is coated on both sides with a 25μm polyester coating.

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Text:
Jerome Guth, ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products - Product Marketing
Georges Axmann, ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products - Sales & Marketing

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©ArcelorMittal Europe
©Gilles Martin, Courtesy of Infosteel
©Paul Kozlowski/ACAUM - Atelier BETTINGER DESPLANQUES Architectes Associés

Since the 1970s, the use of weathering steels, also known as corten or COR-TEN steels (for corrosion resistance and tensile strength), has spread through Europe. Engineers appreciate its corrosion resistance in combination with high strength steels. Weathering steels help reduce maintenance costs while lightening structures - especially useful for bridges. Architects like the expressiveness of this material (often used for facades) and its ability to fit into urban landscapes and natural environments. Additionally, the environmental footprint is greatly improved with the use of weathering steels due to the absence of coating. This article will describe the processes leading to the self-protecting behaviour of weathering steels.

Why are weathering steels corrosion resistant?

When weathering steel is exposed to the ambient atmosphere it develops an initial layer of iron oxide in the same way as carbon steel. The rate of oxidisation depends on how much oxygen, moisture, and atmospheric contaminants can access the surface of the metal. In the initial stages, a complex mix of iron oxides covers the surface to create a layer of rust. As the process progresses, the rust layer forms a barrier against the corrosive agents and the rate of corrosion slows. On a standard low alloy carbon steel, this iron oxide layer is porous. Over time, the layer detaches from the surface of the metal and the corrosion process starts again. The oxidation rate progresses in increments that depend on weather conditions and the chemical and mechanical aggressiveness of the environment. It can end with the complete destruction of the metal.

To increase the resistance of weathering steels to corrosion, alloying elements such as copper, phosphorous, nickel, or chromium are incorporated into the steel. These alloys lead to the formation of an oxide layer which remains stable and adheres to the metal's surface. A so-called 'patina' thus develops as the weathering steel is exposed to alternate wetting and drying cycles. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, the patina creates a protective barrier which impedes the further access of oxygen, moisture, and pollutants into the steel. This results in a much lower corrosion rate than that of unalloyed steels.

Conditions for long lasting protection

No constant humidity
If it is left in permanently wet or damp conditions, weathering steel will oxidise like any other unprotected carbon steel. A succession of wet and dry phases is mandatory to form a stable oxide layer on the surface. Weathering steels should not be used in:

• Sheltered locations with damp conditions
• Permanent contact with water. Welded structures require special attention to avoid the retention of water.
• Soil or covered by vegetation

Weathering steels used in these locations should be protected with paint. The paint must extend above the level of the water, soil, or vegetation.

No aggressive atmosphere
High concentrations of chloride ions negatively affect patina adherence. According to EN ISO 9223, weathering steels should not be used within two kilometres of coastal waters unless airborne chloride levels do not exceed the salinity classification S2 (Cl < 300mg/m 2/day). Direct contact between weathering steels and de-icing salts used on roads should be avoided.

No atmospheric pollution
Air-borne pollutants and industrial fumes can affect patina development. Corrosion is much higher if the metal surface is covered by solid particles such as dust or dirt. These particles can retain moisture and salts. In an industrial atmosphere, large amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2) are detrimental to the compactness of the patina. EN ISO 9223 advises that weathering steels should not be used without protection in environments above P3 (SO2 > 200mg/m 2/day).

ArcelorMittal's weathing steel

ArcelorMittal has more than 80 years of experience in producing weathering steels. It started in the 1930s when the company Denain-Anzin created ‘InDA steel,’ the first copper-phosphorous steel. ArcelorMittal has continued the production of this type of steel, now called lndaten®. Its chemical composition has been improved to achieve better strength and corrosion resistance. lndaten® is supplied in flat formats such as heavy plates or steel coils. They are used to create facade elements, flat panels, blades, solar shading elements, profiled sheets, framing, or containers. In the 1970s, ArcelorMittal began to produce Arcorox® branded weathering steel for long products such as hot-rolled I and H sections, channels, and angles. Its use spread rapidly as the European infrastructure market began to grow.

The branded weathering steels grades produced by ArcelorMittal meet the requirements of EN 10025-5 and are CE marked.

Multiple uses and unique aesthetics

The first major work using weathering steels was realised by Eero Saarinen who designed the John Deere World Headquarters in Moline, USA in 1960. Since then, weathering steel has been used in various outdoor steel applications: bridges, buildings, railway cars, and even works of art! Today, this material continues to create enthusiasm among designers thanks to its unique aesthetic and technical benefits.

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