The relationship between steel and skyscrapers has been ongoing for over one hundred years, and this affiliation is growing ever stronger. In the 1930s, steel facilitated the boom of high-rise construction, while high strength steel ushered in its resurgence in the 1970s. Thanks to its affordability and durability, steel has always been the material of choice for the design and construction of tall buildings’ principal structural systems.

The current times bring with them a growing concern for sustainable development, including contradictory notions on the affordability, safety, and environmental impact of steel. This has resulted in some misperceptions about the role of steel in high-rise construction. In response to this, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and ArcelorMittal partnered together on a research paper entitled ‘Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future’ in order to illustrate the recent developments in the partnership between steel and skyscrapers that make it a strong, sustainable choice for high-rise construction.

Overview

This research paper delves into the sustainability of steel while examining its impact on the life cycle analysis of a building with an overall aim to broaden innovation in design via an analysis of new ideas for the creation of sustainable, cost-effective, and optimised buildings for the future.

This paper provides a summary of the latest innovations in specifications with a special focus on high strength steel that can result in a reduced amount of steel being required for a building’s construction. The paper presents design methods that can streamline fabrication and erection for a reduction of energy usage during construction in addition to evaluation ideologies, such as standardising floor area, that increase operational efficiency and reduce negative environmental impact.

Findings

“Sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs” (WCED 1987). As our global knowledge and understanding deepens, it is clear that we all must band together to discern innovative and sustainable methods that will allow for greater economic and social development with the minimisation of environmental damage taking its vital place at the core of these methodologies.

In the same way that tall buildings revolutionised the urban environment, steel has been, and will continue to be, revolutionary and transformational in terms of the correlation between tall buildings and sustainable development. It is the responsibility of those involved in the design and construction process to incorporate the advice of the experts, innovations, and highly sustainable building products in such a way that we will reduce our carbon footprint for future generations.

Text: Constructalia
Research paper: Shelley Finnigan (Global Technical Sales Engineer, Head of Technical Sales & Marketing, Americas, ArcelorMittal), Dario Trabucco (CTBUH Research Manager, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat), Jean-Claude Gerardy (Head of Export, Sections and Merchant Bars, ArcelorMittal), Nicoleta Popa (Head of Global R&D Construction Applications, Infrastructures and Long Products, ArcelorMittal)

ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is certified under the BRE Environmental & Sustainability Standard BES 6001, a responsible sourcing certification for the UK construction market demonstrating the division’s commitment to sustainable sourcing.

This covers the entire portfolio of ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products including angles, channels, merchant bars, rails, sections, sheet piles, rebar, construction bar, and wire.

Developed by the UK-registered research organisation BRE (Building Research Establishment), the BES 6001 standard requires manufacturers for the construction industry to prove that their products are made with responsibly sourced materials. A process of third-party, independent assessment covering organisational governance, supply chain management, and various environmental and social aspects is used to verify that manufacturers meet the required criteria. Manufacturers must also demonstrate the sustainable operations of their raw material suppliers.

Download the certificate in our Document library!

ArcelorMittal has recently announced plans to roll out a new sustainability programme across Europe, aiming to secure ResponsibleSteel™ site certification for all of its ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products sites. The 12-month programme will enable each site to prove that our production processes meet rigorously defined standards across a broad range of social, environmental, and governmental criteria.

ResponsibleSteel™ standard and certification: "The heart of how we do business"

ResponsibleSteel™ is the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative dedicated to defining and promoting responsible practice, aimed at improving:

• Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
• Water stewardship and biodiversity
• Human rights & labour rights
• Community relations and business integrity

The standard is based on 12 principles with a variety of criteria and underlying requirements. To be awarded with ResponsibleSteel™ certification, each site will undergo a rigorous third-party audit with an independent Certification Committee making the final certification decision.

Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, says: “Responsible production techniques and high ethical and business standards have become increasingly important to our customers and consumers. It’s at the heart of how we do business, giving our customers the reassurance that we meet their sustainability expectations by meeting carbon, environmental and social standards at every stage of productions. Given the strong investments we have already making towards low carbon and environmental standards across our sites, I’m confident that we should secure certification in each of our Flat Products sites within the timeframe.”

The next steps

The first wave of auditing includes sites in Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France with others to follow. After the initial phase, further ArcelorMittal sites around the world will be part of the programme.

In 2020, ResponsibleSteel™ will launch a standard for the certification of steel products, which will include stringent requirements for raw material supply chains. ArcelorMittal will continue to play an active role in developing this aspect of the programme.

Steel is the world’s most widely used material and those who use it in the transport, automotive, infrastructure, packaging, construction, energy, and white goods sectors have a growing expectation that the materials they work with are responsibly sourced and produced. ResponsibleSteel™, which is the world’s first’s responsible sourcing certification scheme for steel, aims to meet these expectations.

Text: ArcelorMittal
Images: © ResponsibleSteel™
ResponsibleSteel™ standard: © ResponsibleSteel™

Australian company InQuik has developed a unique method of building bridges which can be implemented quickly using only low-skilled labour. The globally patented technology utilises Magnelis® from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products to create the formwork of a bridge, which is then filled with concrete to create the bridge deck. Although the bridges are designed for a service life of 100 years, experts believe that the use of Magnelis® could double that without the need for significant maintenance. With hundreds of thousands of bridges needing replacement around the world, the potential for the InQuik system is enormous. The innovative design of the InQuik system was recognised when it won the 2019 T.C. Graham Prize from the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST).

The InQuik system

The InQuik system was developed by a family team including father and son Bruce and Logan Mullaney and Bruce’s brother-in-law, Jim Howell. Their original goal was to improve the systems used to transport modular housing with a collapsed container system. “When we went to register our idea of a reinforcement to hold the deadweight of concrete, the patent office told us this was completely new,” explains Logan Mullaney, now managing director of InQuik Bridging Systems. “We immediately started to think of other ways we could utilise this technology.”

With demand for bridges soaring globally, they seemed to be an ideal application notes Logan Mullaney: “We realised that by putting a truss in a reinforced steel shell we could hold the temporary load of the cement until it cured. Our first trial bridge was constructed on our own property in Australia. We built three in the first year and eight in the second year. This year, our third, we will install around 40 InQuik bridges.”

Magnelis® provides long-term strength

A key challenge was to identify a good material for the formwork which holds the concrete until it dries completely. “At first we thought about using galvanised steel, but over time this will rust and fall away,” says Logan Mullaney. “While the formwork is sacrificial, we realised that the sight of corroding metal would reduce user confidence in the bridge and increase the amount of maintenance required. We needed a more durable solution.”

InQuik was introduced to Magnelis® through a contact in Australia. “Magnelis® allows us to leave the formwork of the bridge in place as it has an aesthetically pleasing finish – and it is durable,” says Logan Mullaney.

Another key advantage of Magnelis® is the protection it offers to the concrete deck. “Because the formwork remains, the concrete and internal reinforcing steel are protected from corrosion,” explains Logan Mullaney. “That means the bridge will last longer. Engineers have estimated the useful life of an InQuik bridge could be well in excess of its 100-year design life, potentially up to 200 years.”

Confidence in quality

The Magnelis® formwork helps to contain plasticisers and water-soluble chemicals which occur in the concrete. Magnelis® ensures the preservation of natural resources as it uses significantly less zinc than pure zinc coatings. Zinc runoff is also reduced dramatically compared to galvanised steels.

“Magnelis® is not well known in Australia and we are one of the only companies utilising it,” notes Logan Mullaney. “But ‘Made in Europe’ is a quality label for Australian companies. Together with the fact that ArcelorMittal is the largest steelmaker in the world, this gives our customers – and bridge users – confidence in the system.”

Portable technology can be deployed globally

Magnelis® is imported into Australia from ArcelorMittal Bremen where it is produced. InQuik maintains a healthy stock in Australia as there is currently a four-month lead time on orders. “We’re looking how that lead time can be reduced so InQuik doesn’t have to maintain such a large stock of material,” notes John Robbins, export manager for ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products.

Compared to a conventional reinforced concrete bridge, the InQuik system is up to 90 percent more steel-intensive. However, the bridges are more cost-effective as they can be prefabricated and installation time is significantly lower explains Logan Mullaney: “InQuik bridges are standardised, pre-certified, and can be mass-produced. And it is possible to transport an entire bridge on one semi-trailer. You just back the truck up to the site, install the components, and then fill them with concrete. It only takes a small crane and a few days to build the bridge. Customers typically save between 20 and 50 percent compared to a conventional bridge due to the lower installation time and work, low risk, and less cranage.”

About InQuik Bridging Systems

InQuik manufactures standardised, pre-certified, mass-produced bridges which can be easily transported anywhere in the world. The solution makes building a bridge quick, simple, low-risk, and cost-effective. InQuik employs 15 people in its sales and delivery team and produces systems at three factories in Australia. InQuik is currently preparing for expansion into the USA, Asia, and other regions around the globe.

More info: inquik.com.au

The T.C. Graham Prize

The T.C. Graham Prize has been awarded annually since 2014 to the winners of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology’s (AIST) annual design competition. The winning entry receives a 20 000 USD cash prize. The purpose of the contest is to encourage, generate, and incubate ideas that may lead to the development of new markets for steel.

More info: www.aist.org

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Images: InQuik Bridging Systems & AIST

Built by First Solar, a leading provider of comprehensive photovoltaic energy solutions, the California Flats Solar Project in the Golden State of California in the United States is equipped with 874 trackers and 16 760 Exotrack® HZ V2 structures produced by ArcelorMittal Projects Exosun with about 30% of the components manufactured by Alliance Metal Changzhou, part of ArcelorMittal Projects.

Exotrack® HZ V2

Thanks to its balanced design and structural stiffness, our Exotrack® HZ V2 offers greater reliability and limited operating expense. It is a centralised tracker with only four motors per MWp, with high flexibility on uneven ground and unrivalled simplicity resulting in a smooth and fast installation.

ArcelorMittal Projects Exosun’s largest North American project

Commissioned in May 2019, this project is ArcelorMittal Projects Exosun’s largest project to date in North America. It is also the first one featuring First Solar’s Series 6 modules.

The solar plant will:

• generate enough solar energy to power about 116 000 homes per year
• generate clean and renewable energy and protect air quality in the region
• allow a reduction of 109 000 tonnes of CO2 annually - the equivalent of taking about 22 000 cars off the road
• allow a reduction of 152 000 tonnes of water consumption annually based on the average California grid
• support job creation

The California Flats Solar Project began construction in June 2016 and was completed in May 2019.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Images: ArcelorMittal Projects Exosun

ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products has released a new version of our EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for our organic coated steel ranges Granite® and Estetic®.

Certified by IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.) according to standards EN 15804 and ISO 14025 and verified by ECO-Platform, the document is now available in IBU's EPD library for construction products.

You can also download this new EPD for our Granite® and Estetic® prepainted steels in our Document library.