A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 13 July 2021 between ArcelorMittal and the Spanish government demonstrates mutual intent to work together towards a decarbonised Spanish economy – a necessity for industries such as steel to successfully transition to carbon neutrality. As a result, new manufacturing processes at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations will include a new direct reduced iron (DRI) unit and electric arc furnace (EAF) installation in Gijón that will reduce carbon emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by approximately 50%. The DRI installation in Gijón will also enable ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant.

ArcelorMittal signs MoU with the Spanish Government supporting €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies

The MoU signed with the Spanish Government will see a €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at ArcelorMittal Asturias’ plant in Gijón. The investments will reduce CO2 emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by up to 4.8 million tonnes, which represents approximately 50% of emissions, within the next five years**.

At the heart of the plan is a 2.3 million-tonne green hydrogen DRI unit, complemented by a 1.1 million-tonne hybrid EAF. This starts the transition of the Gijón plant away from the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steelmaking production route to the DRI-EAF production route, which carries a significantly lower carbon footprint. The new DRI - which will be the first of its kind in Spain - and EAF will be in production before the end of 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2022.

Expressing support for the plan, Spain’s Minister of Industry María Reyes Maroto stated that “the Government of Spain and the ArcelorMittal Group fully agree that the transition towards a decarbonised economy is an essential objective for Spain, and they both recognise the industrial, technological, and regulatory challenges that this transition poses for Spanish industry, as well as the opportunities it offers in terms of innovation and improved competitiveness.”

ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world's first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant

Harnessing green hydrogen and renewable electricity, ArcelorMittal’s Sestao plant will become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant by 2025. This development is the result of the MoU that will see the construction of the green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón. The Gijón DRI will feed the company’s Sestao plant, situated approximately 250km from Gijón, where production is already entirely from the EAF route.

By 2025, the Sestao plant – which manufactures a range of flat steel products for the construction sectors (among others) - will produce 1.6 million tonnes of zero carbon emissions steel by:

• Changing the metallic input by increasing the proportion of circular, recycled scrap, and using green hydrogen-produced DRI from Gijón in its two existing EAFs.
• Powering all steelmaking assets (EAFs, rolling mill, finishing lines) with renewable electricity.
• Introducing several key emerging technologies that will replace the small, remaining use of fossil fuel in the steelmaking process with carbon-neutral energy inputs, such as sustainable biomass or green hydrogen.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU in Gijón, Aditya Mittal, CEO ArcelorMittal, said that “it is widely understood that for the world to achieve net zero by 2050, faster progress over the next decade is essential. The MoU we have signed today will play an important role in doing exactly that.  The construction of the new green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón will not only enable us to reduce emissions from our Spanish operations by half but will also result in the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant in Sestao.”

Looking further ahead, ArcelorMittal has also committed to achieving net zero*** at the Sestao plant as soon as possible.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

Images and video:
ArcelorMittal

*On a Scope 1 and 2 basis.
**Should green hydrogen not be available at affordable rates by the end of 2025, natural gas would be used to power the DRI furnace. This would still result in a very significant reduction in CO2 emissions of 4 million tonnes - approximately 45%.
***Net zero meaning across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.

In the north of Portugal, almost halfway between Porto and the Spanish town Ourense, the Tâmega River hydropower complex is being developed on the Tâmega River by Spanish power company Iberdrola Generación. Three dams and three hydroelectric plants are being constructed and are one of the largest constructions of this type in Europe in the last 25 years with a total investment cost of €1.5 billion.

Yearly energy output equivalent to the consumption of 440 000 Portuguese households

The Tâmega River hydroelectric complex will be comprised of three dams (named Gouvães, Daivões, and Alto Tâmega) and will have a combined power of 1158 megawatts (MW). Once fully operational, Iberdrola estimate a total of 1766 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity will be produced each year - the equivalent of the consumption of 440 000 Portuguese households. This supply of clean energy will omit approximately 1.2m tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and reduce consumption of oil by 160 000 tonnes.

ArcelorMittal steel fibres reinforced shotcrete used for underground galleries

Over 500 t of ArcelorMittal high performance steel fibres have been supplied for this project. ArcelorMittal's HE55/35 and FE60/36 fibres have been used to reinforce the underground galleries via shotcrete methods and to construct a robust encasement to protect and cover the steel pipes used to transfer the water.

The construction of the three new dams and hydroelectric plants is developing at a good pace and in line with the timetable set out at the beginning of the project. With two thirds of the work already completed, the complex should be fully complete in 2023 - nine years after initial construction began.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Bars & Rods

Image:
ArcelorMittal Bars & Rods

Related link(s)

Tamega giga battery

Join Steligence® for this free English-language webinar on Wednesday 7 July 2021 at 13.00 CEST.

Topic: HyPer grades - galvanised high strength steels for structural engineering

Scope: Europe

Presenter: Jérôme Guth, Metallic coated steels segment Leader at ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

Cold formed steel profiles are important components for buildings’ structural applications. They are commonly used to design primary or secondary structures to support floors, roofs, and facade elements in the form of purlins, rails, and decking. They distribute the various loads from the building envelope to the main frame and the foundations.

They are also used in other structural applications such as silos and tanks, conventional or high-bay racks, and solar mounting systems.

During this webinar, the range of metallic coated high strength steels for these applications - available in two standard families: construction grades and high strength low alloy (HSLA) grades - will be presented and their specific properties explained.

Particular attention will be paid to how the range of HyPer grade steels for construction is fulfilling the material requirements of the Eurocode 3 design and material rules to enable building owners to construct safe and cost-effective buildings. Indeed, even at a slightly higher costs, these grades allow a more effective structure to be designed in addition to saving weight and cutting the overall cost of your projects.

Last but not least, reducing weight and material quantities with high strength steel is a strong and immediate lever to reduce the environmental footprint of steel solutions.

Click here to reserve your free spot.

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Registration

Hywind Tampen will soon be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm. It is currently under construction, using 200 tonnes of specialty ropes produced in France by ArcelorMittal WireSolutions Bourg-en-Bresse.

Wind energy to reduce emissions

Hywind Tampen is an 88 MW floating wind project in the Norwegian North Sea, located approximately 140 km off the Norwegian coast and consisting of 11 wind turbines supplying the electricity for two offshore platforms. It will be the world’s first floating wind farm to power offshore oil and gas platforms. The wind power solution will help reduce the use of gas turbine power, while also offsetting 200 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 1000 tonnes of NOx emissions per year.

ArcelorMittal mooring wires secure the turbines

In April 2020, ArcelorMittal Bourg-en-Bresse was selected by Equinor and Aker Solutions to supply a complete package of bridle mooring wires for the fabrication of Equinor’s Hywind Tampen.

In 2021, ArcelorMittal Bourg-en-Bresse delivered 70 segments of sheathed spiral mooring wires fitted with forged sockets required for the project, representing approximately 200 tonnes of steel. The mooring wires have a diameter between 77 and 105 mm, a length of 85 metres, and will form part of the anchoring system that ensures the stability of the wind turbines.

Fruitful collaboration between ArcelorMittal’s business divisions

ArcelorMittal won the contract for the Hywind Tampen project thanks to excellent cooperation between ArcelorMittal WireSolutions Bourg-en-Bresse and ArcelorMittal Projects. Since 2020, ArcelorMittal Projects has been supporting Bourg-en-Bresse in all prospective rope projects. For this project, ArcelorMittal took advantage of the pre-existing frame and cooperation agreement between AkerSolutions and ArcelorMittal Projects for other steel products (plates, beams, and tubes). This provided a great competitive advantage.

Congratulating the project team, Jean-Marc Liegeois, CEO of ArcelorMittal WireSolutions and Revigny said: “I would like to congratulate the teams working on this project as it confirms ArcelorMittal Bourg-en-Bresse’s ability to produce specialty ropes in a short time. It also shows that we have the competencies, the required know-how, and the market position to become a major player in the growing industry of floating wind farms. Once completed in 2022, Hywind Tampen will be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm and will produce the world’s first renewable power for the offshore oil and gas industry, reinforcing our low-carbon commitment.”

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

Images:
Equinor ASA
ArcelorMittal

Related link(s)

Hywind Tampen

Using an 80 mm high trapezoidal steel profile alongside a lower volume of poured concrete, Cofraplus® 80 outperforms a traditional precast slab in a greener and more environmentally conscious package.

A new flooring solution for construction companies that want to build differently

With an estimated 25% reduction in overall slab weight, the Cofraplus® 80 flooring system has a positive impact on surrounding load bearing beams, columns, and even foundations, leading to more cost effective, lower mass, and ultimately more sustainable construction. Cofraplus® 80 reduces CO2 emissions by 15% compared to a traditional precast slab.

The cost savings and environmental benefits extend into efficient transportation, storage, and installation. For a 1400 m² floor, Cofraplus® 80 requires only one truck delivery to site and 12 crane movements to unload (as the lightweight profiles can be efficiently stacked) compared with 8 deliveries and 96 crane movements for a prefabricated slab.

Similarly, during installation, a single Cofraplus® 80 profile weighs only 52 kg whereas the equivalent precast slab weighs 1875 kg. A single team can manually install up to 600 m2 safely in just one day while a crane is needed to install the same surface of precast slab.

Thus, logistics is one of the key areas where Cofraplus® 80 really scores over the prefabricated concrete alternative.

Flexibility and long spans

Cofraplus® 80 is flexible enough to be adapted to specific project requirements and detailed design drivers. It can be used alongside all structural materials – including steel or timber beams and concrete - and with any kind of modern build method.

ArcelorMittal Construction has developed a new range of dedicated system accessories that provides a complete solution for installing the slab and pouring the concrete.

Suspended elements such as tubes, ducts, and suspended ceiling fixtures can be anchored using a specific accessory so there is no need for drilling of the concrete during installation or refurbishment. This saves time and cost on floor adaptations and reduces noise levels for those living or working nearby.

In standard mode, the system is compatible with through-deck welding connectors, or it can be supplied in a pre-punched version to suit shear connectors welded to the beam.

The Cofraplus® 80 system can span up to 4.5 m without props and more than 6.5 m with props. The geometry of the prefabricated steel means that it can serve both as shuttering during the pouring phase and reinforcement during the service phase. Its specific geometry means that composite action with the concrete is optimal.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Construction
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal Construction

ArcelorMittal are pleased to announce the release of new software, Advance Bridge Expert, for the pre-design of composite bridges with hot rolled sections. The software has been developed by Graitec with support from ArcelorMittal.

This software is dedicated to the pre-design of straight, skewed, and/or curved bridges for roads, railways, and pedestrians according to EN Eurocodes. Superstructures can be designed as filler beam, composite, or PreCoBeam construction. For railway bridges, the software allows for the dynamic pre-design of high-speed trains according to EN 1991-2.

A free 15-day trial version of Advance Bridge Expert, limited to the use of economic rolled sections, can be downloaded from our Software page. Within the trial version, you can easily request a full, free-of-charge licence for Advance Bridge Expert.

Related link(s)

Advance Bridge Expert

Windows version 2.0.10 of ArcelorMittal’s pre-design software for large span trusses with the European rules for steel structures, Trusses+, is now available!

This tool can be used for both verification and optimisation.

The new version includes the following modifications:

• automatic updates for the ArcelorMittal sections database
• automatic updates for new versions of the software
• bug fixes, such as input fields that did not accept negative numbers and functionality when load definitions were incomplete

Download this new version for free on our Software page.

Widely used for the construction of a variety of structures such as quay walls and breakwaters in harbours, bank reinforcements on rivers and canals, underpasses, as well as global hazard protection schemes, sheet piles have proven their performance in seismic areas in many countries around the globe.

Chile, the country that has suffered the strongest earthquakes in recorded history, provides an excellent example: Whereas its concrete-based ports have been severely damaged, the Port of Mejillones, constructed in 2003 using an HZ®/AZ® combined wall for the quay wall and AS 500 straight web sheet piles for the breakwater, has not suffered any damage throughout many heavy earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 7.7. This is the perfect example of the effectiveness of flexible sheet pile structures under extreme seismic conditions.

Nevertheless, a certain reluctance to use sheet piles in seismic areas remains common among some designers. This concern may come from their experience of conventional design methods which do not favour flexible walls in seismic areas. These design methods are usually comprised of pseudo-static calculations using the Mononobe-Okabe theory (1931).

Numerical studies and physical experiments (centrifuge testing) have shown that these conventional methods of design are overestimating the loads on retaining walls - especially in the case of flexible walls. Although EN 1998-5 allows for a reduction of the seismic action depending on the acceptable displacements (reduction factor “r”), this only applies to gravity walls and not to anchored walls such as sheet pile walls, despite their inherent ductility.

Today, powerful design tools using Finite Element Modelling (FEM) allow for dynamic calculations that can accurately predict the behaviour of the retaining walls undergoing different seismic loadings, including internal forces, deformations, increases in pore water pressures, and expected modes of failure.

Material cost savings thanks to dynamic design methods

A research project led by ArcelorMittal R&D and a study carried out by world-leading maritime consultant engineering company SENER demonstrated significant optimisation potential. In the study, a wide spectrum of cases was analysed (four water depths; four seismic accelerations; two soil conditions) that compared the conventional pseudo-static method based on EN 1998-5 using elasto-plastic subgrade reaction software and the fully dynamic advanced method using FEM software.

All of the cases studied showed substantial optimisation potential when using FEM design. The bending moments in pseudo-static design are 40% to 126% higher than those of FEM design. When considering the respective sheet pile sections, this could result in up to 50% of material cost savings using the advanced seismic design methods.

Hydrodynamic loads properly analysed contribute to additional material savings

Hydrodynamic loads are commonly considered pseudo-static and calculated according to EN 1998-5 using the Westergaard formula as a permanent load from the water during the entire duration of the earthquake. SENER used FEM and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to calculate the impact of hydrodynamic loads on a sheet pile wall during seismic action, considering soil-fluid interactions under dynamic analysis.

Using the traditional Westergaard formula in EN 1998-5 matches the hydrodynamic loads obtained by CFD at a certain point of time during the earthquake. However, as Westergaard considers these to be permanent loads during the entire earthquake, an overestimation of its effect is evident.

The FEM calculations carried out using Plaxis 2D compared the results obtained when using the traditional Westergaard load with those obtained when using a realistic time-dependent variable load (through a dynamic load or added masses). The results showed an increase of 24.5% in the bending moment (with respect to the effects from the purely seismic action) when using the traditional Westergaard load compared to 4% when using the instantaneous load. In this case study, considering a realistic hydrodynamic load translated into a material cost saving of 14% when considering the corresponding sheet pile sections.

Brochure - Seismic design of sheet piles: economic benefits of advanced design methods

To further enhance design and project efficiencies with sheet piling solutions in areas of high seismic risk, the brochure ‘Seismic design of sheet piles: economic benefits of advanced design methods’ presents innovative design methods for extreme dynamic loading conditions in ports and waterways and other infrastructure domains.

Feel free to contact ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling for more detailed information or for assistance with the dynamic design of sheet piles using FEM.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling
Puerto Angamos

Related link(s)

Seismic design of sheet piles: economic benefits of advanced design methods

Text and images: ArcelorMittal Construction

Offering aesthetic appeal, high performance, sustainability, and safety, carrier panel solutions are becoming increasingly popular with architects and specifiers seeking the perfect facade for their projects.

The facade, a complex part of the building

As buildings account for roughly 40% of global final energy use, sourcing sustainable ways to construct buildings with optimised energy performance is of increasing importance (researchgate). A building’s facade directly impacts the overall environmental footprint of a development, as well as the end users' comfort.

Designing a building’s facade means meeting complex aesthetic and technical demands while taking into account humidity, light, appearance, and weather-resistance as well as multiple safety, engineering, and energy efficiency regulations. A carrier panel system enables project specifiers to meet all of these needs due to its factory guaranteed performance and versatility.

What is a carrier panel solution?

A carrier panel facade solution consists of a metal faced sandwich panel, which works as both insulation and carrying structure; a fixing system to connect the outer skin of the building to the panel; an air spacer; and an external skin, which is the visible part of the facade. It is an all-in-one solution that offers architects and specifiers a way to lower a building’s energy demand whilst remaining functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Carrier panel systems also allow for reduced building costs due to the ease and speed with which a facade can be installed, repaired, or revamped. Carrier panel systems also deliver a great deal of architectural freedom as they are suited to a range of external skins, textures, profiles, and custom colours. For architects and specifiers, this means almost any design is possible - without compromising on build quality and technical performance.

What are the benefits of a carrier panel system?

Carrier panel systems are designed for projects which need to utilise the benefits of a sandwich panel wall whilst also offering creative freedom for the facade design. The system provides office buildings, collective residential buildings, and leisure and shopping facilities with functional and visually attractive external cladding. There are even more benefits to carrier panel systems:

•     Faster build times

By removing the need for conventional building materials and methods, insulation, and some subframe structures, carrier panel systems ensure the application of facades is simple and quick. By rendering a building wind and waterproof immediately after application is completed, the internal fit-out can be started immediately. All-in-one systems also mean fewer complex products, suppliers, and deliveries, so your project can stay on schedule.

•     More sustainable

Quality insulated sandwich panels and cladding boast excellent sustainability credentials. In addition to faster build times, the speed and simplicity of installation cuts down significantly on emissions in the construction phase, while their light weight reduces emissions in transit. Predominantly made from steel, the embodied energy of carrier panels (that is, the energy required to produce them) is also low. For example, 40% of the steel used by ArcelorMittal Construction comes from recycled sources. Finally, thanks largely to their reduced thermal bridging and superior air tightness and insulation, carrier panels result in fewer emissions over the course of a building’s lifecycle.

•     High performance

From excellent thermal performance to fire safety, air tightness, sound insulation, and load-bearing qualities, carrier panel systems offer long-lasting, durable construction solutions which can be adapted to any design with total flexibility of external skins, colours, profiles, and textures.

ArcelorMittal Construction carrier panel solutions: freedom to design

As a leading manufacturer of smart building systems, ArcelorMittal Construction’s carrier panel solutions offer sustainability, technical performance, and aesthetic appeal as well as complete architectural freedom for designers and specifiers. Our interlocking carrier panel systems are also designed for fast and easy application and regulations compliance.

Archisol® is a carrier panel with visible fixings that has been developed with high performance in mind to meet new standards in thermal insulation: the system combines superior weather and heat resistance with outstanding airtightness and low thermal transmittance. Other benefits include very good mechanical resistance to wind actions, allowing for larger spans.

Also available is Promisol® S Hybrid, a double skin facade solution with hidden fixings and (similarly to Archisol®) outstanding thermal insulation and durability. In addition, Promisol® S Hybrid has superb fire reaction standards and is Fire EI30 certified.

Both solutions deliver limitless aesthetic freedom of design; have no complex proprietary system or installation guidelines; and, unlike other systems available on the market, use sustainable organic coatings.

Our technical support team studies every project case by case to provide the best solutions in terms of mechanical resistance and thermal insulation. We will also assist you in choosing the most suitable aesthetical solution from our broad range of external cladding products, from architectural profiles and sidings to cassette systems - all with a wide choice of finishes and colours.