To get the full picture about sustainability in steel fabrication there are three key areas to understand. The first is to explore the CO2 emissions of steel compared to other structural materials such as concrete. To do this we need to look at embodied carbon.
Next you need to look at different types of steel, how they’re produced and what this means for carbon emissions. Finally, you need to explore fabrication, including energy sources and processes that minimise material use and waste.
Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon is a slightly misleading term. It implies that CO2 is somehow tied up within the material. In fact the opposite is true. Embodied carbon is the CO2 emitted when raw materials are extracted, transported and processed into something that can be used in construction.
Embodied carbon calculations should also consider the construction process (including transportation), what happens when the structure is in use and when it reaches the end of its life. Steel used in structural framework is easily recoverable and 100% recyclable.
Embodied carbon calculations quickly become intricate. Looking at the raw values of Kg of CO2 per tonne of different materials can be misleading. You need to analyse the structural requirements and exactly what tonnage of material would be needed to perform different functions. Different material choices could also have implications for the overall loading and depth of foundations, for example.
In this wider context, structural steel is a good and environmentally sound solution for many applications, and the most widely-used solution in the UK.
Steelmaking
The traditional method of producing steel from raw materials using a blast furnace uses large amounts of fossil fuels and produces a lot of CO2. That method of steelmaking is all but disappearing in the UK.
Modern methods use a large percentage of recycled steel and electric arc furnaces. This process has a much lower CO2 cost – particularly if renewable energy is used to power the furnace. Low and net-zero steel is increasingly coming onto the market.
Where practically possible FTE prioritises the use of steel produced in this way as part of our environmental commitment.
Design And Production
The final element is to manage emissions resulting from fabrication. This is partly about how we power our production facility. Over 60% of the annual energy use is met from our own solar PV generation.
It’s also about smart design: avoiding the urge to over-engineer solutions and deploying our intelligent integration process to minimise waste, reworks and transportation.
Our ambition is to be a zero carbon steel fabrication provider. Through material selection, careful design, precise fabrication and intelligent integration, we’ve already made great strides in this direction.
