Sustainability Of Steel - Blog 3 - Yukta Yogeesh


 19/August/2020

When comparing Steel to Concrete and Glass, Steel is definitely much environment friendly because it is recyclable and reusable. But is it really 'sustainable'? 



Steel can be recycled, yes! How much energy is it consuming while manufacturing (called the embodied energy) ? well, less than how much concrete is feeding on. Its durable when compared to thermocol, but expands and contracts due to thermal installation on it. On the other hand, lime when mixed with other natural substances like egg froth and milk mulch, it gains strength due time, but it is not the case with steel, the strength reduces over time and on top of this, it requires maintenance for fire safety precautions and to resist corrosion on it for which treatment/ protective coating/paint is required regularly. 

The wastage obtained during the construction on site is very less, so it avoids/reduces the daily debree. Also, steel has the flexibility to work with it off site and install on site, thereby allowing Prefabrication possible and convenient. It is easy to carry and transport as it is light and it is very easy to work with. It has a good work-ability. 

The most interesting fact about steel is, although it has plastic properties to retain shape after it has reached its yielding point and other similar physics involved, it can be moulded in whatever shape we require with moulds using a process called smelting. So, when can get it in the shape we want, there will be no wastage at all. Even if there is, we can reuse it because of the same property of steel. 

On an urban scale, even though its usage is limited due to climatic considerations and the cost, its used where it has to be, allows spanning for huge areas without columns, with trusses - especially for public spaces like malla, mobility stations, other such public gatherings. So, if we use it accordingly, knowing where to, it ll be more sustainable due time. 

"After all, it's the period of sustainability. I do not want to let go of anything more" 


Yukta Yogeesh 




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