" THOUGHTS OF STEEL - IS STEEL SUSTAINABLE? "

 

   Hello guys…!


   Now I’m going to talk about the question raised in my mind “Is steel is sustainable?” At some point of view, it is sustainable and non-sustainable material. We will compare steel with other material and some incidence and accidents which has been happened by steel and wood as comparisons. Before we start I would like to tell you about “What is sustainable?” “Minimum energy minimum damage with recyclable which we can simply say RRR (reuse, reduce and recycle)”.

   “Is steel is eco-friendly?” Once the steel is produced, the life of steel is potentially endless, it is a kind of permanent resource in the world. It is recyclable. The speed of construction is one of the major benefits of steel. The less construction period can help to save money and quick investments.

   According to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and IgCC (International Green Construction Code) certified steel as a sustainable material for construction. Due to the strength of the steel, spans can be increased and less energy used when compared with the concrete or wood span and energy needed for it. Steel can produce less amount of wastages when compared to concrete or bricks. Steels are usually non-toxic material which doesn’t harm human much. (1)

   When we compare steel with other material like wood, wood is a renewable building resource but being  renewable is not the same thing as being sustainable. When compared with wood and steel, steel can be recycled in n number of times but wood cannot be recycled again and again.

   According to science and research steel is non-combustible material but comparing to wood, wood is a combustible material that does spread the fire fast. Even though steel is non-combustible material it does lose its strength and lose it’s properties when it reaches 230- degree celsius, it does retain 10 % of its strength at 750- degrees celsius according to the research of NBC AND IBC. When exposed to fire, wood retains its strength longer than steel, even though it reaches 250- degrees celsius it does not ignite, yes somehow once the wood catches fire, it does spread faster. Even though there are some cons of both materials, now there is a lot of advanced procedure and the material taken for precautions. (2)

   When we comparing with concrete, it has better fireproof quality and safety compared to steel, wood, etc… it is moldable and flexible like steel. When we compared with steel, concrete has low compressive strength and requires mixing, casting, and curing even to change the final strength negatively. Steels are really cost-efficient when compare to concrete. Due to high spans minimum material, it does create a large space feel. (3)

   At the conclusion I feel like its not about material which prevented from other problems like climate, durability, etc…,  “material does not need to be sustainable but our design should be sustainable”, our designs should adapt to the locality's future.

 


We will continue our journey with a new experience, soon…!

 


References

1. steel sustainability. [Online] https://www.steelsustainability.org/construction/leedv4.

2. Ilocis. [Online] http://www.ilocis.org/documents/chpt41e.htm.

3. ferramatrix. [Online] http://www.ferramatrix.com/blog/structural-steel-vs-reinforced-concrete-which-is-stronger/.

 

 

                                                                                                 Thank you

 

-Jeyakumar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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