Is Steel Suitable for Eco-Friendly Construction?

When thinking about green building materials, most people think of bamboo and stone, but did you know that steel is also eco-friendly? Thanks to its many benefits (besides being very aesthetically influential in modern architecture and art) steel is a great solution to our environmental problems. Thanks to its recyclability and sustainability, steel can help us create a society that doesn’t just take and take, but also gives back. If you’re planning to opt for this construction element, here are just some of its green benefits you can reap:

Recyclable nature

Probably the most important reason why steel is considered one of the greenest building materials in the world is its recyclable properties. Steel is the number one material when it comes to recycling, and we recycle steel more than all other recyclable materials combined. According to research, just in 2016, we managed to recycle 12 million tons of steel! Steel has strong metallurgic properties, so when it’s recycled, it doesn’t degrade in quality. This means that steel can be recycled and reused how many times it’s necessary without endangering the construction process.

And recycling is much more environmentally-friendly than making something from raw materials. It’s possible to save 75% more energy when making steel products from recycled steel than raw steel. If you manage to recycle 1kg of steel, it will keep 2kg of pollution away from the atmosphere. Recycling one ton of steel saves over 1000kg of iron ore, over 600kg of coal and over 50kg of limestone. Recycling also keeps our landfills empty and allows raw materials to be conserved.

Minimal waste

The fact that steel produces a minimal amount of material waste makes it a green building material. It’s possible to order steel from Cedar Steel and get exactly the amount of material you need. They produce steel kits with exact materials for the job so there are no spare parts. If there are parts left-over, it means you didn’t do something right. Compared to other materials like wood or brick, steel produces little to zero waste, making it very green.

Reusable properties

Every type of production requires water, our most precious resource, and steel production is no different. In the process of steel production, water is mostly used for cooling, cleaning and descaling. After the process is over, the water becomes contaminated, but it’s possible to remove these impurities and make almost 100% of the water reusable. Steel production also produces slag—a waste product of the smelting of ore. This stone-like material used to be thrown away to pollute the environment. However, today we use slag to put in cement giving it a new purpose and reducing waste.

Saving energy

Steel buildings can help you save resources at home as well. For instance, if you have a steel frame building, it can support thick and heavy insulation. Insulation is placed on the walls to make your space cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Steel frame buildings are also suitable for optimal humidity and air quality, so you don’t have to worry about dehumidifiers and air filters, making your carbon footprint even smaller.

Producing energy

It’s possible to save energy at home with quality insulation and building materials, but in today’s world, that’s not enough. Luckily, with steel constructions, you can also start collective solar energy. Steel is very strong and can support a significant amount of solar panels which will reap free and renewable energy and further reduce the waste of resources (and bring you money savings as well). Solar panels boost the value of your property due to a great energy bill reduction. And since energy is becoming more and more expensive and hard to get by, solar panels might be necessary to improve the course of your life.

Durability

Building with steel is building for durability. Steel is sturdy enough to withstand everything from rain, frost and fire to even earthquakes, high winds and floods. Also, there’s no fear from any insects like termites or boring bugs—steel is way too hard for them. All in all, steel is resistant to cracking, splitting, warping, twisting and rotting, and with some modifications, it can resist rust and significant abuse. In theory, steel constructions can last forever. This durability helps reduce our raw materials consumption and helps us maintain forests and other natural environments which have been suffering for a long time.

For a long time, steel has been one of the most eco-friendly materials in the world, and as you can see, there are many reasons behind this title. If you’re interested in saving Earth and all the little creatures on it (humans included), you might consider taking a green approach with steel. When you consider its durability, recyclable properties and all other amazing benefits to this material, you can see how steel is a great solution to our rising carbon pollution problems and our diminishing resources.