The most environmentally friendly building material available today is structural steel. The high percentage of recycled content in it and the rate at which it is recycled are both far higher than that of any other construction material. Through the efforts of the steel industry for the past 3 decades, overall emissions of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants have been cut by 36%, and the percentage of water used in the industrial processing has been recycled at a rate of 95%. Today, the steel sector in the United States has the lowest carbon footprint of any major steel-producing country, and this trend will continue as that of the power system in the United States transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Steel Is Sustainable
Choosing residential steel frame construction with steel rather than wood is already a huge step in the right direction when it comes to sustainability. Think about the fact that when trees are cut down for their wood, it can take anywhere from more than 20 to more than 40 years for their replacements to reach the point where they can be cut down. When a structure with a wood frame has reached the end of its useful life, it is taken down, as well as the wood cannot be utilized for any further construction.
It’s possible that the demand for wood may outstrip our capacity to produce it due to a combination of natural calamities and rising population.
Steel is possible to be recycled
The fact that steel can be recycled into new products is one of the primary factors that contributes to its positive reputation in environmental circles. Steel is by far the most recycled material on the planet; in fact, more steel is recycled annually than all of the other materials . currently together, with over 12 million tonnes of steel being recycled in 2016 alone. Steel is also the most recyclable commodity in the United States.
Due to the metallurgical qualities of steel, there is absolutely no deterioration that takes place when the material is recycled. This indicates that it can be remelted and reused an endless number of times without suffering any kind of degradation.
The production of steel from its raw materials has a far less impact on the environment thanks to the fact that steel can be recycled. For instance, the amount of energy required to produce steel cans from recycled steel is 75 percent lower than the amount of energy required to produce steel cans from raw resources.
Recycling Each kilogramme of steel removes two kilograms of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from the environment. Recycling steel not only prevents these items from being thrown away in landfills, but it also makes it possible for the material to be recycled, which helps to save raw materials. It takes 1131 kilograms of iron ore, 633 kilograms of coal, and 54 kilograms of limestone to produce one tonne of recycled steel. *
The use of pesticides on steel frames is not necessary
When used for framing, steel does not need to be treated with any kind of pesticide since it is completely resistant to termites. Toxic chemicals are used to treat building frames made from other materials. These chemicals can be hazardous to both the environment and human health if they contaminate the groundwater, soil, or drains in the surrounding area. Additionally, these chemicals contribute to the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside the residential steel frame construction.
Steel does not deteriorate like lumber and other types of frames since it is an inorganic material. As a result, steel frames may survive for a significantly longer period of time without requiring any kind of replacement or repair. Dry rot, as well as internal warping, cracking, swelling, and shrinking are not able to affect steel frames in any way. Because of this, steel frames have a very long lifespan and are very environmentally friendly.
Environmental Resistance
Steel is remarkable for a variety of reasons; nevertheless, the area in which it excels most clearly as a material is in its utter inability to support the growth of mold. Residential steel frame construction does not need any kind of additional treatments to stop mold, rot, or insect infestations from occurring. Steel is incapable of absorbing moisture, and as a result, it cannot host any germs that may be hazardous to the health of the people living in the residence.
Steel has an exceptionally high resistance to the effects of natural disasters such as blizzards, earthquakes, and floods. On the Richter scale, steel houses have been shown to withstand earthquakes of a magnitude as high as 7.9 on the scale. When it comes to floods, BONE Structure makes sure that the components of its shell are composed of materials that are resistant to flood damage. Because water damage is the major source of contamination in a home after a flood, the presence of components in the home such as steel, which do not encourage mold development, reduces the amount of mold that enters the home after a flood. They have been able to flourish for ages because they have constructed dwellings that are resistant to the varied influences of the environment.