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    • Structural Steel

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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    GreenTips

  • Steel is an efficient material per unit weight. The manufacture of steel is a very energy intensive process however, and the use of recycled steel can reduce the embodied energy of the material by approximately 60%. Your steel supplier should be able to identify the source of the material and the recycled content.

  • The recycled content of steel can affect the quality of the steel. In general, larger steel sections of steel are less affected by the impurities and are usually easier to source.

  • Most steel in New Zealand is recycled abroad. This means that most recycled steel is imported and can also come from countries with environmental regulations that are far below NZ standards.

  • Because factory conditions are usually better controlled than building sites, factory prefabrication and factory paint finishing of steel components can minimise waste and the risk of pollution.

  • Bolting of steel members facilitates reuse and allows steel components to be easily salvaged at the end of the building’s lifecycle.

  • The protection of steel against the elements can involve the use of environmentally damaging surface treatments. Care should always be taken to select the least environmentally damaging of these.

  • Two excellent sources of further information on steel are the Heavy Engineering Research Association and the International Iron and Steel Institute.

    • Greenbuild Technical Information Search

    Searches major New Zealand building industry information sites.