Steel sector sustainability strategy

03 Nov 2009

Introducing the key aims of the strategy at a seminar in London on 28 October Alan Todd, Corus General Manager Construction Services and Development, said: “The commitment is to continue to develop new ways of improving the sustainability performance of steel construction, to help the industry achieve its ambitious sustainability targets.”

Delegates heard presentations detailing an extensive range of sustainability initiatives already under way with the support of Corus, the BCSA and other industry partners. BCSA Immediate Past President Richard Barrett appealed to main contractors and clients to support the BCSA’s Sustainability Charter which commits members to high sustainability performance that is regularly assessed and monitored against 12 criteria.

Mr Barrett told delegates: “You can help encourage sustainable procurement by including Sustainability Charter membership in your specifications which will help us as a sector to improve our own performance.” Mr Barrett also told delegates about the success of a unique Carbon Footprint Tool that had been developed for steelwork contractors.   

Corus Construction Development Manager John Dowling detailed some new innovative products from the steel sector that were having positive impacts on the sustainability performance of buildings. The Corus Photovoltaic Development for example is a £10-million project to introduce dye sensitised cell technology into metal cladding for buildings, supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.

BCSA consultant Roger Pope explained that thermal performance of modern composite construction meant that the myth of superior thermal mass performance of concrete based construction should be laid to rest. He said: “All the thermal performance required can be obtained by using normal steel composite flooring. Indeed, beyond 100mm of floor depth there is no advantage to be gained as the additional mass cannot be mobilised in a sensible time-frame and it can be seen as a waste of resources.”

David Cheshire of AECOM detailed the progress being made by the Corus-BCSA Target Zero initiative which was currently focussed on developing design guidance for sustainable schools and would be published shortly. Work had already started on warehouses, the next sector to be examined under the three-year project that will also produce design guidance for a range of other building types, including offices, supermarkets and mixed-use buildings.

Eddie Murphy from Mott MacDonald spoke about two exemplars of sustainable construction, Vulcan House, Sheffield and the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, which both demonstrate how steel can play a significant role in sustainable development.