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Crittall ‘Sustainability’ focussed Podcast Series – Edition 2 – Transcript to support learning
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Steel Windows – Sustainability meets Style – Edition 2. ‘The Life Cycle Assessment of Steel’
Crittall ‘Sustainability’ focussed Podcast Series – Edition 2 – Transcript to support learning
‘Nobody can doubt the strength of steel as a construction material, but its qualities in the field of sustainability are rather less obvious, but no less impressive’ says Russell Ager, Managing Director of Crittall Windows.
And in this special edition series of bite-sized learning podcasts sponsored by Crittall, we discuss The Strength of Steel, The Life Cycle Assessment of Steel, How to protect Steel Building Materials from corrosion and why Windows are one particular building component that emphasises the plusses of sustainability for the material.
In this second edition we explore ‘The Life Cycle Assessment of Steel’
Produced using iron, the most abundant element on the planet, steel manufacturing impact is calculated by the World Steel Association using what
is called the ‘system expansion’ method of life cycle assessment. This looks at steel to be part of a global system of supply and demand and takes account of co-products used in the manufacturing processes that save energy or reduce emissions. One example is waste gases from the process being re-used to generate electricity for the process.
The full life calculation, which also takes account of steel’s high strength-to-weight ratio (meaning less achieves more) means that overall CO2 emissions associated with a steel building – from component manufacture through its life in use – will be lower than for other materials.
Moving away from the mathematics the nature of steel and its construction also augments its sustainability tally. All the fabrication process, the testing and the certification takes place in a controlled and monitored factory environment. This ensures adherence to consistently high standards and quality. This in turn leads to quicker, safer and more predictable outcomes on-site. Construction processes can therefore be more efficient, not to mention more cost-effective.
Thank you for listening to the second edition of this bite-sized learning podcast series. Make sure you listen to all 4 editions to fully understand how with Steel Windows – Sustainability meets Style!
In the next edition we discuss ‘How Steel Building Materials are Protected from Corrosion’
For more information about Crittall steel windows, please go to www.crittall-windows.co.uk
