Sustainable steel construction

This paper discusses the importance of construction to the three elements of sustainable development, namely economic growth, social progress and effective protection of the environment. The paper goes on to identify the issues facing construction in meeting the sustainable development agenda; these include efficient use of natural resources, reducing energy consumption, reducing emissions, minimizing waste, more efficient land use, reducing the impact on construction sites and creating better employment conditions. The ways in which steel construction is addressing these issues are discussed. In the context of new buildings, steel's impact on the construction process-namely speed, prefabrication, safety, waste minimization and factory and site conditions are described. Ways in which construction form can contribute to reducing the energy consumption in buildings, particularly during the "in-use" part of the building's lifecycle, are outlined. The role of steel in extending the life of existing building stock is examined and design features for enabling re-use of steel components are highlighted. The paper concludes with remarks on the extent to which constructional steel is recovered and recycled at the end of life of buildings. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd