ArcelorMittal’s Histar® Steel from 100% locally sourced steel scrap
28 April 2017
ArcelorMittal
Description
ArcelorMittal has developed a new range of advanced high strength quality steels “Histar®”. These quality steels are available as rolled structural shapes (H-profiles) for use in building framing, bridges and for general structural purpose. This innovative high performance steel product allows reducing the amount of steel used in the building up to 50% compared to conventional steel used today.
The Histar® quality steel is a truly circular product: it is produced 100% from locally sourced steel scrap. At the end of use of the shapes, a closed loop has been observed by a recovery rate of 99%, either put to reuse (11%) or put to recycling (88%).
Added value
- The higher strength of Histar® quality steel compared to conventional steel allows the environmental footprint of a building/construction to be reduced by some 30% through the lower amount of steel used.
- Production from locally sourced ferrous scrap, reduces the direct energy consumption and related CO2 emissions with some 75 % over production made starting from iron ore and coal.
- In terms of waste reduction, rolled structural shapes of Histar® quality steel generate insignificant waste in production and in use.
Challenges
- Superior sustainability of structural shapes in advanced quality steels are currently scantly valued in the construction market, — still mainly driven by economic criteria (cost).
- “Green labels” focus on energy efficiency of buildings in-use, with limited consideration for the embedded energy in the buildings structural frame materials. The share of the “embedded energy” represents an increasing aspect in the life cycle assessment (=LCA) of “zero energy” or passive buildings.
- The LCA of building framing seems at this point still poorly used in practice. LCA seems rather not being a determining factor when designing structures and deciding which building material to select.
- Design for deconstruction of building framings seems at this point still poorly understood neither used in practice.
Partners
ArcelorMittal, Lanza Tech, Primetals, E4Tech