Steel Buildings in Europe

Part 2: Concept Design 2 - 8 spaces give flexibility for change in use. Advances in the manufacturing of raw materials means that less water and en ergy is used in production, and allows for significant reductions in noise, particle and CO 2 emissions. Economic criteria Steel construction brings together the va rious elem ents of a structure in an integrated design. The m aterials are m anufactured, fabricated and constructed using efficient production processes. Th e use of m aterial is highly optim ised and waste virtu ally elim inated. The stru ctures them selves are used f or all aspects of m odern life, including logistics, retail, comm ercial, and manufacturing, providing th e infrastructure on whic h society depends. Steel construction provides low investment costs, optim um ope rational costs and outstanding flexibility of building us e, with high quality, functionality, aesthetics and fast construction times. Social criteria The high proportion of offsite fabrication in steel buildings means that working conditions are safer, controlled and protected from the weather. A fixed location for employees helps to develop communities, family life and the skills. Steel releases no harmful substances into the environment, and steel buildings provide a robust, safe solution. Multi-storey buildings The design of multi-storey building s is in creasingly depend ent on asp ects of sustainability, defined by criteria such as:  Efficient use of materials and responsible sourcing of materials  Elimination of waste in manufacturing and in construction processes  Energy efficiency in building operation, including improved air-tightness  Measures to reduce water consumption  Improvement in indoor comfort  Overall management and planning criteria, such as public transport connections, aesthetics or preservation of ecological value. Steel framed buildings can be designed to satisfy all these criteria. Some of the recognised sustainability benefits of steel are:  Steel structures are ro bust, with a long life. Properly detailed and maintained, steel structures can be used indefinitely  Approximately 10% of steel sections are re-used [3]  95% of structural steel sections are recycled  Steel p roducts can po tentially b e di smantled and reused, particularly modular components or steel frames  Steel structures are lightweight for use on poor ground or over tunnels  Steel is manufactured efficiently in factory controlled processes  All waste is recycled in manufacture and no steel waste is produced on site