Best practice guide for low carbon steel buildings launched

In order to meet Lever 1 of the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) decarbonisation roadmap, a new publication has been launched.

Produced by the BCSA and the Steel Construction Institute (SCI), Best Practice for Designing Low Embodied Carbon Steel Buildings (SCI P449), provides guidance on designing structurally efficient, low embodied carbon steel buildings. It explains how design efficiency is an important component of the roadmap both in terms of its contribution and timescale.

In the short-term, while new steelmaking technologies are further developed and commercialised, material efficiency gains will deliver early, significant carbon reductions. Demand reduction does not mean fewer steel buildings, but rather it involves smarter, more efficient design; performing the same structural function but using less steel.

Specific structural steel efficiency measures include: reducing over-specification of structural steel, the reduction of applied loads, using higher-strength steel to facilitate the use of lighter members, and extending building lifetimes by designing for adaptability and internal flexibility.

Launched in 2021, the BCSA decarbonisation roadmap has a total of six Levers, consisting of circular economy, direct steelmaking emission reductions, decarbonisation of the UK electricity grid, carbon capture and use and storage, and steel transport, fabrication and erection.

The publication is available at https://steelconstruction.info/Sustainability#Lever_1_Design_efficiency