Every Bolt Counts: The Ripple Effect of Conserving Every Pound of Steel

As the steel sector searches for sustainable solutions in the carbon heavy construction industry, it is crucial not to overlook the power of conservation and efficiency. Decisions made early in the design process, using quality data, have a major impact on a building’s carbon footprint. In fact, when we use early data to our advantage, steel becomes a much more sustainable building material. It’s valuable to remember that most building materials increase atmospheric carbon in one way or another. Cutting trees releases carbon from the forest floor. Fewer trees also means less carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere, and ecosystems are often disturbed. Producing cement involves heating limestone (calcium carbonate) to high temperatures, releasing CO2 as a byproduct. In fact cement is responsible for 60–90% of concrete’s GHG emissions depending on the mixture and location. (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590332221005339#bib23" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Sabbie A. Miller et al, 2021</a>) Concrete also extracts raw materials, leading to a depletion of natural resources. <a href="https://qnectllc.medium.com/every-bolt-counts-the-ripple-effect-of-conserving-every-pound-of-steel-c92b545aba4e">Website</a>