Can Steel really be considered a green building material?

The concept of ‘Green building’ refers to the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally safe and resource-efficient, throughout a building's life-cycle from designing, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation to deconstruction. The Governing Boards have laid a set of strict guidelines to follow, so as to promote green building practices. They are to be followed during the steel manufacturing process in order to make them eco-friendly.

    Here are a few characteristics that make steel an ideal green building material:

Durability: Steel structures can last for hundreds of years, making them as cost effective as they are sustainable. It is resilient, strong, and has a better hold over concrete. It doesn’t warp, split, or creep, and resists moisture. Its durability not only assists in a short term conservation of resources, but also a long term decrease in carbon emissions. It is much slower to deteriorate and can resist weather impacts, fire, wind, and even earthquakes of Richter scale 7.9. Steel is dimensionally stable, making it durable and built to last.

 Recycle: When it comes to sustainability, steel’s ability to be recycled is what truly separates it from other building materials. Steel is one of the most recycled material in the world. In fact, more than 650 million metric tons of steel is recycled every year, more than all other materials combined. It retains up to 97.5% of its quantity when it’s recycled. According to the World Steel Organization, steel recycling saves more than 3,000 pounds of iron ore, 1,600 pounds of coal, and 250 pounds of limestone for every 1,200 pounds of new steel production. The steel recycling process is almost the very definition of a green building material.

Insulation: Since it is considered to be one of the strongest materials on the market, steel can also support thicker layers of insulation without affecting its overall structure. Thicker insulation lets homes maintain ideal temperatures in hot or cold weather, which ultimately cuts costs on energy bills.

Steel is a green building material that will continue to be utilized into the future generations. It potentially has a never-ending life cycle that reduces production waste while conserving energy and natural resources. Infosys Limited, Mysore, Infinity Benchmark, Kolkata, Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd. (BCIL), Bangalore are just few of the many examples in India that set a -benchmark for sustainability, green energy generation, choice of green building materials and much more.

Agni Steels incorporates and promotes steel recycling, maintains minimal wastage while adhering to strict guidelines for maintaining an exquisite quality of the product.