Steel Buildings and Sustainability

You’ve probably heard that steel buildings are sustainable construction. Chances are that you’ve seen lists of factors that make metal buildings the green choice for new construction. It’s easy to dismiss those contentions as marketing hype. After all, Steel buildings don’t FEEL natural and sustainable. But they are. Here’s some background on sustainable construction to help you understand why.
The Construction Cycle Of Use
Everything built on the Earth goes through seven phases in the cycle of use. At each of these stages, energy is used and emissions are created. Steel buildings use less energy and create fewer emissions at most of these stages.
Materials Are Mined or Harvested from the Earth
Steel is recycled and recyclable. While the steel used in today’s Steel buildings was mined from the Earth at some point – and some percentage of it will be new metals mined from the Earth – most of the metal used in building steel garages, storage buildings and other metal buildings has been used before and will be used again. The more use gained from construction materials, the more sustainable they are.
Steel Is Durable
A steel building is strong enough to withstand most weather extremes and stand up to normal wear and tear. It offers many decades of use, giving it a long sustainable life in comparison to many other types of construction.  The long service life makes good use of the energy embodied in the house.
Metal Buildings Use Less Energy During Construction
Because metal buildings are pre-engineered and pre-fabricated, they use far less energy during the construction phase. Smaller Steel buildings don’t even require the use of power tools or heavy equipment for assembly and erection. The less energy used during construction, the smaller the carbon footprint is.
Steel Works Well with Solar Panels and Skylights
Steel framing supports a lot of weight. The steel frame construction and roofing systems of most metal buildings are well-suited to support solar panels or solar shingles, and it’s very easy for engineers to design around skylights. The use of natural lights and renewable energy further reduces the energy required to run a steel house or shop.
Steel Buildings Require Fewer Chemicals for Maintenance
The color on metal siding and roofs can last up to 20 years before it needs to be refinished. By contrast, wood buildings need to be repainted or treated every few years to remain water-tight and weather-tight. The owners of steel buildings release fewer toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, and at the end of the building’s useful life, put far fewer chemicals back into the landfull.
In addition, steel buildings are easier to insulate and use far fewer materials than wood or concrete construction. Overall, people who are concerned about the environment are more likely to choose steel buildings than other types of construction.