Marty Helly of MHSpecs and Mike Dadekian of SikaSarnafil presented some of the issues in play in the steel and roofing industries. Here are some takeawys.
As designers, to meet our goals of being more responsive to the environment, we look to specify materials that are sustainable. To do that, we need to find manufacturers who are incorporating sustainable practices into their products. There are multiple elements in identifying sustainable products.
First is durability. If the material performs well and lasts a long time, it doesn’t need to be replaced often. Building something once and not having to remove it, dispose of the material, and reconstruct it with new material is better for the Owner and for our environment.
Second is recycling as this reduces waste and landfill needs and also reduces the need to extract and process raw materials for production. Recycling considerations encompass looking at the recycled content of the material being installed, the manufacturing processes that recycle tom minimize waste in production of the material, and the ability to recycle the material at the end of its useful life.
In steel production, the quantities of energy used and impacts to the landscape for extraction of raw materials are very high. Both are significantly reduced by utilizing recycled steel rather than iron ore as the material source. Steel manufacturers in the US have also moved away from coal fired heat sources in production toward electric arc and are testing hydrogen fusion systems.
In the roofing industry, Sarnafil has created an innovative program where they use recycled materials in producing their PVC membranes, recycle any cuttings and waste in the factory process, and provide complete recycling of the membrane at the end of its useful life.
A third element in sustainability is performance. Light color roof membranes are able to significantly reduce heat island effects when compared to standard dark colored surfaces. This strategy has proven effective in reducing energy consumption even in northern climates like ours.