Issue#01—2021

Editorial: We all recognise the need to decarbonise and the important role that the built environment must play, both in terms of operational and embodied carbon reductions, while also considering the broader social and economic implications.

With a growing world population and increased material use, it is important that material choice for our built environment is durable, reusable and ultimately, recyclable – all key ingredients of a circular economy.

With this in mind and as a result of international collaboration, our new publication ‘Galvanized Steel and Sustainable Construction: Solutions for a Circular Economy’ draws on academic research and examples of best practice from across Europe. It explains clearly how galvanized steel can help the construction sector adapt to a net zero future.

As well as its sustainability credentials, recent research has shown that the zinc protective layer (afforded to steel by batch galvanizing) provides a reduction in the surface emissivity of the steel component. ‘Fire Resistance of Steel Sections Galvanized to EN ISO 1461’, published by Steel Construction Institute (SCI), offers design guidance in order to incorporate these benefits within fire design calculations.