{"id":52466,"date":"2026-09-22T12:01:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weckmansteel.fi\/?p=52466"},"modified":"2026-09-22T12:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:01:36","slug":"steels-material-efficiency-builds-eco-friendliness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weckmansteel.fi\/en\/steels-material-efficiency-builds-eco-friendliness\/","title":{"rendered":"Steel’s material efficiency builds eco-friendliness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The less building material used, the smaller the building’s carbon footprint. Is calculating the environmental impact of building materials this simple mathematics, or does the result depend on perspective? Steel is the most competitive in eco-friendliness for load-bearing structures when the entire life cycle of the material is taken into account. <\/strong><\/p>\n

When planning a new building, many calculations are made and many choices and decisions are based on them. The building’s intended use guides space utilization solutions, location influences material choices, and the size of the financial investment determines the expected service life of the building. <\/p>\n

Material choice becomes crucial<\/h2>\n

Material efficiency has a direct impact on a building’s eco-friendliness, making material choice crucial. When minimal material use can be combined with low-carbon material, the building’s carbon footprint can be significantly influenced. <\/p>\n

On Finland’s scale and in its conditions, wood and concrete are often presented as alternatives to steel. Many factors and perspectives are used in their comparison. <\/p>\n

Steel’s absolute advantages in comparison are durability and long service life. Steel material’s life cycle spans decades and can be extended further through maintenance. For example, maintenance painting can double the service life. <\/p>\n

Another major plus is the material’s reusability, because a building designed to be modular can be dismantled, relocated, and converted to new use. It will serve for a long time before the material is finally recycled and utilized in secondary use. <\/p>\n

Carbon footprint calculation becomes mandatory this year<\/h2>\n

Informed and pioneering builders are already paying attention to the GWP value of building materials, which describes its global warming potential. Steel’s GWP value typically ranges between 1.5\u20132.8 kg CO\u2082-eq\/kg. The value is affected by factors such as the manufacturing process and raw materials used. <\/p>\n

A building material’s GWP value indicates how much greenhouse gas emissions its production causes. According to the Ministry of the Environment’s roadmap, building life cycle calculation, or carbon footprint calculation, would become mandatory in 2025. Its goal is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of emissions during the building’s life cycle, and this calculation is made by adding up the GWP values of all materials according to their mass. <\/p>\n

When considering carbon footprint calculation, we return to material efficiency, because the GWP value alone is not the guiding factor in selection. In implementing your building project according to its goals, you can utilize Weckman’s experts, who can help in selecting suitable steel grades and profiles, and dimensioning them according to the building’s use and environmental conditions. <\/p>\n\t\t\n