Energy
Efficiency
Commercial &
Industrial
Steel in building
Enhancing the energy efficiency of the built environment involves an
intelligent, planned combination of building design, material selection,
construction methods and building use.
Steel building products have been at the core of good building
design in Australia for over a hundred years. In early times the ease
of transporting lightweight steel roof sheets made it the natural choice
for isolated homesteads and rural settlements, while the iconic steel
roofed ‘6 foot’ verandah proved to be an ideal design solution to
combating the oppressive heat of the harsh Australian sun.
Since then steel building products have been proven time and
time again to provide the ideal construction product solution.
Steel has enabled, and even inspired, good building design,
improved construction times and has allowed for flexibility in
building occupancy and usage.
Now, as designers, engineers and architects wrestle with the
challenges of creating a more sustainable built environment, steel
continues to be a material of choice to aid in achieving energy efficient
design in commercial and industrial projects across the country.
Whether a project calls for the low solar absorption and high thermal
emittance of a roof made from COLORBOND® steel, or the design
flexibility and material savings achievable by using high strength steel
structures, BlueScope Lysaght has the capability to design and deliver
a more sustainable, customised steel product solution.
COLORBOND steel
®
Cool Roofs
A cool roof has low solar absorptance and high thermal emittance.
Low solar absorptance means that less of the suns energy is absorbed
into the roof initially, thereby reducing the amount of energy that
can be converted to heat. High thermal emittance helps that heat to
escape from the surface. This means that the roof surface and roof
cavity stay cooler: the surface temperature of a cool roof can be up
to 39°C less than a dark coloured roof.
COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel has the lowest solar absorptance in
the COLORBOND® steel range, and has been specially developed for
the commercial and industrial sector to help improve energy efficiency
across all Australian Climate Zones. Pre-painted steel roofing products
also have high thermal emittance and low thermal mass, which means
that any energy that is absorbed into the roof is re-radiated from the
building quickly once the sun sets or clouds move in.
COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel can deliver capital savings by:
• Reducing the amount of insulation needed to meet BCA
requirements which:
- potentially removes the need for a roof raiser system; and
- makes installation easier
• Improving thermal performance and removing the need for other
high cost energy efficiency elements such as double glazing; and
• Reducing the size of the HVAC system required to regulate
temperature.
COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel can create ongoing operational
savings by:
• Reducing the energy required for day-to-day cooling;
• Creating more comfortable working environments which
can improve productivity; and
• Reducing peak demand, which can result in a more favourable
energy supply agreement.
An energy efficient building can also translate to additional revenue
for building owners and managers. Green Leases – which inherently
require an energy efficient base-building – are increasingly popular
in the Australian market, and are often a minimum requirement for
government agencies. Green buildings may attract a premium price
or tenant which improves the value of the building.
BCA
Section J
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) specifies the minimum
thermal resistance (Total R-Value) a roofing system must be
designed to achieve. For commercial buildings R-Value is based
on heat flow down into the building for Climate Zones 1-6 (all of
Australia except Tasmania, Canberra and alpine areas) because
commercial buildings predominantly require cooling.
R-Value is calculated by dividing a components thickness by its
thermal conductivity. Total-R Value is calculated by summing the
R-Value of each individual roofing component including building
material, insulating material, airspace and associated surface
resistances.
Under the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions the Total R-Value required
decreases when roofing with lower solar absorptance is used.
COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel has an absorptance of 0.23 which
is well below the threshold for the best performing category
(0.40). Even greater Total R-Value reductions (or other capital
saving options) can be demonstrated when compliance simulation
software is used in accordance with BCA Section JV3 rather than
the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.
NABERS
Energy Rating
NABERS was developed as a voluntary tool to assess the
sustainability of buildings when in operation. The assessment
does not take the construction, maintenance or end-of-life phases
of buildings into account.
With the commencement of the Building Energy Efficiency
Disclosure Act, a Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC) is
required for most commercial office spaces (greater than 2000m2)
when they are leased or sold. BEEC’s have three components:
1. A NABERS Energy for Offices rating for the building;
2. An assessment of tenancy lighting; and
3. General energy efficiency guidance.
The NABERS Energy star rating must also be included in any
advertisement for the sale, lease or sublease of the office space,
which means that operational energy efficiency can be one of
the first things a prospective tenant or owner knows about a
building’s value proposition.
Steel
Green
&
Star
Dematerialisation has been recognised as being part of creating
a sustainable building by the Green Building Council of Australia
(GBCA). The steel material credit in all Green Star™ building tools
(excluding Office Interiors v1.1) recognises the value of using high
strength steel to perform the same function using less material.
Where structural steel comprises 60% or more of the total steel used
in the structure, up to two points can be awarded in the Green Star™
rating tool for the use of:
Green Star™ rating tools are available for Offices, Office Interiors,
Multi-Unit Residential, Education buildings, Healthcare facilities,
Retail centres and Industrial buildings. There is also a Custom tool
available for buildings that do not fit into current ratings tools. Pilot
Green Star™ ratings tools are available for Convention Centre Design,
Public Buildings and Communities. A Green Star™ tool for assessing
building operational performance is also under development.
• Steelwork supplied by a steel fabricator/contractor accredited to
the Environmental Sustainability Charter of the Australian Steel
Institute (1 point).
Use of products manufactured by BlueScope Lysaght will likely
accrue points directly in the materials section of the building
assessment tools, as well as facilitate points in other sections
of the tool such as energy efficiency, indoor air quality and water.
TM
The Steel Credit focuses on encouraging environmentally responsible
production, design and fabrication methods that result in the efficient
use of steel as a building material. Up to two points are awarded
where at least 95% of all the steel used in the building’s structure
complies with the following criteria.
• High strength steels (1 point); and
Where reinforcing steel comprises 60% or more of the total steel
used in the structure of the building, up to two points can be awarded
for the use of:
• High strength steel, of which at least 60% is produced using
energy-reducing processes (1 point); and
• High strength steel, of which at least 15% (by mass) is assembled
using off-site optimal fabrication techniques (1 point).
Where neither structural nor reinforcing steel comprises more than
60% of the total steel used in the structure, a combination of any of
the criteria as set out above can be used to achieve the credit for a
maximum of two points.
Responsible Steelmaking
To be eligible for the credit, steel must be sourced from a responsible
steelmaker. This is defined as steelmakers with ISO 14001
certification and worldsteel Climate Action Program membership.
BlueScope Lysaght products meet the prerequisite requirements
of the credit.
COLORBOND steel
®
in Communities
Urban Heat Islands form when vegetation is replaced
with non-reflective, high mass, impervious surfaces
that absorb a high percentage of incoming solar
radiation. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency reports that on average US cities are up
to 5.6°C warmer than the surrounding countryside
because of the heat island effect.
In low and mid-latitude cities, such as Melbourne,
Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, higher local temperatures
caused by heat islands often lead to uncomfortable
living and working conditions, and increased energy
demand to run air conditioners, particularly during the
summer.
Because cool roofs absorb less solar energy than
traditional roofing surfaces, they are one of the most
effective and efficient ways to change the temperature
profile of an area en mass.
Temperature Profile of an Urban Heat Island
°C
°F
92
33
91
Temperature
Cool roofs have been recognised as being part of
creating sustainable communities in the Green Star™
Communities tool which is currently being piloted.
As well as contributing to the sustainability of an
individual building, at the community scale low solar
absorptance roofs can reduce the intensity of Urban
Heat Islands (UHIs).
90
32
89
88
31
87
30
86
85
Rural
Suburban
Residential
Commercial
Downtown
Urban
Residential
Park
Adapted from: United States Environmental Protection Agency
(2008) Heat Island Effect.
Suburban
Residential
Structural Steel
Solutions
The strength of LYSAGHT SUPAZED®, LYSAGHT SUPACEE®, as well
as Max-Span™ steel sections can allow designers and architects to
use wide spans to enclose large spaces cost effectively, using less
material. These designs can create business and environmental
benefits when the building is in-use, as well as efficiencies during
construction.
BlueScope Lysaght work with our value chain to utilise the strength
of steel to create innovative building solutions that meet specific
customer needs and do more with less. Using less material to
perform the same function is called dematerialisation and is
inherent to sustainable design.
Flexible Designs
Large, uninterrupted spaces help create efficient warehouses that
facilitate moving goods and vehicles, and commercial spaces that
can be repurposed over the life of the building.
Partitions and non-structural sections can be moved and replaced
as the needs of building tenants change. For building owners
and facilities managers, this can translate to reduced capital
expenditure on retrofitting.
Case Study 1: Strength of Steel
Economic, strong, wide spans are a BlueScope Lysaght speciality.
The SUPAPURLIN® profile was part of the roof design solution for
a new Metcash MegaCentre distribution facility in Brisbane.
The structural engineering challenges on the project arose from
the need to deliver an economical solution for an area with large
When coupled with some of the basics of sustainable design,
such as appropriate orientation, exterior environmental shading
and attention to breeze paths, large volumes can also allow
light, and where appropriate, air into buildings so that the need
for artificial lighting and ventilation is reduced, creating ongoing
operational savings.
spans brought about by a 12.35 metre grid with significant local
loadings imposed on the roof structure by fire services.
LYSAGHT SUPAZED® 300 purlins gave greater purlin spacing
than would have been possible with conventional purlins, as
well as reserve capacity to deal with the loadings without
having to expend extra budget on a larger purlin size.
Pre-Engineered
Solutions
Because steel building components are manufactured to
precise specifications or prefabricated off-site, on-site waste
is minimised. Also, any waste that is created during component
manufacture can be readily reused in the steelmaking process.
No off-cuts need to be disposed of in landfills, as may occur
when waste is produced by contractors on-site.
Because prefabrication is a semi-automated process, it may also
be safer than working on a construction site, and may reduce the
time that contractors are exposed to building hazards such as
working at heights. Prefabricated or pre-cut components may
also be assembled faster than other materials used for the same
purpose that are not prefabricated, or that have to be cut to size
on-site. This can reduce construction time, and consequently,
construction costs.
Case Study 2: Dematerialisation
Metalform Structures worked with Klopfer Dobos engineers to
provide a redesign which resulted in more efficient profiles being
adopted, which reduced the mass of the steel to support the
design by 10%. The Max-Span™ purlin range used is designed
for maximum efficiency to assist the commercial and industrial
sector in producing cost and material efficient structures that
don’t compromise on strength or safety.
BlueScope Lysaght’s specialist structures business, MetalForm
Structures, worked with other channel partners to deliver a state
of the art warehouse and specialised engineering laboratory for
GUD Automotive in Victoria. The base design was a portal frame
structure with a purlin supported roof and steel cladding. The
specification called for roof sheeting to the external canopies,
placed over galvanised metal purlins with box gutters. Industry
standard purlins were initially adopted.
Decking & Flo
Steel flooring and decking offer a range of design and on-site
sustainability advantages: prefabrication can result in reduced
construction time, materials, cost and waste. Construction with steel
decking may result in entire construction stages becoming unnecessary.
For example, when LYSAGHT BONDEK® is used to form the deck in
a traditional reinforced or post-tension slab, up to three construction
stages may be eliminated. These efficiencies are enhanced by
BlueScope Lysaght’s commitment to batched, high volume delivery,
which may reduce storage requirements and double-handling on-site.
oring
BlueScope Lysaght also makes demonstrating compliance with The
Building Code of Australia (BCA), relevant Australian Standards
and construction management plans easy – all products come with
documentation to demonstrate conformance. For example, LYSAGHT
BONDEK® steel decking can be branded to allow traceability throughout
the supply chain. Further, the hi-tensile base material complies with
Australian Standards and satisfies BCA requirements for coating
class and non-combustibility (Early Fire Hazard Properties). Fully
documented certification guarantees that our products are fit for purpose:
BlueScope Lysaght physically tests profile performance, rather than using
calculations alone, which ensures that our products really perform the
way we say they do.
Steel decking and flooring solutions are strong yet lightweight, and
therefore perfect for adding volume to weight sensitive structures.
BlueScope Lysaght is part of a value chain that seeks to continually
improve the inherent properties of steel – like strength and durability
– via research and innovation to create products and solutions that
respond to changing customer needs. For example, we have made
numerous advances in coating technology to create products that
are durable, as well as energy efficient, including LYSAGHT BONDEK®
with BRITEWITE®. Most recently Metalform Structures have been
working to develop a dematerialised prefabricated intermediate floor
joist system.
Energy Efficiency in Low Light Areas
Dematerialised Decking & Flooring
LYSAGHT BONDEK® in pre-painted BRITEWITE®
became an integral part of the solution to
adding a level to an existing parking structure
in Brisbane.
Dependent on project design, using LYSAGHT
BONDEK® steel decking in a suspended
concrete flooring system can reduce both the
steel reinforcing and the concrete required.
As well as facilitating the addition to the weight
sensitive structure, the BRITEWITE® finish on
the soffit helped deliver the operational energy
efficiency that was important to the client.
Electrical and lighting specialists calculated
that it was possible to reduce lighting costs
by almost 50% over the life of the building by
painting the soffit white. The white underside
of LYSAGHT BONDEK® with BRITEWITE® has
also been finished with a sheen to further aid
in the reflectance of light to minimise the need
for artificial lighting.
Metalform Structures are developing a unique
subflooring system which is dematerialised and
therefore perfect for adding volume to weight
sensitive new buildings and retrofit projects.
Purlins are formed into a box profile, which
provides high tolerances and may result in the
need for fewer structural members. Because
the system is so light, sections may be more
easily lifted into place. The need for heavy
cranes may be reduced, or even completely
avoided, depending on the scale of the project
and the particulars of the site.
The pre-engineered nature of the system means
that service holes are fabricated off-site, which
reduces installation effort.
Reuse & Recycling
Innovative manufacturing and design are critical to steel being
part of creating a sustainable built environment, but it is also
important to remember that steel is theoretically infinitely
recyclable. Therefore, one of the most important sustainability
initiatives that can be undertaken is to make sure that at the end
of its useful life, steel is recovered for recycling. Prefabrication
takes care of some of the waste associated with building
products, but it is also important that waste management plans
integrate recovery for recycling during both construction and
demolition.
Reuse
Recycling
Reuse of individual building components can perhaps be
considered the most preferable form of recycling, because
there is no reprocessing energy whatsoever: a building
component (or entire structure) is simply moved from one
location to another.
Scrap steel is an important ingredient in all steel production. The Blast
Furnace-Basic Oxygen Steelmaking process undertaken at Port Kembla
Steelworks and the Electric Arc Furnace production method, require
scrap steel and are therefore dependent on virgin steel production to
continue to meet global demand.
On average steel produced by BlueScope Steel in Australia is
comprised of 17-20% scrap material. Of this, post-consumer material
(generated by end users of steel products) is estimated to comprise
3-3.5%, while pre-consumer material (recovered from manufacturing
processes such as rollforming & slitting) is estimated to be less than
1%. Defined as rework, regrind or scrap within the steelmaking
process that generated them, reutilised or prompt scrap makes up
the majority balance. Reutilisation of materials is still recycling,
because material that would have otherwise become waste is
reprocessed and incorporated into new products.
BlueS
Sustainability in the Built Environment
We are committed to creating products that use
fewer materials and perform better. We also
recognise the importance of our role in creating
sustainable buildings because:
• Construction of buildings consumes between
a third and a half of resources in developed
nations;
• Construction and occupation of buildings
accounts for 25-40% of energy consumption
in developed economies;
• Buildings account for one-sixth of the world’s
fresh water withdrawals and one-quarter of
its wood harvest; and
• Approximately 40% of waste to landfill
in OECD countries is generated from
construction and demolition of buildings.
This means that changes to the way building
products are made and used in Australia really
can help reduce the environmental footprint of
our society overall.
An Holistic Approach
BlueScope Lysaght takes a whole-of-life
approach to understanding the environmental
footprint of our products. We advocate using
life cycle assessment (LCA) to understand
the impacts attributable to buildings, and
their components, over their whole life, from
raw material extraction; manufacturing;
construction; use and maintenance; to eventual
decommissioning and disposal. We also
recognise the importance of looking at a number
of different environmental and social metrics to
evaluate the sustainability of buildings or their
components, including emissions to land air and
water, resource and water depletion; human
toxicity; and community benefits.
Scope Lysaght
Commitment
Environment & Sustainability
Our corporate commitment is that we will
continuously improve our environmental
footprint and the sustainability of products
and solutions for our customers and markets.
We will continue to improve our own
environmental footprint by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, pollution
and waste; optimising material reuse
and recycling; and conserving energy
and fresh water.
We will continuously improve the sustainability
of products and solutions for our customers and
markets, so as to help maintain our competitiveness
and help our customers – and their customers – to
maintain their competitiveness.
The BlueScope Lysaght team are committed to delivering innovative sustainable solutions
over all phases of a developments life. Because we are part of the BlueScope Steel
family of companies, we have close relationships with our channel partners and a unique
understanding of our entire value chain. Engaging with our team from project inception
will allow us to understand your needs, and work with other members of our value chain,
to deliver the best possible products for your project, at the best possible price.
With 90-years of experience in the construction sector, we understand that steel
products are only part of the solution. We take a whole-of-building approach to
understand where our high quality products can be best used, and how they
interact with the rest of the building fabric and the overall design.
BlueScope Lysaght offices are in over 30 locations across Australia, including all capital
cities and most regional centres. Our footprint means that our team are local to your
project and able to respond to specific business, community and environmental needs.
Safety
Safety is our number one priority and we
believe that all accidents are preventable.
Over the last decade we have worked to create
a strong behaviour-based safety culture that
empowers staff to consider, and make decisions
to protect, their personal safety and the safety
of their colleagues in all that they do. Our
approach to safety adds value to the services
we provide on-site and in the boardroom.
www.lysaght.com
© 2013 BlueScope Steel Limited. LYSAGHT, BlueScope and ® product names are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited. Max-Span is a trade mark of BlueScope Steel Limited. The lysaght ® range of products is exclusively made by BlueScope Steel Limited trading as
BlueScope Lysaght. ABN 16 000 011 058. NABERS is a national initiative managed by the Office of Environment and Heritage on behalf of Federal, State and Territory governments. Green Star™ is a registered trademark of the Green Building Council of Australia, ABN 43 100 789 937