Metal play a key role in the structural function of a building. Different type of metal are used for different structural purposes and can be used for façade as well.

As a rule of thumb, if you have an EPD, search for the EPD number first. If the data is eligible for use in your calculation tool the majority of the times it will already be available.

In this article we will discuss how you can find the right metal resources in One Click LCA. Metal products you are looking for can be found by free-text search or using our pre-defined material filter.

Material filter: 'Steel and other metals' and selecting the 'specific type of metal or metal product.'

Any material or product meeting these requirements can be found with this filter. This will include different types of insulation products.

In our material sub-class we make a differentiation between:

The environmental impacts depend on the steel grade used in concrete. Most often the steel in concrete is reinforcement steel. Stainless steel is usually used only if there is high exposure (for instance by weather) and high-tensile steel is used for pre-stressed concrete elements.

From an environmental impact point of view, there are three major types of concrete reinforcement steel:

For other use of steel, you must choose the right kind of steel. The basic options are:

Usually, structural steel is one of the basic options. Make sure you have the right type and correct amount of steel and the environmental impact will be on a reasonable scale.

For aluminium, the most important factor defining the environmental impact is to choose the right kind of treatment.

Typical treatments are:

Apart from treatment, the environmental impacts vary depending on the aluminium’s recycled content and manufacturing country (defines which energy profile has been used).