In what aspects is the steel structure industry accelerating its green transformation?

The steel structure industry is accelerating its green transformation, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Policy Guidance Promotes Transformation

The national "14th Five-Year Plan" and the Outline of the Vision for 2035 encourage the development of green buildings, clarifying the development direction of the construction industry in terms of prefabrication, new industrialization, informatization, and green development. The "Action Plan for Carbon Peak Before 2030" proposes promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of urban and rural construction and accelerating the process of new building industrialization. The National Conference on Housing and Urban-Rural Construction held at the end of 2023 also emphasized efforts in industrialization, digitalization, and green transformation. These policies provide a clear direction and strong support for the green transformation of the steel structure industry.

Green and Low-Carbon Attributes Become Prominent

Significant energy saving and emission reduction effects: From the perspective of the entire product life cycle, steel structure buildings are energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and recyclable engineering structures. Compared to concrete buildings, steel structure buildings can reduce energy consumption by 12%, water consumption by 39%, carbon dioxide emissions by 15%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 6%, sulfur dioxide emissions by 32%, dust emissions by 59%, and solid waste by 51% during production and construction per square meter.

Material recyclability and reuse: The recycling and reuse of steel in the demolition and reconstruction of steel structure buildings significantly improves the carbon reduction effect of its entire life cycle, meeting the requirements of green development for the entire life cycle of production factors.

Technological Innovation Promotes Green Transformation

Research and application of high-efficiency steel: The steel industry is accelerating the development of high-efficiency and high-quality steel, and steel for construction is increasingly showing the characteristics of high strength, high performance, high efficiency, high quality, and economy. The application of high-strength steel can reduce the amount of steel used while ensuring structural safety, thereby reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption.

Development of green construction technologies: In recent years, green construction technologies in the steel structure field have developed rapidly, with continuous achievements in super-high-rise construction technologies, large-span complex structure construction technologies, key technologies for metal roofs, and photovoltaic building integration technologies. In particular, photovoltaic building integration technology integrates steel structure buildings with photovoltaic industry technologies, further improving energy saving, emission reduction, and green and low-carbon effects.

Digital and intelligent technologies empower: Through digital and intelligent technologies, the optimization and upgrading of the entire steel structure industry chain can be achieved. For example, on the design end, adopting standardized and product-oriented design thinking, promoting supply chain-oriented design and manufacturing and installation-oriented design, improving design efficiency and quality, and reducing waste; in the manufacturing and construction stages, using digital and intelligent technologies to achieve automated production and precise construction, improving production efficiency, reducing energy consumption and costs.

Industrial Synergy Promotes Green Development

Synergy between the steel industry and the construction industry: Promoting cooperation between steel companies and steel structure companies in research and development, design, manufacturing, and engineering across the entire industrial chain to address the issue of insufficient synergy and build a new building industry chain. For example, steel mills produce steel sections and specifications that meet the personalized design (lightweight) of steel structures, steel structure processing plants are responsible for processes such as cutting, bending, punching, and painting, and on-site installation units achieve high-level prefabricated installation. Through the synergy of the entire industrial chain, production efficiency is improved, costs are saved, and energy saving, emission reduction, and green construction are achieved.

Cooperation between upstream and downstream enterprises: Upstream and downstream enterprises in the steel structure industry, including raw material suppliers, component manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, construction companies, and design units, strengthen cooperation and communication to jointly promote green transformation. For example, by building a platform for supply and demand exchange and cooperation, the integration, improvement, and efficiency enhancement of the entire steel structure building industry chain is promoted.