HDG Magazine 1_2008

83|Small-ScaleStadia

8|TransparentTechnology

10|ContainerDesign

12|Buildingwithlivingtrees

Hot Dip GalvanizingInternationalMagazine|ISSN1363-0148|www.galvanizing.org.uk2008

1/4

Manyyearsagotherewasafashionfor

elephantjokes.Oneofthemwentsomething

likethis:Question:“Howdoesanelephant

climbanoaktree?”Answer:“Itsitsonan

acornandwaitsforspring.”Iwasremindedof

thisjokebythewonderfularticleonpageeight

aboutorganicstructureswheregalvanized

walkwaysaresupportedbyliving,growing

trees.Icanimaginethesalesmansaying

somethingalongthelines:“Youcanhaveitat

anyheightyoulike-deliveryjusttakesabit

longer”.Seriously,agreatidea–itsolvesall

sortsofproblemstodowithenvironmental

impactandfoundations,butitisnotinthe

categoryof‘instantsolutions’.

Forthatyouhavetogooverthepageto

theContainerDesignonpage10–

anotherbrilliantidea,butinadifferent

directionentirely.

Heretheyhaverecycledcontainersthat

havepassedtheirsell-bydateintosimple,

accommodationunits.Iwasalsoimpressed

bythedesigner’ssuggestionthatfully

kitted-out,recycledcontainerscouldbeship-

pedtodisasterzonesastemporaryhousing.

Ifyourhomehasbeenflattenedbyanearth-

quakeortsunami,thestrengthofasteel

containermustseemquiteappealing.

Andfinally,backtotheelephants.Question:

“Howdoesanelephantgetdownfroman

oaktree?”Answer:“Itsitsonaleafandwaits

forautumn”.Evenifyoudidn’tenjoyit,your

nearestsixyear-oldchildmight.

DavidBaron,Editor

Contents

2 Editorial

3 Small-Scale Stadia Cost-effective solutions

6 Sustainable Living in Freiburg

Solar-powered Estate

8 Transparent Technology

Computer Centre, Munster

10 Container Design

Innovative, recyclable and

versatile

12 Building with living trees Organic structures

14 Galvanizing: The low-energy

solution

Reducing the carbon footprint

of steel structures

16 Galvanizing Delight

Front cover:

The Joint Computer Centre, North Speicherstadt

in Munster by Schoeps und Schluter Architects,

Munster (page 8)

Editorial

2 | HotDipGalvanizing

2008

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Architecture

Small-Scale StadiaCost-effective solutions

By Iqbal Johal/Holger Glinde

Big bold stadia designs that make dramatic statements are the vogue today

especially for the major football teams across Europe. There is however, demand

for small-scale well-designed spectator stands that fulfil the requirements of

both clients and spectators. This article deals with three different projects that have

involved imaginative solutions to very specific local issues.

Brentford FCEalingRoadTerraceRedevelopment

ANDArchitectsLtdwereaskedbyBrentford

FootballClubtodevelopaschemetoprovide

coveredseatingtotheEalingRoadstandas

partoftheongoingFootballFoundationfunded

redevelopmentatGriffinPark.

BrentfordFCwasfoundedin1889andbecame

knownasthe“Bees”byitssupporters.In1904

theclubmovedto“GriffinPark”whichisstillits

hometoday.TheEalingRoadTerracewasa

singleground-bearingsteppedconcretetier

thatprovidedstandingspaceonlyandwas

opentotheelements.ANDArchitectspropo-

sedaslopedcantileveredroof,approximately

62minlengthand11mdeepovertheentire

lengthoftheterracebetweenexistingfloodlight

towers.Thecompletedstructurewasmade

fromaseriesofframes,eachshapedlikean

inverted‘L’andfixedtothetopoftheconcrete

terraceatitsbase,withcold-formedpurlins

spanningbetweentheframes.Thisstructure

wasthencladwithlightgreymetalprofiled

claddingwithasectionoftranslucentpanels

totherearelevationtoallowdaylightthrough

totheterracing.Thedecisiontousegalvanised

steelwastakenbothonaestheticandpractical

grounds:togiveauniformappearancewiththe

claddingwhilstbeingdurableandrelativelylow

maintenance.Thesimplicityofthedesignand

constructionmethodhelpeddeliveraproject

thatwasbothontimeandonbudget.

Princes Park Stadium, Dartford, KentPrincesParkStadiumrepresentswhataLocal

BoroughCouncilcanachieveintermsofa

well-built,sustainableprojectthatcanprovide

asenseofpositivecommunityspiritthatwill

HotDipGalvanizing| 3

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8 | ThermischVerzinken

Architecture

continuelongintothefuture.Fromthevery

startthiswasalocalcommunityprojectwith

DartfordBoroughCouncilacutelyawareofthe

senseofcivicprideinvolvedwithbringingthe

localfootballteambackintotheheartofthe

community.ThesuccessfulopeningofPrinces

ParkStadiuminNovember2006hasseenthe

localcommunitythrowtheirsupportbehind

theirfootballteam.Now,withproperfacilities,

allwithinwalkingdistanceofthetowncentre,

supporternumbershaveincreasedhealthily.

Locatedonaprominent,butunderutilised

playingfieldssiteclosetoDartfordtowncentre,

the11,405m²stadiumwasconceivedasa

continuationoftherollingKentcountryside.

Thesingle-storeyterracesandtwo-storeyclub-

housearepartiallyburiedintothegroundand

coveredbycurvingglulambeamstructures

supportinglivingsedumroofs.Thiseffectively

loweredthewholebuildingsothatitwasnotas

intrusiveuponthelocallandscape.

Theterracesareconstructedfromprecastcon-

creteunitsandacontinuous,levelperimeter

walkwayprovideseasyaccessforallsupporters

ofvaryingmobility.Removableconcreteblocks

onthesteppedterracesallowforthefuture

conversionfromstandingtoseatedaccommo-

dation.Galvanizedsteelplaysanimportant

roleinhelpingtolinkallthebasicmaterials

togetherinprovidingsupportstotheterracing

andhelpingtoprovidesafeaccessalongallthe

perimeterwalkways.

Flutmulde Sports Ground, Gifhorn ThenameSchulitz+Partnerstandsforinnova-

tiveandambitiousarchitecture,whichisdeve-

lopedonafunctionalbasis.

Itisclearfrommanyoftheirconstruction

projectsthattheBrunswickarchitectshavea

specialaffinitywithgalvanizedsteeland

glass.Forexample,thefiligreeSkywalkat

theExpoinHanoverortheconversionworkon

theLowerSaxonyStadium(tomakeitintoa

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Architecture

Feuerverzinken| �

WorldChampionshipvenue)arejusttwoofthe

manyprojectswhichhavewonarchitectural

prizesforthisfirm.

Thefactthattheteamofarchitectssurroun-

dingProfessorHelmutC.Schulitzcanalso

executeverysmall-scaleconstructionpro-

jectswithstyleandélanisdemonstratedby

thegrandstandroofoftheFlutmuldesports

groundinGifhorn.Aspartofare-designofthe

sportsground,theMTVGifhornSportsClub

purchasedthreemobilegrandstands.They

neededaroof,whichhadtobedesignedon

ashoestring.Schulitz+Partneradoptedthe

sameapproachasforabigproject.Theyhad

nointentionofsacrificinghigharchitectural

qualityorneglectingtopayattentiontodetail,

andcameupwithadesignwhichwasbased

onasimpleadditiveprinciple:20suspended

andrear-clampedframesarchoverthelittle

grandstand.Convextrapezoidalpanelsare

clampedbetweentheframesinsuchaway

thatdrainagecantakeplacethroughthe

gutter-shapedframecarriersandtheprops.

Galvanizingwasusedtoprovidelong-term

durabilityandrobustnesstothestructure.

Photographs:

Brentford FC Princes Park

Flutmulde Sports Ground

Client:BrentfordFootballClub

Project cost:approx.£500,000

Architects: ANDArchitectsLtd

Photos:(1, 3)BrentfordFC,(2)ANDArchitectsLtd.

Client:DartfordFootballClub

Architects: AlexanderSedgleyArchitects

Photo:(4)PaulHarmer

Client: MTVGifhorn

Architects: HelmutC.SchulitzandMatthiasThoma,

Schulitz+Partner,Brunswick

Project cost: € 100,000

Photos: (5, 6, 7) HelmutC.Schulitz,Brunswick

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5 6 7

1 2 3 4

Inaddition,soundstructuralmaterialsare

intendedtoprovidehigh-qualitylivingforthe

occupants.Theplanwastousesolarenergy

asapowersource.TheFreiburgarchitect

HorstDisch,whohasalreadyattractedagreat

dealofattentioninthepastforhisinnovative

solarstructures,cameupwithaconceptwhich

fulfilledtheserequirements.

Inadditiontothewell-insulated,impervious

buildingenvelopeandaventilationsystem

incorporatingheatrecovery,itismainlythe

solarroofpanelswhichareresponsibleforthe

positiveenergybalanceofthetimber-frame

houses.Inthiscontext,thefiligreegalvanized

steelsections,whichnestleuptotheSouth-

facingroofpaneandfaçade,areessential.

Itfunctionsasasupportstructureforthe

balconiesandsolarroofs,andmakesit

possibletomountlargephoto-voltaicunitson

thepassivehouses.Thisenablesthehouses

tobecomelittlepowergenerationunits,gene-

ratinguptofourtimesasmuchenergyasis

consumedwithin.Atthesametime,thedeep

balconiesactasashadingsystemtothefloors

below.Inorderforittobepossibletomake

thetimber-framehousesenergy-efficientatall,

thegalvanizedsteelroofdeckwasintroduced

asanessentialelement,sinceonlythiscan

providetherequiredstabilityandflexibility.

Theenergy-efficienthousesareacombinati-

onofsolartechnologyandarchitecture.The

structuresofferaconvincingalternativeto

conventionalapproaches.Sixtyhousesofthis

typehavealreadybeenerectedintheFreiburg

solar-poweredestateontheSchlierberg.In

additiontothesocialuse(protectionofthe

environment),therearealsoadvantageswith

regardtooperatingeconomy.

Thehousesnotonlyincurlowancillarycosts,

butevengeneratehighadditionalincomefrom

remunerationforsolarpower.

Detailed functioningThegalvanizedsteelstructureactsasamoun-

tingforthephoto-voltaicmodule.

Architecture

Sustainable living in FreiburgSolar-powered estate

By Holger Glinde

The idea for the energy-efficient houses of the Freiburg solar-powered estate

sounds simple. They are intended to be structures which produce more energy than

their occupants can consume, therefore creating a positive carbon footprint.


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Feuerverzinken| �

Thelargesolarroofgeneratesenvironmentally

friendlypower,andhelpstoprotectagainst

theweatherandsunlight.Ifsnowfalls,the

airrisinginfrontoftheSouthfaçadeintothe

interveningcavityhelpsintherapidmeltingof

thesnowontotheframelessmodules,sothat

thesolarequipmentgeneratesmorepowerin

Winter.Thelightbalconystructure,withgreat

transparencyanda“floatingsolarroof”carries

overthethickexternalenvelopeofthehouses

withitssolidinsulation.Theeffectoftheentire

constructionandthesolartechnologycanbe

measured.Thisisalsosupportedbythesemi-

transparencyoftheglassmodule,whichmakes

thecellsvisibleandthrowslightandshadow

ontothefaçade.Atthesametime,costscan

bereducedbecausethesolarroofisused

asprotectionagainstboththeweatherand

sunshine,sothattheeconomicefficiencyof

thehouseisincreased.

Building materials and other materialsTheroofareacoveredwithphoto-voltaic

modulesconsistsofpre-fabricatedgalvanized

“steelladders”,whicharemountedontheroof

areausingamodularsystem.Theverticalloads

areintroducedatspecificpointsintothetimber

roofconstructionbymeansofsealedsteel

platesthatarefastenedtoitinacompression-

proofandtensile-resistantmanner.

Heatexpansioneffectsareexcludedthrough

slots.ThelargeSouthroofprojectionis

supportedbytheelongatedbalconystructure.

Thebalconiesconsistofafiligreegalvanized

steelstructuremadefromhollowsectionsand

sectionsofgalvanizedgratings,whicharelined

withDouglasfirtimber.Thankstotheuseof

galvanizingforallthesteelcomponents,

long-term,maintenance-freeandecological

corrosionprotectionisguaranteed.

Architect/Photos: HorstDisch,Freiburg

Architecture

2008

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For many years, North Speicherstadt in Münster, an area which is under a preservation

order, acted as a barracks and a military storage depot, and more recently it has

been rented out for civilian use by the Westfälisch-Lippische property management

company. Small consulting firms, agencies and publishing companies, data and

telecommunications service providers, as well as public institutions, are among the

heterogeneous group of tenants that make Speicherstadt a diverse but unified area.

Architecture

Transparent TechnologyComputer centre, Münster

By Holger Glinde

TheJointComputerCentreforMünster,which

operatesonbehalfoftheentireprovince,

occupiestheblockknownas“Anden

Speichern9„.Therequirementsimposedon

theblockintermsofsecurityandtechnical

capabilitieshavemadeitnecessarytoerect

anancillarytechnicalblockcloseby.

TheMünsterarchitectsSchoepsundSchlüter

wereselectedtodesignit.Thenewbuilding

makesnoattempttoassertitself,butfitsinto

theexistinggroupoflistedbuildings.

Atthesametime,itdoesn’ttryfora“period

look”,butrepresentsacontemporaryinterpre-

tationoftheexistinggroupofbuildingswhich

isappropriatetoitsuse.

Thefootprintofthebuildingcanbeaccounted

forbyitsstratifiedfunction.

Thegroundfloorcontainstheclosedrooms

withthecontrolsystemtechnology,thestandby

dieselgeneratingequipmentforthecomputer

centreandtherefrigerationcontrolcentre.

Internally,thegalvanizedsteeldesignconsists

ofheat-insulatingsandwichsectionswithan

externalfaçadeofgalvanizedsteel.

Theroofstorey,whichisalsomadefromgalva-

nizedgratingmaterial,providestheprotection

requiredagainstcorrosionfortheexternal

coolingunitsofthecentre,togetherwith

maximumventilation.

Theprotectivefaçadepullsthebuilding

togethertoformacompact‘box’formodern

technology.Thebuildingenvelopeplayswith

theobserver,dependingontheanglefrom

whichitisviewed.Sometimes,thebuilding

seemstobeamonolithicblock,aheavy,

absolutelyclassicalhouse,thenitdissolves

completelyanddisplaysatransparentpart

ofthestructure.

Theconstructionfollowsthefunction,which

hasbroughtaboutastrikinglysimpledesign

solution.Thegalvanizedsteelload-bearing

systemisformedfromstructuralsteelcolumns

incombinationwithsteeltrussesandrafters.

Itstandsonastablereinforcedconcretefloor,

withstripfootings.

Theenvelopeconsistsofhotdipgalvanized

gratings.Theentireconstructionwaspre-

fabricatedandneededonlytobebolted

togetheronsite.Theuseofgalvanizing

providedtheclientwiththedesired50year

maintenance-freelife.

Architects/photos:

SchoepsundSchlüterArchitekten,Münster

2008

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ThermischVerzinken| �

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Thepossibilitiesofprefabricatedconstruction

havepreoccupiedarchitectsformorethana

century.

Anumberofprominentnameswithintheworld

ofarchitecturehavetriedtodevelopavisionfor

theultimateconceptforprefabricateddesign.

ThelikesofWalterGropius,KonradWachs-

mannandLeCorbusierhavealldabbled

withinthefield.

EricReynoldsofUrbanSpaceManagement

seestheContainerCityconceptas“atactic

forrecycling”.Thesystemcanbeseenasan

innovativeandversatilesystemthatprovides

affordableaccommodationforawiderange

ofuses.USM’sprototypeContainerCity,uses

redundantfreightcontainersasthebasicunit

formixed-usedevelopment.

ItislocatedatTrinityBuoyWharf,London,

wheretheRiverLeaflowsintotheThames

andisacrosstheriverfromtheMillennium

Dome.TrinityBuoyWharfwastheprincipal

workshopofTrinityHouse,thebodyresponsible

formaintainingBritain’slighthousesandlight-

ships,from1803untilitsclosurein1988.

USMhasrefurbishedthelistedbuildings

there,andconstructedthreephasesof

containerbaseddesignedprojects,thefirst

twodesignedbyNicholasLaceyandPartners

in1999-2000.

Thethird,theRiversideBuilding,wascom-

pletedlastyearbyAhrendsBurtonKoralek.

Aquarteroftherentsforthestudiosand

live/workunitsgotoacharitabletrustwhich

managesthesite.

Theshippingcontainerwasinventedby

MalcolmMcLean,anAmericanhaulage

operatorandthefirstcontainershipsailed

fromNewark,NewJerseyin1956totheUK.

Withinarelativelyshortperiodoftimethe

containerhadrevolutionisedthefreight

industryworldwide.

Thetypicalcontaineris6mlongand2.5m

wideand2.5mhigh.Thedimensionsarecare-

fullychosentoenableeasytransportation.

Thereisnoabsoluterecordofthenumberof

containersinusebutitisestimatedtoruninto

manymillions.

TherawmaterialisCortensteelthatisableto

resisttheeffectsofseawater.

EricReynoldsholdstheviewthatthereisno

needtomanufacturenewmodulesforprefab

constructionprojectswhenthereisaready

supplyofcontainersthatcanberecycledto

formidealstartingpointsforprojectssuchhas

theContainerCity.

“Thecontainersarecheap,adaptableand

transportable”,Reynoldssays.

An innovative, versatile system that links used shipping containers to provide

high-strength, prefabricated steel modules that can be combined to create a variety

of end-user needs may not be architectural nirvana. It does however provide one

avenue for the prefabrication concept that combines low cost with reliability.


Architecture

Container DesignInnovative, recyclable and versatile

By Iqbal Johal

2008

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1 2


Architecture

“Wecameupwiththeideaofinstanthomes

forNewOrleansafterthehurricane–wecould

havedeliveredthemreadyforoccupationfor

£27,000each,buttheideawasn’ttakenup.”

IthascommissionedABKforaforthcoming

schemeinLafayetteStreetinNewYorkCity’s

“cast-irondistrict”.

ReynoldsdescribestheapproachatTrinity

BuoyWharfasamatterof“pilingupthe

containersandminingourwaythrough”.

AnimportantelementfortheContainerCity

conceptistheuseofancillarymaterials

“theglue”thatbondseverythingtogether.

Inthetraditionoftheoverallindustrialconcept,

galvanisedsteelplaysanimportantroleandis

interestinglyusedbothinternallyandexternally

throughouttheproject.

Connectingsectionsbetweenthecontainers

andsupportsteelworkforaccess,and

walkwaysareallexposedgalvanizedsteel.

Infactithelpstopullalltheindividualparts

togetherintoacohesivewholewhileeasily

blendingintotheaestheticoftheproject.

UrbanSpaceManagementwiththedriveand

enthusiasmofEricReynoldshassuccessfully

usedtheContainerCitysystemtocreateoffice

space,retailspace,artiststudios,aschool,

anurserycentreandlive/workspace.

ThemodulartechniqueadaptedbyUSMhelps

tocutconstructiontimesandcostbyuptohalf

thatoftraditionalbuildingtechniqueswhile

stillbeingabletobemoresustainableatthe

sametime.

Photos: (1, 2, 3, 6) RiversidebyUSMLtd.

Architect:ABK,London

Photoby:www.containercity.com,SarahHewson

(4) CoveParkbyUSMLtd.

Photoby:www.containercity.com

(5) MorpethSchoolbyUSMLtd.

Photoby:www.containercity.com

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Architecture

Building with living treesOrganic structures

By Holger Glinde

Timber is a traditional material in architecture for the construction of load-bearing

structures, and has been in use for millennia. What is only just evolving is organic

design – namely, using trees as load-bearing structures in architecture.

Thisrecentdevelopmenttriestoharnessthe

naturalgrowthprocessoftreesforusein

structuralfunctions,andtocarryoverourfas-

cinationforthenaturalworldintoarchitecture.

TherecentlyestablishedStuttgartfirmof

architects,LudwigStorzSchwertfeger,has

carriedoutitsfirstfewconstructionprojects

usingthistheme.Aprototypebridgeconstruc-

tedin2005wasbasedontwoprinciples-

professionalengineeringconstructionand

naturalgrowth.Theprojectdemonstratesthe

specialcharacteristicsofthisnaturalformof

architectureinanexemplaryway.

Thedesigndeliberatelycombinesinanimate

componentsfromtheworldoftechnologywith

thenaturalstructuralstrengthandrigidityof

trees.Aclear,geometricallanguageofshapes

wasselectedasacontrasttotheorganic

structuresoftheplants.Acolumnarstructure

wasformedfromrapidlygrowingwillows.

Itcarriesasurface,madefromhotdipgal-

vanizedlatticework,whichpeoplecanwalk

across.Allstructuralloadscanbeabsorbed

bythetypeofwillowused.“Weusedhotdip

galvanizedsteelbecauseofitsdurability,and

ongroundsofcost.

Sofar,wehavefoundthatwithourtypeof

construction,zincisextremelycompatiblewith

thenaturalworld”commentsFerdinand

Ludwig,oneofthedesignpioneers,with

referencetothedecisiontousehotdipgalva-

nizing.Zincisanaturalelementandpeople,

animalsandplantscan’tlivewithoutit.

Buildingwithlivingmaterialsmeansplanting

structuresinsteadofcastingconcretefoun-

dations.‘Rootfoundations’areanespecially

protectivetypeofanchorageforstructures,and

donotrequireanyartificialsubstancestobe

introducedintothesoil.


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Butintermsofconstructionpractice,thelack

offoundationsalsomeansthatconstruction

mustproceedwithoutaflat,levelsurface

formingafirmbase.

Itwasveryobviousafterashortperiodoftime

thatthistypeofdesigndoesnotcomeinto

beingthroughthecreativepowersofhumanity

alone,butarecontinuouslybeingalteredbythe

processesofgrowth.

Thisaffectstheformofthestructure,butalso

thedetailsofconstruction.Wheretechnical

elementsarecombinedwithlivingtimber,

callousesarecreated–i.e.thereislocalised

diametergrowth,andplantswhicharelinked

tooneanothergrowtogetheratthesenodal

points.Onesignificantaspectoftheapproach

isthatdiametergrowthsofthistypeare

deliberatelyencouragedandputtoconstructive

use.Theso-called‘constantstressaxiom’is

thebasisofconstructioninthiscase:treestry

toachieveuniformdistributionofstressesover

theirsurfaces,andattempttoreducestress

peaksbyaddingmorewoodattheplaces

wherethestressesarestrongest.

Forthisreason,theplantsareveryfirmly

compressedagainsteachotheroragainst

addedcomponentssothatinthecourseof

time,constructiondetailsofthistype,and

thustheentirestructure,becomemoreand

morestable.

Thenaturalbuildingapproachrepresents

anattempttocombinetheknownecological

advantagesoftimberasastructuralmaterial

withtheself-regulatingintelligenceofthetree.

Theintentionistoderiveatechnicalbenefit

fromtheself-forming,self-repairingandself-

optimisingprocessesintrees.Innormalload-

bearingstructuresthecontinuouslyadjusting

‘livingtimber’reactsinadynamicandadaptive

manner,withoutanyadditionalmonitoringand

regulatingmechanismstothestresseswhich

arise.Livingtimberhasnaturalhigh-tech

attributeswhenitisusedasalivingconstruc-

tionmaterial.

Basedontheknowledgeobtainedtodate,

staticcalculationscanbemadewithregard

tonaturalbuildingatthesiteswherethere

aresuchstructures.However,onlyrelatively

simpleload-bearingstructures,limitedtosize

andcomplexity,arebeingformed,whichalso

meansthattheapplicationrangeislimited.

Naturalbuildingisnotclaimingtoreplaceany

conventionalformsofconstruction.

Itsprospectslieinspecialconstructiontasks,

wheretheecologicalandsensuousqualities

ofthestructuraltechniquecanbeshownto

theirbestadvantageandhaveasignificant

influenceonthedesign.

Asarule,thisformofdesignusesman-made

materialsaswell,hotdipgalvanizedsteel,

duetoitslong-lifeanditsmultipleecological

advantages,addstheidealfinishingtouch.

Architects/photos:

LudwigStorzSchwertfegerGbR,Stuttgart

Architecture



2008

1/4 Sustainability

Hot dip galvanizing is the simplest and most efficient method of protecting steel

from corrosion. Its dip process is inherently efficient but the greatest benefit comes

from the durability of galvanized steel structures and components.

Galvanizing: The low-energy solution Reducing the carbon footprint of Steel Structures

By Murray Cook, EGGA Director

Thelong-termdurabilityprovidedbygalvanizing

isachievedatrelativelylowenvironmental

burdenintermsofenergyandotherglobally

relevantenvironmentalimpacts,especially

whencomparedtotheenergyvalueofthesteel

itisprotecting.Infact,theenergyrequiredto

galvanizeonekilogrammeofsteelrepresents

just0.4%oftheembodiedenergyofthesteel

itself.Asaresult,theembodiedenergyofsteel

canbepreservedforalongtimeandeventually

recycledforuseinaninfinitenumberofcycles

ofre-use.

Ithasbecomeincreasinglyimportanttounder-

standtheenergyprofileofconstructionpro-

ductsandservices.Inrecentyears,anumber

ofstudieshavedocumentedtheenergyprofile

ofthehotdipgalvanizingprocessandthe

galvanizedsteelthatisproduced.

Arecentreviewoftheselife-cyclestudies,by

LifeCycleEngineering(Torino,Italy),hasshown

reasonablyconsistentvaluesforthegross

energyrequirementandglobalwarming

potentialassociatedwithhotdipgalvanizing.

ThisreviewissummarisedinTable1.

Whilsttherearesomesmalldifferencesin

resultsduetovariationsinprocessesstudied,

typeofworkprocessedandthemodelsused,

theresultsindicatethatglobalwarmingpoten-

tialliesintherange0.1-0.33kgCO2eqv./kg.

ofsteelcoatedandgrossenergyrequirementin

therange3.4-5.3MJ/kgofsteelcoated.

Thiswouldappeartobeasmallpricetopay

forthelong-termdurabilityofsteelstructures

thatisachievedandtheenergy-intensivemain-

tenanceoperationsthatareeliminated.When

galvanizingisnotused,theenergycostsof

maintenancearesignificantandcaninclude:

•Repeatedapplicationofpaint

•Accesssystemstoallowmaintenance

painting

•Roadclosuresandtrafficdelays

Severalstudieshaveinvestigatedthelifecycle

energysavingsassociatedwithuseofgalvani-

zingforlong-termprotection,comparedtothe

principalalternative,i.e.,paint.Twoofthese

studieswerereportedinpreviousissuesof

thismagazine(4/2004 pp14-15 and 4/2006

pp14-15).

Acomparisonofpaintandgalvanizingforcoa-

tingofasteelbalconysystemwascarriedout

byVTTBuilding&Transportin2004.

Thestudyconcludedthat,overa60-year

servicelife,themaintenance-freegalvanized

coatingresultedinlessthanhalfthelifecycle

energyofthecompletebalconysystemcompa-

redtotheuseofapaintsystemwithassocia-

tedmaintenancepainting.

In2006,theTechnicalUniversityofBerlin

comparedpaintandgalvanizingforcoatingofa

steel-framedcarpark.Thestudyconcludedthat

theuseofgalvanizingforjustonesuch500

tonnesteelstructure,overa60-yearservice

1 Energy-relatedimpactsassociatedwithhotdipgalvanizing–asummaryofavailabledata(source:LCE,Torino)

Study

TU Berlin (Germany)

MRPI (Netherlands)

VTT Building and Transport (Finland)

EGGA Pan European Life Cycle Inventory

Gross Energy Requirement(MJ/kilogrammeofsteelprotectedbygalvanizingtoENISO1461)

notapplicable

3.4

4.3

5.3

Global Warming Potential(kgCO2equivalent/kgofsteelprotectedbygalvani-zingtoENISO1461)

0.09

0.2

0.2

0.33

Reference and Notes

VTT/IZA2004

EGGA2006.Dataexcluderecyclingcreditforzincrecycledatend-of-life

2 Photo:mattessekiguchipartnerarchitects,Heilbronn

2008

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HOT DIP GALVANIZING

AninternationaljournalpublishedjointlybythegalvanizingassociationsofGermany,

TheNetherlandsandGreatBritain.ItislicensedtoassociationsinSpain.

Edited by: G.Deimel, H.Glinde(EditorinChief),I.Johal,D.Baron,

Drs.G.H.J.Reimerink

Published by:GalvanizersAssociation,Wren’sCourt,

56VictoriaRoad,SuttonColdfield,WestMidlandsB721SY,UK

Tel:+44(0)1213558838 Fax: +44(0)1213558727

E-Mail:[email protected]:www.galvanizing.org.uk

Thismagazinemaynotbecopiedwithoutthewrittenpermissionoftheeditor©2008.

Distributed in Australia by: GalvanizersAssociationofAustralia,124ExhibitionStreet,

Melbourne,Victoria3000,Australia,Tel:0396541266,Fax:0396541136,

E-mail:[email protected]

Sustainability

life,wouldresultinasavingofover50tonnes

ofCO2.Forcomparison,burning1000litres

ofpetrolinacargeneratesapproximately2.5

tonnesofCO2.

Comparisonsforspecificstructuresmayvary,

butitisclearthatavoidingmaintenancewill

resultinsignificantlylowerenergydesign

solutions.

Evenbeforeservicelifeburdensaretakeninto

account,theinitialgrossenergyconsumption

ofhotdipgalvanizingcomparesveryfavourably

toothermethodsofprotectingsteel.Thisis

partlyduetothehighlevelsofenergyefficiency

thatareachievedbymoderngalvanizingfacili-

tiesandalsotherelativelylowenergycostsof

zincproduction.

Ofcourse,energyisrequiredtoheatthehot

dipgalvanizingbathandthisisusuallysupplied

bynaturalgas.Thegalvanizingindustryhas

madegreateffortstomanageitsenergyuse

efficiently.

Forexample,theindustryintheNetherlands

andUKhassetformaltargetsforenergy

efficiencyandthishasencouragednew

technologyandmanagementproceduresto

reachthesegoals.Importantaspectsof

energyefficiencyinclude:

•Operatingtheprocessonamulti-shiftbasis

•Useofmoreefficientinsulatedbathlids

(usedduringmaintenanceordowntime).

•Greateruseofwasteheatforheatingof

pre-treatmenttanks.

Galvanizing’smainrawmaterialiszinc.Zinc

hasalowso-called“freeenergyofformation”

comparedtomostothermetals.

Thisisanimportantchemicalcharacteristic

whichmeansthatitisrelativelyeasytosepa-

ratezincmetalfromitsores.Figure3shows

theenergyuseforprimaryproductionof

variousbasemetalsusedinconstruction,

includingzinc,inrelationtobothweightand

volume.

Amoredetailedknowledgeoftheenergy-

relatedaspectsofhotdipgalvanizinghas

highlightedthebenefitsofitsuseinreducing

thelifecycleenergydemandofsteelstruc-

tures.Whenmeasuredonalife-cyclebasis,the

avoidanceofmaintenanceduringservicelife

canleadtosignificantreductionsinthelegacy

ofenergydemandofasteelstructure.

Thisshouldleadtoafreshinterestinuseof

thissimpleandeffectivemethodofcorrosion

protectioninprojectswheresustainability

criteriamustbemet.

3 Energyuseforprimaryproductionofvariousbasemetalsinrelationtobothweightandvolume(valuesforiron/steelsetat1ineachcase)(source:Naturvårdsverket(1996).Metaller:MaterialflödenIsamhället.NaturvårdsverketRapport4506) 4 EnergyandGlobalWarming:Someusefuldefinitions

Carbon Footprint

Acarbonfootprintisameasureoftheimpacthumanactivitieshaveontheenvironmentintermsoftheamountofgreenhousegasesproduced,measuredinunitsofcarbondioxide.

Embodied energy

Embodiedenergyisthesumofthetotalprimaryenergyconsumedinthemanu-factureandsupplyofproducts.Thiswouldnormallyincludetheenergyusedinextraction,processingandrefining,transport,production,packaginganddeliverytothesiteinaconditionreadytousewithoutfurtherprocessing.Therearetwotypesofembodiedenergy:cradle-to-gateandcradle-to-site.Thedifferenceinthetwodefinitionsistheenergyassociatedwithtrans-portingtheproductfromfactorytositeofuse.

Global Warming Potential

GlobalwarmingismeasuredaskilogramCO2-equivalents.Globalwarmingisthegradualincrease,overtime,oftheaveragetemperatureofearth‘satmosphereandoceanssufficienttoinducechangesontheearth‘sclimate.Thisincreaseonearth‘stemperatureisrelatedtotheincreaseoftheemissionofgases,suchas,CO2,methane,watervapour,nitrousoxideandCFC’s,amongothers,fromman-madesources,mainlyfromthecombustionoffossilfuels.

8

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Rel

ativ

e en

ergy

con

sum

ptio

n

Energy/weight

Energy/volume

Fe Zn Cr Cu Ni Al

Fe=Iron,Zn=Zinc,Cr=Chromium,Cu=Copper,Ni=Nickel,Al=Aluminium

Panopticons*,fundedbytheNorthwestRegi-

onalDevelopmentAgencyandtheLancashire

EconomicPartnership,isavisionaryscheme

tocreateauniqueseriesof21stcenturyland-

marksacrossEastLancashireassymbolsof

therenaissanceofthearea.

“SingingRingingTree”isthethirdPanoptionto

becompletedandistheculminationofwork

donebyarchitectsTonkinLiu.

Althoughonfirstglancetheconceptseems

verysimplealotofdesignskillwasinvolvedin

makingitintoavisuallybeautifullandmarkwith

anexceptionalfinishingtwist.Theplacement

ofthehollowgalvanizedtubeshasbeenset

withsuchprecisionthathasthewindpasses

throughthemthetreesingsinharmony.(Listen

totheSingingRingingTreewww.youtube.com).

Architects: ArchitectsTonkinLiu

Photo: IanLawson

Galvanizing in Detail

Galvanizing DelightBy Iqbal Johal

2008

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*structure,spaceordeviceprovidingacomprehensiveorpanoramicview

Documents

HDG Magazine 1_2008