Road Map to Carbon Efficient Designs
NewsCollaboration is a word widely used in the construction sector. It is not only vital in the realisation of sustainability goals but at William Hare we consider collaboration key to the delivery of the iconic structures that we work on.
The most recent example of this collaborative approach was the successful delivery of 2 Aldermanbury Square. Working closely with partners at GPE, Bovis and Arup we crafted a carbon reduction strategy and implemented a number of reduction solutions along the way.
But it isn’t just collaboration with the client teams which allows us to deliver the high-quality, carbon efficient work we’ve become known for. Collaboration with our supply chain partners is equally important and this blog will highlight those teams whose experience and expertise helped us to achieve the impressive carbon reductions demonstrated on the 2 Aldermanbury Square project.
Arcelor Mittal
Steel supplier, Arcelor Mittal products allowed us to optimise the column designs using high strength steels including S460 & S460 Hi Star. This approach helped reduce the mass associated with the columns by 15 – 20% and also represented an equivalent saving in CO2e.
Further to this, specification of rolled members can add unwanted weight to the beam design. With the grid fixed, a strategy to optimise the floor plate was put into place.
Working with Arup, we identified key EU profiles that matched the structural zone available whilst providing structurally efficient sections that helped yield an 8% reduction in mass and avoided unwanted redundancy in the beam design.
Through the collaboration with Arcelor, we were able to ensure the availability of these sections, adhering to minimum rolling requirements of the mills, giving the project both cost and carbon certainty.
With the team satisfied of the structure's efficiency in terms of mass, focus shifted to initiatives that reduced the carbon associated with some of the core products used. It was collectively decided to procure an appropriate proportion of the steel (XCarb ®), produced with electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. This choice promoted the decarbonisation of the electricity grid whilst indirectly allowing key supply chain partners like Arcelor to further invest in decarbonisation initiatives that support its own pathway to NetZero by 2050.
European Metal Recycling (EMR)
Reused steel was a key part of GPE’s vision for 2 Aldermanbury Square. Although the majority of the steel deconstructed from the existing site was going elsewhere, there was a desire to use 50 tonnes of reused steel in the scheme to prove the concept could be delivered on London commercial offices.
We worked with EMR to validate an inspection and testing regime that had never been used on a major project such as this. Ultimately, we were able to successfully embed reused steel into the project, providing an example for future schemes, whilst also achieving a carbon reduction benefit in excess of 100 tonnes.
Richard Lees Steel Decking, SWECO & TATA
With the carbon associated with the metaldeck accounting for around 20% of the carbon included in our package, we were keen to reduce this impact as much as possible.
Optimising the design with Arup and TATA meant we could reduce the weight of the decking by 8%, meaning a carbon saving of 80 tonnes of CO2e.
We also partnered with TATA to explore how their Optemis Carbon Lite products could be incorporated into the scheme, reducing the impact of Scope 3 emissions on the project by 85%.
This initiative was supported by SWECO who supported our vision of stimulating broader industry change during TATA’s transition to low-carbon products by 2028.
Global leader in protective coatings Sherwin Williams
Although the intumescent used on this project was a relatively small contributor to the overall carbon associated with our scope, it was still an area we sought to improve.
William Hare Ltd supported Arup with its Fire Engineered approach which justified leaving secondary steel members unprotected, further reducing the crabon associated with the treatment products. Combining these efforts with localised beam checks helped reduce the volume of intumescent required on the project, reducing carbon from the coatings by 10%.
In summary
To truly reduce embedded carbon in any project it’s important to remember there are no shortcuts. It starts with the design and involves effort and collaboration from all stakeholders. 2 Aldermanbury Square is an excellent example of this approach which was facilitated through a formal Pre Construction Service Agreement (PCSA), and yielded:
- Steel – 68% Reduction in Carbon from Stage 3 Design
- MetalDeck – 85% Reduction in Scope 3 Emissions
- Intumescent – 10% Reduction from Stage 3 Design
- Reused Steel – 97% reduction from procuring equivalent virgin material
Congratulations to all involved in achieving these fantastic results which will not only benefit 2 Aldermanbury Square but also set a benchmark for carbon reduction methods on all future projects.
Collaboration is a word widely used in the construction sector. It is not only vital in the realisation of sustainability goals but at William Hare we consider collaboration key to the delivery of the iconic structures that we work on.
The most recent example of this collaborative approach was the successful delivery of 2 Aldermanbury Square. Working closely with partners at GPE, Bovis and Arup we crafted a carbon reduction strategy and implemented a number of reduction solutions along the way.
But it isn’t just collaboration with the client teams which allows us to deliver the high-quality, carbon efficient work we’ve become known for. Collaboration with our supply chain partners is equally important and this blog will highlight those teams whose experience and expertise helped us to achieve the impressive carbon reductions demonstrated on the 2 Aldermanbury Square project.
Arcelor Mittal
Steel supplier, Arcelor Mittal products allowed us to optimise the column designs using high strength steels including S460 & S460 Hi Star. This approach helped reduce the mass associated with the columns by 15 – 20% and also represented an equivalent saving in CO2e.
Further to this, specification of rolled members can add unwanted weight to the beam design. With the grid fixed, a strategy to optimise the floor plate was put into place.
Working with Arup, we identified key EU profiles that matched the structural zone available whilst providing structurally efficient sections that helped yield an 8% reduction in mass and avoided unwanted redundancy in the beam design.
Through the collaboration with Arcelor, we were able to ensure the availability of these sections, adhering to minimum rolling requirements of the mills, giving the project both cost and carbon certainty.
With the team satisfied of the structure's efficiency in terms of mass, focus shifted to initiatives that reduced the carbon associated with some of the core products used. It was collectively decided to procure an appropriate proportion of the steel (XCarb ®), produced with electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. This choice promoted the decarbonisation of the electricity grid whilst indirectly allowing key supply chain partners like Arcelor to further invest in decarbonisation initiatives that support its own pathway to NetZero by 2050.
European Metal Recycling (EMR)
Reused steel was a key part of GPE’s vision for 2 Aldermanbury Square. Although the majority of the steel deconstructed from the existing site was going elsewhere, there was a desire to use 50 tonnes of reused steel in the scheme to prove the concept could be delivered on London commercial offices.
We worked with EMR to validate an inspection and testing regime that had never been used on a major project such as this. Ultimately, we were able to successfully embed reused steel into the project, providing an example for future schemes, whilst also achieving a carbon reduction benefit in excess of 100 tonnes.
Richard Lees Steel Decking, SWECO & TATA
With the carbon associated with the metaldeck accounting for around 20% of the carbon included in our package, we were keen to reduce this impact as much as possible.
Optimising the design with Arup and TATA meant we could reduce the weight of the decking by 8%, meaning a carbon saving of 80 tonnes of CO2e.
We also partnered with TATA to explore how their Optemis Carbon Lite products could be incorporated into the scheme, reducing the impact of Scope 3 emissions on the project by 85%.
This initiative was supported by SWECO who supported our vision of stimulating broader industry change during TATA’s transition to low-carbon products by 2028.
Global leader in protective coatings Sherwin Williams
Although the intumescent used on this project was a relatively small contributor to the overall carbon associated with our scope, it was still an area we sought to improve.
William Hare Ltd supported Arup with its Fire Engineered approach which justified leaving secondary steel members unprotected, further reducing the crabon associated with the treatment products. Combining these efforts with localised beam checks helped reduce the volume of intumescent required on the project, reducing carbon from the coatings by 10%.
In summary
To truly reduce embedded carbon in any project it’s important to remember there are no shortcuts. It starts with the design and involves effort and collaboration from all stakeholders. 2 Aldermanbury Square is an excellent example of this approach which was facilitated through a formal Pre Construction Service Agreement (PCSA), and yielded:
- Steel – 68% Reduction in Carbon from Stage 3 Design
- MetalDeck – 85% Reduction in Scope 3 Emissions
- Intumescent – 10% Reduction from Stage 3 Design
- Reused Steel – 97% reduction from procuring equivalent virgin material
Congratulations to all involved in achieving these fantastic results which will not only benefit 2 Aldermanbury Square but also set a benchmark for carbon reduction methods on all future projects.