Organisers: Dr. Vittoria Laghi, University of Bologna, Italy ; Dr. Alper Kanyilmaz, Politecnico of Milan, Italy & Prof. Josephine V. Carstensen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Emails: vittoria.laghi2@unibo.it ; alper.kanyilmaz@polimi.it ; jvcar@mit.edu
Summary: The construction sector is responsible, overall, for 42% of the global carbon-dioxide emissions. With a growing global population that demands increases in both buildings and infrastructure, these numbers are likely to continue to rise in the coming decades. In addition to new construction that requires large material usage, construction and demolition waste contribute a significant proportion to the total solid waste generated. In this context, steel production is the world's most energy-consuming and carbon-emitting industrial activity. In order to achieve net zero carbon emissions, it is estimated that emissions from the steel industry must be reduced by more than 50% by year 2050.
Two potential solutions to reduce the environmental impact of steel structures are: (i) optimizing the geometry of new steel structures; or (ii) reusing existing steel structures. Increased recycling and reuse of construction materials have the potential to save both materials and energy, and to decrease waste and carbon emissions. The present session aims at sharing the latest research on these issues, reviewing and discussing novel technologies (from design to fabrication), and how to reduce the environmental impact of steel structures. Topics include, but are not limited to: conceptual design for steel reuse; structural optimization of innovative steel members; life-cycle assessment of steel structures; metal-based digital fabrication.