Pyörre — Circular economy mother house at Lohja Housing Fair 2021

Pyörre-house

Finland is heading towards low-carbon construction in line with carbon neutrality targets, taking into account the different strengths of building materials

Steel has the best usability and recyclability properties in terms of carbon neutrality.
Steel is the best building material in terms of circular economy.
Wood construction has its merits, although other materials are needed for carbon-neutral construction.

In the low carbon assessment method, it is a good idea to take into account manufacturing, emissions during use and dismantling, as well as the benefits of recycling and reuse of building parts and materials. Today, the recycling of steel structures is already operating almost 100%. The so-being melted steel from recycled steel is a so-after-process. the utilisation of scrap steel radically reduces co2 emissions from the production of new steel – by up to 80%. Steel structures are easily reusable thanks to advanced jointing techniques.

Over the past 20 years, the Nordic countries will gradually switch to the production of fully CARBON-free steel thanks to SSAB. This has a major global impact and a big impact in Finland as well.

The roadmaps of the Finnish Construction Industry Association and Rakli ry show that the joint efforts of the construction, real estate and administration sectors make carbon neutrality targets feasible within the timeframe set by Finland. The real estate and construction sectors, including developers, construction companies and the construction products industry, play an important role in this.

New climate-friendly alternatives increase efficiency, competitiveness and lifecycle quality

Steel construction and steel-based construction products and services represent an industry with an annual turnover of approximately EUR 1 billion in Finland, of which 40% of the volume is exports. Steel construction is the only sector in the construction products industry with significant exports of finished products. The steel construction sector is also a major employer with its subcontracting chains.

The value chain of construction must be strengthened in a versatile way towards a carbon-neutral design model, with which we will play a role in combating climate change. Supporting and increasing the use of steel-based construction products plays an important role in increasing the range of climate-resistant materials in Finnish construction. Circular economy is an important development target in construction. The efficient use of resources and the radical reduction of material that ends up as waste require the rapid introduction of circular economy principles.

Steel is eternal

Steel is one of the few materials that is genuinely closed for recycling. Steel is not consumed. It is used again and again without suffering quality or strength. Unlike most materials, the quality and strength of steel can be improved during recycling.

For this reason, steel is an ecologically sustainable material. Steel mills and distributors strive to make products through responsible and best practice processes and procedures. They contribute to reducing the use of resources worldwide, recycling and reusing materials where possible, and helping to create economic and procurement frameworks that enable this.

Steel construction

For decades, the steel construction industry has developed lightweight construction systems and elements that are resistant to consumption and moisture, as well as prefabricated construction fastening and jointing technologies. Thanks to their lightness, they are also ergonomic for those working on construction sites. The systems and technologies are suitable for structures in blocks of flats, commercial premises and public buildings as well as in detached houses.

Pyörre participates in three EU projects

The Pyörre house explores both low carbon and circular economy. The building aims to maximise the share of recycled, recyclable and renewable materials. The materials used are documented and visualized as a label. Pyörre is involved in the Ministry of the Environment's low-carbon construction pilot, which develops a suitable way for different building types to assess the carbon footprint and carbon handprint. In addition, the design of the building will test the EU's design criteria for adaptability, dismantlability and recyclability as the first Finnish building. All results are reported and illustrated in a resident-oriented way so that the choices of green construction and housing become concrete and understandable.