Steel is a versatile component that plays a major role in the structural steel fabrication industry. From structural steel beams, girders, and columns to steel pipes, sections, and bars, steel is majorly used for the construction of any buildings. In Canada, many federal and provincial governments have encouraged many construction industries to reduce waste during steel fabrication. The construction industry needs to be responsible for an enormous amount of waste generated during construction. With a comprehensive waste management plan, you can save some significant amount of money. So here are some of the ways to reduce waste produced during structural steel fabrication.
Reduce
Before you start considering to manage waste during the structural steel fabrication, it is important to prepare a waste management plan. The plan should include:
- - Informing your team about the norms and the benefits of waste management
Distribute the guide and the instruction during site induction and toolbox talks to raise awareness of good waste management.
- - Assigning a senior staff member with interest to minimise waste
When you appoint a staff member on-site, the member can motivate others to follow them to contribute towards the waste management plan.
- - Setting realistic waste reduction goals and targets
Let your team come up with realistic ideas that can be achieved. Understand the targets and the purpose of the goals for waste management.
- - Keeping a reward for your team to manage waste
Having some incentive for your team to follow the plan and contribute for the same towards it, can encourage them to try to reduce unnecessary waste.
- - Designing considerations
Encourage the designers and the customers to use the standard product dimensions prefabricated products to reduce the onsite waste such as onsite handling, reworking, and managing offcuts.
- - Creating an estimate of the materials used on the site
It is important to provide detailed plans and instructions to the estimators and the contractors regarding the materials and their accurate material takeoffs.
- - Preventing any unauthorised public dumping of waste materials
There are areas on sites that require you to remove the waste. It is necessary to be clear for the public to know that the waste around the site is not a dumping area. Try using a site sign which displays - ‘No unauthorised dumping’ till the waste is shifted at the right place. It also gives a professional impression to the public, thus creating a good image for your company and your project.
- - Use higher grade material
Use materials that would otherwise have been scrapped to create filler parts that would normally be made from a new piece of lower grade material.
After you consider these factors, you can move ahead with the plan and execute the same. Try to be involved early in the project to encourage the designs that focus on reducing the wastage.
Re-use
Reuse strategy can be used in two ways:
Building reuse - If you are starting a steel fabrication project where you have to demolish the existing buildings, you can use the materials that are already present in the building. You can easily find certain percentages of building structural and nonstructural elements such as interior walls, door floor covering, and ceilings that can be reused or discarded.
Materials reuse - Several materials can be reused during construction. If there are larger lengths of timber, cladding, building wrap, or any slightly damaged products, these materials can be ideal to be used in your new project. You may also use excess materials like leftover paint, fixtures, floor coverings, and fittings that can be neatly stored for future use. Collect the offcuts and use them first instead of the raw materials. Return, sell, or donate the unused and salvaged materials if they can't be reused.
Recycle
Unlike other materials, you can recycle structural steel. You must know that it is one of the most recycled materials in the world. Not only steel, but you can also find many materials, especially metals that can be recycled and used for your new project. Try asking your waste contractor how they can help you identify the recyclable waste on your site and use it for your future projects. Once you have identified the materials that you can recycle, keep these materials separate. Try focusing on recycling the materials that can be cost-effective. You may also consider to compact, consolidate, sort, and stack the waste materials.
Treat and Dispose
When all other options of reducing the waste are considered and exhausted, carry out the disposable of the waste in an appropriate manner with the help of an approved contractor. In Canada, 27% of the total solid waste is generated by construction, renovation, and demolition industry. There are various fundamentals that you follow to help operationalise waste reduction.
- Conduct a waste audit to establish the amount, composition and nature of the waste streams generated.
- Create a plan that outlines the goals and actions to reduce and divert each material stream.
- Implement waste reduction and diversion plan by ensuring the necessary components are in place.
If you are handling a structural steel fabrication construction project, you need to meet the rules and regulations of the region and provincial regions regarding the safety of the environment. If you choose the right steel construction contractor, they will ensure to provide you the best service along with the environment in mind.
