High strength steel in the Friends Arena
Fact sheet about environmental benefits through using high strength steel for the roof of Sweden’s national football stadium (Friends Arena).
In English.
2015. 2 s.
The construction industry is one of the sectors of the economy to use the greatest amount of steel. The use of high strength steel in buildings makes it possible to reduce the quantities of steel required. This, in turn, leads to a reduced environmental impact since a smaller amount of materials needs to be produced and transported.
Through using high strength steel for the roof of Sweden’s national football stadium (Friends Arena) in Solna, the weight could be cut by 13 per cent. This meant a reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions by 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Other factors that have probably helped to diminish the environmental impact – but are hard to measure – include the following: simplified handling of the lighter structural components, less welding work thanks to thinner materials and lighter frame work used in the course of installation.
The use of high strength steel in the Friends Arena also cut the cost of the construction process. The manufacturers of the structural elements calculated the economic savings at about SEK 20 million. These savings are mainly due to the fact that fewer welding joints were needed as well as lower preheat temperatures on welding when thinner steel is used.
The fact sheet is a summery from a case study within the environmental research program The Steel Eco-Cycle.
Learn more about the program.
