Sustainability & Building Green with Steel Buildings
Going Green is Easier with Metal Building Systems
With steel being the most recycled material on the planet, metal building systems are ideal for sustainable and “green” building. As North America’s largest recycler, Nucor typically recycles 22 million tons of scrap annually, including 9 million cars. Recycled steel reduces mining waste by 97%, air pollution by 86%, and water pollution by 76%. Producing steel through recycling also uses significantly less energy than conventional steel making. In fact, the energy Nucor saves through recycling compared to conventional steel production is enough to power Los Angeles for eight years.
The typical Nucor Building Systems building is manufactured from over 70% recycled steel. To top that, at the end of its useful life, 100% of a Nucor building can be recycled into a variety of steel products including new cars, appliances, buildings and bridges.
LEED Ratings & Metal Buildings
Nucor Corporation is a member of USGBC® (U.S. Green Building Council) an organization promoting environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
Our metal building systems are able to earn maximum LEED® points through the following three combined factors:
- Nucor buildings are manufactured from over 70% recycled steel.
- The steel in a Nucor building is recyclable. In other words, if the building were to be taken down, all of its steel can be made into new steel.
- Nucor offers two standard white paint finish options that exceed the LEED SRI requirement of 78. These colors can significantly reduce cooling requirements and costs.
Our Metal Panels Feature Cool Coating Technology
Our panels feature vivid, fade-resistant color, incredible durability and environmentally friendly cool technology originally developed for Stealth Aircraft in the U.S. Military. Developed by PPG Industrial Coatings for the Nucor Buildings Group, this is by far the best paint system available in the world today. Nothing works better or lasts longer. The energy-cost savings, architectural appeal, variety of profiles, texture and color, flexibility and long-term durability make our panels a popular choice for architects and building owners. These revolutionary coatings help generate lower environmental temperatures reducing smog and the heat island effect, and help reduce cooling costs in hot summer months.