Embodied Carbon in Construction
Data for Your Steel
Embodied carbon is moving from a nice-to-have to a requirement. Building codes, owner commitments, and procurement rules like Buy Clean now ask project teams to report the embodied carbon of major materials, and steel is one of the largest. American Katerra documents the embodied carbon of the structural steel we fabricate, so your team can report it and act on it with confidence.
What is embodied carbon in construction?
Embodied carbon is the greenhouse gas released in making, transporting, and installing a material, before a building is ever used. For structural steel, most of it comes from how the steel is produced. Reporting it accurately is the first step to bringing it down.
Data we can provide
We document the embodied carbon of the steel in your package, drawn from our digital model and life cycle assessment. We can align the data with whole life carbon reporting for the project.
Lower it with Green Steel
Documentation shows where the carbon is. Our Green Steel product helps bring it down: specify lower-carbon structural steel for all or part of a package, and report the difference.
Tied to the model we build from
Accurate carbon data depends on an accurate model. Our green information modeling approach links embodied-carbon data to the same model we fabricate from, so the numbers reflect the steel you actually receive.
FAQs
Is embodied carbon the same as operational carbon?
No. Operational carbon comes from running a building over its life. Embodied carbon is locked in before occupancy, in materials like steel and concrete.
Where does steel’s embodied carbon come from?
Mostly from steelmaking. The production route and recycled content make a large difference, which is why sourcing matters.
Can you provide data for only part of a project?
Yes. We can document the steel scope we fabricate, for all or part of a package, and hand it to your reporting team.
Contact Us
If your project has an embodied-carbon target, talk to us early. We will show you what we can document and where Green Steel can help. Talk to a project engineer or request a capability statement.