Steel Circular Economy in Civil Construction PDF

ARTIGOS STEEL CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE CIVIL CONSTRUCTION: A STUDY CASE OF STEEL INDUSTRY ECONOMIA CIRCULAR DO AÇO NA CONSTRUÇÃO CIVIL: ESTUDO DE CASO DE SIDERÚRGICA ECONOMÍA CIRCULAR DEL ACERO EN LA CONSTRUCCIÓN: ESTUDIO DE CASO DE UNA EMPRESA SIDERÚRGICA CLARISSA SENA DE ANDRADE | UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, Brasil ALBERTO CASADO, Dr. | UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, Brasil EMANOEL SILVA DE AMORIM | UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, Brasil GIRLÂNDIA DE MORAES SAMPAIO | UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, Brasil DIOGO CAVALCANTI OLIVEIRA | UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, Brasil JOAQUIN HUMBERTO AQUINO ROCHA, Me. | UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil ABSTRACT This research aims to describe a case study of the application of the circular economy of steel in a steel industry, demonstrating the impacts on economic, social and environmental sustainability. The methodology employed included a case study with stages of literature review, field investigation and analysis of collected data. The field 51 investigation consisted of direct observation and analysis of documents, as well as visits and interviews with the managers of the studied company. The analysis of the results considered CO2 emissions, energy consumption, use of raw materials and recycling of co-products, mainly. The results demonstrated the positive impacts of the business model in the context of the circular economy, with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 50% compared to the global average; 8.90% reduction in energy spent during steel manufactu- ring from 2019 to 2020, despite the 5.53% increase in production in the year. It should be noted that each year a greater percentage of waste is reused, with a maximum value of 78.88% in 2020. The main contribution of this work consists in the systematization of the actions that characterize the circular economy in the steel industry, through which it encourages sustainable processes in the civil construction industry. The sector can be one of the drivers of the transition to a circular economy by reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, increasing profitability and having a sustainable approach. KEYWORDS Circular economy; sustainability; steel mills; greenhouse gas emissions; construction industry. RESUMO Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo descrever estudo de caso da aplicação da economia circular do aço em siderúrgica, demonstrando os impactos para a sustentabilidade econômica, social e do meio-ambiente. A metodologia empre- gada contemplou estudo de caso com etapas de revisão da literatura, investigação em campo e análise dos dados coletados. A investigação em campo consistiu em observação direta e análise de documentação, além de visitas e entrevistas com os gestores da empresa estudada. A análise dos resultados considerou principalmente as emissões de CO2, consumo de energia, uso de matérias-primas e reciclagem de coprodutos. Os resultados demonstraram os impactos positivos do modelo de negócio no contexto da economia circular, com a redução de emissão de gases de http://dx.doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 ISSN: 2447-0899 (IMPRESSA) | 2447-3073 (ONLINE) Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 efeito estufa (GEE) aproximadamente 50% em relação à média global; redução da energia gasta durante fabricação do aço de 2019 a 2020 em 8,90%, mesmo diante do aumento da produção no ano de 5,53%. Destaca-se que a cada ano é reaproveitada uma maior percentagem de resíduos, com um valor máximo de 78,88% em 2020. A principal con- tribuição deste trabalho consiste na sistematização das ações que caracterizam a economia circular em siderúrgica, através da qual se incentiva processos sustentáveis na indústria da construção civil. O setor pode ser um dos motores da transição para uma economia circular ao reduzir o consumo de matérias-primas e energia, além das emissões de GEE, aumentar a rentabilidade e ter uma abordagem sustentável. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Economia circular; sustentabilidade; siderúrgicas; emissão de gases de efeito estufa; indústria da construção. RESUMEN El objetivo de esta investigación es describir un estudio de caso sobre la aplicación de la economía circular en la sider- urgia, demostrando las repercusiones en la sostenibilidad económica, social y medioambiental. La metodología em- pleada incluyó un estudio de caso con etapas de revisión bibliográfica, investigación de campo y análisis de los da- tos recogidos. Los resultados mostraron los impactos positivos del modelo de negocio en el contexto de la economía circular, con una reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) de aproximadamente el 50% en comparación con la media mundial; una reducción del 8,90% de la energía utilizada para fabricar acero de 2019 a 2020, incluso ante un aumento del 5,53% de la producción en el año. Cabe destacar que cada año se reutiliza un mayor porcentaje de residuos, con un valor máximo del 78,88% en 2020. La principal aportación de este trabajo es sistematizar las acciones que caracterizan la economía circular en la siderurgia, a través de las cuales se fomentan los procesos sostenibles en la industria de la construcción. El sector puede ser uno de los impulsores de la transición hacia una economía circular reduciendo el consumo de materias primas y energía, así como las emisiones. 52 PALABRAS CLAVE Economía circular; sostenibilidad; acerías; emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero; industria de la construcción. Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 1. INTRODUCTION Southeast region, 92% of production (ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, 2017). Steel is the most recyclable material Civil construction is responsible for 38% of greenhouse in the world and can be continuously recycled without loss gases emitted into the atmosphere, being pointed out of quality and reused as raw material through scrap. The as the industry with the greatest impact on environmen- adoption of the circular economy concept in the sector has tal sustainability (HUANG et al., 2018; UNITED NATIONS enabled the intelligent and effective reuse of raw materials, ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME, 2020). In addition, the sector inputs, and waste (BRAZIL STEEL INSTITUTE, 2017). is the largest consumer of raw material, generating about Given the context presented, this paper aims to des- 35% of municipal landfill waste (GHAFFAR et al., 2020). cribe through a case study the application of circular steel This situation is a social challenge due to the increa- economy in a steel company, demonstrating the impacts sing volume of construction waste, where in Brazil pre- caused by the business model of the company in economic, sents more than 60% of the collection of municipal solid social, and environmental sustainability. The main analyses waste (MSW) in cities, as a consequence of a linear eco- of the case study include CO2 emissions, energy consump- nomic model (ABRELPE, 2020). As an option to reduce tion, use of raw materials, and recycling of co-products. the use of primary materials and their environmental im- STEEL PRODUCTION AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY pacts, through different strategies that replace the end of The International Labor Organization considers that the life, such as reduction, reuse and recycling of materials in steel sector accounts for 3% of the employed people in the production/distribution and consumption processes, the world, contributing about 3.8% of the global GDP (WORLD circular economy stands out (KIRCHHERR et al., 2017; LI et STEEL ASSOCIATION, 2020) According to the World Steel al., 2022). The Circular Economy (infinite cycle), proposes Association (2021), it is estimated that world demand for changes in the way of thinking and acting in relation to steel will double by 2050, a situation that greatly contribu- the consumption of goods and services, favoring the rein- tes to increased resource consumption, since among the tegration of waste to the productive cycle/consumption industrial segments, the steel is the largest consumer of infinite times (RUIZ et al., 2020; MANNHEIM, 2022). energy (MILFORD et al., 2011; HOLAPPA, 2020). In Brazil, the main regulatory framework that ad- Given the situation, the steel production process is 53 dresses the circular economy is the National Solid Waste crucial for the strategic and sustainable growth of this Policy (NSWP), introduced in 2010 by Law 12,305 (BRAZIL, segment, as well as reassess the current business model. 2010). Brazil can be considered a pioneer in the countries According to the Brazil Steel Institute (2020), there are two of Latin America and the Caribbean to implement legisla- types of steel plants: integrated (use iron ore as raw ma- tion related to waste management (GUARNIERI et al., 2020). terial in a majority way) and semi-integrated (use scrap as However, the circular economy is not formally expressed in the main source of steel production). Figure 01 illustrates national laws and has been approached in a decentralized the steel production process. way, with incipient implementation and the concept still little understood (JESUS et al., 2023). Circular Economy systems are based on the reuse, repair, reconditioning, remanufacturing, and recycling of products. The return to the production cycle, allows treating waste in a biological and technical way, being thought from its de- sign so that they can recirculate safely and with quality, ex- panding the possibilities of business related directly or indi- rectly to the Circular Economy (ABDALLA; SAMPAIO, 2018; FRANCONI; CESCHIN; PECK, 2022; SHEVCHENKO et al., 2023). The circular economy covers several areas, including industrial, through remanufacturing, which allows the transformation of used or defective products into new pro- ducts, with a new life cycle (ALAMEREW; BRISSAUD, 2020; MISHRA et al., 2023). Particularly in the steel industry is no different. Currently, steel company in Brazil are distributed Figure 01: Steel production. in 10 Brazilian states, with the highest concentration in the Source: Brazil Steel Institute (2017). Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5| p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 In the integrated plants, the first step consists in the according to steel demand and makes the use of scrap ex- preparation of raw material (Step 1) - iron ore - which is posing less to the availability of iron ore (MERCADO, 2018). processed via pelletization (agglomeration of fines into The global trend is that there is an increasing adoption of pellets of defined size for blast furnace efficiency) or via semi-integrated plants (also called mini-mills), since in sintering (prepared for physical and chemical characteris- 2020, the world crude steel production was already 27.7% tics). The addition of sinter, coke, and wood (Step 2) inside through semi-integrated plants; while the rest in integra- the blast furnace (Step 3) promotes the production of pig ted plants (WORLD STEEL ASSOCIATION, 2021). iron (iron and carbon alloy), through the reduction indu- The role of the semi-integrated steel plant is funda- ced by coke. Still in Step 3 are added the fluxes and sco- mental to the circular economy in the processing of scrap ring with the function of forming compounds with higher steel, contributing to the preservation of the environment melting point when aggregating with impurities of iron by reducing the amount of material deposited in landfills ore and coal. In the refining (Step 4) is inserted oxygen to and inadequate sites. In addition, the semi-integrated the process to oxidize carbon, manganese, silicon, and plant reduces the energy use required in the steel pro- phosphorus present in pig iron. This process is developed duction process by minimizing CO2 emissions and gene- in the steel mill, via LD/BOF converter (Lins-Donawitz/ rates job opportunities for thousands of people through Basic Oxygen Furnace). an extensive chain of scrap collection and processing for Subsequently, the liquid metal goes to casting (Step recycling. 5), followed by mechanical forming through lamination (Step 6). 3. METHODOLOGY In the semi-integrated plants, focus of this work - bu- siness model of the circular economy, the production of For the development of the present work, the qualita- steel occurs by the fusion of metal load (scrap, pig iron) tive research method was adopted with a case study. in the electric steelworks/ electric furnace in the refining According to Godoy (1995), qualitative research starts (Step 4), eliminating Steps 2 and 3, following for the cas- from issues or focuses that have broad interests, where, as 54 ting (Step 5) and rolling (Step 6). the study develops, these interests are defined. The main advantage of semi-integrated plants is the In general, this type of research seeks to obtain des- absence of the iron ore reduction step, which reduces criptive data on people, places and interactive processes the complexity of the production process while allowing through direct contact of the researcher with the situation lower costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. being studied. Emphasizing that the definition of qualita- According to data from the World Steel Association (2021), tive research will not be restricted to the object of study one ton of steel produced with recycled ferrous scrap is or even by its purpose, but mainly by the way the object is equivalent to ceasing to emit 1.5 tons of greenhouse ga- studied. Dias Filho (2008) highlights the main elements to ses. Figure 02 illustrates the CO2 emission by integrated typify qualitative research. They are qualitative research and semi-integrated plants. has the natural environment as a direct source of data and the researcher as its main instrument; qualitative research is descriptive; the concern with the process is much gre- ater than with the product; meaning is the essential con- cern in the qualitative approach and data analysis tends to follow an inductive process. Thus, this research becomes qualitative, as it focuses on the analysis and description of the steel production process, seeking to address the business model towards Figure 02: Integrated versus semi-integrated power plants in CO2 emission. a circular economy in a case study of a semi-integrated Source: Chalabyan et al. (2019). plant, and its importance for environmental, economic, and social sustainability. According to Lara and Molina In addition to being less polluting, the semi-integra- (2011), case study is a research category whose objective ted plants have other advantages: activated and deacti- is a unit that is analyzed in depth and that two circumstan- vated more easily, can produce steel in smaller quantities, ces must be observed: nature and scope of the unit; com- more flexible with the adjustments of production levels plexity of the case study determined by the theoretical Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 supports that guide the work of the researcher. responsible for the marketing and receipt of scrap at the This work is structured in 3 topics. The first is a litera- plant. Interviews were also conducted with the specialist ture review focused on the conceptual aspects and fou- and analyst of the steel mill sector, in which he is respon- ndation on the subject. Followed by field research and, sible for the transformation of scrap into billet and the finally, the analysis of collected data, in which actions are rolling specialist to understand how the process of trans- described to achieve the objective and expected results. formation of the billet into rebar occurs. Because it is qua- litative research, the interview was chosen as a comple- 3.1. Literature review mentary instrument of data collection, which also allows to obtain information from the study subjects through The narrative literature review was made to build the theore- oral interaction (VARGAS-JIMÉNEZ, 2012). tical framework, which becomes important for the thematic contextualization addressed. The literature survey is the lo- 3.3. Analysis of the collected data cation and obtaining of documents to assess the availabili- ty of material that will support the topic of research work. Data analysis was made from documentary research and Collection sites can be in libraries, government or private field investigation, in which the information was compi- agencies, institutions, individuals, collections, scientific arti- led and critically analyzed in order to characterize and cles. Thus, is separated the documents collected according describe the steel plant process. The documentary rese- to the search criteria (GONÇALVES, 2019). arch strategy was used to mediate the discussion with the We used strong authors about the theme to build the literature, retrieving technical standards, materials made theoretical framework, to contextualize the theme. From available by the steel plant studied - courses, materials bibliographical research, which took place in articles and and the company's website. The 2020 annual report was course completion papers in the period 2015-2021 on the also retrieved, since it was the last one published. The academic google platform. And also, platforms to obtain main analyses of the case study are presented in Table 01. technical information such as the Brazil Steel Institute and World Steel Association. 55 3.2. Field investigation with descriptive analysis The present work consists of field research of descriptive nature, with sources of evidence adopted as: direct obser- vation and analysis of documents. A case study was carried Table 01: Main analysis of the case study. out in order to evaluate the sectors of the steel production Source: Elaborated by the authors. process, visits were made to the areas to obtain a technical and professional view, as shown in Figure 03. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The company studied operates in the steelmaking seg- ment, as a producer of flat steel, long steel, iron ore, and has integrated and semi-integrated mills. It also opera- tes in the market by recycling scrap, which represents 73% of its raw material, the scrap is then transformed into steel and returned to society in civil construction, agriculture, automobiles, infrastructure, and energy. Nechifor et al. (2020) indicate that the adoption of scrap as an input in the steel industry favors the reduction of Figure 03: Technical visits to the steel sectors studied. Source: Elaborated by the authors. negative environmental impacts and provides a direction for a circular economy. The use of recycled materials and Thus, interviews were conducted with the mana- new technologies in steel production requires the use of ger and specialist in the area of metal, in which they are fewer resources, encouraging a circularity in production Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5| p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 56 Figure 04: Summary scheme of the circular economy of the company studied. Source: Adapted by the author of the annual report 2020 of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020). processes (MULVANEY et al., 2021). For these reasons the - includes the emission sources: acquired electric energy), business model of the company studied is characterized it is possible to perceive the reduction of gas emissions as circular economy. compared to 2019 in Table 02. Although in Scope 01 there The company has been seeking to balance the econo- is an increase in CO2 emissions from 2019 to 2020, which mic, social and environmental pillars by adopting various is explained by the higher steel production. The company initiatives and practices aligned with the concept of cir- cular economy, through environmental investments, en- vironmental education training to employees, preserving and conserving forests. Figure 04 presents a summarized scheme of the circular economy of the studied company. The circular model adopted in the studied plant has brought relevant results for sustainability, mainly by CO2 emissions, which is the main greenhouse gas emitted by the steel industry (DI SCHINO, 2019). In the analysis of the production of greenhouse gases directly (scope 01 - inclu- des the emission sources: industrial processes; stationary Table 02: Direct greenhouse gas emissions, in tons of CO2. Source: Data collected from the 2020 annual report of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020). combustion; mobile combustion) and indirect (scope 02 Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 reported 12,453,099 tons in 2019 versus 13,142,345.30 of steel, highlighting an improvement in this indicator for tons in 2020, an increase of 5.53%. In this sense, the CO2 2020, from 12.14 to 11.06 GJ/t steel (-8.90%). According to emission per ton steel produced is presented in Figure 05. International Energy Agency (2019), the energy consump- tion in the steel industry is approximately 20 GJ/t steel, where the company presents a reduction of this indicator by 44.70%. This result is in agreement with Nechifor et al. (2020) and Mulvaney et al. (2021) who indicate that the use of recycled steel can demand up to 40 and 60% less ener- gy, respectively. Finally, it is important to highlight that in the company’s integrated plants, about 92% of the gases generated are reused in the steel manufacturing process. These gases are used in the production of electrical and thermal energy for the industrial plants themselves, con- tributing to the energy efficiency of the plants. Figure 05: CO2 emission and energy intensity per ton steel produced. Source: Adapted by the author of the annual report 2020 of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020) 4.1. Scrap The intensity of greenhouse gas emissions has decre- ased compared to 2019, reaching 0.93 tCO2/t of steel pro- With the use of scrap, the company studied reduced the duced, which represents approximately half of the global demand for natural resources, energy consumption and steel industry average: 1.83 tCO2/t steel produced (Pandit minimized the emission of gases (Figure 05) and can con- et al., 2020). This reduction is attributed to the use of both tribute to the reduction of the amount of material deposi- scrap and semi-integrated plants. Nechifor et al. (2020) ted in landfills and inadequate places and also in reducing points out that for each ton of steel produced from scrap the production of gases. In 2020 11 million tons of ferrous there is a 60% reduction in CO2. Di Schino (2019) indica- scrap were recycled, which is equivalent to 1,089 times tes that semi-integrated plants have lower CO2 emissions the weight of the Eiffel Tower, located in Paris, France. 57 than integrated plants. The recycling of 1 ton of scrap metal is equivalent to no The use of carbon from renewable forest origin, recy- emission of 1.5 t of greenhouse gases (Broadbent, 2016; cling scrap and the reuse of gases, and focus on a circular Mulvaney et al. 2021). In this sense, the company had and sustainable model reflects the carbon intensity being stopped emitting 16.5 million tons of gases that would below the global average of the steel industry. This inten- boost the greenhouse effect. Thus, showing the effects sity also includes the integrated plants, which despite the that a circular business model can bring in the steel pro- increase in production, achieved a better performance cess to minimize the impact on the environment. compared to the previous year, reducing the emission of Some studies (BROADBENT, 2016; Wang et al., 2018), gases. Pinto et al. (2018) show that the Brazilian steel in- through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, dustry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the show that the incorporation of recycling in steel is an in- use of charcoal under a regulatory policy that ensures its tegral part of the circular economy model that promotes production in a sustainable way, value for steel products zero waste; reducing the amount of materials used, and produced under this strategy. encouraging the reuse and recycling of materials. The Among the industrial sectors, the steel industry is the company has managed to reduce the use of raw materials largest energy consumer, most of which comes from fos- including Pig Iron, which is responsible for shedding high sil fuels; therefore, energy consumption and CO2 emis- energy in integrated mill process and has managed to sions are related (CONEJO et al., 2020; JONES; HASTINGS- maintain scrap recycling as 73% as a raw material source SIMON, 2021). The company studied managed to reduce compared to the previous year (2019), as shown in Table total energy consumption from 151,201,598.91 GJ (2019) 03. to 145,365,489.33 GJ (2020), a reduction of 3.86%, even af- Co-products ter having increased its steel production by 2020. This re- During the steel production process, the generation duction in energy consumption is due to the introduction of waste becomes inevitable, the studied company seeks of renewable sources, as shown in Figure 04. the development of technological routes with the reuse Figure 05 shows the total energy consumption per ton of these materials in its own plants or for other productive Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5| p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 Table 03: Analysis of raw materials (in tons). Source: Data collected from the 2020 annual report of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020). 58 Table 04: Types of waste generated in the industry. Source: Data collected from the 2020 annual report of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020). purposes and markets, in order to reduce the need for destination. 329,377 t of products in stock for 2020 are re- landfills and deposits. Thus, the company maintains a ported. In addition, the number of tailings produced de- research team focused on the development of this sec- creased from 271,656 t in 2018 to 243,725 t in 2020. tor, called co-products, based on the principles of circu- lar economy and sustainability, contributing to preserve natural resources, save energy and reduce the disposal of polluting materials, reusing and recycling materials that would previously be discarded as waste. The produc- tion process of the studied plant generates the residues shown in Table 04. The generation of waste in the industrial steel manu- facturing process grew: 6,413,895, 6,399,671 and 7,345,566 t for 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, with an increase of 14.53% in 2020 compared to 2018, which is also explained Figure 06: Evolution in waste disposal in the industry studied. Source: Adapted by the author from the 2020 annual report of the company studied (GERDAU, 2020). by the growth in steel production. According to Figure 06, despite the increase in waste generated, the com- According to the company studied the percentage pany also managed to increase the volume of waste reu- of reuse of co-products has grown over the years, from sed in the process, 78.88% for 2020. Another important 71.58% in 2018 to 78.88% in 2020, which reinforces the data that the company made available were the products idea of circular economy, energy management and in- that are in stock, and those that do not yet have a defined novation and digital transformation. In addition, the Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 percentage of reuse directly impacts the production of in the plant to the rolling for the final product, and the greenhouse gases by volume of steel (tCO2/t steel), whi- evaluation of the impacts of the circular business model ch also decreases, with the addition of other aspects of introduced in the company, in which it represents a set of this circular model such as the use of scrap as raw material integrated and semi-integrated plants. (73% of the total company and as the main raw material Measures to introduce circular economy in the com- of the studied plant). According to the company, the goal pany resulted in 73% of the raw materials of the scrap for 2021 is to increase the reuse of this waste to 95%, fur- company. It was able to recycle 11 million tons of ferrous ther contributing to the sustainability and minimization scrap and no longer emits approximately 16.5 million tons of greenhouse gases. The operating result of co-pro- of greenhouse gases. ducts in 2020 generated revenue less expenses of US$ Despite the increase in steel production from 96,471,668.02. 12,453,099 t (2019) to 13,142,345.30 t (2020), the company The co-products resulting from the steel industry, such managed to reduce the greenhouse gas emission intensi- as powder, sludge, slag, among others, are recycled and ty from 0.96 tCO2/t steel (2019) to 0.93 tCO2/t steel (2020) transformed into new products for other industries, espe- which represents approximately half of the global steel in- cially construction. For example, 97% of the total amount dustry average of 1.83 CO²/t. The company also managed of slag produced is recovered, where 78% is used in ce- to reduce its total energy consumption in 2020 compared ment manufacturing, 21% in road construction and the rest to 2019, from 12.14 GJ/t to 11.06 GJ/t. Although the gene- in agriculture as fertilizer (Ardelean et al., 2022). However, ration of waste during the process has grown from 2018 to it is necessary to develop new technologies to improve 2020, growth of 14.53%, the reuse of this waste also grew the quality of co-products, thus ensuring their reuse with from 71.58 to 78.88%. In this sense, reuse is one of the a sustainable approach, lower environmental impact and pillars of the company that characterizes it as sustainable. greater energy efficiency (BRANCA et al., 2020). It can be seen that the use of scrap brings benefits to Although the company studied shows positive results the steel sector as less energy expenditure, as well as mi- for a circular economy with a focus on the use of recycled nimizes the amount of gases that generate greenhouse materials and energy efficiency, Di Schino (2019) indicates effect. In addition, since Brazil has a considerable amount 59 that the growth in demand for steel may limit the produc- of scrap in the market, the application of the circular eco- tion of semi-integrated plants due to the availability of nomy in steel becomes viable and a gain in the economy scrap. Brazil’s total steel capacity is estimated to increase and sustainability. This scenario generates a new market from 47.9 (2018) to 70.7 Mt (2020), an increase of 47.6%; for buying and selling scrap, known in the company stu- however, scrap availability will also increase, from 9.9 Mt died as the metallic sector. (2018) to 21.1 Mt (2030), an increase of 114.14% (NECHIFOR For the Circular Economy to be installed in Brazil, main- et al., 2020). In this sense, it can be ensured that the grow- ly, it is necessary to be environmentally and financially sus- th of scrap availability is higher than the growth of steel tainable. Through the results obtained, it can be seen that demand. Pauliuk et al. (2012) point out that the supply of steel mills have the potential to produce a considerable scrap could increase by 2050, but advanced recycling te- percentage of waste and this brings enormous opportu- chnologies are needed. nity for the introduction of the circular economy business The steel industry has potential in the circular eco- model. Scrap as raw material is added value to waste that nomy, mainly with semi-integrated plants and scrap. would be disposed of in nature and minimizing the use of However, to ensure economic success (profitability and natural resources, In addition, when steel losses occur in competitiveness) and sustainability, it is necessary to the process, the material can be scrapped and returned develop new technologies aimed at recycling scrap and as primal matter. The waste generated during production, other materials (HORVÁTH et al., 2019; JONES; HASTINGS- such as slag, becomes co-products and is sold to compa- SIMON, 2021). nies that use this material as a raw material, making profit for enterprise and developing new job opportunities. With 5. CONCLUSSIONS this, one can realize the importance of this business model for the future of society and the environment. The development of the present case study allowed a It is also necessary the presence of public policies, descriptive analysis of the processes of a semi-integrated laws, and regulations to encourage recycling and regula- plants in the production of steel, from the entry of scrap rization of the scrap market. In addition to promoting the Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5| p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 circularity of the proposal, through a commitment of con- of February 12, 1998; and other measures. 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Moving toward the circular economy: The role of stocks in the Chinese steel AUTORES cycle. Environmental science & technology, v. 46, n.1, p. 148-154, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1021/es201904c Orcid: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5224-3833 CLARISSA SENA DE ANDRADE | Graduação em Engenharia Civil PINTO, R. G. D.; SZKLO, A. S.; RATHMANN, R. CO2 | Universidade de Pernambuco | Engenharia Civil | Recife, emissions mitigation strategy in the Brazilian iron Pernambuco (PE) - Brasil | Correspondência para: Rua and steel sector–From structural to intensity effects. Santo Antonio, 550 - Bela Vista, São Paulo-SP | E-mail: cla- Energy Policy, v. 114, p. 380-393, 2018. https://doi.or- [email protected] 62 g/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.11.040 Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3276-0621 RUIZ, L. A. L.; RAMÓN, X. R.; DOMINGO, S. G. The circu- ALBERTO CASADO, Dr. | Doutor em Engenharia Civil | lar economy in the construction and demolition waste Universidade de Pernambuco | Programa de Pós- sector–A review and an integrative model approach. Graduação em Engenharia Civil | Recife, Pernambuco (PE) - Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 248, 119238, 2020. Brasil | Correspondência para: Rua Benfica, 455 - Madalena, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119238 Recife - PE, 50720-001 | E-mail: [email protected] SHEVCHENKO, T.; SAIDANI, M.; RANJBARI, M.; Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6431-447X KRONENBERG, J.; DANKO, Y.; LAITALA, K. Consumer EMANOEL SILVA DE AMORIM | Graduação em Arquitetura e behavior in the circular economy: Developing a Urbanismo | Universidade de Pernambuco | Programa de product-centric framework. Journal of Cleaner Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Civil | Recife, Pernambuco Production, v. 384, 135568, 2023. https://doi.or- (PE) - Brasil | Correspondência para: Rua Leda, 20 - São g/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135568 Benedito, Olinda - PE | E-mail: [email protected] UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7804-0959 Global status report for buildings and construction. GIRLÂNDIA DE MORAIS SAMPAIO | Graduação em Engenharia Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction: Civil | Universidade de Pernambuco | Programa de Pós- Paris, France, 2020. Graduação em Engenharia Civil | Recife, Pernambuco (PE) - Brasil | Correspondência para: Rua Lagoa dos gatos, 833 VARGAS-JIMÉNEZ, I. The interview in the qualitati- - Janga, Paulista-PE | E-mail: [email protected] ve research: trends and challengers. La entrevista en la investigación cualitativa: nuevas tendencias y re- Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8673-1298 tos [in Spanish]. Revista Electrónica Calidad en la DIOGO CAVALCANTI OLIVEIRA | Graduação em Engenharia Educación Superior, v. 3, n. 1, p. 119-139, 2012. https:// Civil | Universidade de Pernambuco | Programa de Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5 | p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023 Steel circular economy in the civil construction: a study case of steel industry | C. S. de Andrade; A. C. L. Júnior; E. S. de Amorim; G. de M. Sampaio; D. C. Oliveira; J. H. A. Rocha. https://doi.org/10.29183/2447-3073.MIX2023.v9.n5.51-63 Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Civil | Recife, Pernambuco JHAR: curadoria de dados, análise formal, validação, (PE) - Brasil | Correspondência para: Av. Domingos Ferreira, visualização, escrita - rascunho original, escrita - re- 1027 - Pina, Recife-PE | E-mail: [email protected] visão & edição. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3383-6379 Declaração de conflito: nada foi declarado. JOAQUIN HUMBERTO AQUINO ROCHA | Mestrado em Engenharia Civil | Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro | Programa em Engenharia Civil | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Brasil | Correspondência para: Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149 - bl i-110 - Cidade Universitária da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 21941-611 | E-mail: [email protected] COMO CITAR ESTE ARTIGO ANDRADE, Clarissa Sena de; CASADO, Alberto; AMORIM, Emanoel Silva de; SAMPAIO, Girlândia de Moraes; OLIVEIRA, Diogo Cavalcanti; ROCHA, Joaquim Humberto Aquino. MIX Sustentável, v. 9, n. 5, p. 51-63, 2023. ISSN 2447-3073. Disponível em:. Acesso em: _/_/_.doi:. SUBMETIDO EM: 12/05/2023 63 ACEITO EM: 23/08/2023 PUBLICADO EM: 31/10/2023 EDITORES RESPONSÁVEIS: Lisiane Ilha Librelotto e Paulo Cesar Machado Ferroli. Registro da contribuição de autoria: Taxonomia CRediT (http://credit.niso.org/) CSA: conceituação, curadoria de dados, análise formal, aquisição de financiamento, investigação, metodologia, administração de projetos, validação, visualização, escrita - rascunho original, escrita - re- visão & edição. ACLJ: conceituação, curadoria de dados, análise formal, aquisição de financiamento, investigação, metodologia, administração de projeto, supervisão, validação, visualização, escrita - rascunho original, escrita - revisão & edição. ESA: curadoria de dados, análise formal, validação, visualização, escrita - revisão & edição. GMS: curadoria de dados, análise formal, validação, visualização, escrita - revisão & edição. DCO: curadoria de dados, análise formal, validação, visualização, escrita - revisão & edição. Mix Sustentável | Florianópolis | v.9 | n.5| p.51-63 | OUT. | 2023

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