Sustainable use of Steel?

This article was sourced from the BlueScope Steel website, therefore there is an obvious agenda to sell BlueScope products. However, it is interesting to note where steel construction fits into the environmental conscious consumer.
In this Queensland home, steel sheeting was used for the watertank. Within the house itself, steel was used for roofing and was particularly a useful surface to fix polystyrene. This is probably due to its thin and light nature, therefore the polystyrene could probably be screwed to the cladding.
However, this was not very clear in the article, further highlighting that you should be careful of anybody claiming to offer sustainable solutions. In many cases, this is a marketing device and should be investigated further.

Sustainable Innovation

10 April 2008

Innovation House at the Ecovillage in Currumbin uses COLORBOND® steel and has a 17,000 litre WATERPOINT CLASSIC® water tank.

Location:	Currumbin, Queensland
Country:	Australia
Builder:	Landmatters
Products Used:	WATERPOINT® COLORBOND® steel
Awards:	Development Institute of Australia national award for Excellence in Sustainable Development

Billed as the Gold Coast's most sustainable house, Innovation House 3 at the Ecovillage in Currumbin will be among the first homes in Australia to carry a five star building and energy rating.

The house has a 1.2kW photovoltaic solar power system, energy efficient fixtures and fittings, and an Ecovision resource system which monitors the consumption and supply of gas, energy and water. It is also fully water self sufficient, thanks in part to three 17,000 litre WATERPOINT CLASSIC® rural water tanks manufactured by BlueScope Water.

Stratco Corrugated Iron made from COLORBOND® steel is one of the featured wall cladding materials used, while the Ritek® Custom Roof Panels incorporate COLORBOND® steel for the lining of the roof and ceiling.

These layers are bonded together with an inner section of thermally efficient polystyrene, creating a roof system that significantly reduces the amount of heat radiated into the home. The external layer of COLORBOND® steel is in the colour Dune®, which helps deflect the hot Queensland sun.

"The concept behind the Ecovillage is sustainable living and development practices," Chris Walton, Managing Director of Ecovillage developer Landmatters, said. "It was important that every aspect of the home reflected this concept, and the Ecovillage is the perfect location to showcase such innovation."

Other best practices include using Australian made products and recycled products.

No PVC, chemical paints or toxic glues were used in the development. High ceilings were introduced for effective air flow, and 'clean' site construction processes were followed.

Ecovillage is a Queensland State Government initiative which has won several awards, including the Urban Development Institute of Australia national award for Excellence in Sustainable Development.