May 9, 2006 — Representatives of the North American steel industry are urging the use of steel for lasting reconstruction of the Gulf Coast region.

Launched by a group of North American steel companies, the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative (GCSI) focuses on implementing long-term strategies to positively impact future construction practices in the region. The Initiative’s goal is to ‘rebuild stronger with steel’ for the Gulf Coast. The group continues to promote innovation in housing technology as a means to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes in rebuilding a region that is subject to severe storms

“It is inevitable that homes built along the Gulf Coast will again have to endure more high wind and high water and there is intense pressure to get construction underway before the next hurricane season. In the debate over where to rebuild, considerable attention needs to be placed on how to rebuild,” Andrew G. Sharkey III, President and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), said. “We need to recognize that new construction is required to meet higher wind loads, be more resistant to mold and mildew, be environmentally friendly and still be affordable.”

The hot, humid climate of the Gulf Coast posed significant challenges to the durability of residential and commercial structures even prior to Katrina’s landfall. Through the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative, the industry aims to provide steel-intensive solutions for rebuilding and fortifying the region against future storms.

“The rebuilding effort is a monumental undertaking since an estimated 350,000 houses need to be replaced in a region that once built only 30,000 houses a year. To meet this unprecedented demand, new technologies need to be employed that will provide builders with the economies of scale to produce the volume of houses that are needed at a price that residents can afford,” said David C. Jeanes, AISI senior vice president of market development.

One of the most important benefits of using steel for homebuilding is the resultant high performance construction. Steel framing and metal roofing can be designed and engineered specifically to hold up under extreme conditions such as flooding, earthquake, high wind or fire – conditions that can cause degradation or destruction of the structural system. Steel is flexible, making it more resilient when exposed to earthquakes and high-wind conditions, and has inherent strength in uplift and gravity loading. Steel-framed structures are also non-combustible, as framing members and roofing do not burn or contribute to the spread or intensity of a fire.

Steel is an inherently stable, engineered material with consistent properties and attributes. It behaves in a highly predictable manner when subjected to the structural loads and stresses imposed by events such as high winds. Steel framing and metal roofing can be designed to withstand wind speeds of 150 miles per hour. Metal roofing systems are available that have wind resistance and uplift resistance above the new building code requirement.

Steel framing is also durable, resulting in a stronger, more resilient building. It is also naturally protected against deterioration by a galvanized coating of zinc. In a seven-year study titled Galvanized Steel Framing for Residential Buildings sponsored by the International Lead Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO) and conducted by the NAHB Research Center, corrosion test samples were installed and monitored in the exterior walls and vented crawl and attic spaces of four houses located in different geographic locations (inland, marine, and industrial). In this study, the life expectancy of the coating was determined to be 377 years. Steel framing can help to prevent termite damage, and it can also help mitigate the occurrence and growth of mold in buildings, as steel does not provide a food source for the fungi that cause mold and mildew growth in residential construction.

Although there is a general perception that using steel for homebuilding is more expensive than using wood, steel framing is actually very cost effective. Recent research conducted by a field evaluation team of the Steel Framing Alliance has found that the cost of building a home using steel versus wood is 1-3 percent of the total cost of construction. Ongoing cost reduction technologies and practices have considerably increased the affordability of the steel framing system. Homes built with new techniques using steel makes them more marketable since buyer confidence is higher.

Steel construction is also environmentally friendly. All steel products, including steel framing contain recycled steel. Steel framing contains on average a minimum of 25% recycled steel and is 100 percent recyclable at end of life. In contrast to many other building materials, steel is routinely collected in aggregate quantities from construction and demolition sites and recycled into new steel products. Steel structures are also more energy efficient and do not require maintenance with chemicals for insects, mold and mildew.

Larry Williams, President of the Steel Framing Alliance said, “What we are doing is creating a higher standard in homebuilding. The powerful hurricanes that have struck the Gulf Coast require us to develop new techniques and alternative materials to build homes that have higher resistance to natural disasters. With our work in this area we see a unique opportunity for the steel industry to rebuild stronger homes in this region.”

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) is a Washington, D.C., based association that developed the business plan for the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative.

The Gulf Coast Steel Initiative is a $1.1-million effort of 12 North American steel companies. The supporting companies of the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative are: AK Steel Corp.; California Steel Industries, Inc.; Dofasco Inc.; Imsa Acero, SA de CV; Ipsco Inc.; Mittal Steel USA; Nucor Corp.; Shenango Inc.; Steel Dynamics, Inc.; United States Steel Corp.; USS-Posco Industries; and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. The initiative involves partnerships with local government disaster relief efforts and will establish higher-performance construction criteria by promoting state building codes that define state-of-the-art practices for hurricane-prone areas. In the coming months, the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative will launch a series of training and educational programs that will provide additional skilled workers to the building and roofing contractors throughout the region.