ABSTRACT
Introduction A wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and their alloys are used within the construction industry, but iron, steel, aluminium, copper, lead and zinc predominate. Over the past decade titanium has featured significantly in construction, having previously been used mainly in the chemical process industry and for
military purposes. Recent trends have been towards the development of more durable alloys and the use of coatings to both protect and give visual diversity to the product ranges. Generally, the metals require a large energy input for their production from rawmaterials; however, this high embodied energy is partially offset by the long life and recycling of most metals. The recovery rate of steel from demolition sites in the UK approaches 99%, with 10% being reused and the remainder recycled. Approximately 60% of current steel production is from scrap, and steel can be recycled any number of times without any degradation of the material.
