As sustainability becomes more important in the building industry, certifications like BREEAM have become key benchmarks for measuring environmental performance. Steel doors play a surprisingly important role in these certification schemes through their durability, energy efficiency and recyclable materials. Understanding how steel doors contribute to sustainability standards can be advantageous if you want to improve your building’s green credentials.Â
Let’s explore how sustainable steel doors support certification schemes and how to choose the best options for your next project.
What Makes Steel Doors a Sustainable Building Component?
Steel’s exceptional durability means these doors can last over 30 years with basic maintenance. That is longer than other alternative materials, reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing replacements and cutting waste. While other materials gradually deteriorate, quality steel doors maintain their performance throughout their lifespan.
Additionally, modern steel door manufacturing has embraced recycled content, with steel being one of the world’s most recycled materials. At the end of their useful life, steel doors are recyclable, creating the closed-loop material cycle prized in sustainable construction.
Our sustainable steel doors showcase these sustainable qualities while delivering the robust security and fire performance that commercial buildings require.
How Do Steel Doors Contribute to BREEAM Certification?
BREEAM stands as the UK’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings. Steel doors can contribute to key BREEAM categories:
Materials
Within the Materials category, steel doors make an impact through:
- Responsible Sourcing – Doors made with materials certified to BES 6001 or similar standards earn valuable points under Mat 03
- Life Cycle Impacts – Doors with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) support Mat 01 credits by providing transparent environmental impact data
- Material Efficiency – Doors designed to optimise material use without compromising performance help meet Mat 06 requirements
Steel’s high recycled content helps reduce the demand for virgin materials, supporting BREEAM’s circular economy aims – an especially important factor when targeting the coveted Outstanding or Excellent ratings.
Energy
Steel doors with enhanced thermal properties contribute to Ene 01 (Reduction of Energy Use and Carbon Emissions). Well-insulated steel doors help reduce heat transfer, while proper sealing systems cut air leakage and unnecessary energy loss. Our M2M2 doors are an example of how thermal insulation can improve energy performance without sacrificing security credentials.
Health and Wellbeing
Do not overlook how steel doors support the Health and Wellbeing criteria through acoustic performance and security features. A suitable acoustic-rated steel door can help buildings achieve Hea 05 credits by reducing noise transmission between spaces, while security-rated doors contribute to Hea 06 by enhancing occupant safety.
Which Other Sustainability Certifications Consider Steel Door Specifications?
While BREEAM dominates in the UK, other certification schemes also evaluate door sustainability:
LEED Certification
Though more common internationally, LEED is gaining traction for UK projects. Steel doors contribute to LEED certification through:
- Materials and Resources – Doors with recycled content, local manufacturing, and EPDs earn points.
- Energy and Atmosphere – Thermally efficient doors improve the building envelope performance.
- Indoor Environmental Quality – Doors with low-VOC finishes and quality acoustic properties support this category.
WELL Building Standard
The WELL Building Standard focuses on how buildings affect people’s health and well-being. Steel doors contribute through sound control, maintaining air quality between different spaces, and non-toxic material specifications.
Passivhaus Standard
Steel doors that meet exacting thermal standards are required for low-energy buildings targeting Passivhaus certification. Specially designed doors with superior thermal breaks and insulation can achieve the stringent U-values and airtightness that Passivhaus demands.
How to Specify Sustainable Steel Doors for Certified Projects
When choosing steel doors for buildings targeting sustainability certifications, focus on these key factors:
Environmental Documentation
Ask manufacturers for documentation that supports your certification requirements:
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
- Responsible sourcing certificates
- Recycled content declarations
- VOC emissions data
These documents provide the evidence certification assessors will look for when reviewing building materials.
Performance Specifications
Make sure your chosen doors meet the performance criteria needed for your certification targets:
- Thermal performance (U-values)
- Air permeability ratings
- Durability classification
- Acoustic ratings where needed
Our UK manufacturing facilities focus on implementing sustainability measures throughout their production processes, enhancing the environmental performance of our steel doorsets.
Balancing Sustainability with Other Building Requirements
Quality and sustainable steel doors retain essential performance alongside their green credentials:
- Start with Security Requirements – What level of security does your building need based on its use, location and risk profile?
- Layer in Sustainability Criteria – Add the environmental requirements that matter for your certification targets.
- Don’t Forget Fire Performance – Ensure sustainability features don’t compromise essential fire safety.
- Consider Thermal and Acoustic Needs – Factor in specifications based on your building’s requirements.
The M2M4 security doors and M2MFD fire doors demonstrate how high performance can work alongside sustainability objectives without compromise.
Improve Your Building’s Sustainability with Bradbury Group’s Steel Doors
Steel doors are valuable in achieving sustainable building certifications while maintaining important security and safety performance. Choosing doors with the required environmental credentials, thermal efficiency, and longevity will contribute meaningful points to your building’s certification assessment.
We at Bradbury Group manufacture steel door sets that support your sustainability goals without compromising security, fire performance, or aesthetics. Our technical team can guide you towards doors that align with your certification targets and environmental objectives.
Contact us to learn how our sustainable steel doors can enhance your next certified building project.
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