ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONH BEAM
STRUCTURAL STEELTOKYO STEELMANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
started out as a small steel makerin Tokyo almost 80 years ago. It
has since grown into Japan’s
leading electric-arc-furnacesteelmaker with an annual
production of several million tons.
Tokyo Steel prides itself as arecycler of steel scrap - its primary
raw material - letting it protect theenvironment and thus contribute tosociety. Recycling of steel productswith the electric arc furnace
process is truly the most effective
in terms of achieving a recyclingbased society and low-carbon
society at the same time. To
contribute to Japan’s target of
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 80% by 2050 while
making advanced use of steel
scrap that, in aggregate, amounts
to several decades’ worth ofdomestic steel demand, Tokyo
Steel will work, with strong
determination, to provide evenmore diverse customers with awide range of products.

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025
ISO21930:2017

EPD PROGRAM AND PROGRAM OPERATOR
NAME, ADDRESS, LOGO, AND WEBSITE
GENERAL PROGRAM
INSTRUCTIONS AND VERSIONUL Solutions
333 Pfingsten Rd, Northbrook IL, 60062

MANUFACTURER NAME AND ADDRESSTokyo Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Kasumigaseki Tokyu Bldg. 15F
3-7-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0013 Japan

DECLARATION NUMBER

4791119516.101.1

DECLARED PRODUCT &FUNCTIONAL UNIT OR DECLARED UNIT

H BEAM Structural Steel, 1 metric ton

REFERENCE PCR AND VERSION NUMBER

www.ul.com
www.spot.ul.com

Program Operator Rules v.2.7 2022

Product Category Rules for Building-Related Products and Services, Part A: Life Cycle Assessment
Calculation Rules and Report Requirements, UL Environment, Standard 10010, Version 4.0
Part B: Designated Steel Construction Product EPD Requirements Second Edition, Dated August
26, 2020)

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCT APPLICATION/USE

Structural steel “H BEAM” is mostly used in buildings and civil works, mainly in structural steel
constructions. In addition to the construction sector there are numerous applications in very diverse
sectors.

PRODUCT RSL DESCRIPTION (IF APPL.)The Reference service life is not specified

MARKETS OF APPLICABILITYJapan

DATE OF ISSUE

April 1, 2024

PERIOD OF VALIDITY

5 Years

EPD TYPE

Manufacturer Specific

EPD SCOPE

Cradle to gate

YEAR(S) OF REPORTED PRIMARY DATA

April 2022 and March 2023

LCA SOFTWARE & VERSION NUMBER

Microsoft Excel calculation tool with IDEA database

LCI DATABASE(S) & VERSION NUMBER

IDEAv3.1 database (2021)

LCIA METHODOLOGY & VERSION NUMBER

LIME2UL Solutions

The PCR review was conducted by

PCR Review Panel
epd@ul.com

This declaration was independently verified in accordance with ISO 14025: 2006.
□ INTERNAL☐ EXTERNAL

Cooper McCollum, UL Solutions

This life cycle assessment was independently verified in accordance with ISO 14044
Jim Mellentine, Thrive ESG
and the reference PCR by:
LIMITATIONS

Exclusions: EPDs do not indicate that any environmental or social performance benchmarks are met, and there may be impacts that they do not encompass.
LCAs do not typically address the site-specific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess human health toxicity. EPDs cancomplement but cannot replace tools and certifications that are designed to address these impacts and/or set performance thresholds – e.g. Type 1 certifications,health assessments and declarations, environmental impact assessments, etc.
Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts; the level of accuracy in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported
impact.
Comparability: comparison of the environmental performance of construction works and construction products using EPD information shall be based on the
product’s use and impacts at the construction works level. In general, EPDs may not be used for comparability purposes when not considered in a construction
works context.

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Product information
Product description
The product declared is structural steel “H beam”, which is classified as“Stock Materials” in the Section 2, Classification of Material of the AISC
303‐10 Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges. The
production process used is the Electric Arc Furnace. This route, used by
TOKYO STEEL for the production of structural steel, is based on the direct
melting of scrap with an Electric Arc Furnace, which is subsequently
processed in rolling mills in order to obtain the finished products. The steel
section is hot rolled into structural steel in H shape. Technical property (yieldstrength level) is 235 to 365N/mm2. No metallic or organic coating.
The product is provided for Japan market and complies with JIS G 3136, JIS
G 3106, JIS G 3101 (Regional designation code: JIS).
Application
Structural steel “H beam” is mostly used in buildings and civil works, mainly in structural steel constructions. In addition
to the construction sector there are numerous applications in very diverse sectors.
No specific product is needed to serve intended function in the construction work. Anticipated replacement cycle ofproduct in the construction work will be about 20 years.
Technical data
Name

Density
Modulus of elasticity
Coefficient of thermal expansion
Thermal conductivity
Melting point
Electrical conductivity at 20C
Minimum yield strength
Minimum tensile strength
Minimum elongation
Tensile strength
Compressive strength
Grade of material according to the delivery standards

Value

Unit

7,874
2.1×105
11.7
48
1,522
1.0×107235400
17
400 - 490
235
SS400

kg/m3
N/mm2
10-6K-1
W/(mK)°C
Ω-1m-1
N/mm2
N/mm2
%
N/mm2
N/mm2
-

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Delivery status
The delivery conditions and dimension may vary according to the intended application.
Base materials / Ancillary materials
Structural steel “H beam” is a low-alloy steel product. The typical content of carbon is lower than 0.24%. The shareof other elements besides iron is typically around 1%. Steel scrap is a secondary raw material, defined in different
qualities, depending on the composition (Fe content) and certain characteristics (plate, section steel, galvanizedsheets, etc.).
The principal material is Steel and alloying elements are added on the form of ferroalloys and metals.
Any hazardous substances defined in Basel Convention and/or regulated by Japanese laws are not included in raw
materials.
Manufacture
The steel scrap is melted in an electric arc furnace to obtain liquid steel, which is then refined in a ladle furnace withaddition of ferroalloys and metals to obtain the required steel characteristics. The steel is then casted at a continuous
caster to obtain semi-finished products as beam blanks. The semis are then hot-rolled through rolling mills to achieve
the desired size, resulting in the finished product, which is a H-beam.
TOKYO STEEL MFG produces the structural steel “H beam” at three factories. However, this LCA study is only for H
beam product which is produced at Utsunomiya Plant.

Factory

TOKYO STEEL MFG
Utsunomiya Plant

Address

11-1, Kiyohara-kogyo-danchi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi 321-3231, Japan

H BEAM
Structural Steel

Manufacturing process flow

According to ISO 14025

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Quality Management System
TOKYO STEEL MFG Utsunomiya Plant is certified according to ISO9001 Quality Management System.
More information can be found athttps://www.tokyosteel.co.jp/company/about/Environment and Health during manufacturing
TOKYO STEEL MFG Utsunomiya Plant is certified according to ISO14001 Environment Management System.
More information can be found athttps://www.tokyosteel.co.jp/company/about/
Product processing/Installation
Processing and proper use of steel products depends on the application and should be made in accordance withgenerally accepted practices, standards and manufacturers recommendations. National technical regulations apply tothe design and construction of steel structures. They deal with requirements for performance, sustainability, durability
and fire resistance of steel and steel structures.
When handling and using the products, no additional means to protect health are required beyond the usual
occupational safety measures.
No environmental impacts occur when working with or using these products under normal conditions of use. No
special measures are necessary for the protection of the environment.
Residual materials are separated for in-house recycling. The steel scrap can be recycled almost completely.
Packaging
Structural steel “H beam” is delivered unpacked.
Condition of use
During use no changes in material composition shall occur. Maintenance requirement will depend on specific design
and application.
Environment and health during use
Steel products, under normal conditions of use, do not cause adverse health effects.

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

If the steel products are used according to their intended use, under normal conditions, there will be no significant
environmental impact to water, air/atmosphere and soil.
Reference service life
The Reference service life is not specified. This LCA study covers only Module A1 to A3 and there are many different
applications.
Extraordinary effect
Fire: Structural steels are classified as incombustible materials according to Notification No. 1400 by Ministry ofConstruction Japan
Water: Not relevant
Mechanical destruction: Not relevant
Re-use phase
H beam can be reused after its recovery, in particular when steel constructions are properly designed to facilitate
disassembly and re-use at the end of their useful lives.
Steel is 100% recyclable and scrap can be converted to the same (or higher or lower) quality of steel depending upon
the metallurgy and processing of the recycling route.
Disposal
Due to its high value as a resource, steel scrap is not disposed of, but instead in a well-established cycle fed to reuseor recycling. Disposal is not included in the study.
The disposal pathway in Japan: Recycling (99%), Landfill (1%), Incineration (0%)
Waste code according to Basel convention is
A1010: Metal wastes
And Waste classification according to Japanese national law “Waste Management Law” isIndustrial Waste: 1210 Steel scrap
Industrial Waste shall be collected by a licensed collector.
Further information
Additional information can be obtained from http://www.tokyosteel.co.jp/

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

LCA Rules
Declared unit
Name
Declared unit

Value

Unit

1

metric ton

Density

7,874

kg/m3

Conversion factor to 1kg

0.001

-

Thickness

4.5 - 24.0mm

System boundary
BENEFITS
AND LOADSBEYOND THE
SYSTEM
BOUNDARYS

Transport

Manufacturing

Transport from the gate to thesite

Assembly

Use

MaintenanceRepairReplacement

Refurbishment

Operational energy use

Operational water use

De-construction demolition

Transport

Waste processing

DisposalReuse-RecoveryRecycling-potential

END OF LIFE STAGE

Raw material supply

PRODUCT STAGE

CONSTRUCTION PROCESSUSE STAGE
STAGE

A1

A2

A3

A4

A5

B1

B2

B3

B4

B5

B6

B7

C1

C2

C3

C4

D

X

X

X

MND

MND MND MND MND MND MND MND

MND MND MND MND MNDThis is an EPD based on a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment. The selected system boundaries of this study
encompass the following steps and this LCA study is not comparative assertion.
A1: Production of raw materials and energy
A2: Transport of resources to the production site
A3: Production of the productNo known flows are deliberately excluded from this EPD.
Capital goods and infrastructure flows are excluded from the product system boundary.
Estimates and Assumptions

MND

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Regarding the transportation of materials, it is assumed:-

All of steel scraps are procured in Japan and transported from places within 62.7 km to the plant.

-

Coal cokes are procured from Taiwan (37%) or in Japan (63%). As for the procurement from Taiwan, it wastransported from Taiwan port to Yokohama port by container ships (2309km), then transported from Yokohama
port to Furukawa (125km), and Furukawa to the plant (50km). Regarding the procurement in Japan, it wastransported from Kimitsu to the plant (215km).

-

All of calcium alminate are procured from Toyama prefecture in Japan and transported to the plant (439km). The
size and the loading rate of the truck used in this transportation is unknown and they are assumed as 10t truck
and 50%, respectively.

-

All of calcium oxides are procured in Japan and transported from places within 50 km to the plant.
Internal circulation waste were transported inside the plant from where they were produced to the H beam
production zone (1km)

IDEA database provides the data from every electricity power company. Tokyo Steel is using the average power mix
data from 10 major electric power companies in Japan.
Slag is recycled mainly for base layer of roads. Slag is considered as remiderflow in this study and the transportation
for recycling is not considered in this study.
Cut-off rules
The transportations of primary resources for the H beam production (Steel scrap, Coal coke, Calcium oxide, andInternal circulation waste) and Calcium aluminate were included as input flows in the calculation of the A2 module.
On the other hand, the transportations of the other resources were excluded as input flows in the calculation of the A2
module due to the lack of data availability, after confirming their impacts were small. The total excluded resourceswere 0.93% of the total included resources on a weight basis as input flows for the A2 module calculation. The
estimated energy usage and environmental impacts of the excluded input flows were explained in detail inInterpretation Completeness.
The cut-off criteria are 1 % of renewable primary resource (energy), 1 % nonrenewable primary resource (energy)
usage, 1 % of the total mass input of that unit process and 1 % of environmental impacts. Tthe total of neglected input
flows per module are a maximum of 5 % of energy usage, mass and environmental impacts. These cut-off criteria alignwith ISO 21930.
Except the above cut-offs, all information from the data collection process has been considered, covering all used andregistered materials, thermal energy, electrical energy and diesel consumption.
Data quality
Principally the inventory data include material, energy, auxiliary, water consumption (foreground data). The foregrounddata are derived from the Utsunomiya Plant.
Further, LCA data sets (background data) linked to the foreground data of various stages of the life cycle (cradle togate) were obtained from IDEAv3.1 database (2021).

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Time coverage: Primary data was collected at Utsunomiya Plant between April 2022 and March 2023. The
representativeness of Utsunomiya Plant was reviewed in the section of Interpretation. Secondary data comes fromIDEAv3.1 database (2021). The data referenced year is 2015.
Geographical coverage:This product is produced and provided in Japan. Primary data was collected in Japan andsecondary data was referred by Japan industry inventory from IDEA.
Technology coverage: State-of-the-art at the time when the data was developed.
Allocation
The manufacturing process generates by-products, slag, and internal circulation waste. All internal circulation waste
outputs are input to this main product.
Most of energy as Electrictiy, Gas was measured at individual meter at each line. So there is no energy allocation
except industrial water. Only industrial water volume was measured at a factory level so the industrial water volume
was allocated based on the product manufacturing mass volume.
Comparability
Basically, a comparison or an evaluation of EPD data is only possible if all the data sets to be compared were createdaccording to ISO 21930 and the building context, respectively the product-specific characteristics of performance, aretaken into account.

Life Cycle Assessment Results
LCIA results are relative expressions and do not predict impacts on category endpoints, the exceeding of thresholds,
safety margins or risks.
Environment Impact (Assessment Method: LIME2)
Impact Category

Units

Total

A1

A2

A3

Global warming (GWP)

kg-CO2eq

7.54E+02

1.80E+02

7.05E+00

5.67E+02

Acidification (AP)kg-SO2eq

5.70E-01

1.40E-01

1.85E-02

4.12E-01

Eutrophication (EP)kgPO43-eq

2.03E-02

6.44E-03

3.51E-05

1.39E-02

Ozone depletion (ODP)

kg-CFC-11eq

2.19E-04

2.01E-05

9.36E-11

1.99E-04

Photo Chemical Ozone Creation (POCP)

kg-C2H4eq

1.68E-02

7.07E-03

4.10E-05

9.68E-03

Comparability: Comparisons cannot be made between product-specific or industry average EPDs at the design stage

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

of a project, before a building has been specified. Comparisons may be made between product-specific or industry
average EPDs at the time of product purchase when product performance and specifications have been establishedand serve as a functional unit for comparison. Environmental impact results shall be converted to a functional unit
basis before any comparison is attempted.
Any comparison of EPDs shall be subject to the requirements of ISO 21930. EPDs are not comparative assertions andare either not comparable or have limited comparability when they have different system boundaries, are based on
different product category rules or are missing relevant environmental impacts. Such comparison can be inaccurate,and could lead to erroneous selection of materials or products which are higher-impact, at least in some impact
categories.
Carbon dioxide emissions and removals from biogenic sources, carbonation, and combustion of waste are not relevantto this product system and were not included in the calculation of GWP.
Resource Use
Parameter

Units

Total

A1

A2

A3

Renewable primary resources used as energy carrier

MJ

7.46E+02

3.92E+02

2.42E-03

3.54E+02

Renewable primary resources with energy content used as material

MJ

-

-

-

-

Non-renewable primary resources used as an energy carrier

MJ

1.12E+04

2.54E+03

1.17E+02

8.50E+03

Non-renewable primary resources with energy content used as material

MJ

-

-

-

-

Secondary materials

kg

1.12E+03

1.12E+03--

Renewable secondary fuels

MJ

-

-

-

-

Non-renewable secondary fuels

MJ

-

-

-

-

Recovered energy

MJ

-

-

-

-

Use of net fresh water resources

m3

6.92E+02

1.01E+02

2.66E-02

5.91E+02

Abiotic depletion potential for fossil resources

MJ

1.12E+04

2.54E+03

1.17E+02

8.50E+03

Output Flows and Waste Categories
Parameter

Units

Total

A1

A2

A3

Hazardous waste disposedkg

4.01E+00

2.06E+00

6.06E-08

1.94E+00

Nonhazardous waste disposedkg

2.67E-10

2.66E-10

9.81E-17

3.33E-13

High-level radioactive waste, conditioned, to final repository (*)

kg

-

-

-

-

Intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste, conditioned, to final repository (*)

kg

-

-

-

-

Components for reuse

kg

-

-

-

-

Materials for recyclingkg

1.69E+02--

1.69E+02

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Materials for energy recovery

kg

-

-

-

-

Recovered energy exported from the product system

MJ

-

-

-

-

(*) Radioactive waste data is not available in IDEA database.

Carbon Emissions
Parameter

Units

Total

A1

A2

A3

Calcination Carbon Emissions

kg-CO2

1.96E+01

1.96E+01--

Interpretation
CompletenessA2 module calculation as explained in the cut-off rule. The total excluded resources were 0.93% of the total included
resources on a weight basis as input flows for the A2 module calculation.
The estimated environmental impacts of the excluded input flows accounts for 0.01% for GWP and 0.03% for AP of thetotal, respectively.

Environment Impact (Assessment Method: LIME2)
Impact Category

Units

A1-A3

A2

A2 impact of total

A2 impact

GWP

kg-CO2eq

7.54E+02

7.05E+00

0.93%

0.01%

AP

kg-SO2eq

5.70E-01

1.85E-02

3.24%

0.03%

EP

kgPO43-eq

2.03E-02

3.51E-05

0.17%

0.00%

ODP

kg-CFC-11eq

2.19E-04

9.36E-11

0.00%

0.00%

POCP

kg-C2H4eq

1.68E-02

4.10E-05

0.24%

0.00%

The estimated energy usage of the excluded input flows accounts for 0.00% of RPRE, 0.01% of NRPRE of the total,
respectively.

Environment Impact (Assessment Method: LIME2)
Parameter

Units

A1-A3

A2

A2 impact of total

A2 impact

RPRE

MJ

7.46E+02

2.42E-03

0.00%

0.00%

NRPRE

MJ

1.12E+04

1.17E+02

1.05%

0.01%

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Sensitivity
Proxies of emission factors were used for a few materials and activities because precise emission factors for themwere not available in IDEA v3.1 database.

Environment Impact (Assessment Method: LIME2)
Impact Category

Units

A1-A3

Impact of proxies

10% of proxies impact

GWP

kg-CO2eq

7.54E+02

4.25%

0.43%

AP

kg-SO2eq

5.70E-01

7.06%

0.71%

EP

kgPO43-eq

2.03E-02

19.94%

1.99%

ODP

kg-CFC-11eq

2.19E-04

2.24%

0.22%

POCP

kg-C2H4eq

1.68E-02

36.31%

3.63%

Steel scrap processing impacts are based on an environmentally extended economic input/output (EEIO) data set
using the amount spent on scrap as the quantity. Since EEIO data sets are generally considered to have lower
accuracy compared to data sets based on physical flows, the EEIO data impact has been evaluated as below.

Environment Impact (Assessment Method: LIME2)
Impact Category

Units

A1-A3

A1

EEIO data

EEIO data in A1 EEIO data in total

GWP

kg-CO2eq

7.54E+02

1.80E+02

4.89E+01

27%

6%

AP

kg-SO2eq

5.70E-01

1.40E-01

3.82E-02

27%

7%

EP

kgPO43-eq

2.03E-02

6.44E-03

1.57E-03

24%

8%

ODP

kg-CFC-11eq

2.19E-04

2.01E-05

9.47E-06

47%

4%

POCP

kg-C2H4eq

1.68E-02

7.07E-03

4.85E-04

7%

3%

Consistency
All manufacturing data was gathered with the same level of detail and all background data were sourced from IDEA
database selecting most appropriate geography.

H BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Representativeness
There are three factories to produce Structural steel “H beam”. However, this study and LCA data is only for H beam
products which are produced at Utsunomiya Plant.

Limitation
LIME characteristic methodology and IDEA database are used in the study. These are specific to Japan market sothese are considered as limitations when the data will be used in other countries.
And some data are not available in IDEA database. Radioactive waste data for nuclear power plant electricity is notcovered.
Conclusion
Tokyo steel uses the Electric Arc Furnacee production process to utilize steel scrap. This process can save material
impact instead use more energy. A3 is the biggest portion in GWP.

5.67E+02

6.00E+02
5.00E+02
4.00E+02
3.00E+02
2.00E+02

1.80E+02

1.00E+02
0.00E+00

7.05E+00
A1

A2

A3

GWP Impact [kg-CO₂eq per tonne of product]

And in A3, Elecricity impact is the biggest item. So the electricity usage will be a challenge to reduce the environmental
impact.

H BEAM
Structural Steel
4.50E+02
4.00E+02
3.50E+02
3.00E+02
2.50E+02
2.00E+02
1.50E+02
1.00E+02
5.00E+01
0.00E+00

According to ISO 14025

4.01E+02

1.11E+02
5.42E+01
1.72E-01
Industrywater

1.36E-02
Electricity

Utility gas

Cokecombustion

Ash dust

GWP Impact (A3) [kg-CO₂eq per tonne of product]

References
DIN EN /ISO 14025:201110: Environmental labels and declarations - Type III environmental declarations - Principles
and procedures
ISO 14040:2006 - Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework
ISO 14044:2006 - Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines
ISO 21930:2017 - Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — Core rules for environmental productdeclarations of construction products and services
ISO 14001:2015 - Environmental management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use
ISO 9001:2015 - Quality management systems – Requirements
JIS G 3101: Rolled steels for general structure
JIG G 3106: Rolled steels for welded structure
JIG G 3136: Rolled steels for building structureH BEAM
Structural Steel

According to ISO 14025

Notification No. 1400 by Ministry of Construction Japan: Classification of incombustible materials

Product Category Rules for Building-Related Products and Services, Part A: Life Cycle Assessment Calculation Rules
and Report Requirements, UL Environment, Standard 10010, Version 4.0
Part B: Designated Steel Construction Product EPD Requirements Second Edition, Dated August 26, 2020
Secondary dataset
IDEAv3.1 database (2021).
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry

National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report of Japan 2022, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Greenhouse Gas
Inventory Office of Japan, Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies,Japan