Structural Steel Reuse Inventories
Why undertake a Structural Steel Reuse Inventory?
The emphasis on construction sustainability and material recovery during demolition and redevelopment has grown significantly in the UK over the past decade, with far higher rates of recycling and reuse now expected as standard on responsible projects.
Yet despite this progress, the transition from recovering structural steel for reuse within the new design remains slow, cautious and uneven across the built environment sector.
Structural steel reuse can offer some of the largest financial and carbon savings available in the built environment, depending on the scale of the project. Every tonne reused avoids the emissions of new steel production and reduces demand for virgin material.
Breaking the barriers between Insurance and liability concerns, lack of traceability and testing/certification costs, Revive’s Structural Steel Reuse Inventories (SSRI) help bridge this gap by giving project teams the clear, early‑stage intelligence they need to confidently consider reclaimed steel as a viable design option rather than a last‑minute alternative.
A Structural Steel Reuse Inventory (SSRI) is undertaken in support of a Pre-Demolition or Pre-Deconstruction Audit (PDA) and is intended to provide early‑stage, practical information on the presence and potential recoverability of structural steel elements to inform demolition planning, procurement strategies, and reuse/design decisions.
To be undertaken on buildings constructed post-1970, the SSRI comprises the identification, recording, and reporting of recoverable structural steel elements within the existing buildings.
This will be based on a combination of site inspection, including drone surveying where permitted, available drawings, and Revive Audits’ professional experience in pre‑demolition auditing and material recovery.
Either appointed by the Client or using one of Revive's partners, the SSRI is intended to assist the appointed Structural Engineer in assessing and confirming the suitability of structural steel components for reuse, either on‑site or off‑site, in the provision of a Structural Steel Reuse Feasibility Assessment Report.
What does the SSRI include?
The inventory will be informed by a combination of visual site inspection and a review of available structural information (where received) and would typically include:
- Representative visual identification of primary and secondary structural steel elements
- Recording of indicative member type, approximate dimensions, section sizes, and connection types (where visible)
- Estimate quantities of member types
- Estimations of weights, volumes and end-of-life embodied carbon
- Visual assessment of accessibility, condition, and likely recoverability
- Photographic records of representative steel member types
- Allocation of unique reference IDs to identifiable steel components
- Compilation of the findings into a structured Reuse Inventory Schedule suitable for inclusion within tender and/or demolition documentation
For further information or to receive a quotation, contact Revive Audits to discuss your project.
