By consciously selecting materials an essential contribution can be made towards significantly reducing our environmental footprint.
In a global context that features challenges such as the climate crisis, geopolitical tensions and supply chain instability, Italferr, in line with FS Group's strategies, recognises and promotes the importance of adopting materials that contain Secondary Raw Materials (SRMs) in its infrastructure projects.
SRMs are re-used or recycled materials recovered from waste or end-of-life products, through special industrial processes, and constitute important resources that can help us rethink our current development model, shifting it towards a more circular economy.
Italferr researches and enhances the benefits of SRMs in construction, when designing its projects, with particular focus on:
· Environmental impact, because using secondary raw materials cuts back on the use of virgin raw materials with less depletion of valuable resources and lower environmental impact, also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
· Energy use and waste generation, because using recycled materials often requires less energy than processing virgin materials, thereby optimising energy resources as well. Furthermore, the volume of landfill waste is reduced promoting a more sustainable life-cycle of materials.
· Sustainability and social responsibility, because incorporating secondary raw materials into supply chains is a commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The use of recycled or reclaimed materials can contribute to creating a positive image of manufacturing, meeting the expectations of customers and consumers.
This content presents, by way of example, the results of the analysis conducted on the final design of the Val di Riga project variant, a strategic rail infrastructure located in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, for connecting the San Candido-Fortezza railway to the main Verona-Brenner line. This project, which includes various types of infrastructure, such as tunnels and viaducts, provides for the construction of an approx. 4 km long single-track spur bypassing the station of Fortezza, with considerable advantages in terms of travel time and comfort.
The Italferr Methodology was applied to this project, for estimating the overall climate footprint in accordance with the ISO 14064-1 standard and inferring detailed information on scenarios related to the use of recycled materials.
The analysis focused on the potential changes in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions depending on the recyclate content of the most environmentally impactful materials.
Having preliminarily identified the most significant emission hotspots, in terms of the infrastructure's carbon footprint, the results showed that metal-based materials would significantly affect the carbon footprint of the project.
Therefore, the analysis conducted in the design phase focused on the effects of using Secondary Raw Materials in reinforcing and structural steel, evaluating the benefits in terms of GHG changes in relation to recyclate content, as summarised in the table below.
| Recyclate content Reinforcing steel | Recyclate content Carpentry steel | Change in total climate footprint | Variation on materials only |
| 75% | Baseline* | -8% | -10% |
| 90% | Baseline* | -11% | -14% |
| 90% | 90% | -13% | -17% |
* Baseline refers to the average recyclate content values on the market
Studies of this kind can become key strategic levers to steer construction choices towards greener and more responsible approaches to infrastructure development, guiding designers and contractors towards innovative and sustainable solutions.
A demonstration of how Italferr continues to explore new frontiers of sustainability, consolidating its role as a leader in infrastructure engineering and contributing to the construction of increasingly green-conscious transport systems.
By the Operational Structure Sustainability, Italferr