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▲ Hot steel
and the other is building the capability within our facilities to produce materials that aren ’ t typically found in North America .
“ As a result , our mills focus on innovation , finding ways to use materials more efficiently not only for economic reasons , but also for sustainability , as using less of something is a first step to decrease a project ’ s environmental impact . We ’ re currently developing a new grade of plate made to the ASTM A1066 certification , for instance , which would require much less preheating during fabrication . Whereas additional heat is typically required to ensure no cracking occurs , the chemistry of our new plate would enable less preheating to foster energy and time efficiencies . This would be an innovation for both the horizontal and vertical construction markets .”
Carbon efficiency
Turning to industry trends , Kim says : “ Data center construction is a burgeoning market , and we are engaging with the industry in several ways . We ’ re not only providing structural steel for columns , beams , metal deck , and rebar for the core and shell of data centers , but we ’ ve extended our capabilities to offer more than 90 percent of the steel products that go inside the data centers , such as servers , racks , cabinets , and pathway support structures .
“ To strengthen our position in the data center market , we ’ ve recently acquired SW Data Products , a company that specializes in the ‘ white space ’ or the internal fit-out . Nucor can now help customers throughout the lifecycle of the data center , from the construction to even the recycling of the steel support structures for the servers when they need to be replaced to support new technology systems . We ’ re vertically integrated with an industrial recycler , so for a particular partner , we ’ ve been able to create a circular concept where we remove old cabinets in return for material credits , which can be turned into new steel server cabinets . That ’ s just one way we ’ ve been able to bring unique innovation to help data center operators not only get their facilities up and running but support them throughout the building ’ s lifecycle .”
Kim is also keen to highlight how Nucor is embracing sustainability and environmental responsibility . “ Nucor thrives on its people ; our teammates are what make Nucor unique in our ability to innovate ,” she states . “ Innovation is our roots , as we were one of the first electric arc furnace ( EAF ) mills in the US . For those not aware , there are two modern ways steel can be made : using primarily recycled materials to melt in an EAF to produce new steel , or the other
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