HSS Insider – March 2026 – HSS Sustainability

March 2026 | Issue #42

This issue of HSS Insider is packed with practical tools and expert insights to help teams navigate sustainability documentation, procurement decisions, and embodied carbon strategies for HSS. From comprehensive sustainability guides and PDH-eligible webinars to comparative case studies, this issue equips designers, specifiers, and procurement professionals with actionable guidance for lowering carbon while optimizing performance and cost. And, don’t forget to enter the Sustainability Contest!

Practical Guide to HSS Sustainability Documentation and Submittals

This guide delivers clear, practical direction for navigating sustainability documentation requirements when specifying HSS. It breaks down key topics, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), embodied carbon and GWP considerations, and common project submittal expectations. By outlining what’s required, where to source the information, and how to compile it effectively, the guide helps teams save time and better manage compliance requirements.

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HSS Sustainability for Procurement and Supply Chain Decisions

This companion resource provides procurement-focused insights into how HSS manufacturing practices, embodied carbon metrics, and supply chain dynamics influence sourcing decisions and sustainability outcomes. It highlights key considerations such as evaluating EPDs, recycled content, and material availability to help inform responsible procurement strategies.

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HSS Reference Guide No. 6: HSS Sustainability

Access STI’s new HSS Sustainability Reference Guide, featuring essential resources to assist you in designing lower-carbon design strategies and informed material selection. This comprehensive PDF includes design guides, articles, expert interviews, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), webinars and software tools – all with direct links for easy navigation.

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HSS in Sustainable Construction: Policies, Impacts, and Opportunities

Gain a practical understanding of how Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) apply to HSS. Learn how to interpret HSS EPDs beyond compliance and use them as tools for transparency, informed sourcing, and design optimization. Walk away with actionable strategies to reduce embodied carbon and improve sustainability in your HSS construction projects. Participants can earn 1.0 PDH upon completion.

This live webinar has already been presented. Click below to watch other HSS recorded webinars on demand.

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Sustainability Contest
Enter to Win $150 Gift Card!

Submit the correct answer to the following question to be entered into a drawing to win a $150 gift card:

According to Optimizing Sustainable Structures With HSS: A Comprehensive Guide (STI), Section C, when comparing two steel columns of equivalent capacity—a W12×40 wide-flange column and an HSS 8×8×1/4—what is the relative global warming potential (GWP) of the steel columns, including fireproofing?

The WF column has 6.3% greater GWP than the HSS column
B. The HSS column has 9% lower GWP than the WF column
The HSS column has 5.3% greater GWP than the WF column
The HSS column has 2.7% lower GWP than the WF column

The contest has ended. Click below to view the guide.

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Related Resources

Case Study PDF: Compare the Economy of HSS and WF in a 5-Story Building

Looking to reduce tonnage and cost on your next project? This case study compares the use of HSS and wide-flange columns and braces in a five-story office building. Explore side-by-side comparisons of material and labor costs, global warming potential, connections and fireproofing, to support informed decisions on your next project.

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HSS & Sustainability: Removing the Myths | Webinar On Demand

Engineers and architects face new decisions on how to lower the embodied carbon of the built environment. Material selection plays a critical role in these efforts, yet widespread misinformation can make informed decision-making challenging. This free webinar recording demonstrates how HSS, like all structural steel, can contribute to reducing the embodied carbon of a project. It will explore the site-specific EPDs that are available and explain the data used to develop them. Order the accompanying quiz to earn 1.0 PDH upon completion.

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HSS and WF Comparative Case Study | Webinar On Demand

Watch the free webinar recording for an in-depth case study focusing on a multi-story office building, highlighting the advantages of utilizing Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) compared to Wide Flange (WF) members in this recorded webinar. Discover how HSS can deliver greater structural efficiency, cost savings, and reduced tonnage while also achieving a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) for this project. Order the accompanying quiz to earn 1.0 PDH upon completion.

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