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Recycled steel is suitable for structural work when the finished product meets the structural-steel standard and the project’s design basis. “Recycled” describes the scrap feedstock or production route, not a separate grade. A beam made with electric-arc-furnace (EAF) scrap can be specified as ASTM A992, just as a beam made through another route can, provided it passes the same required chemical, mechanical, dimensional and fabrication controls.
For U.S. projects, ASTM A992 is the principal specification for rolled framing shapes, ASTM A36 covers broad carbon-steel shapes, plates and bars, and ASTM A709 covers bridge steels with additional requirements where specified. European projects select the applicable EN 10025 product part and quality class. The grade, product form, design code and service conditions—not the word “recycled”—determine suitability.
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Steel is continually recycled because scrap can be melted, refined and cast into new products. EAF mills can use large quantities of scrap while producing steel that is tested and certified to the same product standards used for other production routes. The specification still identifies the required grade and product form: for example, an A992 wide-flange shape, an A36 plate or an A709 bridge product.
A recycled-content percentage therefore cannot substitute for a grade designation. The percentage may describe a producer’s declared product, a particular melt or an environmental-product-declaration (EPD) system boundary. It does not by itself establish yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, toughness, weldability, dimensional tolerance or design resistance.
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No authoritative source establishes a universal minimum recycled-content percentage for structural grades. A procurement requirement can request recycled content, but the structural specification and its acceptance tests remain mandatory.
U.S. grades commonly used for structural work
| Specification | Typical product and use | What establishes conformity | Additional considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A992/A992M-22 | Rolled structural shapes for building framing, bridges and general structural purposes. | Heat analysis for chemical composition and tension testing for tensile properties, with dimensional and other requirements in the standard. | For welded work, use a welding procedure suitable for the grade and service. Confirm any project-specific toughness, execution or fracture-critical requirements. |
| ASTM A36/A36M-19 | Carbon-steel shapes, plates and bars for riveted, bolted or welded bridges, buildings and general structural purposes. | Heat analysis and tensile testing establish conformity, together with the product requirements in the specification. | Welded applications still require a qualified procedure appropriate to the grade and service. Do not assume that an A36 plate and an A992 shape are interchangeable without design review. |
| ASTM A709/A709M | Bridge-steel family including Grades 36, 50, 50S and 50W. The family is aligned with A36, A572, A992 and A588 families for the corresponding products. | Base-grade testing plus any requirements selected for the bridge grade and project. | Specified bridge applications can require impact and hardness testing beyond the base specification, especially where temperature, fracture-critical classification or agency requirements apply. |
ASTM A992 is often the starting point for rolled building-frame shapes because its scope expressly covers shapes used in building framing, bridges and general structural purposes. A36 is broader in product coverage and remains common for plates, bars and shapes where its mechanical and design properties meet the project. A709 should be selected when the bridge design or owner specification calls for the bridge-steel family; the exact grade and supplementary tests matter.
European structural steels: select the EN 10025 part and quality class
European work is not specified by an American ASTM grade unless the design authority accepts that substitution. The applicable EN 10025 product standard and quality class must be identified for the product and service. EN 10025-4 covers weldable fine-grain steels in the thermomechanically rolled condition and sets chemical-composition and mechanical-property delivery conditions.
The quality class can affect toughness and delivery requirements, so “EN 10025 steel” alone is incomplete. The purchase order should state the relevant product part, grade, quality class, delivery condition, thickness range and any supplementary testing. A recycled route does not remove those requirements.
Does EAF production change structural performance?
EAF production can melt substantial amounts of steel scrap, but performance is controlled by refining, chemistry, casting, rolling, heat treatment and testing. A product is acceptable when its certified results satisfy the specified standard. The production route is relevant to environmental reporting and, in some cases, to chemistry-control questions, but it is not a replacement for the material designation.
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For weldability, obtain the actual heat chemistry and use the project’s welding procedure qualification. Carbon equivalent and other composition limits should be assessed from the certificate and the applicable welding code rather than inferred from the recycled-content claim. Preheat, interpass temperature, consumables and inspection must follow the qualified procedure.
How to choose a suitable recycled-steel grade
- Define the design basis. Identify the governing structural and execution codes, jurisdiction, product form, load combinations, connection method, design temperature and exposure. State whether the member is a rolled shape, plate, bar, hollow section or bridge component.
- Select the product standard and grade. For example, specify ASTM A992 shapes, ASTM A36 plate, an ASTM A709 bridge grade or the relevant EN 10025 part and quality class. The engineer of record should confirm that the grade’s design properties are available in the chosen code.
- State supplementary requirements. Add impact toughness, hardness, fine-grain, weathering, through-thickness, fracture-critical or other requirements when the design, temperature, bridge agency or owner specification calls for them.
- Check availability before freezing the design. Confirm that the required section sizes, thicknesses, lengths and delivery condition are produced by an approved mill. Changing from a rolled shape to a fabricated plate girder, or from one grade family to another, can change connection details and design resistance.
- Specify welding and fabrication controls. Require a qualified welding procedure and compatible consumables. Address cutting, forming, preheat, inspection and repair requirements in the fabrication specification.
- Require traceable certification. Make heat or mill certificates a submittal requirement and match heat numbers to the delivered members, plates or bundles.
- Handle sustainability claims separately. If recycled content or embodied carbon affects procurement, request a current, independently verified EPD for the actual product and compare declarations using the same functional unit.
What to verify on mill and heat certificates
A certificate should identify the producer, product, specification, grade, heat number, dimensions and delivery condition. Review the reported chemistry and mechanical results against the specified standard, including yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, test orientation where relevant, and dimensional tolerances. Keep the certificate linked to the member mark or bundle so the installed steel remains traceable.
For A992 and A36, the standards require heat analysis and tension testing. A certificate that merely says “recycled steel” or “EAF steel” without the grade and test results is not adequate structural evidence. If a project requires impact or hardness testing, those results must appear in the supplied documentation or in an approved supplemental report.
When certificates are incomplete, inconsistent or missing heat numbers, quarantine the material and ask the supplier for corrected, traceable documents. Do not rely on appearance, a magnet test or a generic sustainability statement to establish grade.
Welding, toughness and exposure can change the answer
Weldability
Both ASTM A36 and ASTM A992 references direct users to a welding procedure suitable for the grade and service. A procedure should address joint details, consumables, preheat, heat input, interpass control and inspection. Actual heat chemistry is important when assessing carbon equivalent and cracking risk, particularly for thicker material or restrained joints.
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Low-temperature and fracture-critical service
Strength alone does not establish resistance to brittle fracture. Where the design temperature, bridge classification or owner specification requires it, select the required impact-toughness and hardness provisions and verify the test temperature and acceptance criteria. ASTM A709 bridge applications can require impact and hardness testing beyond the aligned base specifications.
Corrosion and weathering
Exposure may require a weathering grade, coating system, corrosion allowance or stainless and alloy alternatives. Recycled content does not provide corrosion protection. Specify the atmospheric category, coating preparation and inspection requirements independently of the steel’s production route.
Comparing compliant options before procurement
| Decision factor | Questions to ask | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Product form and availability | Is the required shape, plate thickness, length and delivery condition available? | Mill product list, rolling range and confirmed lead time. |
| Strength and ductility | Does the selected grade provide the design properties for the member and connection? | Standard designation and certified tensile-test results. |
| Weldability | Can the fabricator qualify a procedure for the actual chemistry and thickness? | Heat analysis, carbon-equivalent assessment and welding-procedure qualification. |
| Toughness | Are impact or hardness tests required by temperature, bridge or fracture-critical provisions? | Supplementary test requirements and reported results. |
| Corrosion or weathering | Does the exposure require weathering steel, coating or another protection system? | Exposure classification and coating or weathering specification. |
| Certification and traceability | Can every delivered piece be tied to a heat and certificate? | Mill certificates, heat numbers, material reports and inspection records. |
| Recycled content and carbon | What percentage is declared, for which product and system boundary? | Current independently verified EPD with its functional unit and verification program. |
| Cost and lead time | Will the selected grade or supplementary testing affect delivery? | Supplier quotation that identifies grade, tests, quantity and delivery date. |
How much recycled content can structural steel contain?
Published EPDs show that very high scrap content is possible, but the figures are product-specific. A 2022 ASTM/CRSI EPD for U.S. fabricated reinforcing steel made by EAF reports 98% recycled steel scrap. A SALCOS EPD published in 2025 for structural beams and sections reports 99% steel scrap recycled by EAF. Those percentages belong to the declared products and must not be generalized to every A36, A992 or EN 10025 supply.
A European Union study from 2001 reported an average of 83% recycled and 14% reused at the end of a building’s life. That historical average describes material flows, not a current grade requirement or a guarantee for a particular order.
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Common specification mistakes and how to correct them
- Writing only “recycled steel.” Add the governing standard, grade, product form, dimensions and supplementary tests.
- Treating recycled percentage as a strength guarantee. Use the certified chemistry and mechanical results to establish structural conformity.
- Assuming every EAF product is interchangeable. Check the exact grade, thickness range, section availability, chemistry and delivery condition.
- Omitting welding requirements. Require a qualified procedure and review the actual heat chemistry before fabrication.
- Ignoring toughness. Add impact and hardness provisions where temperature, bridge or fracture-critical rules require them.
- Comparing unrelated EPDs. Use a common functional unit and disclose differences in scope and verification.
- Accepting untraceable material. Match heat numbers and certificates to delivered and installed members; hold material that cannot be documented.
Practical choices for typical projects
Building frame with rolled wide-flange beams
Start with ASTM A992/A992M-22 for the rolled shapes, then confirm the design code, section availability, certificates and welding procedure. A producer may melt a high proportion of scrap in an EAF; that fact does not change the A992 designation or the required tests.
General building plate or bar work
ASTM A36/A36M-19 can be suitable for plates, bars and shapes when its properties meet the design and connection requirements. Specify thickness, weld procedure and any toughness or exposure provisions rather than selecting A36 solely because it is widely available.
Bridge member
Use the ASTM A709/A709M family when the bridge specification calls for it. Select the exact grade and supplementary impact or hardness requirements required by the agency, design temperature and fracture-critical classification.
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Specify the relevant EN 10025 part and quality class, including the delivery condition and any supplementary toughness or inspection requirements. Confirm that the mill certificate reports the chemical and mechanical delivery conditions required for that class.
Bottom line for designers and buyers
The suitable “grade of recycled steel” is the same grade that is suitable without the recycled adjective: A992, A36, A709 or the applicable EN 10025 designation, selected for the product and service. Recycled feedstock can be compatible with structural performance, but acceptance depends on standard compliance, traceable test certificates, qualified welding and any required toughness, hardness, corrosion or execution controls. Treat recycled content as a separately verified environmental attribute, not as a substitute for structural engineering evidence.
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