ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

Online client newsletter | December 2024


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Bridging a low carbon future

SOTTAS SA turns to XCarb® recycled and renewably produced for Cigarières bridge in Switzerland

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SOTTAS SA, a Swiss family business specialising in steel structures and high-tech metal cladding, is building the first pedestrian footbridge in Switzerland made entirely of low carbon steel using ArcelorMittal's XCarb® recycled and renewably produced heavy plates.



Antoine Gremaud, Head of Steel Structure Department at SOTTAS.

“We are proud to be involved in the construction of this emblematic structure,” comments Antoine Gremaud, Head of Steel Structure Department at SOTTAS. “This project demonstrates that low carbon-emissions steels are perfectly suited to the construction of steel engineering structures. It also illustrates our determination to combine innovation with environmental care, while meeting high technical requirements.”

The structure has been built by SOTTAS at their factory at Bulle, in four separate welded sections with a total weight of 150 tonnes. It was lifted into place in one piece with a high-capacity 750 tonne crawler crane. The full completion of the footbridge is scheduled for March 2025.

Computer-Generated Imagery of the new Passerelle des Cigarières footbridge crossing the Thièle at Yverdon-les-Bains, showing the cantilevered steel design.

SOTTAS has worked with ArcelorMittal and its precursor companies for over 40 years, but on this project requested a low carbon steel specification for the first time. ArcelorMittal's Steligence® team of experts initially discussed the precise requirements for the project, and quickly established that the XCarb® recycled and renewably produced heavy plate offering was the only option in the market that achieved the demanding requirements to provide an accompanying Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), demonstrating the environmental impact of the steel supplied.

ArcelorMittal’s S355 grade heavy plate is now available as XCarb® recycled and renewably produced with EPD certification.

The XCarb® recycled and renewably produced heavy plate used is a S355 grade steel, which is medium tensile, low carbon manganese composition, readily weldable and possesses good resistance to low temperatures. It has a low carbon footprint of 914kg CO2e per tonne of steel, compared to 2600kg for conventional heavy plate, achieved through its electric arc furnace production and use of renewable electricity.




One of the four sections of the bridge, being welded at SOTTAS’ factory at Bulle, ahead of being transported to Yverdon-les-Bains.

“We’re delighted to be working with SOTTAS on this iconic project for the municipality of Yverdon-les-Bains” commented Frederic Marechal, Account Manager, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products. “Our XCarb® recycled and renewably produced offering has been the ideal solution for the end customer, delivering the low carbon characteristics that they were demanding in the tender, with a 65% lower carbon footprint than conventional alternatives.”



Frederic Marechal,
Account Manager, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products



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