Environmental and Structural Performance of C60 and DP1000 Steel Shoe Shanks: A Combined LCA and FEA Approach

Abstract

Steelgrade selection can influence both the environmental impact and structural performance of manufactured products. This study evaluates these trade-offs for a footwear shoe shank by combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to compare a conventional heat-treated C60 steel with a DP1000 steel alternative. A cradle-to-gate LCA was performed to quantify carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, while nonlinear FEA predicted the structural response and guided design exploration. Direct substitution of steels indicates that the C60 solution has approximately 7% lower global warming potential per component than the DP1000 solution, with steel production accounting for the majority of total emissions. An additional FEA study involved reducing the thickness of the DP1000 solution whilst ensuring load-bearing capacity equivalent to that of the C60 design. By reducing the DP1000 thickness from 1.30 mm to 1.18 mm, this new model achieved a global warming potential reduction of 1.43% compared to the initial C60 model. Sensitivity analysis indicates that this solution’s environmental benefit can range from 1.15% to 6.79% and is strongly influenced by assumptions regarding steel production and component mass. The results highlight the importance of jointly evaluating environmental and mechanical performance when selecting materials for footwear components.