RECONSTRUCT

ABSTRACT:

Globally, the Construction industry is responsible for over 30% of the extraction of natural resources, 25% of solid waste generated and 40% of GHG emissions. Around a third of these emissions come from embodied carbon in construction. Cement and Steel are responsible for most of the embodied GHGs, representing >80% of the total. With recycling of cement and steel having a limited potential for further improving material efficiency, the focus is on replacing them with low-carbon alternatives and/or embedding them in reusable construction components. RECONSTRUCT will (i) develop low-carbon alternatives to OPC, to be used in both renovations and new buildings, and incorporate CDW and other waste as much as possible, (ii) manufacture construction components that use such materials and are designed for modularity and dismantling so they can either be reused or easily disassembled and recycled, (iii) embed deconstruction in building design and construct circular low-carbon buildings that produce near-zero CDW across their lifecycle. These objectives will become possible through (i) the digitization of construction materials, products and buildings, (ii) the extensive use of digital tools to support the design, construction and deconstruction phases of the circular building and (iii) the regionalization of the construction value chain through the creation of regional ecosystems of stakeholders covering all the aspects of circular construction. The RECONSTRUCT concept will be demonstrated by setting up to Territorial Circular Clusters, in Brussels and Barcelona, and using RECONSTRUCT´s materials, components and innovative tools to design and construct two real-scale demonstrator buildings. By doing so, RECONSTRUCT aims to demonstrate its high impact potential (including a GHG reduction potential of 137,12 Mt CO2 per year, avoidance of 85 million tonnes of CDW per year and substitution of 197 Mt of OPC concrete per year) and its economic feasibility.

There is an urgent need for the European construction industry to reduce material consumption by reducing waste and by reusing demolition and other industrial waste for the manufacturing of new building materials and components. Furthermore, as cement and steel are responsible for more than 80% of the embodied greenhouse emissions linked with the construction industry, priority should be given to replacing carbon and steel with low-carbon alternatives and/or embedding them in reusable construction components. Within this current context, the RECONSTRUCT project has eight objectives: 1) to automate and accelerate the sourcing of secondary materials, such as construction and demolition waste; 2) to develop and produce recyclable construction concrete that contains zero virgin resources; 3) to design and manufacture construction components that can be fully reused and/or recycled; 4) to support and enable the design, construction and deconstruction of fully circular buildings; 5) to use RECONSTRUCT innovations to design and build two real-scale fully circular buildings; 6) to calculate RECONSTRUCT´s current and future environmental, economic and social impacts; 7) to facilitate the replication of RECONSTRUCT´s approach and the uptake of its innovations; and 8) to ensure the effective dissemination, communication and exploitation of the project´s results.

AIM (WHAT)

There is an urgent need for the European construction industry to reduce material consumption by reducing waste and by reusing demolition and other industrial waste for the manufacturing of new building materials and components. Furthermore, as cement and steel are responsible for more than 80% of the embodied greenhouse emissions linked with the construction industry, priority should be given to replacing carbon and steel with low-carbon alternatives and/or embedding them in reusable construction components. Within this current context, the RECONSTRUCT project has eight objectives: 1) to automate and accelerate the sourcing of secondary materials, such as construction and demolition waste; 2) to develop and produce recyclable construction concrete that contains zero virgin resources; 3) to design and manufacture construction components that can be fully reused and/or recycled; 4) to support and enable the design, construction and deconstruction of fully circular buildings; 5) to use RECONSTRUCT innovations to design and build two real-scale fully circular buildings; 6) to calculate RECONSTRUCT´s current and future environmental, economic and social impacts; 7) to facilitate the replication of RECONSTRUCT´s approach and the uptake of its innovations; and 8) to ensure the effective dissemination, communication and exploitation of the project´s results.

METHODOLOGY (HOW)

In order to achieve these objectives, RECONSTRUCT will adopt a concept that relies on: (i) the digitization of construction materials, products and buildings; (ii) the extensive use of digital tools to support the design, construction and deconstruction phases of the circular building; and (iii) the regionalization of the construction value chain through the creation of regional ecosystems of stakeholders covering all the aspects of circular construction. Additionally, the project's activities will be organised around four key phases (planning-development-demonstration-replication) and will include two demonstrator buildings. 

IMPACT (WHY)

RECONSTRUCT will pave the way for increased innovation and sustainability in the construction sector. The project is expected to stimulate the market uptake of innovative climate-neutral circular solutions, to prove the benefits of using advanced digital solutions in construction, to facilitate recovery and recycling rates of construction and demolition, to increase upcycling of reused and recycled material, and to foster knowledge about the overall environmental footprint of the construction sector. Ultimately, the project will make a substantial contribution to the goal of European industrial sustainability, competitiveness and resource independence.