Urban Mining and Circular Construction: Book chapter

How can we meet future construction challenges in a socially, economically and ecologically responsible way? The book Urban Mining and Circular Construction (Urban Mining und kreislaufgerechtes Bauen), published last week in German with Fraunhofer IRB, is dedicated to this important question.

The linear economic model, and thus the destruction of resources, is countered by the idea of closed material cycles, newly designed constructions and (reverse) construction technologies, and innovative, cycle-oriented business models. The built environment must be understood as a depot of materials and planned for their easy deconstruction and removal. From a variety of perspectives, and with the help of pioneering project examples, international experts shed light on how the challenges of a circular economy can be met with new methodological approaches.

A collection of selected material examples shows the special aesthetics and value of reused and recycled building materials and components. Entering a full circular economy must become the central and common goal of our society. This book shows possible ways towards a circular construction industry.

Refficiency’s Michal has teamed up with Anse Smeets and Ke Wang to write the chapter Materials and product data for structural steel re-use (Wiederverwendung von Baustahl). More information can be found here.

Photo credit: James Sullivan