Investigation of building-related material flows in the disposal phase

Project duration
01/2017 - 03/2018

Funding organization
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Research Programme Zukunft Bau SWD 10.08.17.7-16.39

Project partners
Hildegund Figl, Dr. Caroline Thurner IBO – Austrian Institute for Healthy and Ecological Building GmbH, Vienna 
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Isabell Nemeth, Ansbach University of Applied Sciences 
Dipl-Ing. Robert Kellner, ak architekten, Munich

Summary
The BNB credit 4.1.4 " Deconstruction, separation, recycling" (BNB 4.1.4) aims to optimize a building in such a way that at the end of its life cycle it contributes optimally to the recycling of building materials and leaves as little non-recyclable waste as possible. The project converts the assessment in BNB 4.1.4 from the currently practiced expert approach with dual control principle to a calculable, scientifically based system. For this purpose, a new evaluation system was developed and tested on typical component structures and a case study building.

The new valuation method is based on the assessment of the components used, which are virtually broken down into smaller units ("minimal blocks") that can no longer be separated considering current economic criteria. Recovery scenarios based on current recovery practice and recovery processes under development are assigned to the minimum blocks. Depending on the benefits of the recovery operation and the effort required for separation and processing, each minimum block is assigned a grade using classification tables. The grades at layer level are combined into a sum parameter at component level using the layer thickness and then aggregated with the component area. Finally, with reference to the gross floor area, the grades are aggregated to the recycling indicator at the building level. In the next step, the evaluation system is evaluated on as many buildings as possible.

Project team
Patricia Schneider-Marin