A steel element reuse ontology for building audits in circular construction

Abstract

The construction sector's transition to a circular economy necessitates the closure of material loops through reuse. However, there is little consensus regarding the information to assess the reusability of building elements. This paper determines the necessary information for evaluating steel member reusability and explores the structure of an ontology for conducting building audits. The methodology involves surveys and interviews with European experts in reuse to create the Steel Element Reuse Ontology (SERO). The results show 1) that economic, technical, and condition factors are important to define reusability, and 2) an ontology to assess the reusability should account for the condition and documentation of steel members. SERO establishes definitions and a human- and machine-readable framework for assessing the reuse potential of steel H- and I-profiles in a European context. This framework could be employed in developing digital tools aimed at streamlining inventory procedures in construction, fostering the practical implementation of circular economy principles.