Modulares Wiederverwenden von Bestandstragwerken

Abstract

Modular reuse of existing load-bearing structures

Natural processes run in cycles. On decay follows full regeneration. Such circularity is not yet rooted in the principles of structural engineering. At the end of service, buildings are demolished and, when feasible, disassembled for recycling. This also applies to reinforced concrete construction with its vast building stock. Demolition triggers a fatal downcycling process in which the concrete is used as bulk material or disposed of in a landfill. However, near the end of service, capacity deficits are seldom the key factor; utilization limits or construction regulations are decisive instead. The consequences are an enormous waste of resources, such as sand or gravel, greenhouse gas emissions from reprocessing and waste. Reuse means the repeated use of reinforced concrete as structural components (modules). No longer needed buildings are deconstructed into load-bearing elements, characterized, refurbished, and assembled into new modular structures, creating a circular modular system. The Collaborative Research Center 1683 at Ruhr University Bochum is a multidisciplinary cooperation addressing modular reuse. It develops design and repair concepts for load-bearing structures made of reused reinforced concrete, automated characterization and processing, and processes for logistics, deconstruction, and sustainability assessment. This paper presents early concepts and demonstrators of such envisaged structures.