Zur Kreislauffähigkeit von Deckenkonstruktionen

On the circularity of slab systems – Evaluation criteria for the reusability and recyclability of selected floor structures

Circular construction makes it possible to reconcile the need for new buildings and renovations with the increasing scarcity of resources as well as the preservation of embodied carbon and the reduction of new emissions. This study aims to sensitize all structural engineers to the fundamental aspects of circular construction. It presents simple evaluation criteria that can guide planning without the need for detailed prior knowledge, special software or specific circularity indices. The focus of this study is on the most volume-intensive building components - the slab systems. Therefore, six selected slab systems including the finishing layers are analysed with regard to their recycling potential. This study focuses in particular on the dismantling of entire components as well as the ability to separate the individual components. The analysis showed that in many of the slab systems examined, the components can only be separated at great effort and the materials used are usually downcycled. One solution is the design-for-deconstruction planning approach, which considers the dismantling capability of the components and thus focuses on the reuse of the components. Only one of the slab systems offers a high circular potential due to the easy separability of the components and high-quality recycling.