Construction Materials Reuse

Whenever a building is renovated or demolished, the building materials that are no longer used are recycled or then incinerated as waste. This has a major impact on environmental resources as well as on waste volumes. The goal of reuse is for building materials to be no longer viewed as waste, but rather as resources. These materials should then no longer be recycled but repaired or reinstalled wherever possible.

Nowadays it can be a great challenge to identify renewable building materials. There are in fact several parameters of the material or element that must be taken into account: Lifetime, condition, presence of pollutants, cost of dismantling, possibility of sale, possibility of incorporation into a new building, etc. After this identification, the process from dismantling to sale or incorporation into a new project can be planned and accompanied.

Early identification and planning

The earlier materials are identified, the better and smoother the implementation can be. The materials should be entered on a re-use platform as early as possible so that potential buyers can find them. In addition, the demolition company should be informed as early as possible which materials are intended for reuse so that clean dismantling is carried out. If necessary, a storage facility must be organized for the dismantled elements. The following advantages result from this consideration of renewable building elements:

• Reduction of CO2 emissions by saving on virgin materials
• Reduction of waste
• Savings in disposal costs
• Profits from sale of materials

Intep is happy to support you throughout the planning and implementation of reuse projects. Through our interdisciplinarity and expertise, we understand the complexity of the circular economy in the construction industry and set the course for a smooth process. Before and after implementation, we also determine the ecological and economic potential of your project.