Reuse, Upcycle, Recycle: Circularity in the construction industry

Topic
The construction sector is one of the major consumers of raw materials and is responsible for a generation of the largest waste stream globally. These aspects are also strongly related to the high energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The principles of circular economy and sustainability offer a chance for reducing these burdens to the environment.
In this seminar we will present and discuss recent achievements in research and application projects devoted to circularity in the construction sector. In particular, we will address how the most voluminous waste streams, concrete and soil, can not only be recycled, but also offer additional value along the way. We will also present technologies that enable reuse of wood in timber structures or reuse of advanced engineering materials – carbon fibers.

Target audience
Stakeholders, practitioners and scientists from the sectors of construction, buildings and infrastructure, waste management and recycling, energy, environment, sustainability.

The seminar will be held on 05 November 2024 at 15:30 - 20:00 at the Akademie in Dübendorf. There is also a possibility to visit NEST directly before the seminar (limited number of places).

Program:
14:30 – 15:30    NEST Visit (optional): SPRINT and Urban Mining Units, 20 places available.
15:30 – 15:50    Welcome coffee
15:50 – 16:00    Introduction by Dr Peter Richner, Empa, Head of Department Engineering Sciences
Lectures:
16:00 - 16:30    Keynote lecture by Dr Bastien Girod, ETHZ, National Council:
                             For a Swiss circular economy - the current regulatory framework and potential future evolution
16:30 – 16:55    CO2 storage in recycled concrete aggregates - Dr Andreas Leemann, Empa
16:55 – 17:20    Asphalt recycling: from laboratory to road - Dr Martins Zaumanis, Empa
17:20 – 17:45    Upcycling of excavation earth into building materials - Dr Ellina Bernard, Empa
17:45 – 18:00    Coffee break
18:00 – 18:25    Reuse of CFRP wires in prestressing cables of a bridge - Prof. Giovanni Terrasi, Empa and University of Edinburgh
18:25 – 18:50    Reuse of wood products in timber structures - Dr René Steiger, Empa
18:40 – 19:00    Concluding remarks - Dr Mateusz Wyrzykowski, Empa
19:00 – 20:00    Apéro

Note
If you are interested in the NEST Visit, you must select a ticket for both categories.

This seminar is organized under Empa's Research Focus Area (RFA) Built Environment:

At Empa, research on the built environment is carried out at different levels, starting from the development of new functional materials to the design of advanced systems and their integration into buildings and structures. At a larger scale, we look at entire districts and even cities and their interaction with the environment. Key issues at all levels are the minimization of the environmental footprint while guaranteeing a high level of comfort and safety for the users.