Reclaim and reuse potential of load-bearing components of se school buildings

Abstract

Global awareness has arisen for sustainable development to reduce the burden of the building sector on the earth’s ecosystems. One of these sustainable developments is the transition towards a 100% circular building economy with high-quality reuse. However, the sector has insufficient knowledge and understanding about the possibilities and opportunities to transition towards a circular economy. In the current linear economy outdated existing buildings are demolished and replaces with new buildings. This research provides knowledge on a new design strategy of giving existing load-bearing components a proper end-of-service life application by reusing them. This research focuses on outdated school buildings in the Netherlands and sees these existing school buildings as urban mines to extract load-bearing components for new school buildings. In this way, the linear building cycle of load-bearing components closes, and the switch to a circular building economy is possible.

This research proposes a quantitative assessment of the potential reclaim and reuse of existing load-bearing components. Determining the degree of reclamation and reusability starts with assessing individual components on several indicators. A literature study, interviews, and surveys with practitioners determine the indicators and sub-indicators that influence reclamation and reusability. Each indicator and sub-indictor influence the reclaim and reuse of load-bearing components from the indoor environment. Moreover, the reuse of existing components takes place in new SE school buildings, and therefore, the component must meet the current technical requirements. Subsequently, this research collects the required information for each reusability indicator, the theoretical knowledge. Afterwards, the reusability indicators are translated into an assessment method. The assessment method can quantitatively measure the reclaim and reuse potential technically by giving each indicator and sub-indicator a score for reclaim and reuse. Each reusability indicator has a score ranging from 0 = ‘not reusable’ to 1.0 = ‘highly reusable’. The reusability indicators are independent and weigh equal. As a product, this research translated the theoretical knowledge and assessment method into a practically usable, rapid supportive assessment tool. In this way, awareness, knowledge and insight can be provided about the reuse of load-bearing components. The assessment of the reclaim and reuse potential can serve as a supportive tool that helps school organisations and the project teams with the initial decision to apply the reuse of load-bearing components in the construction process of a new SE school building. This decision making