MINERAL BUILDING MATERIAL STOCK OF BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURES IN GERMANY AND FLOWS AS INDICATORS FOR RECYCLING POTENTIALS

Author(s): R. Ortlepp and G. Schiller
Book Title: Seventh International RILEM Conference on High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (HPFRCC7)
Editor: H.W. Reinhardt, G.J. Parra-Montesinos, H. Garrecht
ISBN: 978-2-35158-145-2
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-146-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 267-274
Total Pages: 8
Language: English

Abstract: Currently the focus of measures to preserve the world’s natural resources has been on reducing energy consumption. However, another worthwhile step towards resource conservation is to exploit the existing anthropogenic stock of buildings and infrastructures. This approach has been termed “urban mining”.

Knowledge of the amounts and distribution of building materials is the prerequisite for a systematic and economic use in terms of circular flow. The practical level of re-utilisation depends on the availability of recycled materials as well as whether these materials meet structural engineering requirements and the general standards of building materials.

This contribution examines the stock of buildings and infrastructures in Germany, specifically constructive materials such as steel, concrete or masonry, and their annual material flows. Mineral-based materials are found to be the most common materials at approximately 25 billion metric tons. Material flows are also dominated by minerals, of which by far the largest share is concrete. A comparison of input and output flows shows that the majority of waste from building construction is currently not recycled in new buildings but rather downcycled to new infrastructure.

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00