News - Recreate

Paul-Jonker-Hoffren-Tampere-University-1-1.png

Introduction to the report: Legal and technical requirements in reusing precast concrete of the ReCreate project. The full report is available here.

Paul Jonker-Hoffrén, Tampere University

The ReCreate report, Legal and technical requirements in reusing precast concrete, provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal and technical requirements for reusing precast concrete elements in four European countries: Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany. It examines regulations at the EU, national, and local levels, focusing on deconstruction and reuse processes, and identifies common challenges and country-specific issues. It represents the understanding of the state of the art until the beginning of 2023. This report is based on general knowledge rather than the experiences of the industrial partners, which will be reported in a forthcoming report. Therefore, some aspects discussed in the current report will be out of date already due to developments in policy.

Deconstruction Norms

Deconstruction and demolition permits are nationally regulated. In Finland and Sweden, the legislation acknowledges reuse and requires demolition permits to consider reusable components. In the Netherlands, a demolition notification is generally sufficient unless environmental laws apply, which can require more comprehensive permits. Germany follows federal and state building codes with more structured requirements. Waste management is governed by the EU Waste Framework Directive, which sets recycling targets but lacks explicit reuse goals, resulting in ambiguity. Finland and Sweden faced uncertainties about whether deconstructed components are classified as waste (until recently), complicating reuse due to administrative burdens. The Netherlands does not consider deconstructed concrete elements as waste if free from hazardous substances, facilitating reuse. This will be tested in the real-life pilot project in the Netherlands, nonetheless. Germany has legal provisions to avoid waste status, but debates continue on their efficacy. Local environmental protection laws generally do not impose special restrictions on deconstruction for reuse in Finland and the Netherlands. Sweden and Germany have raised concerns regarding specific hazardous substances and water protection laws, with Germany expecting clarification through upcoming ordinances. Occupational safety regulations in all countries align with EU directives, ensuring minimum safety standards. Finland and Sweden emphasize public sector and social partner involvement in occupational safety regulations and workplace rules; Germany relies on sector-based organization; the Netherlands supplements national laws with private certification schemes. Detailed work safety plans and checklists guide safe deconstruction practices in all countries at the project level, which are based on national law or decrees.

Norms on Reuse

Technical requirements for reused concrete elements follow the same standards as new materials, primarily based on Eurocodes and national annexes. However, challenges arise in assessing the material properties of reused components due to lack of original documentation and potential degradation, necessitating improved testing standards. Finland and Sweden apply existing standards designed for new products, which may not adequately address reuse-specific concerns. The Netherlands and Germany have developed additional guidelines and standards to better assess existing structures for reuse.

Product approval is nationally controlled, as the EU Construction Products Regulation currently exempts existing products like reused elements. Finland and Sweden lack clear, consensus-based approval processes, leading to ad hoc practices and uncertainty. Germany and the Netherlands have more institutionalized procedures, including certifications and assessment guidelines, though complexities remain. Designer qualifications for reuse projects are regulated nationally; Finland has specific legal requirements and guidelines, while Sweden and the Netherlands have no special legislation, and Germany regulates via state building codes. Building permits for reuse projects generally require case-by-case collaboration with authorities in all countries, reflecting the novelty and evolving nature of reuse practices. Sustainability policies at international, EU, and national levels provide overarching goals supporting reuse but often lack direct enforceability. Recent initiatives in Finland (e.g., circular construction competitions) and municipal programmes in Sweden demonstrate emerging practical incentives for reuse. The Netherlands and Germany integrate sustainability into building codes and climate laws but tend to focus more on operational energy than embodied emissions, indicating room for policy development.

Discussion

Four key cross-cutting barriers hinder large-scale deployment of reuse: (1) ambiguity in waste status and end-of-waste criteria complicates administrative processes; (2) lack of tailored technical requirements for reused materials leads to conservative and cumbersome testing; (3) product approval pathways are unclear or inconsistent, especially in Nordic countries; and (4) sustainability policies are often too general to drive immediate change. The Netherlands stands out positively in waste classification and product approval, while Finland and Sweden are in earlier stages of regulatory adaptation. Germany offers legal options for reuse but faces challenges in standardizing practices. The report emphasizes the need for clearer interpretations, harmonized technical guidelines, streamlined approval processes, and concrete sustainability incentives to accelerate the adoption of reuse.

Conclusion

While the normative frameworks across the four countries share common elements derived from EU directives, their maturity and practical implementation regarding reuse vary significantly. The primary challenge lies not in creating new regulations but in adapting existing ones to explicitly support reuse of building components. Finland and Sweden are developing foundational practices, particularly in product approval, whereas the Netherlands and Germany have more progressive, institutionalized systems. Cross-country knowledge exchange and stakeholder collaboration are vital for overcoming barriers. The report lays the groundwork for further empirical research and policy development to foster circular economy transitions in construction.

The report, as a general overview of legal and technical requirements in the ReCreate project countries, highlights comparative insights across countries, facilitating understanding of shared challenges and unique national circumstances in promoting the reuse of precast concrete elements.


1744742609070.jpg

Wednesday, May 21st, Thijs Lambrechts presented the ReCreate project at the Circular Wallonia days in Mons, Belgium. 200+ European experts and professionals from the Mineral Industry are gathering, exchanging on the most inspiring innovations and projects. After the presentation, a panel discussion followed where ReCreate and other EU projects gave their input into queries from the audience. The goal of the event was to discuss opportunities, challenges and perspectives in extending and improving mineral resource lifespan.

The reuse of concrete elements for structural purposes is seen as a high-value reuse branch, right after the reuse of a structure as a whole. When the reuse of elements for structural purposes is not possible anymore, the next steps in the ladder of Lansink have to be considered. Among these is the recycling of concrete in its raw form, aggregate, filler and cement. In this event, the complexity and intricacies of this process were illustrated, and this goes hand in hand with ReCreate in creating a circular, or even upwards spiraling built environment/economy.


Paul-Jonker-Hoffren-Tampere-University-1.png

Introduction to the report: Guide to Coalition Building for Circular Construction of the ReCreate project. The full report is available here.

Paul Jonker-Hoffrén, Tampere University

Circular construction projects involve many actors, similarly to linear construction projects. At present, when construction consortiums are still finding optimal solutions to organizing a circular project, significant effort is needed to coordinate and structure information flows. This derives from differing information requirements between actors internal or external to these projects, because circular projects are not as standardized as linear construction projects. This means that actors in the project, but also authorities, may have a need for very specific information that is produced by some other actor.

The ReCreate report Guide to Coalition Building for Circular Construction is aimed to be a tool to structure information flows for a circular project, to raise awareness for the efforts needed and the role actors play in producing information for other actors. Furthermore, the Guide to Coalition Building also provides a lens to observe what policy aspects may be relevant in a particular project. Current policy is mostly built for the linear construction, so in circular economy projects there is a special need to assess how certain policies apply. These are discussed more fully in another ReCreate report. However, the policies that are relevant include environmental policies, certification and quality assurance policies or norms and environmental impact assessments. In addition, there are local building permit policies. After the publication of the Guide to Coalition Building, it emerged that in many cases waste regulation (with its base in EU law) is also highly relevant. Compliance with all these norms means the partners in a construction partnership need to be aware of what kind of information regulatory actors can or will require.

A core recommendation of the Guide to Coalition Building is that project actors should be in timely, active contact with local authorities about potentially complicated issues. These issues may relate to clarifications to local zoning provisions, but also to the required quality assurance information when applying for permits. As local authorities are usually the issuers of permits, it can be of value to explicitly connect a construction plan to local climate or circular strategies. In some cases, the local authorities may need to request interpretation of provision of norms from other authorities, which will take time. Therefore, it is advised to engage with local authorities pro-actively.

Figure 1. Two coalitions in circular construction.

In the Guide to Coalition Building, it is argued that in an abstract sense, there are two coalitions which have to interact to get to a result: a building permit, and ultimately a circular construction (Figure 1). The first coalition is the construction project coalition, which consists of the actors involved in all phases from (planning) deconstruction to new construction, such as structural engineering firms, architects and the deconstruction firm. The function of this coalition is to produce the information necessary for a construction permit. The phases in the circular value chain (Figure 1, left side) will provide this information, but some actors will have to produce information for other actors, at a cost to them. This information feeds into the processes of the second coalition, the policy coalition, which usually is represented at the practical level by local authorities. The information requirements of this coalition are shaped by EU-level-, national and local policymaking and norms (Figure 1, right side).

Beyond the technical aspects of circular construction processes, actors in the construction sector should be prepared to interact with the policy coalition to find pragmatic solutions and policy innovations to the challenges that arise from policy designed to the linear construction economy. In various stages of the project there are potential challenges, which involve other actors and information requirements. A goal of ReCreate Work Package 8 is to understand and solve these challenges in the real-life pilot projects.


Mikko-Sairanen.png

Introduction to the report Business model canvases for precast concrete element reuse of the ReCreate project. Full report is available here.

Mikko Sairanen, Tampere University

For companies to adopt the novel practice of reusing precast concrete elements, it is essential that they understand what this entails regarding the value that their customers perceive, dynamics of creating and delivering such value, and, of course, turning a profit in the process. In other words, they need to form an understanding of what is the business model for precast concrete element reuse.

To aid the industry in this challenging task, in ReCreate project, WP7 has examined the issue and put together business model canvases (BMCs) for the different types of companies and processes that are needed to realize precast concrete element reuse. The BMC is a popular tool that can quickly communicate the essential elements of a business model, such as the required key activities and resources, customer-related information, and cost and revenue streams.

Three key insights from the BMC analysis are discussed here. First, precast concrete element reuse holds significant business potential, but issues of economic feasibility remain. We found that labour costs are the biggest barrier to address in order to build competitive business cases out of concrete element reuse. While savings can be attained in material and waste management costs, time-consuming deconstruction and element refurbishment processes challenge profitability. This issue can, however, be greatly alleviated through learning and gradual scaling of reuse processes. In addition, appropriate policy mixes are needed to economically incentivize reuse compared to virgin concrete element production.

Second, the business models of the value chain are heavily affected by value chain organization, particularly regarding vertical integration. Within the ReCreate pilot projects, we have observed both so-called decentralized and centralized organization models. A decentralized model means that the companies of the value chain adopt rather well-defined tasks such as deconstruction or element refurbishment and that the value chain is built on collaborations rather than coordination from a single company. In a centralized model, however, one company vertically integrates various value chain functions and thus designs a new overarching business model for concrete element reuse. The optimal way to organize the value chain depends on the regional business environment and markets, but we found that the focal company in the centralized model can often execute several reuse subprocesses very efficiently, ensure smooth data management, and, crucially, match emerging demand with specific deconstruction projects early on. These attributes of vertical integration can support building attractive business models in the emerging markets of reclaimed concrete elements.

Lastly, we highlight that the business models need to not only work at the level of identified company types within the ReCreate pilot projects, but also at the level of any subprocess that could be considered a standalone business process in the future, as well as at the level of the whole value chain. Therefore, we also analysed BMCs for the key supporting processes of quality management, storage, and logistics, as well as for the system level (picture below).

All the BMCs are published in the ReCreate project as Business model canvases for precast concrete element reuse  and can be found through the project webpage.


3.png

The division ‘Selective Deconstruction – Building in Existing Contexts’ of ECOSOIL Ost GmbH was founded in 2001 and started with a team of five employees. The focus was on the selective (crane-guided) deconstruction of prefabricated buildings. At that time, demand from housing companies was driven by overcapacity, vacancies and a backlog of renovation work. After 20 years, the business segment has established itself and the customer base has grown to around 60 property developers.

Our customer base is characterised by small and medium-sized towns in central and eastern Germany with job losses or poor infrastructure. Initially, the focus of the projects was on the deconstruction of upper floors and entrance areas. Over the years, the portfolio has been expanded to include deconstruction in an ‘inhabited state’, i.e. with temporary roofs.

In addition to our range of services, we require specialised machinery with specific features, such as special cranes, mini excavators and concrete cutting equipment.

Our team carries out the work while the buildings are still inhabited and works routinely with planners and various trades, in particular roofers, plumbers, carpenters and scaffolders.

Further structural challenges include the confined space and the sometimes very different construction methods with load levels ranging from 0.8 t to 6.3 t per element. The structural challenges are always accompanied by occupational safety for all employees.

We are an important point of contact for housing associations, as we have a pool of experience in deconstruction in conjunction with deconstruction planning and in hazardous substance and waste management. At the same time, the requirements of waste and recycling legislation have changed. For construction site logistics and cooperation with waste disposal companies, this means additional work, in particular due to extensive analyses and pre-sorting of waste in order to keep costs as low as possible and remain competitive.

Our largest and longest construction project was the Kugelbergring in Weißenfels (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), which took over a year to complete and had a contract volume of €1.6 million.

The ‘Selective Deconstruction – Building in Existing Contexts’ division has initiated a construction conference as an industry meeting place, which has been taking place for over twenty years and is unique in this form.  As a result, we came into contact with Prof. Mettke, BTU, and joined the EU project ReCreate as an industrial partner in 2008 with our first project. We have been supporting the EU project ReCreate since 2021. It is being implemented at the Hohenmölsen and Kolkwitz sites.

Our business has always stood for sustainable resource conservation through the long-term preservation of living space – always with the aim of improving the quality of life and the environment of former GDR prefabricated buildings. The EU-wide ReCreate project impressively demonstrates the potential of reusing entire ‘prefabricated panels’ in new functional buildings.

We are currently working with 15 employees on several construction projects in Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. In addition to the high-profile issues of housing shortages in metropolitan areas, the central issues of urban development in small and medium-sized towns in eastern Germany remain.

When renovating residential space, the requirements for energy-efficient renovation and barrier-free living are increasing. Today, the focus is on neighbourhoods with short distances, good transport links and sufficient green and recreational areas. The former prefabricated housing estates offer good structural conditions for these requirements.

Over the past 20 years, we have helped to create a liveable residential environment in over 200 projects.


April 22, 2025
Angelika-Mettke-interview.png

*German version of the interview is below*

In this interview, we speak with Prof. Angelika Mettke from BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg, one of the pioneering researchers in structural reuse in Europe. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, Prof. Mettke reflects on the evolution of concrete element reuse in Germany, the long road from pilot projects to building codes, and why now might finally be the right time for circularity in construction to scale.

Hello, Prof. Mettke. Thank you for finding time for this interview. For starters, can you introduce yourself a bit and tell us about your background, your role, and your organization’s role in the project? How did it all start?

I have been working at BTU since 1975. Initially, I qualified with a degree in engineering, and the next step was obtaining my diploma as an engineer. In 1995, I earned my PhD in engineering, focusing on the development of decision-support tools for the preparation of renovation measures in industry for the reuse of building elements and components. In 2009, I obtained my habilitation, focusing specifically on the reuse of concrete elements, particularly those from prefabricated construction, and the recycling of mineral construction debris, or rather, the high-quality recovery of construction waste. Originally, the area was called “Construction Recycling,”, but now it’s referred to as my “research area,” which I developed independently. I had no public financial resources for personnel. However, I had the opportunity to raise funds through research projects, allowing me to employ scientific staff.

Satu Huuhka visited here in Cottbus at BTU and had the opportunity to speak with me. She found my work interesting and organized another visit with a delegation, which included a German-speaking colleague. During this visit, I gave a lecture on the topic of “Reuse of Concrete Elements.” Afterwards, she asked me what I thought about collaborating on a research project. So, between Finland and Cottbus. I was thrilled about this request. Of course, I welcomed such an international collaboration, which had not existed before. First, we needed to investigate where there were gaps in expertise and determine how we could work together. Then, Satu searched for funding opportunities at the European level, and we did the same for Germany. Then Satu said, “You have a lot of knowledge; you should take the lead. You have expertise, experience, and extensive research on this topic.” For Germany, I took on the leadership role, but the overall leadership should be with Finland—after all, the idea to initiate a European project came from Satu. That’s how it developed. When we formulated the application, I had only one research assistant: Viktoria Arnold, a graduate of the Siberian University of Krasnoyarsk, and both of us worked on the research proposal. This is how our ReCreate project came about. You asked me why I participated so eagerly in this project. Well, of course, I wanted to. Buildings constructed with prefabricated elements in modular construction can also be found in Europe and are not a national peculiarity. Satu was active and involved further project partners, such as the Netherlands, Sweden, and Croatia. This consortium was formed, and my particular interest was in situating this topic in a European context. In this constellation, we have other strengths that help accelerate the necessary transformation process in the construction sector, compared to just Mettke at BTU in Cottbus alone. In a cluster, we can achieve more, both in construction and environmental policy, and that is important. Especially now, through the climate discussion, the topic is gaining significance because the reuse of concrete components retains the embodied energy.

What motivated you to join the project?

As already mentioned, I started dealing with the topic of reuse more than 30 years ago. This was not primarily for climate protection reasons, but due to the resource scarcity in construction in East Germany, which presented me with great challenges. The necessity of addressing this issue arose from the fact that buildings in industrial and commercial construction were being demolished shortly after their useful life, after 10, 12, or 15 years. I made every effort to save the concrete elements used. Initially, quality testing of the concrete elements was the focus. In this, usability, constructional, and building-physical parameters played a role. After gaining access to buildings scheduled for demolition, I contacted several companies with my request to attempt to dismantle construction elements from the structural system. The most powerful construction company at the time, the Construction and Assembly Combine Coal and Energy, eventually agreed to try dismantling some elements of a single-story hall. I found that these buildings, constructed in modular construction, were dismantlable, even though they were not originally designed for deconstruction. This experience made it clear how important it is to assess unused buildings and, if conservation measures are excluded, to consider secondary reuse options for concrete elements already used. Furthermore, deconstruction considerations must be integrated into the planning process.

There is a huge potential in existing reinforced concrete modular buildings, not only in Germany but also across Europe and worldwide. And if, with the ReCreate project, we can help manage our primary raw material resources efficiently, thereby reducing the ecological footprint and contributing to climate protection, this is a huge opportunity. Building on our own and new research findings, we can show the professional world beyond national borders that the reuse of concrete elements is feasible and of high relevance both from a social and economic perspective.

Tell me about the German donor building and the pilot that will be constructed. Can you tell me what is specific for the German cluster, the German donor building and the pilot?

Well, first of all, let me start with a preliminary note. I have been in contact with the company Ecosoil for many years now. Thanks to our collaborative work, the “selective demolition” business area has become established within the company. As is standard procedure, I contacted Ecosoil’s senior construction manager about current demolition projects. In Hohenmölsen, Saxony-Anhalt, Ecosoil Ost GmbH had been commissioned to demolish a five-story prefabricated building by two floors. I also asked if they notified the relevant parties in advance. Through Ecosoil, I got in touch with the property owner, the housing association in Hohenmölsen. At the time, I wasn’t familiar with Hohenmölsen, which is located in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. I introduced myself over the phone and scheduled an on-site meeting, and that’s how things started moving forward in the first place. After a rough assessment that almost 500 concrete elements would need to be dismantled, I proposed the idea of constructing a pilot within the scope of the ReCreate project. Although I had ideas, I couldn’t make the final decision; it had to be approved by the city. It was important to me to determine whether there was a need for the construction of a public building. This led to an initial meeting with Mr. Luckanus, the managing director of the housing association, and Mr. Haugk, the mayor of Hohenmölsen. During this meeting, I presented our previous projects and initiatives. We had already implemented measures such as constructing new buildings using recycled concrete elements. I learned that the “old” spaces for youth centres would no longer be available in the foreseeable future. Based on a conceptual design with a selected range of P2 building-type elements for a youth centre, which I had created for another city, I was able to gain the mayor’s interest. I asked them if they could envision something similar within our project.

The mayor expressed the need for a community centre (clubhouse) and informed me about the old clubhouse, which was scheduled for demolition, and the plans to accommodate different users in the new facility. He explained in detail why certain features were necessary. However, he mentioned that the original concept I had presented, based on the P2 type, had a gross floor area that was too large (400 m²). I assured him that adjusting the concept would not be an issue. Following this, I asked him about the specific spaces they required. Based on several rounds of consultations with the representatives of the city of Hohenmölsen regarding usage and space requirements, and with us, my research assistant, architect Christoph Henschel, developed the concept for the youth centre. The youth centre, with its diverse uses (including multi-purpose and hobby rooms, offices, kitchen, etc.), has a gross floor area of ​​approximately 835 m² spread over two floors. We developed a total of six design variants for this building because the spaces had to be adapted to the changing needs of future users, including various clubs.

So, was the decision on which design to choose influenced by the organizations that will eventually be in the building?

Yes, as just mentioned, that was the case. For the most recently agreed-upon concept for the youth center, we developed an exposé that will serve as the basis for the tender. With the help of students, we also built a model to improve visualization. In addition to integrating 160 dismantled, used concrete elements, steel beams and timber stud walls are to be used. This is due to the geometric dimensions of the rooms. The city of Hohenmölsen, as the public client, has been promised financial support for this sustainable construction project. The completion of the youth centre is expected in 2026.

Should difficulties arise and the construction project in Hohenmölsen be called into question, I was able to initiate a second pilot project near Cottbus as a backup option.

I would also like to point out one aspect: initially, there were difficulties in providing a storage area for the dismantled concrete elements in Hohenmölsen. The need to temporarily store the dismantled elements arises from the time difference between the moment the concrete elements are dismantled and their reassembly date. In the end, the city designated a temporary storage area close to the construction site.

So, the city doesn’t want to invest in spaces for the disposal of the elements because they still need to assess the project’s value. Does this create a problem when you initially want to start something?

I must state that there is currently no functioning “handling” system for large-format concrete elements. It must be assumed that temporary storage for used concrete elements will be necessary. The establishment of decentralized building component exchanges combined with web-based platforms could provide a solution to ensure optimal marketing for used concrete elements. I could imagine that stationary construction material recycling plant operators could temporarily store the used concrete elements. If they are not in demand, there would still be the option of material recycling or shredding into recycled material. This is an idea, but whether it can be implemented is still to be evaluated.

What does collaboration look like within your country’s cluster? Is there strong collaboration? Do you maintain good communication with project partners in the German cluster?

I can look back on an excellent collaboration with the industry partners involved in the ReCreate project. This cooperation is based on a long-standing, reliable, and constructive relationship with the engineering firm Jähne and the deconstruction company Ecosoil Ost GmbH. It is important that we support each other, communicate openly, and exchange ideas. We meet regularly, but there are also many operational matters that need to be coordinated, which we usually clarify over the phone or in personal discussions. In short, the collaboration with the construction industry partners is outstanding.

The “new” project partners include the city of Hohenmölsen and the company Lohmann & Robinski – web solutions. The latter has extensive experience with digital work methods, helping us digitize work results within the German national project. Additionally, having the city of Hohenmölsen as a local partner is crucial, as they are familiar with the regional conditions and authorities. All the necessary requirements for such a construction project fall under the city’s jurisdiction through the building authority. At the same time, we aim to ensure that construction of the youth center can hopefully begin there next year.

We also plan to organize an international ReCreate project partners meeting, similar to those held in Eindhoven, Helsingborg, and Tampere, to assess the condition of the used concrete elements and observe the reassembly process. Significant support is expected from our local partner. In my experience, having a local partner is highly beneficial, as they have a strong interest in this sustainable initiative and are motivated to drive it forward.

Do you have some kind of internal motivation for the project? Do you have any personal stakes or intrinsic motivation that drives you?

Yes, of course! The reuse of building components is my life’s work! I have dedicated myself to this topic. Viktoria was there: In 2016, I received the German Environmental Award for this commitment—one of the most prestigious awards in Europe. Together with a company, we received this prize for the efficient use of resources.

My passion lies in reusing valuable materials because I was raised that way in my family home. My parents—my father, a self-employed metalworker—built many objects from reused materials, whether lamps, scooters, tricycles, wheelbarrows, or even a tractor. He used materials he found at the landfill.

This mindset shaped me from an early age. So yes, there is passion involved—both emotionally and professionally.

In your opinion, what are some of the major challenges that the project is facing? We’ve already identified certain aspects, but could you elaborate on them?

Yes, the biggest challenge for the project is the various international aspects that need to be considered. The necessary exchange between project partners must be maintained. In Germany, this is somewhat easier due to the already existing network, but new partners are always being added. The professional exchange takes place through regular coordination between my colleagues and me, but it is still somewhat time-consuming. The network we have built in our German cluster makes collaboration easier now. However, with new partners, a certain level of trust must first be established. The administrative tasks that always arise in EU projects take up a significant portion of the time.

That being said, what about the project in general? In your opinion, what do you believe are the major challenges that everyone has to face at the European level?

You know, generally speaking, I would wish that through this European consortium, the idea of reusability is established worldwide. With these clusters, we can widely spread the results, not just in Europe. There will be a film about the pilot project to show that it is being implemented exemplarily in Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany – so it works everywhere. That’s the challenge: to show that existing resources, i.e., used concrete elements, are fully reusable in a secondary way. Building with existing structures has top priority. There is no alternative to the limited available mineral raw materials. We must demonstrate this worldwide, because many countries aspire to the European standard of living. Construction is happening worldwide. If we can show that we can also build with existing structures, in a sustainable way, and also architecturally interesting, then this meets our research goal. For example, the pilot project in Finland will look different from the one here in Germany. So, we will be able to present a variety of solutions. The construction connections and the structural development of the range of elements differ. We can learn from Finland or the Netherlands – from their building systems and joining techniques, and vice versa. This networking is, in my opinion, very valuable.

What kind of impact would you like for the project to have someday? Do you believe that after the project is completed, it will be easier to update the standard at the European level?

On the German side, I currently have the development of a German standard on the agenda, but this process takes time. It typically spans several years, as a standard must be thoroughly reviewed and objections from experts considered before its publication. At present, a used building component is considered an unregulated construction product under both EU and German law.

We will not be able to solve all the problems in the ReCreate project. The tasks are very complex and extensive. New questions will also arise from our research. What is important to me is that rules and standards are developed to facilitate the entire process. This is a big challenge. For example, we would like to develop a standard solution for warranty and liability issues related to the use of used concrete elements – in collaboration with legal expertise. A guideline needs to be created that outlines which actor is responsible for which performance, and what steps need to be carried out to effectively plan and implement reuse.

The EU Construction Products Regulation governs market access and the use of construction products. The 16 state building codes in Germany define the general requirements for buildings, which are further specified by the Technical Building Regulations.

In my opinion, a harmonized specification according to EU regulations would help to draw more attention to the reuse of used concrete elements. So far, there is no harmonized assessment or standard for this.

So, maybe it’s still too early, considering there’s a lot of research yet to be conducted on this topic. However, that’s the task of the ReCreate project: to establish the necessary research and then present it to policymakers so they can incorporate it into policies, regulations, and standards. Do you agree?

Yes, I agree. This is the next step. In the ReCreate project, we are laying the essential foundations – supported by scientifically based methods. The solutions developed will, I hope, be incorporated into an EU standard.

We always like to conclude interviews with the question: Who is Angelika Mettke, and what does she enjoy doing when she’s not working on the ReCreate Project or at her university? What are her favorite activities in her spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren, being outdoors, and in my garden. I have a house and a weekend property. There’s always something to do there, and I enjoy it. It’s a nice balance, a contrast to office work and mental work. I can get some exercise in the fresh air, play outside with my grandchildren, and at the same time, observe animals and enjoy the birdsong. Yesterday, for example, I saw a hedgehog in our garden. The older I get, the more I appreciate the wonder of nature. That’s why it’s important to me that nature and our habitat, our landscape, are preserved and disturbed as little as possible. This aligns with my actual responsibilities and my job: conserving resources and interfering with nature with little to no impact. I plant flowers, shrubs, and trees. I know that I’ve contributed something in my small area of ​​activity; to doing something socially meaningful. I enjoy spending my holidays on the Baltic Sea in Warnemünde and Kühlungsborn, as well as in various places on the islands of Usedom and Rügen. The atmosphere is unique. But I am also aware that every country has beautiful places.

 

German version:

 

Hallo Frau Prof. Mettke. Vielen Dank, dass Sie Zeit für dieses Interview gefunden haben. Können Sie sich zunächst einmal kurz vorstellen, uns etwas über Ihren Hintergrund, Ihre Rolle und die Rolle Ihrer Organisation in diesem Projekt erzählen? Wie hat das alles angefangen?

Ich bin seit 1975 bei der BTU tätig. Zunächst qualifizierte ich mich mit dem Abschluss als Ingenieur, der nächste Schritt war die Erlangung des Diplom-Ingenieurs. Im Jahr 1995 promovierte ich im Fachbereich Ingenieurwesen zur Entwicklung von Entscheidungshilfen für die Vorbereitung von Sanierungsmaßnahmen in der Industrie zur Wiederverwendung von Bauelementen und Bauteilen. Im Jahr 2009 habilitierte ich mich, wobei ich mich speziell mit der Wiederverwendung von Betonelementen, insbesondere aus dem Fertigteilbau, und mit dem Recycling von mineralischem Bauschutt bzw. der hochwertigen Verwertung von Bauabfällen beschäftigte. Ursprünglich hieß der Bereich ” Bauliches Recycling”, aber jetzt wird er als mein “Forschungsbereich” bezeichnet, den ich eigenverantwortlich entwickelt habe. Ich hatte keine öffentlichen finanzielle Mittel für Personal. Aber hatte die Möglichkeit, über Forschungsprojekte finanzielle Mittel einwerben zu können und damit wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter zu beschäftigen.

Satu Huuhka war zu Besuch hier in Cottbus an der BTU und hatte die Gelegenheit, mit mir zu sprechen. Sie fand meine Arbeit interessant und organisierte einen weiteren Besuch mit einer Delegation, zu der auch ein deutschsprachiger Kollege gehörte. Bei diesem Besuch hielt ich einen Vortrag zum Thema „Wiederverwendung von Betonelementen“. Danach fragte sie mich, was ich von einer Zusammenarbeit bei einem Forschungsprojekt halte. Also, zwischen Finnland und Cottbus. Über diese Anfrage war ich hoch erfreut. Natürlich begrüßte ich eine solche, bis dato nicht vorhandene internationale Zusammenarbeit. Zunächst müssen wir untersuchen, wo es Lücken im Fachwissen gibt, und feststellen, wie wir zusammenarbeiten können. Dann hat Satu nach Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten auf europäischer Ebene gesucht, und wir haben das für Deutschland getan. Dann sagte Satu: “Ihr habt viel Wissen, ihr solltet die Gesamtleitung übernehmen. Sie verfügen über Fachwissen, Erfahrung und umfangreiche Forschungsarbeiten zu diesem Thema”. Für Deutschland übernehme ich die Leitung, aber die Gesamtleitung sollte Finnland übernehmen – schließlich stammt die Idee, ein europäisches Projekt zu initiieren von Satu. So hat sich das entwickelt. Als wir den Antrag formulierten, hatte ich nur eine wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin: Viktoria Arnold, Absolventin der Sibirischen Universität Krasnojarsk und wir beide haben mit am Forschungsantrag gearbeitet. So kam es also zu unserem ReCreate Projekt. Sie haben mich gefragt, warum ich so eifrig an diesem Projekt teilgenommen habe. Nun, natürlich wollte ich das. Gebäude, die mit vorgefertigten Elementen in Montagebauweise gebaut wurden, sind auch in Europa anzutreffen und keine nationale Besonderheit. Satu war aktiv und hat weitere Projektpartner einbezogen, wie die Niederlande, Schweden und Kroatien. Es entstand dieses Konsortium, und mein besonderes Interesse lag darin, dieses Thema im europäischen Kontext zu verorten. In dieser Konstellation haben wir andere Stärken, die dazu beitragen, den notwendigen Transformationsprozess im Bausektor zu beschleunigen, als nur Mettke an der BTU in Cottbus allein. In einem Cluster können wir mehr erreichen, auch bau- und umweltpolitisch, und das ist wichtig. Gerade jetzt, durch die Klimadiskussion, gewinnt das Thema an Bedeutung, weil durch die Wiederverwendung von Betonbauteilen die enthaltene graue Energie erhalten bleibt.

Was hat Sie dazu motiviert, an dem Projekt teilzunehmen?

Wie bereits erwähnt, habe ich vor mehr als 30 Jahren begonnen, mich mit dem Thema Wiederverwendung auseinanderzusetzen. Dies geschah nicht in erster Linie aus Klimaschutzgründen, sondern aufgrund der Ressourcenknappheit beim Bauen in Ostdeutschland, was mich vor große Herausforderungen stellte. Die Notwendigkeit sich dieser Thematik zu stellen, ergab sich daraus, dass Gebäude im Industrie- und Gewerbebau bereits kurz nach ihrer Nutzungsdauer, nach 10, 12, 15 Jahren, abgerissen wurden. Ich setzte alles daran, die verbauten Betonelemente zu retten. Zunächst standen Qualitätsuntersuchungen der verbauten Betonelemente im Vordergrund. Dabei spielten die Gebrauchstauglichkeit, bautechnische und bauphysikalische Parameter eine Rolle. Nachdem ich Zugang zu Bauten erhielt, die zum Abbruch anstanden, kontaktierte ich mehrere Unternehmen mit meinem Anliegen, versuchsweise Bauelemente aus dem Konstruktionsverbund zu demontieren. Der damalig leistungsstärkste Baubetrieb des Bau- und Montagekombinats Kohle und Energie erklärte sich schließlich bereit, einige Elemente der eingeschossigen Halle versuchsweise zu demontieren. Dabei stellte ich fest, dass diese in Montagebauweise errichteten Gebäude demontierbar sind, obwohl sie ursprünglich nicht für den Rückbau konzipiert wurden. Diese Erfahrung machte deutlich, wie wichtig es ist, nicht mehr genutzte Bauten auf den Prüfstand zu stellen und – sofern Erhaltungsmaßnahmen ausgeschlossen werden – sekundäre Nachnutzungsoptionen für schon einmal verbaute Betonelemente in Betracht zu ziehen. Darüber hinaus sind Rückbauüberlegungen bereits in den Planungsprozess zu integrieren.

Es ist ein großes Potenzial an existierenden Stahlbeton-Montagebauten nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern europa- und weltweit vorhanden. Und wenn wir mit dem Projekt „ReCreate“ dazu beitragen können, mit unseren primären Rohstoffressourcen effizient umzugehen und dadurch der ökologische Fußabdruck eingedämmt und außerdem ein Beitrag zum Klimaschutz geleistet werden kann, ist das eine riesige Chance, aufbauend auf unseren und neuen Forschungsergebnissen, über die nationalen Grenzen hinaus der Fachwelt zu zeigen, dass die Wiederverwendung von Betonelementen machbar  und volks- wie betriebswirtschaftlich  von hoher Relevanz ist.

Erzählen Sie mir von dem deutschen Spendergebäude und dem Pilotprojekt, das gebaut werden soll. Können Sie mir sagen, was das Besondere an dem deutschen Cluster, dem deutschen Spendergebäude und dem Pilotprojekt ist?

Nun, lassen Sie mich zunächst mit einer Vorbemerkung beginnen. Ich arbeite seit vielen Jahren mit der Firma Ecosoil Ost GmbH zusammen. Aufgrund unserer kooperativen Zusammenarbeit hat sich das Geschäftsfeld „selektiver Rückbau“ im Unternehmen etabliert.  In üblicher Verfahrensweise kontaktierte ich den Oberbauleiter der Firma Ecosoil zu aktuellen Rückbaumaßnahmen. In Hohenmölsen, Bundesland Sachsen-Anhalt, hatte die Ecosoil Ost GmbH den Auftrag erhalten, einen 5-geschossigen Plattenbau um 2 Geschosse zurückzubauen. Ich setzte mich mit dem Eigentümer des Hauses, der Wohnungsbaugesellschaft WOBAU in Hohenmölsen, in Verbindung. Ich stellte mich telefonisch vor und vereinbarte einen Vor-Ort-Termin; so kam die Zusammenarbeit überhaupt erst ins Rollen. Nach überschläglicher Feststellung, dass knapp 500 Betonelemente zu demontieren sind, regte ich an, ein Pilotprojekt zu errichten. Mir war es wichtig, zu erfahren, ob Bedarf an der Errichtung eines öffentlichen Gebäudes besteht. So kam es zu einem ersten gemeinsamen Treffen mit Herrn Luckanus, dem Geschäftsführer der Wohnungsbaugesellschaft, und dem Bürgermeister der Stadt Hohenmölsen Herrn Haugk. Bei diesem Termin habe ich unsere bisherigen Projekte und Initiativen zur Wiederverwendung vorgestellt. Ich habe in Erfahrung gebracht, dass in absehbarer Zeit die „alten“ Räumlichkeiten für Jugendtreffs nicht mehr zur Verfügung stehen werden. Auf der Grundlage eines konzeptionellen Entwurfs mit einem ausgewählten Elementesortiment vom Gebäudetyp P2 für ein Jugendzentrum, das ich für eine andere Stadt erstellt hatte, konnte ich das Interesse des Bürgermeisters gewinnen.

Der Bürgermeister äußerte nach mehreren Absprachen mit den örtlichen Akteuren den Bedarf an einem Jugendklub und informierte mich über das alte Klubhaus, das zum Abriss vorgesehen war. Er erläuterte ausführlich, warum bestimmte Merkmale notwendig waren. Er erwähnte jedoch, dass das ursprüngliche Konzept, das ich vorgelegt hatte, auf der Grundlage des P2-Typs eine zu große Bruttogeschossfläche aufweist (400m²). Ich versicherte ihm, dass eine Anpassung des Konzepts an das Elementesortiment aus dem P Halle Typ kein Problem darstellt. Auf Basis mehrere Abstimmungsrunden mit den Vertretern der Stadt Hohenmölsen zum Nutzungs-und Raumbedarf und uns, entwickelte mein wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiter, Architekt Christoph Henschel das Konzept für das Jugendzentrum. Das Jugendzentrum mit den vielfältigen Nutzungen (darunter Mehrzweck- und Hobbyräume, Büros, Küche etc.) hat eine Bruttogeschossfläche von rund 835m² über zwei Geschosse. Für dieses Gebäude haben wir in Summe sechs Entwurfsvarianten konzipiert, weil die Räume an die wechselnden Anforderungen der künftigen Nutzer, darunter verschiedene Vereine, anzupassen waren.

Wurde die Entscheidung für ein bestimmtes Design von den Organisationen beeinflusst, die später in dem Gebäude untergebracht werden sollen?

Ja, wie gerade erwähnt, war das der Fall. Für die zuletzt einvernehmliche Konzeption für das Jugendzentrum wurde von uns ein Exposé entwickelt, das der Ausschreibung zugrunde gelegt wird. Mit Unterstützung von Studenten haben wir zudem zum besseren Vorstellungsvermögen ein Modell gebaut. Neben der Integration von 160 demontierten, gebrauchten Betonelementen sind Stahlträger und Holzständerwände zu verbauen. Dies ist auf die geometrischen Abmaße der Räume zurückzuführen. Die Stadt Hohenmölsen als öffentlicher Bauherr hat eine finanzielle Förderung für dieses nachhaltige Bauvorhaben in Aussicht gestellt bekommen. Mit der Errichtung des Jugendzentrums wird in 2026 gerechnet.

Sollte es zu Schwierigkeiten kommen und das Bauvorhaben in Hohenmölsen in Frage gestellt werden, konnte ich ein zweites Pilotprojekt in der Nähe von Cottbus als Backup-Option initiieren.

Ich möchte noch auf einen Aspekt hinweisen: in Hohenmölsen gab es anfangs Schwierigkeiten, eine Fläche zur Zwischenlagerung für die demontierten Betonelemente bereit zu stellen. Die Notwendigkeit, die demontierten Elemente zwischenzulagern ergibt sich aus der zeitlichen Differenz zwischen dem Zeitpunkt des Anfalls der demontierten Betonelemente und deren Remontage-Termin. Schlussendlich hat die Stadt eine Zwischenlagerfläche in unmittelbarer Nähe des Baustandortes ausgewiesen.

Die Stadt wollte also nicht in die Zwischenlagerung der Elemente investieren, weil sie noch keine Mittel für das Projekt hat. Ist das ein Problem, wenn etwas aus gebrauchten Elementen gebaut werden soll?

Ich muss konstatieren, dass es derzeit noch kein funktionierendes „Handling“ für großformatige Betonelemente gibt. Es muss davon ausgegangen werden, dass eine Zwischenlagerung für gebrauchte Betonelemente erforderlich ist. Die Einrichtung von dezentralen Bauelemente-Börsen in Kombination mit web-basierten Plattformen könnten Abhilfe schaffen, um eine optimale Vermarktung für gebrauchte Betonelemente sicherzustellen. Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass stationäre Baustoff-Recycling-Anlagenbetreiber die gebrauchten Betonelemente zwischenlagern. Werden diese nicht nachgefragt, bestünde immer noch die Möglichkeit der stofflichen Aufbereitung bzw. Schredderung zu Recyclingmaterial. Das ist eine Idee, aber inwieweit sie sich umsetzen lässt, ist noch zu prüfen.

Wie sieht die Zusammenarbeit innerhalb des Clusters in Ihrem Land aus? Gibt es eine starke Zusammenarbeit? Pflegen Sie eine gute Kommunikation mit den Projektpartnern im deutschen Cluster?

Ich kann auf eine hervorragende Zusammenarbeit mit den im Projekt „ReCreate“ involvierten Industriepartnern zurückblicken. Die Zusammenarbeit fußt auf einen seit Jahren zuverlässigen und konstruktiven Kontakt mit dem Ingenieurbüro Jähne und dem Rückbauunternehmen Ecosoil Ost GmbH. Es ist wichtig, dass wir uns gegenseitig unterstützen, offen miteinander umgehen können und Ideen austauschen können. Wir treffen uns regelmäßig, aber zudem sind oftmals operativ  Sachverhalte abzustimmen, die wir meistens am Telefon oder in persönlichen Gesprächen klären. Also, die Zusammenarbeit mit den Partnern der Bauwirtschaft ist hervorragend. Zu den „neuen“ Projekt-Partnern gehören die Stadt Hohenmölsen und die Firma Lohmann und Robinski – web solutions. Letztere haben umfangreiche Erfahrungen mit digitalen Arbeitsmethoden, um uns bei der Digitalisierung von Arbeitsergebnissen im deutschen Landesprojekt insgesamt zu unterstützen. Wichtig ist außerdem, dass wir mit der Stadt Hohenmölsen einen Partner vor Ort haben, der die regionalen Gegebenheiten und die Behörden kennt. Alle Voraussetzungen für ein solches Bauprojekt liegen zum einen in der Zuständigkeit der Stadt durch das Bauamt, zum anderen wollen wir dafür sorgen, dass im nächsten Jahr dort hoffentlich mit dem Bau dieses Jugendclubs begonnen wird. Wir wollen auch ein Clustertreffen organisieren, ähnlich wie wir es in Eindhoven, Helsingborg und Tampere hatten, um sehen können, in welchem Bauzustand sich die gebrauchten Betonelemente befinden und wie die Remontage erfolgt.

Von dem Partner vor Ort wird also eine erhebliche Unterstützung erwartet. Meiner Erfahrung nach funktioniert ein Partner vor Ort besser, weil er ein starkes Interesse an dieser nachhaltigen Initiative hat und sie vorantreiben will.

Haben Sie eine Art innere Motivation für das Projekt? Haben Sie einen persönlichen Einsatz oder eine intrinsische Motivation, die Sie antreibt?

Ja, natürlich! Die Wiederverwendung von Bauteilen ist mein Lebenswerk! Ich habe mich diesem Thema verschrieben. Viktoria war dabei: Ich habe 2016 den Deutschen Umweltpreis für dieses Engagement erhalten, eine der renommiertesten Auszeichnungen in Europa. Zusammen mit einem Unternehmen haben wir einen Preis für den effizienten Einsatz von Ressourcen erhalten. Meine Leidenschaft liegt in der Wiederverwendung von Werten, weil ich in meinem Elternhaus so erzogen wurde. Meine Eltern – mein Vater als selbständiger Handwerker im Metallbau hat viele Gegenstände aus gebrauchten Materialien gebaut, sei es Lampen, Motorroller, Dreiräder oder Schubkarren oder sogar ein Traktor. Er hat Materialien verwendet, die er auf der Mülldeponie gefunden hatte.

Dieses Verhalten hat mich sozusagen von Kindesbeinen an geprägt. Ja, es ist also auch Leidenschaft im Spiel, sowohl emotional als auch beruflich.

Was sind Ihrer Meinung nach die größten Herausforderungen, denen sich das Projekt stellen muss? Wir haben bereits einige Aspekte genannt, aber könnten Sie diese näher erläutern?

Ja, die größte Herausforderung für das Projekt sind die verschiedenen internationalen Aspekte, die zu berücksichtigen sind. Der notwendige Austausch unter den Projektpartnern muss gepflegt werden. In Deutschland ist dies aufgrund des bereits bestehenden Netzwerks etwas einfacher, aber es kommen auch immer neue Partner hinzu. Der fachliche Austausch erfolgt durch regelmäßige Abstimmungen zwischen meinen Kollegen und mir, ist aber noch etwas zeitaufwändiger. Das Netzwerk, das wir in unserem deutschen Cluster aufgebaut haben, macht die Zusammenarbeit jetzt einfacher. Allerdings muss man bei neuen Partnern erst einmal ein gewisses Vertrauen aufbauen. Die administrativen Aufgaben, die bei EU-Projekten immer anfallen, nehmen einen erheblichen Teil der Zeit in Anspruch.

Wie sieht es nun mit dem Projekt im Allgemeinen aus? Was sind Ihrer Meinung nach die größten Herausforderungen, denen sich alle auf europäischer Ebene stellen müssen?

Wissen Sie, generell würde ich mir wünschen, dass durch dieses europäische Konsortium die Idee der Wiederverwendbarkeit weltweit etabliert wird. Mit diesen Clustern können wir die Ergebnisse weit verbreiten, nicht nur in Europa. Es wird ein Film über das Pilotprojekt geben, um zu zeigen, dass es in Finnland, den Niederlanden, Schweden und Deutschland exemplarisch umgesetzt wird – es funktioniert also überall. Das ist die Herausforderung: zu zeigen, dass wir vorhandene Ressourcen, also gebrauchte Betonelemente in Gänze sekundär nachnutzbar sind. Bauen mit dem Bestand hat oberste Priorität. Zu den begrenzt verfügbaren mineralischen Rohstoffen gibt es keine andere Alternative. Das müssen wir weltweit demonstrieren, denn viele Länder streben nach dem europäischen Lebensstandard. Es wird weltweit gebaut. Wenn wir zeigen können, dass wir auch mit vorhandenen Strukturen bauen können, auf nachhaltige Weise, auch architektonisch interessant, dann entspricht dies unserem Forschungsziel. Beispielsweise wird das Pilotprojekt in Finnland anders aussehen als das hier in Deutschland.  Also werden wir eine Vielzahl von Lösungen vorstellen können. Die Konstruktionsverbindungen und die konstruktive Durchbildung des Elementesortiments sind unterschiedlich. Wir können von Finnland oder den Niederlanden lernen – von ihren Bausystemen und Fügetechniken und umgekehrt. Diese Vernetzung ist meiner Meinung nach sehr wertvoll.

Welche Art von Auswirkungen wünschen Sie sich für das Projekt eines Tages? Glauben Sie, dass es nach Abschluss des Projekts einfacher sein wird, die Norm auf europäischer Ebene zu aktualisieren?

Auf deutscher Seite habe ich derzeit die Entwicklung einer deutschen Norm auf der Tagesordnung, aber dieser Prozess braucht Zeit. Er erstreckt sich in der Regel über mehrere Jahre, da eine Norm vor ihrer Veröffentlichung gründlich geprüft und Einwände von Experten berücksichtigt werden. Derzeit gilt, ein gebrauchtes Bauteil ist sowohl nach EU- als auch nach deutschem Recht ein nicht geregeltes Bauprodukt.

Wir werden nicht alle Probleme im ReCreate lösen können. Die Aufgaben sind sehr komplex und umfangreich. Durch unsere Forschung werden sich auch neue Fragen ergeben. Wichtig ist für mich, dass Regeln und Standards entwickelt werden, die den gesamten Prozess erleichtern. Das ist eine große Herausforderung. Wir möchten zum Beispiel eine Standardlösung zu Gewährleistungs- und Haftungsfragen für den Einsatz von gebrauchten Betonelementen – gemeinsam mit juristischer Expertise – entwickeln. Es ist ein Leitfaden zu erarbeiten, der aufzeigt, welcher Akteur für welche Leistung verantwortlich ist, welche Arbeitsschritte erfüllt werden müssen, um die Wiederverwendung effektiv zu planen und umzusetzen.

Die EU-Bauprodukteverordnung regelt den Marktzugang und die Verwendung von Bauprodukten. Die 16 Landesbauordnungen in Deutschland definieren die allgemeinen Anforderungen an bauliche Anlagen, die durch die Technischen Baubestimmungen konkretisiert werden.

Eine harmonisierte Spezifikation nach EU-Bestimmungen würde meiner Ansicht nach, dazu beitragen, der Wiederverwendung von gebrauchten Betonelementen mehr Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken. Bislang gibt es hierzu keine harmonisierte Bewertung bzw. Norm.

Vielleicht ist es also noch zu früh, denn es muss noch viel Forschung zu diesem Thema betrieben werden. Aber genau das ist die Aufgabe des ReCreate-Projekts: die notwendigen Forschungsergebnisse zu ermitteln und sie dann den politischen Entscheidungsträgern vorzulegen, damit diese sie in die Politik, in Vorschriften und Normen einfließen lassen können. Sind Sie damit einverstanden?

Ja, ich bin einverstanden. Das ist der nächste Schritt. Im ReCreate-Projekt schaffen wir wesentliche Grundlagen – mit wissenschaftlich fundierten Methoden untersetzt. Die erarbeiteten Lösungen werden sich in einer EU-Norm wiederfinden – erhoffe ich mir.

Ich schließe Interviews immer gerne mit der Frage ab: Wer ist Angelika Mettke und was macht sie gerne, wenn sie nicht gerade am ReCreate-Projekt oder an ihrer Hochschule arbeitet? Was sind ihre Lieblingsbeschäftigungen in ihrer Freizeit?

Ich verbringe gern Zeit mit meinen Enkelchen, bin gern in der Natur und in meinem Garten. Ich habe ein Haus und ein Wochenendgrundstück. Dort gibt es immer zu tun, und es macht mir Spaß. Es ist ein schöner Ausgleich, ein Kontrast zur Büro- und Denkarbeit. Ich kann mich an der frischen Luft bewegen, mit meinen Enkeln draußen spielen und gleichzeitig Tiere beobachten sowie das Singen der Vögel genießen. Gestern habe ich zum Beispiel einen Igel in unserem Garten beobachtet. Je älter ich werde, desto stärker nehme ich das Wunder Natur wahr. Deshalb ist es mir auch wichtig, dass die Natur und unser Lebensraum, unsere Landschaft erhalten bleibt und so wenig wie möglich gestört wird. Das deckt sich mit meinen eigentlichen Aufgaben und meinem Beruf: Ressourcen schonen, wenig bis nicht in die Natur eingreifen. Ich pflanze Blumen, Sträucher und Bäume. Ich weiß, dass ich in meinem kleinen Tätigkeitsgebiet etwas dazu beigetragen habe; gesellschaftlich Sinnvolles zu leisten Ich verbringe den Urlaub sehr gern an der Ostsee in Warnemünde und Kühlungsborn sowie in verschiedenen Orten auf der Insel Usedom und der Insel Rügen. Das Flair ist einzigartig. Mir ist aber auch bewusst, dass jedes Land schöne Orte hat.


April 2, 2025
Marko-Cambor-The-Czech-experience-2.png

The Czech experience by Marko Čambor from KTH School of Architecture

The experience of research in the Czech Republic is very rewarding and difficult at the same time. Most of the complications arise from the fact that between 1989 and today, two major events happened. The first was the Velvet Revolution in November 1989 and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993. With these great shifts come complications, especially with connecting original publishers and producers to certain documents which were not always well kept.

Constructions in the country were overseen by the Ministry of Construction, which, with Czechoslovakia, was dissolved on 1st January 1993. Competencies of the ministry were divided between the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Regional Development. This further complicates the issues since there is no clear line to divide the legacy neatly, and so the archival work was not well kept. All this results in an unclear answer when you try to find one place that is keeping these invaluable documents. Most of my research comes from personal collections of people who were working on this development with whom I spoke personally, and from collections of trade chambers which were also given these collections from individuals. Nonetheless, the reward of finding these connections is great in and of itself.

The Czech Republic is a country which is no stranger to topics of prefabrication and large-scale housing development. Over a quarter of all residents in the Czech Republic live in panel housing (27%). In Prague that jumps to 44%.

Ratio of people living in panel housing estates in the Czech Republic by region

Citation: ‘Panelové sídliště: dobré místo k životu? Napoví 6. ročník CHPS’. Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 6 2024; Source.

The development of prefabricated housing comes originally from the small town of Gottwaldov (today’s Zlín). Gottwaldov used to be a very important manufacturing hub for the footwear company Baťa. The company and the city of Gottwaldov were focused on the issue of housing the employees of the company. So then they experimented with different approaches to standardized housing. These experiments were mainly focused on brick constructions since Gottwaldov was already producing large quantities of ceramic bricks to be used in the expansion of factories in the city. The first larger-scale prefabricated construction was developed in Gottwaldov as the G 40 type. This was the first standardized construction system to use reinforced concrete construction panels. From this follows a great legacy of development and innovation. Most of the further development comes from the need of architects to be able to use the system and design buildings more freely and from the requirement of the state apparatus for the nationally organized construction to be as effective as possible. One of the first requirements which was given by the XI. Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia demanded the construction of 1,200,000 flats by the year 1970. This goal was in the end never fulfilled – all flats built between 1948 and 1989 combined make up 1,2 mil. Units. The development of new and more free and efficient systems was constant. Great emphasis was also put on regional efficiencies. Since most of the development of estates was happening close to either the largest cities or centres of heavy industry, the most abundant materials were usually determined by the type of industry. For example, the north-east of the country was focused on the production of steel, so the most common ingredient for facade panels was slag.

From the previous systems came new families of systems. T 0XB systems, BX0 systems and so on. The biggest shift in further development was the year 1970, which brought new political requirements for any future systems. These new norms were called NKS (Nové konstruční soustavy)/ NCS (New construction systems). These new systems were tasked to accommodate all new requirements of style, modular freedom and efficiency. From these came systems OP.XX, PS XX and VVÚ ETA. Simultaneously with these, the country tried to find new options elsewhere. As a result, we got the systems Larsen-Nielsen, which was the only system brought from a Western country, more accurately Denmark.

 

Construction of a building, VVÚ-ETA system

Citation: M. Janečková, ‘Konstukční soustavy panelových domů, vývoj, typy, půdorysy’, estav.cz. [Online]; Source.

All this production then culminated in the year 1975, which was the year with the most completed units, 71 350. This is the number we haven’t seen since. Production and construction then slowed somewhat averaging around 55 000 completed units. All changed after November 1989, with the Velvet Revolution. The fall of the government meant that there was no large enough authority to organise and also fund large-scale projects. Housing estates which were started before this time and were still under construction were finished, some as late as 1993.

Construction of Bohnice Estate, Prague circa 1976; Source.

The legacy of these large-scale projects is still very present, and with today’s social understanding of the era in which these projects were created, it remains complicated. A large portion of criticism of the estates was directed at their visual quality. Since the prefabricated panels were prefabricated, they mostly look the same giving the finished state of the estates a large scale of sameness. This gave rise to the movement of beautifying the estates with brightly coloured plasters. Often not improving it very much. This practice has been thankfully abandoned since.

The general focus of contemporary topics of study works more in the realm of the socio-economic sustainability of large-scale housing estates. Nowadays is much more common to talk about urbanism and the public spaces within the estates. One of the topics of today is urban density which is significantly lower than the historical centers of Czech cities. So the question arrises if it is good to promote more density in the estates. The plans that work with densifying the estates usually run into great local opposition. So as of now, the question remains unanswered. Nevertheless, it is good that it is clear the future of the legacy of the previous regime (as many call it) inspires people to engage with questions of future development of their area. These tensions also promote interest in the professional areas of study, which try to present the development in a larger social, political and historical context, with more and more amateurs and professional projects being produced. There are a few large-scale projects which present the construction types in context. As mentioned, most research is interested in studies of larger-scale urbanism. However more detailed research might improve the understanding of the legacy of past industry, which still plays a big role in contemporary cities of the Czech Republic.


March 27, 2025
Construction-fair-Netherlands-2025.png

Circularity was the central theme at the construction fair 2025 in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands. More and more parties are looking for solutions to the challenges they face. How do we ensure that we use as few raw materials as possible and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions?

At the Lagemaat stand, a very large wall panel was displayed that was mined during the dismantling of an office building in the province of Gelderland. This element, together with all other parts of this former office building, is used for the construction of the Circular Center Netherlands, which will be located in Heerde. In the Circular Center Netherlands, the way of thinking about future-proof construction has changed. Here, knowledge is shared and made applicable, we stimulate a movement around circular construction and we accelerate.


March 5, 2025
Filip-Lucian-Neagu.png

ReCreate blog post series on mapping in WP1

Post 3

Author: Filip-Lucian Neagu, researcher, Tampere University

To gain a broader perspective on the possibilities of reuse and ease knowledge and technology transfer across borders, one of the goals in the ReCreate project is to gather data on precast systems from various European countries. The work is not limited to the four pilot countries of the project (Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany), but also includes a selection of eastern EU member states known to have large stocks of precast concrete buildings. Beside residential building systems, the ones used in non-residential construction are of interest as well. This blog post series describes that experience. Please find here Part 1 of the series, which explains the nature of this work and describes the Polish experience, and here Part 2, which discusses the Estonian experience. The current blog will depict the Romanian experience, and the series will continue one more post on Finland.

The Romanian experience

Graduate of master’s in architecture Filip Neagu joined the ReCreate research team at Tampere University as a research assistant for a ten-week sprint in the autumn of 2024, with guidance provided by project researcher Niko Kotkavuo, to collect material on the precast building systems of Romania. This blog gives the personal account of his involvement and the challenges he encountered while studying the systems:

Similarly to other former Soviet dominated nations in Eastern Europe, the ‘large panels’ (ro. ‘panouri mari’) apartment buildings in Romania have been wearing a heavy cloak sown with the dark thread of a traumatic past communist regime.

However, several contextual differences ensured an especially unique path for the prefabricated panels’ development within the Romanian bubble. On one hand, their sudden appearance was backed by an unforgiving totalitarian urbanism that had previously wiped up entire settlements to force new space for the ‘large panels’ residential neighborhoods, as well as other representative megalomaniac structures. On the other hand, the high seismic activity in the south-eastern area of the country has imposed, at a structural level, certain reinforcement and binding particularities exclusive to the Romanian ‘large panels’ model. The latter aspect would turn up being shook by the devastating 1977 earthquake that measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, an event that hurried the introduction of even stricter building limitations and regulations.

The national revolution in 1989 against the communist party and the execution of its leader Nicolae Ceaușescu marked a clear ending to the dictatorial chapter and everything it entailed. Eventually, this liberation would also induce a massive drop of any interest in communist-related matters. Unfortunately, this phenomenon highly affected any regard in the handling and caring for the archives of the former institutions, including design institutions like e.g. The Design Institute for Standardized Buildings (IPCT) or The Project-Bucharest Institute (IPB). As a result, tracking the traces left by the archives proved as difficult as expected.

For example, for the last few years, a private operator for archival services in the city of Braila has been meaning to sell the former archives of IPB to Bucharest’s City Hall (PMB), a resource of valuable knowledge that should have normally been sought and reprised long ago by the municipal institution. An equally good source of materials from the IPCT era proved to be the university libraries at UAUIM in Bucharest, as well as UTCN in Cluj-Napoca. Dr. arch. Maria Alexandra Sas, a fellow Romanian researcher, has kindly offered to help with consulting some materials found at the library in Cluj-Napoca.

Some catalogs and dossiers, as well as instructive guides for assembling ‘large panel’ buildings published under the tutelage of the standardized buildings design institutions, have been successfully preserved in the university libraries. Even though the materials found at the libraries were in generally good condition, the IPB archives did not experience the same fate. Before recently settling in Braila, they have been dragged around during the last 34 years, some even developing mold overtime or disintegrating into solitary pages.

‘Large panels’ buildings might presently be one of the most valuable and widespread construction resources in Romania. While researching, I found mine and many of my close friend’s childhood homes’ floor plans, listed as sections or series of IPCT type projects. Since such a large portion of the built environment was constructed in a vigorously short period, more than half a century ago, a new era for intervention is right around the corner. Without a plan B of renovating or reusing this resource, or several back-up plans, millions of people could face a sudden housing crisis. The ‘large panels’ construction had almost unintentionally foretold a future in which reuse can be a sustainable option for architectural longevity.


February 17, 2025
Dutch-Country-Cluster.png

The Refurbishing Plan developed by Lagemaat outlines a comprehensive renovation strategy for the Prinsenhof A-building that is being used as a donor building to transform it into the Circular Centre Netherlands (CCN) as the Dutch pilot project.

The plan addresses spatial integration, new site layout, and construction processes in Heerde. Temporary facilities, such as a mock-up and the Inspiration Pavilion, will be built to provide a realistic representation of the final design, to test the construction process and design details, and to allow visitors and stakeholders to explore the site. Additionally, a processing and sawing shed will be established to optimise space and facilitate refurbishment operations. The CCN design incorporates hollow-core slabs and façade elements. The façade elements are categorised into corner and middle elements based on structural application. The refurbishment involves uncovering external finishes and insulation to maintain structural integrity. A repurposed in-site tool will facilitate the processing and sawing of elements. Façade elements were cut, and the front parapets were removed from the structural elements with the saw wire. The parapets are then stored separately and stacked for clear and efficient organisation. Hollow-core slabs will be shortened using specialised equipment. This includes, among other things, cutting the elements using a specially designed setup tailored for shortening the slabs simultaneously.  This phase ensures the elements are prepared for reuse without damage and in the same place where the CCN will be assembled.

Materials are managed with appropriate storage space to ensure easy identification and accessibility. This arrangement allows efficient use of logistics and space at the main site. The strategic approach aims to reduce risks, minimise costs, and enhance the overall quality of the project. This plan aims to ensure good practices for sustainable construction and future projects, aligning with the objectives of the ReCreate project.





EU FUNDING

“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 958200”.

Follow us: