Representatives of the Swiss steel and construction industry have formed an alliance for the recycling of used steel profiles in construction. According to a press release, representatives of the Swiss Steel Construction Center , the Christoph Merian Foundation , the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ), the Empa research and innovation building NEST and the Eawag water research institute met in situ at a round table in November , ZPF Ingenieure , Madaster and Sumami and decided to jointly promote the recyclability of steel profiles in Switzerland. The project team Purchasing Compass Recycling Management and the Metal suisse industry association were invited to the round table. The aim is to better understand the potential of steel profiles in the circular economy and to make it practicable.
A car park in Basel belonging to the Christoph Merian Foundation that is being demolished is to serve as a prototype project. According to the announcement, the construction office in situ, which has already implemented projects in this context, is supporting this. It is now being investigated how the dismantling of the steel profiles in the parking garage can succeed, where the steel profiles are reinserted and where they can be stored in the meantime. Steel profiles are considered to be particularly recyclable because they can be expanded in their existing form and usually integrated directly into new buildings. There is no loss of material or quality and no energy is required for melting or reshaping.
Through this energy saving, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced directly during construction. The direct reuse of building materials without recycling represents the greatest lever in reducing emissions in the construction industry. In addition to steel profiles, concrete, facade elements, windows or doors can also be reused.
