immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Vorgaben

  • Recycling construction waste instead of landfilling it

    Recycling construction waste instead of landfilling it

    In the canton of Zurich, around 1 million tonnes of waste end up in a landfill each year. Most of this comes from construction activities – even though a large proportion of all construction waste is already used as recycled building material, for example in road and earth construction or for the production of recycled concrete. Landfill capacities in the canton of Zurich are scarce, and the construction of new landfills is becoming increasingly costly and difficult. The Department of Construction therefore wants to adapt the specifications for the treatment and recycling of construction waste with the aim of ensuring that in future even more waste is returned to the material cycle and does not end up in a landfill. This will also conserve natural resources.

    Recycling up to 100,000 tonnes of additional waste per year

    By far the largest part of the waste produced during the construction of buildings, roads and infrastructure is excavated material, i.e. soil and rock. If this is contaminated by pollutants, it must first be treated in a soil washing plant or a thermal plant before it can be recycled as construction material. Up to now, the Department of Construction has stipulated that at least 50 per cent of excavated and excavated material with low and low levels of pollution must be treated during excavation work. This quota is now to be increased to 75 per cent. This would mean that between 80,000 and 100,000 tonnes of polluted construction waste could be treated each year and returned to the material cycle as recycled construction materials.

    Dismantling material only in exceptional cases directly to landfill

    The demolition or conversion of existing buildings also generates around 2.5 million tonnes of construction waste per year in the Canton of Zurich. Of this, about 90,000 tonnes are deposited directly in a landfill. In future, only those demolition materials that are explicitly listed will be allowed to go directly from the construction site to a landfill. This list includes materials for which no recycling process exists to date, such as ceramics, porcelain or expanded clay. All other deconstruction materials must first be taken to a sorting or processing plant. This new regulation is intended to ensure that demolition materials are reprocessed into new building materials wherever possible.

    The specifications for the recycling of construction waste are laid down in a guideline (“Treatment rule for contaminated construction waste, bullet trap material and demolition materials”), which must be applied to construction projects in the canton of Zurich. The Construction Directorate has submitted the adaptation of this guideline to the stakeholders concerned for comment by the end of September.

  • Collaborative project delivery models (IPA, Design Build, etc.)

    Collaborative project delivery models (IPA, Design Build, etc.)

    SIA phase model
    Common project management in Switzerland is based on the SIA phase model (standard 102/112). This hierarchical process principle creates incentives for the client to distribute the concretisation of his planning over several planning phases. As a result, planning orders are considered in isolation in sub-phases, the know-how of the contractors is not collected until the “execution” phase, and risks are passed on to the last contractor in the chain. The concerns of later operations are often only taken into account in the form of benchmarks or written reports.

    Silo thinking vs. cooperation
    In the SIA phase model, the parties involved defend their interests against the client, architect or a general contractor. The goal of each commissioning party is to achieve the highest possible profit and to take as few risks as possible. The focus is therefore not on a joint solution to the problem and certainly not on the success of the project.

    Solution collaborative project delivery methodology
    The solution lies in a change of culture, in changed processes and in contract rule formation based on incentives and motivation.

    So-called collaborative or integrated project delivery methods (IPA) are based on a partnership approach to the project and on the early inclusion of know-how for all key trades. Teams from planning, engineering, execution and operation jointly develop solution approaches and search for the most suitable way to fulfil the objectives. At the same time, project risks are evaluated and actively managed. Work is carried out according to the “best for project” principle, and everyone participates in profit and loss. This increases certainty with regard to feasibility and profitability, and mutual trust is established. This trust, in turn, is the basis for creativity and mutual motivation.

    Final thoughts
    The cultural change described leads to a changed culture of dispute. It is no longer a matter of shifting risks onto others and asserting isolated party interests. Instead, there is an incentive-driven interest on the part of all parties to solve problems quickly and amicably. This also changes the role

    the role of the lawyers involved. Thoughtful and conflict-avoiding contracts are just as much in demand as forward-looking influence on the process and interest-based contributions to solutions. This leaves little room for costly and time-consuming court proceedings.

    Because in the end, only the success of the project and thus of the entire team counts. A failure within the project thus ultimately becomes the failure of all and not the last one to be bitten by the dog or the opposing lawyer.