Circular Bio-based Construction Industry | 2 Mers Seas Zeeën

CBCI

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Circular Bio-based Construction Industry

Priority Axis

Resource Efficient Economy

Specific objective

Circular Economy

Lead partner

Stichting Avans

Start Date

01/03/2019

End Date

30/09/2022

Project budget

6 969 596

ERDF amount

4 181 758

ERDF rate

60%

    About

    Common challenge

    CBCI project partners started from the observation that the construction industry is a large consumer of resources with 30-50% of total materials used in Europe going to construction. Between 2003 and 2011 approximately 1200-1800 Megaton of construction materials were used yearly in the EU, emitting annually 33% of total CO2 emissions. However, often the components and materials used are not adaptable during their use and life-cycle, because most building projects are still designed in a linear way, making reuse hard and hence resource efficiency low.

    Despite the EU’s wish to move from linear to circular systems, applicable circular approaches are scarce. Especially those coupling the technical and biological cycle with an integral approach of sectoral aspects: technique, economy & finance and framework & regulation. The CBCI project looked forward to tackling this challenge in the 2 Seas area by enabling change towards integral circular bio-based approach in the building sector, as it requires new roles of stakeholders in the building sector (manufacturers, constructors, policy makers, investors, contractors & end users).

    Main Achievements

    The CBCI project investigated how we can use raw materials more efficiently and sustainably in the construction industry, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. The focus lies not only in the construction phase, but throughout the life cycle of a building. For the transition to a circular economy, an integrated approach to circular and biobased construction is being developed, which forms the basis for the construction sector. In the CBCI project, partners developed practical solutions and tools to stimulate and facilitate uptake of circular bio-based concepts and materials in construction.

    In this last year of the project, partners were proud to have achieved all final outputs. The last white paper on rules and regulation has been released and they had completed the educational material for students which resulted in the book “Building Tomorrow”, also available in an online version.

    The tool ‘Circular Built’ which was published online, leads visitors through all the different aspects of circular building. It clearly outlines the ambitions for this specific project, in the existing building team and to external stakeholders and customers. Connected to this tool there is a practical guide and interactive calculators have also been developed in order to test multiple scenarios.

    The finalisation and commissioning of the Living Lab Emergis went very successfully and the building is in full use by healthcare professionals and clients of Emergis.

    The Living lab at KU Leuven, in Belgium, was also opened. Created in Design & Build cooperation and meant as a prototype for social housing in urban renewal, the living lab contains steel as well as several bio-based materials plus plug-ins for services, making it a very interesting and promising concept.

    Kamp C has finalised the expo on their site and the mobile expo and has very proudly disseminated the results at several events.

    In June ’22 the CBCI Final event at KULeuven in Ghent took place. It was a great success according to the responses of the attendees. To learn more, you can take a look at their Youtube channel for the after movie of the event and also for the films of their living labs at Emergis, KULeuven and the Exhibition Kamp C.

    Partnership

    Partners

    APB Kamp C Provinciaal centrum voor duurzaamheid en innovatie in de bouw

    University of Bath

    Emergis

    Wetensch en Techn Centr vh Bouwbedrijf/Centre Scientifique et Technique de la Construction CSTC-WTCB

    Agrodome B.V.

    Vlaamse Confederatie Bouw vzw

    KU Leuven

    Province of Zeeland

    HZ University of Applied Sciences

    Outputs

    Output title
    Type
    Target
    URL / Download
    31/03/2022

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Feasibility study on the Circular Bio-based Construction providing the full spectrum of the building process and materials characteristics

    Type: Feasibility study
    Target: SMEs /enterprises
    31/03/2022

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Design and development of a demonstration exhibition for Circular bio-based materials and elements

    Type: Pilot and demonstration action
    Target: SMEs /enterprises
    31/03/2022

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Practical guide for professional stakeholders with focus on the application of bio-based-materials in commercial construction

    Type: Strategy/action plan
    Target: SMEs /enterprises
    31/03/2022

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Validated circular bio-based teaching Programme for students and professionals

    Type: Strategy/action plan
    Target: Universities, research and training centres
    28/02/2022

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Fully functional living lab through construction of a new building in an urban renewal project

    Type: Pilot and demonstration action
    Target: SMEs /enterprises
    30/11/2021

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    Full scale demonstrator through circular renovation and construction and real-life integrations of bio-based elements

    Type: Pilot and demonstration action
    Target: SMEs /enterprises
    30/06/2021

    CBCI

    Theme: Circular economyIndustry

    White Papers on Circular Bio-based Construction providing recommendations for funding, procurement practices and a better legal framework

    Type: Strategy/action plan
    Target: Local, regional and national authorities