@misc{9240453,
  abstract     = {{The construction and real estate sector accounts for a significant share of Sweden's and the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions, and the production of concrete is one of the most emission-intensive parts of the construction process. Against the backdrop of increasing climate requirements, this study examines the conditions for reusing larger concrete elements in Swedish construction projects. The study analyses the environmental profitability of reuse, identifies the technical, economic and regulatory barriers that currently limit its adoption, and presents future opportunities alongside recommendations for measures that can contribute to making reuse an established practice in the construction sector.
The study is based on a combination of a literature review, qualitative interviews with three actors in the construction sector, and an analysis of two completed Swedish construction projects with available climate calculations: the preschool Hoppet 2 in Gothenburg and the H22 pavilion in Helsingborg.
The results show that the reuse of concrete elements can yield substantial climate savings. In Hoppet 2, a total climate saving of approximately 45 percent was achieved compared to a reference scenario using only newly produced materials, while the H22 pavilion demonstrated an 82 percent reduction in embodied carbon compared to a newly produced reference building in cross-laminated timber. The climate benefit of reusing concrete elements was furthermore found in one of the case studies to be more than four times greater than the climate benefit of crushing and recycling the same elements as aggregate.
Despite the documented environmental potential, the reuse of structural concrete elements remains rare in practice. The barriers identified are largely structural in nature. Technically, a common framework for quality assurance and condition assessment of reused elements is lacking. Economically, reuse is currently more expensive than new production, partly due to the costs of dismantling and intermediate storage, as well as tax regulations such as the demolition deduction, which actively disadvantages circular alternatives. Regulatorily, existing standards and the climate declaration system are designed in a way that rewards those who use reused materials but not those who design for future reuse.
The study identifies four priority measures: the establishment of the industry standard for quality assurance of reused concrete elements currently under review, a revision of the demolition deduction, an amendment of the allocation method in EN 15804/15978 so that Design for Disassembly yields a climate benefit in the current project, and an investigation into the possibilities of establishing regional element banks and extended producer responsibility for building products.}},
  author       = {{Melkstam, Ludvig}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{ÅTERBRUK AV BETONGELEMENT - En studie av miljömässig lönsamhet samt framtida utvecklingsmöjligheter}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}