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Description
Promote a regional strategy for the reuse of construction products and components, as well as the recycling of CDW, thus reducing the environmental impact in construction and promoting its circularity. analysis and monitoring of the baseline situation; regulatory basis;
materials passport; pre-demolition audits; mathematical model; proposal for strategic action and training and awareness. secondary materials increased in the supported sectors. Innovative solutions for increased resource efficiency piloted and SMEs supported.
Summary of project results
The main aim of the project "(De)construct for Circular Economy " is to foster a regional strategy for the reuse of building products and components as well as the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW), thus reducing the environmental impact of the construction sector and promoting is circularity.
The project was composed of eight diferent workpackages (project activities):
WP.1. Baseline situation analysis and follow-up Quantitative and qualitative data analysis of CDW generation and recovery, as well as the estimation of the CDW existing on illegal dumping sites. Best practices, constraints and examples of success in the region will also be addressed, as well as an analysis of the regional construction sector dynamics, including construction materials and CDW markets.
WP.2. Regulatory framework The state-of-the-art analysis focused on existing regulatory framework with the aim to create a common regulatory baseline for the CIMBAL municipalities. At a regional level, this baseline considered CDW management for all construction activities types. This baseline focused on waste management issues, but also included urban planning control considerations and issues related to selective demolition, buildings/materials cadastre and pre-demolition audits.
WP.3. Materials passport Tools developed based on the collection and recording of information that promotes circularity in the construction sector: materials passport (MP) and buildings cadastre. The model of MP was tailored for the specific needs, regulations and data availability of the target regions.
These tools were prepared with the aim that CIMBAL municipalities, or other interested parties, will be autonomous in using them after the end of the project.
WP.4 Pre-demolition audits Guide. A Guide for Conducting Pre-demolition Audits was developed to assist in selecting cases where pre-demolition audits should be conducted and elaborated according to the EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol (EU, 2016). This tool was prepared with the aim that CIMBAL municipalities, or other interested parties, will be autonomous in using them after the end of the project.
WP.5. Mathematical Model. The diversity of the construction typologies, the geographical dispersion of buildings and the temporal disparity of interventions make it necessary to set up one mathematical model for the recovery collecting centers locations for smaller geographical areas, to support the management of an inter-municipal network for the recovery, reuse, and recycling of CDWs. Given the independence of the reuse aspect face to the recycling one, it is decided to separate these into two different models. The products made available at the recovery center (s) constitute the input materials for the inter-municipal
reuse network and the inter-municipal CDWs processing network. The mathematical models developed are based on a type of process engineering modeling called maximal State Task Network (mSTN) that models the production process understudy with a network of states and tasks while accounting for the allocation of equipment available.
WP.6. Proposal for strategic action. Strategy to implement a system for the collection, storage, sorting and processing and marketing of CDW for the CIMBAL region, with the goal of maximizing material reuse as well as recycling. It is intended that the system is based on networking (including parish councils, municipalities, Private Institutions of Social Solidarity and companies) and can be replicated throughout the Alentejo and preferably throughout the national territory. This WP also considered the results obtained from stakeholder consensus during WP 7 participatory actions and included the definition of the institutional model that will support the implementation of the CDW management system.
WP.7. Information, awareness and training. Main aims are: to gather input and work on solutions with the stakeholders on the value chains of construction materials and CDW; to capacitate international partners (Czech Republic, Norway and Romania) with the results from Portuguese participatory actions; to transmit knowledge to municipalities and construction companies about CDW management best practices, legal framework, among other topics.
WP.8. Communication, wich included the definition of a methodology to address stakeholder’s consultation (participatory actions); participatory actions to capacitate the participants with selected topics of CDW management and the the stakeholders’ consensus about the strategic action for the region; participatory action with project partners to understand how the Portuguese results should be applied or adapted to other realities and/or scales; defining and implementing a detailed communication plan.
The project resulted in strong contributions and tools for complying with all upcoming national obligations and impositions in terms of RCD until 2025, with the following being highlighted:
1. Model of Municipal Regulations, which will allow the various municipalities to develop and adapt their regulations in the area of RCD in accordance with current legislation and with the goals for 2025 in mind;
2. Materials Passport, which could be an added value for the construction sector as it will identify all the specificities of the products from a perspective of their future reuse, recycling or, as a last resort, forwarding to their final destination;
3. Pre-demolition audit guide, widely accepted by partners with direct action in the construction area, this tool is undoubtedly a strong contribution to the process of “deconstruction of buildings” where all the materials that make up are identified buildings and their potential for reuse and recovery, always with a view to the circular economy of products.
The mathematical model used in the project can be used at different geographic scales and in different case studies that follow a basic layout, in addition to the use of different scenarios. This is suitable for sensitivity studies of critical factors, to help build coherent strategic decisions, whilst optimizing RCD recovery and material reuse thus contributing to a more circular economy.
The project had results that were not initially foreseen and that will have an impact beyond its execution period, particularly on the part of IDN - an online platform/website (CIMBAL Knowledge HUB: home (overdrive.io)) grouped into modules consistent with the main aspects of the work developed (Regulatory Framework, Pre-demolition Audit, Materials passport, Mathematical model) which disseminates the Norwegian experience in the area of circularity in construction and the construction sector in the form of power point presentations and videos, available in Portuguese and English, and aimed at representatives of Portuguese stakeholders, municipalities, research institutions, etc..
The e-learning course “Construction and Demolition Waste: Prevention and Valorization”, promoted by the Smart Waste Portugal Association and aimed exclusively at CIMBAL project partners and municipalities, was included as a good practice in the policy learning platform of the Interreg Europa program.
Summary of bilateral results
The project contributed to bilateral relations with donor countries as it included the partner International Development Norway. The project also included partner entities from Romania and the Czech Republic.The contribution of the three international partners was essentially for: - Data and state-of-the-art analysis and comparison between Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania and Norway; - Interchange of experiences and practices among the countries, as far as municipal construction regulations are concerned, in order to support the selective dismantling and the separation of waste for reuse and reycling - Providing input and feedback regarding project tools and solutions (materials passport, buildings cadastre, pre-demolition audits , mathematical model, proposal for strategic action) - Involving local, regional and national stakeholders in the capacity building actions and initiating a stakeholder consultation program in their own regions.