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Description
Provide the University of Aveiro with a methodology and respective monitoring that allows for an increase in the application of the principles of Circular Economy in the rehabilitation and maintenance of buildings. A) The preparation of a Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan
B) The definition of an instrument to validate the application of the principles of sustainable construction and the circular economy, being a factor to consider in the decision-making and in the development of the project, from its initial phase.
The application of the project results will be tested in the definition of the specialties project of 5 buildings of the University of Aveiro. i. establish the mandatory use of materials that incorporate components from recycled materials, in a viable percentage according to the development of the state of the art;
ii. define an effective control flow for the conduction of materials from demolitions;
iii. define a guide of measures or assumptions for inclusion in the specifications of the different specialties;
iv. establish the mandatory use of circularity passports for buildings and components;
v. develop and apply environmental product claims;
vi. develop projects demonstrating the application of the European Commission''s LEVEL(S) system.
Summary of project results
The UAveiroGreenBuildings Project aimed to provide the Aveiro University with a methodology that allows the application of the Circular Economy principles. To achieve this goal, UA had two partners: Platform for Sustainable Construction Association, managing cluster Habitat in Portugal, that provides a network of I&D institutions, municipalities and companies in the Habitat value chain; and EVRIS Foundation, an Icelandic foundation, created for the purpose of sharing Icelandic knowledge and experience with other countries. Together, this partnership was able to provide elements that enabled UA building rehabilitation and maintenance projects to consider the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan (PGRCD) as an innovative project and a management tool in the logic of the principles of sustainable construction and circular economy; and developed a methodology for validating the application of the principles of sustainable construction and circular economy, being a factor to consider in decision-making and project development, since Preliminary Program. The PGRCD should establish mandatory use of materials incorporating components from recycled materials, at a viable percentage as the state of the art develops, an effective flow control of the handling of demolition materials to be an integral part of new material transformation and manufacturing processes, a guide of measures or assumptions for inclusion in specifications of the different specialties, round passports for buildings and components, development and application of environmental product declarations, demonstration projects for the implementation of the EC’s LEVEL (S) system.
The work plan structured by the consortium involved five activities: one cross-sectional regarding the technical management of the project, one research, two experimental development and one where the communication plan is defined. Each of these activities was carried out with human and technical resources of the copromotors.
The plan included an initial activity focused on the acquisition and development of new knowledge, which allowed the consolidation of a comprehensive set of stakeholder needs and served as a starting point for the technical specification.
Activity 2 allowed the definition and specification of the innovative processes that was the basis for the definition of sustainable rehabilitation architecture projects that guarantee zero waste, energy efficiency and material circularity. These processes covered the entire life cycle, from deconstruction to reuse and recycling of materials and components recovered from new construction.
Activity 3 enabled the results of Activity 2 to materialize. It served as a demonstrator of the guidelines to be developed and the realization of the specialty projects of different buildings, respecting the guidelines defined for sustainable construction; the monitoring of the physical work of the work, including supervision for the measurement and compliance with the methodology defined in activity 2; the control of waste management during the physical work, as well as the fulfillment of the defined flow with the establishment of a circular economy stakeholder network for the construction sector; and the use of secondary raw materials that meet the defined requirements.
Activity 4 was the synthesis of the previous activities that allowed the monitoring of the implementation by the Promoter, on how to build the general project of architecture and specialties, developed according to the principles and methodologies developed.
Activity 5 involved the wide dissemination of project results in order to maximize the appreciation of project results, disseminating it to stakeholders directly related to sustainable construction, circular economy. It involved the development of communication material in the form of publication of papers, roll-ups, editing of a Good Practice Manual for the implementation of the circular economy in the construction sector and organization of 3 workshops for dissemination of results.
The project included the development of a tool to achieve sustainability and certify the demand for sustainable products in the built environment (buildings, urban areas, projects, materials and products) from the design phase to the operation phase. This EcoDesign tool has been converted to a Building Information Modeling, making it more user-friendly for engineers and architects, in order to promote its use.
The construction of the pilot was not foreseen in the project or its budget, which only includes specialty projects. The construction of the pilot building was to be supported by the University of Aveiro and was not carried out in time due to the lack of candidates for the open public competition for this purpose.
The EcoDesign tool was converted to BIM, making it more user-friendly for engineers and architects, in order to promote its use.
The Pilot project (ZTC) was independently evaluated by LiderA and obtained an A+ grade in Sustainability, which means that the ZTC project represents a potential improvement in Environmental Performance of 75%.
The project contributed with 3 innovative solutions, namely the EcoDesign Tool, the material circularity passport and the RCD Management Plan. The specialized projects and specifications for public contracting developed integrate these instruments, and represent an innovative process that will allow for better application of the principles of the circular economy in construction. The project tools will be able to reduce in 51,87% the use of secondary materials in construction, during and after the undertaking, and save 29,40% of construction and demolition waste.
The project''s activities will continue beyond its execution period, namely a future project involving more than 100 University buildings on its 3 campuses, which could constitute a place of learning and demonstrator for other public and private entities. The ongoing case studies are also drivers of current and future R&D (master''s and doctoral work).
The project also had results that were not initially foreseen and that will have an impact beyond its execution period, namely the conversion of the EcoDesign tool into BIM, making it more user-friendly for engineers and architects.
Summary of bilateral results
The project had the presence of the EVRIS Foundation as an Icelandic partner entity to share Icelandic knowledge from private and public entities and independent experts to EEA Grants beneficiary countries.