Digital measurement and visualization tools for recycling

The project want to investigate tools and methods for how digital twins of buildings can be created and used, in order to reuse as large parts of existing buildings as possible in rebuilding or new construction projects.

The overarching purpose of the project is to further reuse of building parts and materials and thereby reduce the climate impact of the construction sector.

Through the use of digital measurement methods and visualization tools such as digital twins and BIM large amounts of resources in the form of materials and building parts can be salvaged and reused.

The construction sector is the second largest waste producer in Sweden. Sweden generated 13 million tons of construction and demolition waste. This amounts to 1.3 tons of waste per person and year. A sustainable society will require that amount of waste to be drastically reduced through reuse of building materials and more circular material flows.

There is a lack of digital tools and methods for effectively identifying and mapping existing resources and materials in buildings that are to be demolished or rebuilt. Today, this is done mainly manually and on site. The resulting lack of information and decision-making material means that the reuse of material often is not done to the extent that would be required.

In order to implement the necessary industry-changing transition to a circular economy - which includes the recycling of building components on a large scale - it is necessary that existing resources such as building parts are made visible and made quantifiable.

The project's goal is to identify which technical tools are currently lacking to increase the amount of recycled building materials and to develop methods and techniques for this. Our consortium consists of partners with expertise from all parts of this process and our goal is to contribute with practical methods and knowledge.