INBUILT
About INBUILT
The Horizon Europe project INBUILT aims to bring a shift in the European construction industry by integrating circular economy and digitalisation. By using locally sourced materials and reusing components, INBUILT seeks to reduce waste and strengthen the resilience of the construction sector. Our objective is to develop prefabricated, non-load bearing external and internal wall elements for renovation and new construction on the basis of approx. 75% waste wood and 205 biogenic materials that follow the principles of circular construction. The design development makes use of all benefits and untapped potential of timber construction and develops solutions that show how timber can be kept in the material and construction cycle.
First, current barriers that obstruct a direct reuse of timber have to be addressed. As such, the occurrence of wood preservatives or other harmful substances have to be investigated and potentially removed. In addition, metal impurities, occurring from previous connections or other fasteners, have to be identified and eliminated to enable a smooth production process.
Within the project, a dedicated on-site testing, sorting and strength grading process will be developed, to separate timber according to current waste wood classes and to enable a time efficient handling of recovered timber. On the basis of the recovered timber sections, a resource efficient design for external and internal wall elements will be developed for both renovation and new construction. The design principles enable a robust construction to extend the life span of the element. Due to reversible connections, building components can be easily maintained, repaired or replaced. In case the building has reached its end of life, the wall panels or parts of it can be dismantled and reused in another application. In such a way, the project demonstrates how the carbon sink of current timber construction can be safeguarded and extended for another 50–200 years.