| Title |
Re:Crete-Reuse of concrete blocks from cast-in-place building to arch footbridge |
| ID_Doc |
21604 |
| Authors |
Devènes, J; Brütting, J; Küpfer, C; Bastien-Masse, M; Fivet, C |
| Title |
Re:Crete-Reuse of concrete blocks from cast-in-place building to arch footbridge |
| Year |
2022 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.istruc.2022.07.012 |
| Abstract |
About 9% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are due to the production of cement, key constituent of concrete. Concrete also contributes to a large share of demolition waste, usually coming from building structures that are discarded because of functional obsolescence rather than of technical deficiency. Current practice for treating end-of-life concrete is to landfill it or crush it into aggregates used in new concrete mixes. Instead, a little-explored strategy consists in extending the service life of concrete elements by reusing them in new constructions. Following this paradigm, this paper presents a proof-of-concept prototype that reuses blocks cut out of obsolete cast-in-place concrete walls for a new structural application: a 10 m-long post -tensioned segmented arch footbridge. The paper details the design, material sourcing, and construction pro-cesses while highlighting the unusual features of the approach. The structural behavior is verified with a finite element analysis model and validated by load testing. A comparative life cycle assessment shows that the arch construction presents a significantly lower global warming potential then recycled concrete (-71%) or steel (-74%) alternatives and is very competitive to a timber one (+9%). In conclusion, the project proves the feasibility of a new circular economy application for the construction industry, in which new and reliable concrete structures are built with little to no cement inputs. |
| Author Keywords |
Reuse; Concrete; Existing Structures; Footbridge; Arch; Structural Design; Life Cycle Assessment; Circular Economy |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000848548100001 |
| WoS Category |
Engineering, Civil |
| Research Area |
Engineering |
| PDF |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.07.012
|