EDA webinar: Successful steel re-use ‘needs supply chain coordination’

Carlos del Castillo. (Photo: EDA/ECCS)

That is the view of Carlos del Castillo, a project manager in the Belgium-based European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), who was addressing a European Demolition Association (EDA) webinar on the subject.

“The circular economy is one of two main pillars in sustainable construction,” said Carlos.

“They are no waste generation and energy efficiency.

“But only 50% of construction and demolition waste is recycled. Most recycling is actually downcycling or backfilling.”

Carlos said that addressing these gaps could lead to increased revenue for demolition companies, but it would take around a year to create a legal framework related to steel reuse in new buildings. He added that BIM (Building Information Modelling) digital passports would ease the process in the future, along with simple, clear and direct procedures for pre-demolition audits.

“Steel is feasible for reuse,” he told the online audience.

“The problem is not lack of technology, it is that there is no established practice. We are basing the contribution of the demolition industry based on what we think companies can do but we are not sure.

“We must think about what is possible and work on that with in collaboration with the EDA. Collaboration along the supply chain is essential, and we need to create a common specification in which all stakeholders are included.”