CIRCTimber

New pathways and a living lab for transforming the linear timber construction sector into circular value creation processes and promising business models

CIRCTimber investigates how the predominantly linear timber construction sector can be transformed into a circular value creation process. The project focuses on how load-bearing timber components from existing buildings can be carefully dismantled, reliably assessed, reprocessed and reused in new structures. Technical, economic and psychological conditions are considered within an integrated approach.

The Chair of Timber Engineering addresses the main structural engineering challenges. The research includes the assessment of material properties and load-bearing capacity of new and reclaimed timber, probabilistic reliability analyses, the investigation of suitable testing methods, and the development of design approaches and structural solutions for reused timber components. The aim is to utilise existing structural capacity while maintaining an appropriate level of safety.

The developed methods will be tested together with the project partners in a living lab under practical conditions. The process chain covers dismantling, transport, storage, inspection, reprocessing and reuse of the recovered components. A demonstrator made from reclaimed timber will subsequently illustrate the technical feasibility and potential of circular timber construction.