Many East German cities, and here and there also those in West Germany, face the problem of shrinkage as a result of population decline and economic change. To reduce the housing backlog, specifically in Eastern German states (Bundesländer), hundreds of thousands of buildings are demolished or dismantled. One goal of the department “Contaminated Sites” at the BTU Cottbus is to reuse dismantled building parts in their entirety as a product instead of shredding them. Since the re-use of concrete components in Germany is not yet established, the growing housing market in Eastern Europe offers good opportunities: Here, concrete components stemming from the dismantling of prefabricated slab buildings in East Germany are being used there for the construction of detached and semi-detached houses.

Re-using concrete elements can be an attractive and affordable solution: Approximately 30-40% of the construction costs can be saved. The use of second-hand concrete elements also reduces energy and resource consumption as well as emissions significantly - and is thus an effective means to implement climate protection goals in the construction sector. Currently, demonstration projects for the re-use of old concrete elements are planned in St. Petersburg.
Russia and Poland are the starting point from where the building of row houses, detached as well as semi-detached, out of used components will start.

Project Operation
BTU Cottbus / Lehrstuhl Altlasten / Fachgruppe Bauliches Recycling
Dr.-Ing. Angelika Mettke
Siemens-Halske-Ring 8
03046 Cottbus
Telefon (0355) 69-2270
Fax (0355) 69-3171
mettke@tu-cottbus.de
www.tu-cottbus.de/altlasten

Ref. 22286/01-02