IRCOW Final Brochure

innovative strategies for high-grade
material
recovery
from
construction
and
demolition
waste
Final Summary
Brochure
This project has received funding from the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community
for research, technological development and demonstration activities under grant agreement No 265212
PROJECT FACT SHEET

Project title:
Innovative Strategies for High-Grade Material Recovery from Construction and Demolition Waste
Acronym: IRCOW
Project Co-funded under the EU FP7 Framework Programme
Grant Agreement No.: 265212
Project start date: 17 January 2011
Project end date: 17 January 2014
Project Consortium:
Coordinating Unit:
Tecnalia Research & Innovation - Construction Unit
Coordinator details:
Dr. Iigo Vegas
Tecnalia Research & Innovation - Construction Unit
Geldo Parque Tecnolgico de Bizkaia Ed.
700 48160 Derio-Bizkaia, Spain
tel.: +34-94 607 33 00
fax: +34-94 607 33 49
e-mail: inigo.vegas@tecnalia.com
Partners:
VITO, Belgium
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Sweden
Institute for Ecology of Industrial Are- as, Poland
Acciona Infraestructuras, S.A., Spain
DAppolonia S.p.A., Italy
TOMRA Sorting GmbH, Germany
Derribos Petralanda, S.L., Spain
Ingenieurbro Trinius GmbH, Germany
Conenor Ltd, Finland
ATON-HT S.A., Poland
Brijsse Minerals & Recycling, Belgium
Jacobs NV, Belgium
Contents
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. PROJECT CONTEXT
3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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4. IRCOW STUDIES ABOUT REUSE AND RECYCLING
12
4.1 REUSE OF BUILDING COMPONENTS IN EUROPE: CURRENT SCENARIO AND PROSPECTIVE

CHALLENGES
12
4.2 DEVELOPING ADVANCED RECYCLING SYSTEMS
5. THE MAIN S&T RESULTS
13
14
5.1 PRODUCTS
15
Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for subfloors
16
Concrete mixtures with recycled granulates of the concrete type
17
Concrete with coarse mixed recycled aggregates and recycled ceramic sand
17
Ternary mixture with recycled crushed sand
18
Insulating mortar with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS)
18
Gypsum plasterboard with recycled gypsum
19
Multilayer composite decking board
20
Ceramic aggregates for bricks
21
Multilayer panel for building envelope
22
5.2 TECHNOLOGIES
23
New software for NIR sorting equipment
23
On-site microwave energy thermal treatment for inorganic fibrous materials
24
Multilayer composite extrusion technology
25
5.3 TOOLS
26
Stock- Exchange tool facilitating reuse of C&DW recovered construction items
26
Expert tool: Human health and Environmental Risk Indicator (HERI)
28
www.ircow.eu
5.4 SERVICES
29
Services based on Eco-Design Recommendations
29
Integrated service aimed at the recycling of C&DW into high-grade applications

(referring to ACCIONAs business model)
29
6. VALIDATION OF RESULTS: CASE STUDIES
30
6.1 SELECTIVE DEMOLITION OF AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING: ON-SITE RECYCLING

AND USE OF RECYCLED AGGREGATES IN CONCRETE MANUFACTURING (CASE
31
STUDY CS1-A, BILBAO, SPAIN)
6.2 VALIDATING THE OPTIMAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR REUSE (CS1-B, BILBAO,
32
SPAIN)
6.3 DEMOLITION STRATEGY FOR A BUILDING IN SWEDEN AIMING TO BOOST WOOD
32
REUSE (CS2, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN)
6.4 SELECTIVE DISMANTLING AND ON-SITE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS
33
IN POLAND (CS3, STRADOMIA WIERZCHNIA, POLAND)
6.5
DEMONSTRATION OF TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DEVELOPED IN
EXTENSION OF A PENITENTIARY CENTER (CS4, TERUEL, SPAIN)
IRCOW:
34
6.6 APPLYING THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CEMENT-BASED PRODUCTS (CS5, PORT OF

35
ANTWERP, BELGIUM)
7. CLOSING THE MATERIAL CYCLE OF CELLULAR CONCRETE: SIGNATURE OF

A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT 36
8. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM IRCOW
38
9. CONTACTS
39
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www.ircow.eu
1.
Executive summary
The Innovative Strategies for High Grade Material Recovery from Construction and Demolition Waste (IRCOW)
project has come out with some interesting results of technical and non-technical nature related to managing
Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) as aresource of valuable materials which can be recovered for highgrade applications back in the construction sector. C&DW represents one of the European Unions largest waste
streams, by weight and volume. Although many EU Member States demonstrate a strong increase in C&DW managing
awareness and infrastructure, in line with the claims of the European Directive on Waste, the overall material recovery
performance from C&DW in the European Union reveals that further improvement in the reuse and recycling is needed
to move towards a high level of resource efficiency.
In this scenario, the main goal of the IRCOW project (2011-2014) was to develop and validate upgraded solutions by
considering a life cycle perspective, ranging from innovative approaches to cutting-edge technologies and products.
IRCOW also suggests introducing some changes in the European policy to make C&DW reuse and recycling happen
more often and more effectively. By the end of the project, the most promising IRCOW solutions are on a short track
towards market uptake. Deep involvement of industrial stakeholders and national and regional authorities in the
project ensured the relevance and applicability of the project results.
One of the work lines of IRCOW has consisted in a comprehensive study of the reuse of C&D materials, with the aim
to formulate improved strategies. The study revealed that the current reuse markets are limited to components of
cultural or aesthetic value and small scale businesses aimed at private consumers and smaller companies. Important
barriers hampering the reuse of C&D materials are related to costs (material is cheap compared with labour), quality
(quality assurance of reused material is complicated but an absolute requirement in many applications) and weak
market structure (the supply of reused C&D material is limited and varying). Initiatives and incentive to stimula
te the reuse market are needed, e.g. to include a reuse perspective in public green procurement together with in
creased knowledge and information on possible applications for reused materials in order to overcome current lack
of confidence.
Furthermore, a demo e-platform for the reuse of elements
and materials recovered from C&DW, serving as an
example of how such an e-platform embracing several
functions could operate, has been developed under IRCOW.
The overall objective for the C&DW reuse platform is to
facilitate and promote the reuse in practice. A dedicated
demo stock-exchange tool is its central element. This is
complemented by a wiki-area in which e.g. good practices
that already exist in some countries are described.
Moreover, as the e-platform has an ambition to help share
knowledge and build networks of stakeholders involved in
these processes, a database of agents involved in C&DW
reuse is also available.
Innovative recycling technologies for C&DW recycling
systems, not only for a stony fraction but also for other
fractions where there is currently a strong knowledge gap,
www.ircow.eu
IRCOW challenges
C&DW is one of the largest waste streams in the
EU - about 380 million tonnes generated in the EU
per year (31% of the total waste generation)
The Directive 2008/98/EC on Waste states that,
by 2020, the material recovery of non-hazardous
C&DW shall be increased to a minimum of 70% by
weight
More than 50% of all materials extracted from
earth are transformed into construction materials
and products
C&DW represents the waste stream of high potential
for material recovery
were examined in IRCOW. Advanced automated sorting techniques by color (artificial vision) or chemical composition
(spectrometers, lasers, X-Ray, Near Infrared, etc.) were successfully researched and developed for high quality sorting
of plastics, gypsum and red-grey stony fraction. Also the treatment of C&DW containing fibrous materials like asbestos,
mineral and glass wool and other fibrous materials, based on Microwave Thermal Treatment (MTT) technology was
developed and validated. Moreover, a multilayer composite extrusion technology (WPC) has been applied for recycling
C&D mineral wool, gypsum plasterboard and mixed wooded materials with recycled plastics.
Additionally, a series of high-grade construction materials and components from recycled C&DW was developed
within IRCOW. Cellular concrete C&DW was recycled into raw material for subfloors. A number of cement/chalk
based mixtures (such as concrete, ternary mixture and insulating mortars) were produced using recycled (concrete,
mixed, EPS) aggregates. Moreover, C&D gypsum waste was recycled into gypsum plasterboards and recycled ceramic
aggregates were used for recycled bricks. Multilayer composite decking boards and multilayer panels for faade were
also developed. An expert recycling tool assessing environmental and human health risks associated with recycling
alternatives is openly available on the IRCOW webpage.
One of the most precious values of the project is a series of observations coming out from five case studies at real
construction or demolition sites which were carried out in different parts of Europe. Each of them was focused on
different practical aspects of C&DW management towards material reuse, recovery and application for high-grade
construction materials and components production. The case studies provided a unique opportunity to validate which
of the solutions proposed by IRCOW are technically feasible, economically viable, environmentally more appropriate
(based on Life Cycle Assessment studies) and realistically applicable in market conditions.
Finally, IRCOW delivered a set of policy modifications which are deemed necessary. They refer to:
standardization of recycled concretes based on the definition of a series of recycled aggregate categories linked
to their composition and purity;
promotion of selective demolition processes i.e. separation at source, for which compulsory demolition inventory
towards reuse and recycling prior to demolition is implemented;
regulation of demolition as waste management activity by considering the building-to-be-demolished in the
waste list of the corresponding Directive;
initiating regional pilot projects demonstrating feasibility of reuse activities related to C&DW recovered materials;
application of green public procurement favouring end-of-life design to improve reusability in the future;
developing and adapting a new system of differentiated gate fees at C&DW recycling plants based on the purity
of the incomming material. Low , if any fees for clean stony waste could effectively result in an increase of such
material flow while compensating the additional effort required in the production of recycled aggregares from
dirty mixed waste.
IRCOWs key objective behind the scientific and technological goals was threefold:
to ensure that the project outcomes are relevant for end-user needs especially industry and SMEs and other
stakeholders involved in the reuse and recycling of C&DW;
raise awareness especially in the area of reuse of building elements recovered from C&DW and their
applications
to communicate the contributions made to the European knowledge and scientific excellence, to higher
education and university students as well as the European citizens in general.
Therefore all main outputs including training materials and presentations, video coverages related to the
IRCOW project in general and the case studies as well as information on the developed products, access to
tools and services followed by a summary of best practices is available on our project web site: www.ircow.eu
www.ircow.eu
2.
Project context
Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) represents one of the European Unions largest waste streams, in
quantitative terms by weight and volume. Directive 2008/98/EC4 on waste stresses the need to improve the
material recovery efficiency of this waste stream. Although many EU Member States have undergone a strong
increase in C&DW recycling awareness and infrastructure, the overall material recovery performance in the
European Union reveals that further improvements must be undertaken to move towards a high level of resource
efficiency.
C&DW Stony fraction

Some EU countries have attained high recycling rates for stony fraction, but most of the derived recycled products
(recycled aggregates and sands) are used in low-grade applications in civil engineering unbound applications. This
market for recycled aggregates, however, is getting more and more saturated. Therefore, a shift towards more
structural concrete applications is currently being investigated and promoted.
The main bottleneck for incorporating recycled aggregates
in higher grade uses is the lack of confidence in such
products, due to variable properties, potentially lower
strength of the aggregates, lack of purity (lightweight
particles such as wood or plastics) or presence of
potentially harmful components like sulphates associated
with gypsum. To obtain higher quality levels for recycled
aggregates, current approaches for C&DW recycling
technology are focusing on the development and
incorporation of more advanced sorting systems compared
to traditional treatment schemes. Complementarily, a
shift in the demolition execution procedures, towards
increasing on-site sorting, would also significantly contribute to the generation of recycled aggregates of higher quality.
Other C&DW fractions

In general, recovery rates for other C&DW fractions (except for metals) in the EU remain well below the 2020 target of
70% (by weight) established by the aforementioned Waste Directive for non-hazardous C&DW (note that excavation
material is excluded from both the Directive and IRCOW project). Large amounts are still being incinerated or landfilled.
The rates of reuse of construction components and materials are also low and consequently, there is a need for
developing efficient strategies to favour the reuse as a preferable management option.
Reuse
When creating a hierarchy among the end-of-life
alternatives, according to environmental impact, a direct
reuse of a product comes highest in the rank, followed
by recycling. Moving towards the reuse of products is an
ideal solution for the product end-of-life approach in order
to minimize environmental impact. Unfortunatelly, this is
not a common practice in Europe due to more complex
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construction techniques that the ones traditionally applied. In that sense, some reports state that it will take many
years to move towards a confident, skillful and marketable industry that invests and reaps returns from the practicable
and cost-effective reuse of C&DW recovered components and materials.
Traditional recycling systems

The traditional recycling systems do not guarantee sufficient quality to use the derived recycled products in high grade
applications when dealing with mixed C&DW. For such applications, the content of contaminants such as organic matter
e.g. wood, plastics, etc. and gypsum in the recycled fractions must be minimized. In the case of very heterogeneous
waste streams, more rigorous separation and cleaning techniques are needed to achieve the required levels of purity.
Thus, the challenge for obtaining upgraded C&D recycled materials lies in finding the right combination of inexpensive
traditional separation techniques with further advanced automated sorting techniques easily adaptable to diverse
generation scenarios, together with adjusting the waste generation process itself towards selective demolitions, when
feasable from the viewpoint of safety, economy, time limits, etc.
Advanced automated sorting techniques

Advanced automated sorting techniques by color (artificial
vision) or chemical composition (spectrometers, lasers,
X-Ray, Near Infrared, etc.) are successfully researched and
developed for high quality sorting of plastics arising from
municipal waste, in glass recycling or for non-destructive
analysis of quality of horticultural products. In the field
of C&DW recycling, preliminary tests have been recently
carried out at lab scale, with automatic techniques based
on Color Sorting and sorting based on Dual-Energy
X-Ray Transmission. However, further research is needed
to optimize the separation of heterogeneous C&DW
streams. This should result in a guaranteed supply of
pure recycled materials that can be used in high-grade
construction applications. In addition, these innovative
separation technologies must be fine-tuned and adapted for new emerging waste such as foamed polymers, rock and
glass wool and composite materials.
Plastic foams
The use of plastic foams for thermal insulation of house
walls will contribute even more to it in the next decade.
In addition, plastics occupy large volumes. In this context,
it is urgent to find feasible on-site sorting and recycling
solutions for C&D plastic waste. To date, there is little
experience with selective collection schemes for plastic
packaging from construction works. There are, however,
a number of selective collection schemes for rigid plastics
from construction, renovation and demolition.
Inorganic fibrous insulating materials

Inorganic fibrous insulating materials (glass wool and stone wool) account for 60% of the current market. The use of such
fibrous waste materials is expected to grow in the 2010-2020 decade in line with the European objectives on energy
efficiency. The potential hazardousness for human health of these synthetic fibres is still under investigation. It has
already been the cause of concern for some categories of fibres with specific chemical composition. As a consequence
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of the EC directives, the materials containing synthetic

fibres, which are classified as potentially carcinogenic/
pathogenic, should be properly managed similarly to
asbestos-containing materials (ACM). The problems
associated with the management and disposal of ACM
applies also to other synthetic fibres wastes. Although
there are diverse management options for fibrous waste
materials, the use of microwave thermal treatments (MTT)
seems to be a promising technology to transform fibrous
structures into inert compounds potentially usable in
other construction applications. In terms of cost savings,
it is quoted that the cost of asbestos and other fibrous
materials microwave thermal treatment is at the level of
landfill deposition costs and even 10 times cheaper than
plasma treatment while yielding an inert product that can be reused. Comparing to other management options, the
MTT technology reveals a large number of advantages:
on-site treatment since the reactor can be installed on a mobile platform;
the derived by-products are inert;
possibility to treat other hazardous substances.
On-site recycling
Furthermore, on-site recycling is a preferable option to offsite recycling if the reduction of C&DW transportation costs
and environmental impacts compensates the machinery
transportation and on-site installation. Currently, mobile
recycling systems are mainly used to reduce the stony
debris into smaller pieces and eventually separate it into
different grain size fractions. However, this equipment is
normally unfit to produce recycled materials with sufficient
quality to be used in high-grade construction applications
mainly due to the impurity level in the generated waste.
In this sense, the challenge is to increase the technological
level for C&DW on-site processing, as well as balancing the
option of increasing the on-site separation (i.e. performing
a selective demolition).
In line with the current European waste legislation, local, regional or national public authorities pay more and
more attention to the efficient reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste (C&DW). The reasons
underlying this are:
-- C&DW is one of the largest waste streams in the EU;
-- a very large proportion of C&DW can be easily reused or recycled within the construction sector;
-- reusing or recycling of C&DW contributes to saving natural resources and energy;
-- recycled C&DW can be cheaper than using natural materials.
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3.
Project objectives
The main goal of the IRCOW project was to develop and validate upgraded technological solutions to achieve an
efficient material recovery from C&DW by considering a life cycle perspective.
To achieve the goal, the following scientific and technological as well as non-technological objectives were addressed:
Scientific & technological objectives
To create innovative strategies promoting the reuse of building components/products and preparing new building
solutions for reuse activities;

To create high quality recycling systems by means of advanced solutions for C&DW sorting and processing;
To design, develop and test high grade construction products (concrete, gypsum boards, wood-polymer composites
and multilayer panels) elaborated with C&DW recycled materials: inorganic and organic ones;
To validate new solutions developed at lab scale on real construction sites;
To evaluate the technical, economic, environmental and human health performance of these solutions.
Non-technical objectives
To ensure the relevance and applicability of the project results via strong interactions with stakeholders and end
users (e.g. architects, real estate developers, C&DW processors);

To raise awareness and build up a strong interest in C&DW mitigation among the key European level stakeholders,
as an implementation potential for the IRCOW results;
To ensure effective dissemination of the project results in order to efficiently use and share technical information
among end-users and maintain strong collaborative arrangements between all the project beneficiaries of the
participating countries;
To communicate the contributions made to the European knowledge and scientific excellence, the value of
collaboration between EU Member States, and the benefits arising from IRCOW to European citizens in general;
To formulate recommendations for changes in policies, where such are called for;
To remove obstacles and enforce opportunities for the innovative solutions;
To spread results towards higher education bodies.
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UPGRADING INTERACTIVE REUSE PROCESSES

Technological work package WP1 focused on generating knowledge that will enable an increase in the reuse and
consumption of building components, largely arising in demolition activities. For that purpose, an analysis of supply
chain for reused components and materials was accomplished, identifying the perception of clients towards reused
building products.
REUSE
IRCOW WORK CONCEPT DIAGRAM
To acknowledge the natural, cultural and legal diversity in Europe, and to

involve regional SME and local stakeholders, 5 case studies were carried out
in 4 different countries (Sweden, Belgium, Poland and Spain) to cover
the diverse construction culture, typologies, reuse and recycling
experience all over Europe (technological work package WP5).
These case studies encompassed demolition and building
works to cover the complete supply chain where C&DW
could arise.
DEVELOPING ADVANCED RECYCLING

SYSTEMS
Technological work package WP3 addressed scientific
and technological breakthroughs in C&DW recycling
techniques. The aim was to establish the technological
basis for new solutions in C&DW recycling. For
that purpose, advanced technologies based on NIR
spectroscopy and visual spectroscopy were researched.
Also, new crushing and sieving routes were tested for
on-site recycling of stony fraction. Finally, sorting and
processing technologies were studied for C&DW plastic,
wood and fibrous fractions.
DEVELOPING HIGH-GRADE
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND
COMPONENTS FROM C&DW RECYCLED
PRODUCTS
RECYCLING
DEMONSTRATING THE SOLUTIONS: CASE STUDIES
Benefiting from the outputs of WP3, the technological

work package WP4 addressed the design, development
and optimization of high-grade construction materials
and products made from recycled C&DW fractions. The
main targeted products were as follows: new types of
concrete elaborated with the recycled stony fraction;
acoustic insulation boards manufactured with recycled
gypsum; wood-polymer composites and multilayer panels
composed of recycled aggregates and thermal insulations.
ASSESSING THE SOLUTIONS

The outcomes of WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP5 were assessed and validated from an economic and environmental point of view, by
using Life Cycle Assessment tools (work package WP6). Close interaction between WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6 allowed to optimize
the technical, environmental and economic dimensions of the new applications.
All results were combined in order to formulate C&DW management strategies that take into account new development, ecodesign and diversity of the C&DW market within the EU. To reach this goal, close interaction with key market stakeholders was
established. The involvement of industrial stakeholders as well as national and regional authorities ensured the relevance and
applicability of the project results. Moreover, the stakeholders were involved in deriving recommendations for changes in policies
aiming to remove obstacles and enforce opportunities for the innovative solutions (work package WP7).
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4.
IRCOW studies about reuse and recycling
4.1 REUSE OF BUILDING COMPONENTS IN EUROPE:

SCENARIO AND PROSPECTIVE CHALLENGES
CURRENT
Presently, only a small fraction of items and materials recovered from C&DW is reused. The current reuse markets
are limited to components with cultural or aesthetic value and small scale businesses aimed at private consumers
and smaller companies. Large scale activities for commercial construction projects are extremely rare. Efficient
reuse will only be realised through joined-up thinking, working together with clients, planners and designers, and
demonstrating through best practice, innovative structures and paradigms where components and materials are
reclaimed.
In this context, a study was conducted within the IRCOW-project six European countries from Sweden in the north to
Spain in the south with the aim to better understand the key agents within the supply chain for reused C&D materials
and to formulate improved strategies which could increase the reuse. The study was conducted using interviews
and workshop sessions with stakeholders representing the construction and waste management sector including
designers, construction companies, demolition enterprises, waste management companies and authorities etc. The
goal was to identify the critical factors acting as barriers or opportunities in the reuse of C&DW recovered materials.
The study revealed that:
Important barriers hampering the reuse of C&D materials are related to costs;
material is cheap compared to labour, quality; quality assurance of reused
material is complicated but an absolute requirement in many applications, the
market structure for C&D recovered elements is weak; the supply of reused
C&D material is limited and varying. Initiatives are needed to stimulate the
reuse of C&DW recovered elements from both: the demand and the supply
side.
An important challenge is to create an efficient system for quality assurance of
C&DW recovered items and materials for reuse. Practices for virgin materials
exist but need to be adapted for C&DW recovered elements. Challenges related
to the quality assurance are emphasized in all studied countries and there is
thus a basis to work on these issues at EU level through industry associations,
standardisations bodies and authorities.
In the Policy Recommendations section two action lines for stimulating the reuse of C&DW recovered items now and
in the future have been proposed by the IRCOW project. More in detail, the first action line is activation of the present
reuse market, by carrying out regional pilot project of demonstration. The second suggests public procurement
favouring end-of-life design in the projects developed today, facilitating the reuse in the future.
Even in an ideal reuse supply situation, where other prerequisites like quality
assurance, supply availability, etc. have been fulfilled, a negative perception of
reused material, either by construction professionals or the final costumers, would
constitute a major drawback that must be overcome. Moreover, it was concluded
that, in order to avoid missing the reuse opportunities, the awarness of both public
and professionals on reuse needs to be improved. In this line, collaborations and
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agreements within the supply chain, such as the one signed in connection with cellular concrete (see section7),
would serve as a win-win basis for achieving a better reality regarding material recovery from C&DW in Europe.
Moreover, it is expected that the administration may drive this innovation even further by means of green public
procurement, as well as fine-tunning policies.
4.2 DEVELOPING ADVANCED RECYCLING SYSTEMS

A part of the IRCOW project activities concentrated on the establishment of a technological basis for new solutions in
C&DW recycling. The new developments elaborated during the project aimed to:
maximize the volume and quality of the materials recovered from C&DW,
improve the efficiency of techniques to separate complex C&DW streams in useful fractions,
optimize the recycling costs by lowering the process costs and increasing the value of the separated fractions,
investigate the feasibility to redesign innovative off-site separation techniques for on-site application.
Those objectives were common for three main fractions of materials within the C&DW: stony fraction; plastics and
wood fraction; and fibrous materials.
Nonetheless, the study at C&D sites referring to plastics revealed that only LDPE-film from packaging was found in
meaningful quantities at C&DW. Other plastic fractions occured in general in low quantities and in fragmented plastic
types and grades. Moreover, IRCOW concluded that the amounts of C&DW plastics did not justify on-site sorting by
means of advanced technologies and on-site recycling processes like composites extrusion. The recycling processes
for such fractions require stable environmental conditions, as well as high amounts and continuous availability of
input materials which in the case of plastics cannot be provided on-site. Those materials must be treated off-site in
order to guarantee industrial, economic and environmental feasibility. Therefore, it must be taken into account that
the on-site valorization of the plastic from C&DW into high grade applications might not make any practical sense.
The source separation and storage/compacting of selected plastic or wood fractions, providing that there is available
space, could be a solution to recover high quality fractions from C&DW on-site that might be used for an off-site
recycling process. This is in line with the policy recommendation from IRCOW regarding selective demolition.
An increased recovery of both stony and other organic fractions could be achieved by presorting of these fractions
already on-site. This on-site presorting established already in some EU Member States has been influenced by stricter
regulations regarding the landfilling of organic waste and by changes in the gate-fees for waste services for different
waste qualities. It means that the higher the purity (the mineral fraction content) of the C&DW, the lower the disposal
charges are. The gate fees for higher contaminated C&DW in some EU Member States like Germany are usually by a
factor ten to twenty higher than for low contaminated, mineral waste. By presorting of mineral and organic fractions
already on-site, both material flows might be treated afterwards in suitable material recovery facilities designed to
achieve the highest practicable recycling quality for the respective material inputs. Likewise, a preconcentration of
similar recyclable material fractions will also have a positive impact on the economy of waste recovery facilities, as
revenues can be increased and operational costs can be reduced.
Alternatively, a recovery of recyclable material (stony fractions, wood, paper, plastics etc.) from mixed C&DW could
be performed in an off-site material recovery facility by using combinations of advanced sorting technologies and
traditional processing technologies. Tests performed within the framework of IRCOW, based on automated sorting
technologies, have shown that an efficient recovery of recyclable fractions can be achieved in such processes.
In the following chapter specific sections are devoted to a detailed description of the New Software for NIR Sorting
Equipment, On-site Microwave Energy Thermal Treatment for Inorganic Fibrous Materials and Multilayer
Composite Extrusion Technology, presenting the performance of those solutions.
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5.
The main S&T results
The main scientific and technical results of IRCOW, include 4 categories of outputs:
PRODUCTS
TECHNOLOGIES
Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for

subfloors
Concrete mixtures with recycled granulates of the
concrete type
Concretes with coarse mixed recycled aggregates and
recycled ceramic sand
Insulating mortar with recycled expanded polystyrene
Multilayer composite decking board (WPC)
New software for NIR (Near Infrared) Sorting

Equipment providing improved recycling
processes for C&DW recycling plants, with the
main objective of achieving high-grading recycled
aggregates and facilitating their use
On-site microwave energy thermal treatment,
which allows disintegration of asbestos and other
mineral fibres
SERVICES
An integrated service aimed at recycling of C&DW into
high-grade applications
Eco-design as an established approach to design new
products applying secondary resources
TOOLS
Stock-Exchange tool: a demo of a dedicated
e-commerce portal for sale and purchase of
C&DW recovered materials and elements
The Human Health and Environmental Risk
Indicator (HERI): a computer based tool which
can be used by the building or recycling industry
to indicate the potential risks due to the use of
recycled C&DW materials or products based on
such materials
In order to be marketable, these products in principle must demonstrate a comparable performance with products
derived from virgin raw materials. Only then they will have the same market perspectives of products derived from
virgin raw materials.
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5.1 PRODUCTS
IRCOW has explored recycling technologies regarding not only the stony fraction of the C&DW but also gypsum,
mineral wool, etc. Moreover, these products were validated in real case studies and assessed from the environmental
and economic point of view. All in all, the introduction of these solutions in the European level could noticeably
improve current material recovery rates.
In the case of the C&DW stony fraction which accounts Closing the material cycle of cellular concrete:
for ca.80% of the total C&DW stream, efforts have been
Signature of collaboration agreement
made both to improve recycling processes as well as
develop a number of recycled concretes. More in detail, A voluntary collaboration agreement for the Flanders
concretes including coarse (> 5 mm) recycled aggregates region was signed on October 2014 during the IRCOW
of the concrete type and of a mixed composition (based project final conference, involving demolition sector,
on concrete and ceramics) have been studied. IRCOW has collection-recycling sector, producers, sellers and
provided recommendations regarding the use of those construction sector. The agreement aims for a chain
management of cellular concrete, closing the loop of
recycled coarse aggregates in concrete, based on:
compositional requirements of the recycled coarse the material. It is estimated that between 50.000 and
100.000 tons of cellular concrete waste are generated
aggregates;
per year in this region, of which 30.000 tons are expected
limitations on the use in different exposure conditions; to be recycled in 2014. Flanders expects becoming a
definition of the maximum strength of concrete class. European leader in the recycling of cellular concrete by
Moreover, three aggregate types have been defined for 2020. IRCOW outcomes contribute this objective. The
the use in recycled concretes. In the case of a stringent manufacturing costs of the recycled IRCOW products
high-grade concrete aggregate, which would stimulate made of cellular concrete are, at least, 40% cheaper
the confidence of consumers/users, all exposure classes than the products made of raw materials.
would be allowed, in various substitution percentages
For more information see section 7
(up to 50% by weight), depending on the exposure. In the
case of (low impurity content) coarse mixed recycled aggregates of a determined composition (maximum ceramic
content of 30% by weight), 100% of substitution is allowed for concretes of C20/25 compressive strength class, i.e.
non-structural concrete (of lower responsibility though very common). In the countries where the use of ceramics such
as tiles and hollow bricks is more popular (e.g. Mediterranean countries), the mixed recycled aggregates represent
almost 70% by weight of the total recycled aggregates.
IRCOW has also worked on the recycling of the C&DW gypsum into plasterboards. Within the products industrial
validation with Knauf, a low percentage of substitution of conventional gypsum by C&DW gypsum was made (< 10%).
Nevertheless, technical viability of much higher substitution rates is promising. Setting feasible scenarios and supply
chains for the recovery of this stream seems to be the main pending issue for the establishment of this product.
A successful multilayer extrusion of certain C&DW streams, for which disposal is the common practice, has been
demonstrated: namely the mineral wool and gypsum plasterboard. Also wood can be introduced in the composite,
but it must be 100% hard metals free. These C&DW materials could successfully contribute in ca. 60% by weight in the
composite mixture. Typical applications for these wood and plastics composities include: decking, fencing, and other
indoor applications such as window and door frames, etc.
According to market projections, worldwide WPC production will rise from 2.43 million tons in 2012 to 3.83 million
tons in 2015. Today North-America is the worlds leading producer of WPC with 1.1 million tons ahead of China, which
produces some 900,000 tons (estimate), and Europe, which produces 260,000 tones. It is expected that European
production will particularly grow by around 10% per year, reaching 350,000 tonnes in 2015.
All IRCOW products have been analyzed and assesed for their environmental performance using Life Cycle Assessments
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15
(LCA). Three different methodologies have been used to evaluate the new products and processes: Attributional LCA,
Consequential LCA and Attributional input output hybrid LCA. The focus has been on consequential LCA to capture the
environmental effects of introducing the new products on the European market.
The best performing products from an overall environmental perspective were:
Insulating concrete with recycled cellular concrete
The insulating concrete was compared to aerated concrete with a similar strength, conductivity and density and
performed at least 80% better in all impact categories. This means that there is a good potential for improved
environmental performance if aerated concrete is replaced by the IRCOW insulating concrete.
Multilayer composite decking board or wood-plastic composite (WPC)
The IRCOW WPC was compared to conventional WPC with similar technical performance and performed more
than 40% better for global warming and better or similar for other impact categories.
The IRCOW developed gypsum plasterboard with 5% recycled gypsum from C&DW performed more than 25%
better for all impact categories (except acidification, which was similar) than the conventional gypsum plasterboard.
The IRCOW ternary mixture showed environmental improvements by up to 70% compared to the conventional
product. This IRCOW product however demonstrated higher uncertainties regarding environmental performance
than the other IRCOW products.
Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for subfloors

Cellular concrete has been
successfully used in Europe
for more than 80 years.
The amount of autoclaved
aerated concrete (AAC) in
construction and demolition
waste that can be recycled
in the production of new
AAC is, however, limited
because of the quality
issues. Recycling of AAC in
Processing of cellular concrete waste into new products. Left to right: Industrial crushing of cellular concrete, production of the traditional concrete or as
cement stabilized sand in the lab.
unbound aggregate, also
faces difficulties because of the low compressive strength (2-10 MPa) of AAC and technical and environmental issues
related to sulphate leaching.
During IRCOW, a method for the immobilisation of sulphate was developed. This created opportunities for the
development of new products. Cellular concrete waste was crushed and used as sand replacement in sand-cement
products for subfloors or foundations. These products were developed and tested in laboratory and industrial
conditions.
The subfloor products demonstrated a sufficient compressive strength for their applications, combined with a lower
thermal conductivity than other sand-cement products.
Furthremore, the insulating concrete was compared to aerated concrete with a similar strength, conductivity and
density, from the life cycle perspective. The result of the comparison showed that the IRCOW insulating concrete
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The three developed products with recycled cellular concrete. Left to right: screed (case study 5), cement stabilzed sand, insulating concrete
performed at least 80% better in all impact categories. This means that there is a good potential for improved
environmental performance if aerated concrete is replaced by the IRCOW insulating concrete.
Concrete mixtures with recycled granulates of the concrete type

Within IRCOW, concrete for different applications was produced with the use
of high-grade recycled concrete aggregates. Foundation or indoor flooring
concrete has to comply with following exposure classes from NBN EN 2061:2001: XF1 (resistance against degradation by freeze-thaw cycles in moderate
water saturation without de-icing salts) and XC3 (resistance against corrosion
initiated by carbonation in moderate humidity) (Flanders: EE2). For both
applications the strength class C30/37 is premised. Foundation concrete with up
to 60 m% replacement of the coarse fraction with recycled concrete aggregates
was produced. For the indoor flooring concrete, a replacement of 30 m% was
obtained.
Outdoor flooring concrete must comply with the following exposure classes
from NBN EN 206-1:2001: XF1 (resistance against degradation by freeze-thaw
cycles in moderate water saturation without de-icing salts) and XC4 (resistance
against corrosion initiated by carbonation in alternating wet and dry conditions) Foundation and indoor flooring concrete
recycled concrete aggregates (Case Study CS 5)
(Flanders: EE3). A strength class C30/37 is premised. Outdoor flooring concrete
with up to 30 m% replacement of the coarse fraction with recycled concrete aggregates was produced.
with
Concrete with coarse mixed recycled aggregates and recycled ceramic sand
The recycled concretes with coarse mixed recycled
aggregates with addition of recycled ceramic sand
developed and tested within IRCOW are low-intermediate
strength concretes (with a minimum compressive strength
of C20/25). They are aimed to be used for both ready
mixed concretes and precast concrete products.
Concrete with mixed recycled Concrete slab containing 100% recycled coarse In general, these mixed recycled concretes could be used
aggregates and ceramic sand aggregates and 10% recycled ceramic fine aggregates.
in applications with no high structural requirement: for
(CS1) Real execution in Bilbao (Spain)
example in the case of ready mixed concretes for pipe
beddings, levelling surfaces, subgrades for foundations, etc.; and in the case of precast elements for kerbs, ditches,
ornamental urban elements, etc. Even applications with an increased structural requirement could be addressed, if
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they have been designed taking into consideration the given characteristic strength of the concretes; e.g. slabs or
footings, such as the ones which were tested in Case Study CS1 of IRCOW (see sections 6.1 and 6.2).
Incorporation of ceramic recycled fine aggregates induces higher resistance against freeze/thaw cycles. Resistance
against carbonation is comparable to conventional concrete. However, the incorporation of ceramic recycled
aggregates induces higher shrinkage, thus adequate joints absorbing the higher shrinkage should be considered on
large concrete surfaces. Additionally, compressive strength is reduced compared to a conventional concrete including
the same amount of cement.
An important conclusion from the IRCOW project is that from an environmental perspective it is generally
preferred to replace natural aggregates with recycled aggregates if and only if the use of cement is equal or lower
than in the conventional product and if an environmentally similar or better cement is used.
Compressive strength [kPa]
Traditionally, a ternary mixture consists of sand, chalk and mixing water. Chalk and water bind sand allowing it to
interconnect. Within IRCOW, a ternary mixture was developed in which 100% of virgin sand fraction has been replaced
with sand fraction (0-8 mm) of crushed concrete (crushed sand).
If the increased water absorption of the crushed concrete sand is taken into account, the properties of the recycling
product are equal to atraditional ternary mixture.
The IRCOW ternary mixture showed environmental improvements (LCA) by up to 70% compared to the conventional
product. However, compared to other IRCOW products,
ternary mixture with recycled crushed sand represented
250
higher
uncertanities
regarding
environmental
performance.
200
150
100
50
0
Reference
Ternary mixture with recycled crushed concrete sand
Recycled
Comparison in average compressive strength after 28+ days
Insulating mortar with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS)

Beads of expanded polystyrene (EPS) have been combined with concrete for the last 20 years to obtain lightweight
concrete for levelling, filling and insulating. In IRCOW project, crushed recovered EPS from C&DW and other sectors
has been added to mass concrete to create acement-based material with improved thermal insulating properties.
Its thermal performance cannot be compared with conventional EPS insulating boards but its intermediate density
and perfect compatibility with fresh cement based materials makes it an interesting option for industrializing some
building applications.
During manufacturing and de-installation, special safety measures must be taken into account to avoid the visual
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contamination derived of the EPS beads. Specific equipment for EPS handling is recomended at the manufacturer
facilities during its mixing with the cement paste. This EPS mortar was used as external thermal insulating layer in
the faade multilayer panels installed in KUBIK lab-building and Case Study CS4 (see section 6.5).
Samples of mortar with recycled EPS
Comparison of thermal insulating performance

Gypsum plasterboards with a partial substitution of gypsum with recycled gypsum from C&DW were developed
within IRCOW. Gypsum plasterboard is used for partitions and lining of walls, ceilings, roofs and floors. The properties
of plasterboard can be modified to meet specific requirements, such as fire resistance, humidity resistance, shock
resistance, etc.
Under IRCOW, gypsum from C&DW was recovered from a C&DW treatment plant by means of advanced sorting
technologies. Recycled gypsum from C&DW was crushed and dehydrated for partial substitution of conventional
(mineral or FGD) gypsum for plasterboard.
A pilot case was successfully performed in the last semester of the project with small substitution ratio (<5% by
weight). Selected gypsum was combined with conventional gypsum at the beginning of the manufacturing process at
an industrial facility. Gypsum plasterboards with recycled gypsum were manufactured and installed in Case Study CS4
and at the KUBIK lab-building (TECNALIA facility).
From the LCA point of view, the IRCOW developed gypsum plasterboard with 5%
recycled gypsum from C&DW performed better for all environmental impact categories
(except acidification, which was similar) than the conventional gypsum plasterboard.
Substitution of reference gypsum: (0%), 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%
www.ircow.eu
100% recycled gypsum
Installation of recycled plasterboards in

Kubik lab-building (TECNALIA)
19
Multilayer composite decking board

In the IRCOW project multilayer composite decking boards (WPC) were developed using different mixtures of waste
materials from C&DW such as gypsum plaster board, mineral wool insulation and mixed wooded materials together
with recycled plastics using new Conenor invented multilayer CONEX-extrusion technology.
Waste materials were used in the following indicative composition up to 95% of the product weight (which may be
tailored case by case according to the actual type and origin of the waste):
waste wood fibers and inorganic fillers 60% (wood, gypsum plaster board, wool insulation);
mixed colors recycled plastics 35% (PP or HDPE e.g. from rigid consumer packaging or films);
additives 5%.
Conventional single layer WPC-decking boar (left) and IRCOW multilayer composite WPC-decking boards (center/right).
Majority of WPCs are manufactured using profile extrusion, which creates continuous profiles in unchanged crosssection cut to the desired length. They can be used in a number of applications both outdoor and indoor.
Despite the fact, that WPCs have been produced in the USA and Canada for about 20 years and elsewhere in the
world for about 10 years, they are still at a relatively early stage of their industrial development. Consequently, new
processes, methods as well as applications are in evolution. Decking, which has been one of the first applications to
be developed, continues to be among the most popular applications of WPCs.
Stricter regulations on the use of chemicals in building materials, such as the phasing out of chromated copper arsenate
(CCA) treated lumber for residential decking and the desire for green building materials have also contributed to
greater acceptance of WPCs by builders and homeowners.
Within the IRCOW project, Conenor Ltd. developed a new type of WPC decking board with a multilayer product
structure using its nested 2-rotor CONEX-extruder. The board consists of two in-parallel extruded material formulation
layers, surface and core. The surface material formulation fully encapsulates the core material formulation on both
sides as well as the female-female board edges.
The core material formulation (~3/4 of the board total weight) consists of recycled mixed colored plastics 35% (either
HDPE or PP) and C&DW materials 60% (mixed wood/wool insulation/gypsum plaster board) plus 5% virgin additives
(coupling agent and processing aid).
The main difference between a conventional single-layer WPC board available on the market and the WPC decking
board developed in IRCOW consists in the multilayer product structure. This structure allows C&DW materials to be
used together with recycled mixed colored plastics in the decking board core layer to achieve the adequate product
quality required by the decking application. The IRCOW decking board has been applied in the IRCOW Case Study CS4
(see section 6.5).
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Beside environmental aspects, the leverage for commercializing this new multilayer WPC board lies in the
economic benefits that are provided by the remarkable reduction of raw material costs which is highly important
in general to make WPCs a preferred choice as green building material in the future. Utilizing C&DW materials at
the core layer allows saving over 50% of total costs of manufacture.
The IRCOW WPC was compared to conventional WPC by LCA, with similar technical performance and performed more
than 40% better for global warming and better or similar for other impact categories.

Ceramic aggregates for bricks are fine to medium grained
aggregates resulting from processing of stony fraction
from C&DW. Therefore the red ceramic parts of the stony
C&DW are negatively sorted out by using Titech (presently
TOMRA) color sorting equipment. Negative sorting means
that the red particles are sorted out of the main material
stream consisting of grey concrete rubble.
The desired grain size for the application as secondary
raw material is obtained by crushing and sieving. In the
event that a very fine grained ceramic aggregate (< 100
um) is needed for a specific application, an extra grinding
step is required.
Detailed picture of 1 grain of ceramic aggregate
Within IRCOW the objective was to investigate the
possible application of ground ceramic aggregate as raw material in brick production and to look at the maximum
allowable contamination with concrete or mortar components not having a significant effect on brick product quality.
The application as raw material for brick production allows amaximum concrete contamination of 20 M%. If larger
amounts of concrete particles are present, the risk for the formation of efflorescent salts on the brick surface is
increased.
The grain size target for the tests was to achieve overall grain sizes < 200 m in order to prevent eventual lime blowing
to occur. Residual mortar or cement remaining on the brick surface after crushing and grinding to grain sizes > 200
m could lead to lime pops. These lime pops consist of CaCO3 which decomposes during firing to CaO and CO2. The
free CaO remaining after firing may react with atmospheric H2O forming Ca(OH)2 which is accompanied by a rather
important volume expansion. The latter can lead to lime blowing in the final brick product.
The chemical composition of the aggregates reflects the original composition of the bricks in the building. The ceramic
aggregates consist predominantly of quartz (~ 70 %) with calcite (~ 14 %) and albite (~ 12 %) and minor amounts of
microcline (~ 5 %).
The ceramic aggregates show rounded grains, very finely dispersed as reflected in the grain size distribution. A detailed
picture of one grain shows very clearly that, although the material has been finely grinded, the original porous brick
texture remains unchanged.
The ceramic and technical advantages are as follows:
Optimisation of rheological behaviour of the clay column in brick extrusion processes;
Optimisation of the grain size distribution (fine grained ceramic aggregates);
Fluxing agent at elevated firing temperatures (> 1100C);
Neutral agent in regard of flue gas emissions (SOX, HF, etc.).
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Side view of the multilayer panel
Multilayer panel (after finishing layer)
Structural concrete layer thickness (cm)

The multilayer panel for building envelope is a faade Without internal insulation
8
10
12
14
16
U (W/m K)
solution, with optimised thermo-acoustic performance,
0
2,91
2,65
2,44
2,26
2,10
which must meet the current exigent requirements of
External thermal
2
2,01
1,88
1,77
1,64
1,59
insulating EPS
energy performance for buildings. It is composed of:
4
1,54
1,46
1,39
1,33
1,27
mortar layer
6
1,24
1,19
1,15
1,11
1,07
thickness (cm)
external thermal insulation layer made of insulating
8
1,04
1,01
0,98
0,94
0,92
mortar with recycled EPS;
With internal insulation*
Structural concrete layer thickness (cm)
internal structural layer made of concrete with 100%
8
10
12
14
16
U (W/m K)
0
0,72
0,70
0,68
0,67
0,65
recycled coarse aggregates;
External thermal
2
0,65
0,63
0,62
0,61
0,59
insulating EPS
gypsum plasterboard with recycled gypsum (indoor
4
0,59
0,58
0,56
0,55
0,54
mortar layer
assembled to the other two layers)
6
0,54
0,53
0,52
0,51
0,50
thickness (cm)
8
0,50
0,49
0,48
0,47
0,47
The best possible thermal performance can only be *4 cm of rockwool (40kg/m )
achieved when the walls are externally insulated. IRCOW
Thermal conduction coefficient of the multilayer panel with 10mm of internal
multilayer panel provides external thermal insulation in a plasterboard sheeting with and without mineral wool mat
precast component; so, most of the manual on-site tasks
of traditional external thermal insulation composite systems are eliminated. This product could be later complemented
with rendering layer for extra protection and insulation.
Its performance has been monitored in KUBIK lab-building (TECNALIA), using data acquisition systems and sensors
measuring temperature, solar radiation, wind, humidity and thermal flow. Also similar panels were installed in Case
Study CS4 (see section 6.5).
From the life cycle perspective, the multilayer panel developed within IRCOW proved to perform better than the
conventional product for all impact categories, except the use of primary energy.
2
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5.2 TECHNOLOGIES
New software for NIR sorting equipment
Some EU countries have achieved high recycling rates for the stony fraction derived from concrete, bricks and
tiles (recycled aggregates and sands). However, most of these materials are traditionally used in certain low-grade
applications in civil engineering as unbound applications (embankment, sub-base, levelling of roads). This market for
recycled aggregates, however, is getting more and more saturated. Therefore, a shift towards more structural concrete
applications is currently investigated and promoted. Additionally, recycling strategies also aim to get higher rates of
use for other materials contained in C&DW. The traditional recycling systems do not guarantee sufficient technical and
environmental quality to use the recycled aggregates in high grade applications.
Key problematic constitiuents causing a decrease in the
quality of the recycled aggregates to be used in high
grade applications are: organic material, gypsum and
autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC).
Those constituents contribute to high levels of total
sulphur compounds, acid soluble sulphates well as cause
other environmental problems and effects influencing the
properties of the final use. The unwanted constituents Recording of samples AAC and gypsum
can lead to expansive compounds in cement-based
materials (gypsum), induce delays in setting and hardening of cement based materials or cause lack of bonding
strength (organic material). Particles with lower mechanical strength (e.g. cellular concrete) may cause weak points in
the final application. Furthermore, both gypsum and cellular concrete can cause excessive leaching of sulphate to the
environment. Finally, the level of grey-fraction (concrete + unbound aggregates) in most original samples is too low to
be used in structural concrete (at least 90% is needed for this fraction).
The samples of mixed C&D granular waste collected and tested within IRCOW were used to create and develop new
classification software for NIR spectroscopy sorting systems. TITECH autosort NIR sorting systems with a combination
of two different NIR sensors (sensor configuration NIR1-NIR2) were used for these tests.
Additionally, NIR sorting was performed on a medium heavy/heavy mixed C&DW sample to analyze the performance
of advanced sorting equipment for the recovery of wooden and plastic fractions from mixed C&DW. The overall results
showed that both wood and plastics can be recovered to a high degree in high qualities from mixed C&DW fractions.
The results clearly indicate that the problematic fractions in the mixed recycled aggregates can be significantly
reduced or even eliminated during the NIR sorting treatment, boosting a greater use of recycled aggregates in
high grade applications such as concrete manufacturing.
The two tested NIR sensors analyse different wavelength ranges of the input material in order to enable a separation
of the contaminant fractions.
The new developed classification software has been specifically designed for mixed aggregates and aims for an efficient
removal of specified fractions like gypsum, AAC, wood, plastics etc.
The software was optimized and successfully tested on different samples collected in the IRCOW project. It was
afterwards validated in Case Study CS4 being installed in a C&DW treatment plant of Bizkaiko Txintxor Berziklategia
(BTB) in Spain.
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The recovery of recyclable materials (stony fractions, wood, paper, plastics etc.) from mixed C&DW could be performed
in an off-site material recovery facility by using combinations of advanced sorting technologies and traditional
processing technologies. Tests performed within the framework of the IRCOW project have shown that an efficient
recovery of recyclable fractions can be achieved in such processes. Automated sorting technologies for plastics and
wooden materials are preferable to be used in off-site treatment plants.
An important prerequisite for an increased recovery of both stony and other organic fractions is the presorting
of these fractions already on-site. Additionally, traditional C&DW recycling systems designed for mineral C&DW
qualities are not suitable for processing mixed C&DW with higher organic contaminations.
On-site microwave energy thermal treatment for inorganic fibrous materials

An important part of the project was devoted to treating waste from building demolition which contains fibrous
materials like asbestos, mineral and glass wool and other fibrous materials. The method introduced and tested by
ATON was based on MTT (Microwave Thermal Treatment) technology. This technology uses microwaves for
disintegration of fibrous structures (such as stone wools, glass wools, etc.), resulting in the change in the structure and
chemical properties of the input waste material.
In the MTT method the treated material was crushed,
mixed with specific additives and heated by microwaves
to avery high temperature - in the range of 900 C -1100
C. In many cases, the end product of the treatment
demonstrates properties enabling its application as
an additional filler in cement production or as recycled
material for mineral wool production.
Based on laboratory test data concerning process
Reactor ATON-HR 200 (left); and reactor ATON-MOS (right)
parameters such as optimal temperature of the process,
time of treatment and percentage of additives needed, semi-industrial tests were carried out with ATON-HR 20 reactor.
During the tests, the treated material passed through the ceramic drum located inside the reactor and was heated
by microwaves to the required temperature determined before in laboratory tests. The reactor was connected to
another reactor developed by ATON i.e. ATON-MOS used for cleaning the exhaust gases emitted during the thermal
process inside ATON-HR reactor. Application of both reactors helped eliminating air pollution. It should be pointed
out, that the application of the ATON-MOS reactor effectively eliminated also emission of asbestos fibers with exhaust
gases. All fibers were melted inside a metallic chamber filled with special ceramic elements heated by microwaves to
the temperature exceeding 1200 C.
The performance of ATON HR 20 reactor was in the range of 10 30 kg per hour. The tests were carried out by
aminimum time of 3-4 hours in order to achieve stable thermal conditions. In such long tests as much as 40 80 kg
of output material were obtained. The material was then used as filler in cement blocks. In the case of cement boards
with asbestos (ethernit), an end product called ATONIT was produced. It demonstrates very good chemical affinity
(including puzzolan effect) and thus high potential applications as a filling material for concrete production.
For all tested materials optimal process parameters were obtained like temperature, time of treatment, additives
(kind of additives and percentage).
An important conclusion from the tests performed with ATON-HR20 reactor is that all tests fully confirmed a complete
transformation of fibrous structure of asbestos and other fibrous materials info fibreless (amorphous) form.
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Based on the tests with ATON-HR 20 reactor a new industrial scale installation ATON-HR 200 was designed and
manufactured. New reactor enabled treatment of all tested fibrous materials. It can be installed inside a standard
container together with ATON-MOS reactor. If necessary, special crusher for crushing cement boards (ethernit) can
be also applied. Such a complete system can be easily moved close to the building demolition place as an on-site
installation. The end product of the treatment can also be used on-site as a filler for concrete production (for example
for foundation or for concrete blocks). In this way transportation of waste from building demolition can be avoided.
The performance of a combined ATON-HR 200 and ATON-MOS 200 system was in the range of 200 kg/hour, microwave
power was about 60 KW, 2,45 GHz (for HR reactor) and 40 kW, 2.45 GHz (for MOS reactor). Additionally, preheating
of the treated material by gas burner was also applied. The system was automatically controlled by microprocessor
controller and the most important process parameters were recorded during the process.
Currently, a combined ATON-HR 200 and ATM-MOS reactors system has been deployed by two companies specialized
in building renovation and demolition.

The CONEX-extrusion technology with multiple (in this case two) nested rotors is a unique and proprietary invention
of Conenor Ltd. It allows various types of recycled and waste materials such as polymeric, thermoplastic, thermosetting
as fillers, organic, inorganic, fibrous, etc. to be used in extrusion formulations at chosen weight ratios. In the case
when a specific application requirements demand so because of aesthetics or physical product characteristics, it is
possible to use waste materials in the rear rotor of the extruder providing only the product core layer while using
those fit-for-purpose materials in the front rotor giving the product surface layer and wanted properties. It should
be underlined that this is not a limitation of the CONEX-extrusion technology but the application of the specific
product. The technology itself enables the waste materials appearing on the product surface as well. This can be done
by applying the waste/recycled material formulation into the front rotor to produce the entire product from waste/
recycled materials in two altering formulations e.g. by optimizing plastic/fiber ratio and using expensive coloring, UVand other additives and non-colored recycled plastics on surface layer only.
Multilayer CONEX-extrusion 2-rotor technology (left); Conventional extrusion technology for plastic capped WPCs using three extruders and a cross-head die (right).
Before the materials enter the extruder, adequate formulations must be prepared using either a compounder or an
agglomerator e.g. high intensity mixer, or both: first agglomeration and then compounding, depending on type of
extrusion equipment to be applied.
However, the costs of a compounding equipment are rather high, so are its operating costs. By using agglomerator
only, as in the case of CONEX which allows so, costs can be saved and the entire process can be simplified. Regardless
of the process or combination of formulation preparing processes, the input waste material must be cleaned from
undesired impurities such as metals and non-acceptable contaminants and thereafter downsized to proper particle
size corresponding for the desired surface quality and also preferably sieved by appropriate mesh-size.
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The main difference between Conenor CONEX-extruders and conventional single- or twin screw extruders is that
in the case of CONEX screws have been replaced by sharp conical rotors nested inside each other. Each is fed at 3and 9 oclock positions by two compressive and heated feeding screws preheating the materials. In CONEX, the size
of the rotor is about 5 times larger (500 mm diameter) than the size of the screw in equal (100 mm diameter) size
screw extruders and turns at low rpms of 5- 20 avoiding thus unwanted excessive shear heating while mixing well the
materials.
Due their technical characters and limitations, conventional screw extruders cannot produce such multilayer product
structures as the decking boards developed within IRCOW using CONEX and applied in Case Study CS4.
To produce a similar board using conventional screw extruders, two individual extruders will need to be used and a
cross-head die to co-extrude a multilayer product structure. However, in the case of WPC-formulations it would be
impossible to achieve as the surface material would not flow in the spiral flow channels of the cross-head die. Only
plastic rich formulations with plastic content about > 75% and having high melt flow rate (MFR) could be used in screw
extruders equipped with cross-head dies.
Conenor CONEX multilayer composite extrusion technology allows utilizing up to 95% of recycled raw materials
within multilayer composite products such as the multilayer composite decking boards developed and applied
within IRCOW Case Study CS4 (see section 6.5). This feature provides WPC manufacturing companies the
opportunity to develop and offer more environmentally friendly products in their markets at a remarkable lower
costs in order to improve their sustainable green activities and gain a more positive image.
5.3 TOOLS
Stock- Exchange tool facilitating reuse of C&DW recovered construction items
Within the IRCOW project an attempt has been made to design and develop a demo version of a ICT tool in a form of a
Stock Exchange platform for reusable materials and elements recovered from C&DW. The main objective for this tool is to
facilitate reuse as a common practice leading to the prevention of waste generation in line with the waste management
hierarchy of the Waste Directive.
The tool is composed of two elements: a Stock-Exchange and a Databse of C&DW Agents. A manual in a form of11animated
instructions is available on project web site (http://ise.ircow.eu/HelpTour.aspx) to present the functionalities of both
components of the tool and how to use them.
A demo of a Stock-Exchange for reusable items recovered from C&DW
IRCOW Stock-Exchange is a dedicated portal for selling and purchase of reusable C&DW materials and elements by
private persons, commercial entities and municipal agencies. The Stock-Exchange enables presentation of offers for sale
as well as submitting requests for purchase of specific materials. In addition to that the system is also equipped with a
search engine which allows to find the sought items by categories, by key words as well as by distance from the location
of the user: either default or specified. The innovation features of the Stock Exchange aiming to increase and popularize
reuse result from an in-depth analysis of these systems combined with IRCOW results on optimal reuse scenarios and
supply chains carried out in work package WP1. It allowed to design a tool which easily allows to find what is available
where and when as well as in which quantities and of what quality. The IRCOW Demo Stock-Exchange has been furnished
with the following functionalities that go beyond the state of the art of the up-to-date waste stock exchange systems :
focus: the categories of offers have been defined using terms and definitions typical for construction sector to
make the tool better customised for specific user needs . This makes a difference of the IRCOW Stock-Exchange
compared to waste stock exchanges already functioning worldwide;
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geographical scope: the system covers the whole Europe enabling thus sell and purchase of both casual elements
as well as some specific elements of artistic /aesthetic value which may be a requested item far from the place of
their origin (e.g. for specific interior design).
IRCOW Stock-Exchange features

easy navigation by clear and simple categories of materials and elements subdivided into subcategories;
easy registrationn of offers providing data on the reusable C&DW recovered items relevant for private purchasers
as well as professionals accompanied by a help service e.g. how to define parameters of certain elements
categories;
an inbuilt system of subscriptions notifying if a requested reusable item has been registered as an offer;
convenient search options by auser friendly categories but also according to the predefined distance from the
users location;
system operational framework enabling its easy use by both private persons and professionals, especially reuse
traders and municipal waste management agencies;
a system for monitoring the validity of offers system display of outdated or not updated offers.
Database of C&DW agents
Database of C&DW agents is a tool which provides access to different actors involved in the reuse processes (e.g.
demolition companies, demolition inventories developers, construction companies, architects and designers, renovation
businesses, recycling centers, other professionals etc.) equipped with a search option based on Google to find the needed
agent within the defined distance from location. A novelty is the fact that the database is combined with the StockExchange so once an agent e.g. a reuse trader registers in the Stock-Exchange, they can simultaneously become listed in
the directory. The databse may be also used as an inbuilt advertising mechanism for the registered agents.
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Within the IRCOW project a dedicated business model was developed indicating how opportunities related to reuse
operations based on the Stock-Exchange can be taken on board by agents (SMEs but also regional waste managers/
operators or recycling centers) interested to set up this type of business activity.
Expert tool: Human health and Environmental Risk Indicator (HERI)
HERI Input (left) and output (right) menu for the construction phase.
The Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) states that by 2020 material recovery of non-hazardous construction
and demolition waste (C&DW) should be increased to a minimum of 70% by weight in each EU Member State. The
word non-hazardous in this statement is essential to ascertain that the use of recovered C&DW does not provoke
any risk to the environment and human health. In order to support the decision making process, a generic screening
tool was developed by VITO which helps to identify the potential hazard the use of these materials may pose within
specific applications with regard to heavy metals.
The tool was named the Human health and Environmental Risk Indicator (HERI) (link: http://www.ircow.eu/media/
images/gear/HERI.xlsm). This tool can be used by the industry to indicate the potential risk to human health and/or
the environment due to the use of recycled C&DW materials or products based on recycled materials prior to the start
of a project. The tool is based on basic input parameters of the recycled C&DW materials (e.g. total metal content).
The tool opens with a welcome screen that guides the user to the different applications of the tool: health or
environmental risk indicator.
In the first part, the risks to human health by inhalation of heavy metals are assessed during 4 phases: construction,
demolition, recycling and the user-phase. This risk assessment is based on the prediction of the exposed metal dose
by inhalation. In general, exposure scenarios are built up based on various processes that are known to create dust
(e.g. drilling, grinding and hammering). The dust created by these processes is assessed and used to populate the
different exposure scenarios. The calculated metal exposures are compared with the lowest occupational exposure
limits (OEL) reported in international literature. If exposure/OEL > 1, which means a possible risk, cells are colored in
red, else in green. Additionally, the extra carcinogenic risk is calculated. It is the extra risk as compared to working with
a reference material. For occupational exposure, an extra risk less than 1 in 100 000 is acceptable according to REACH
guidance2. If the cell value is > 1 10-5, the cell is colored in red, else in green (see picture above).
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In the second part, the potential hazard of toxic metals leaching to the environment is assessed. This risk is mainly
assessed through the total metal concentration and the increased risk for the leaching of toxic metals in certain
pH intervals. The model provides risk indication for 8 heavy metals visualized by a green, orange or red traffic light,
corresponding to the level of risk associated with the recycling of the material in the defined application.
5.4 SERVICES
Services based on Eco-Design Recommendations
Eco-design is not a concept that has been developed in the context of the IRCOW project. It is an established concept
for the integration of environmental aspects into product design and decision-making.
With the increasing interest for environmental issues related to products, also the field of services for ecoconsultants has increased significantly over the past decades. Especially when applying eco-design with its full
scope and when embedding it in other decision-making parameters, it can form an essential part of sustainability
considerations in the design of products.
Typically, eco-design addresses the refinement of products. Identified weaknesses and hot spots of concern are
addressed in the refinement, with the goal to mitigate adverse impacts while maintaining functionality and performance
as well as other desired product properties. During the IRCOW project, the eco-design concept has been applied to
products currently outside the scope of the EU directive, and to the design of new products. They were developed
under the precondition to apply construction and demolition waste as a resource base in a high-grade application. Ecodesign was applied to contribute to ensuring that the reference frame of considered aspects would not be restricted
to recycling and technical performance aspects alone.
Eco-design applied to buildings and building products is a significant milestone in the context of sustainable
construction, product sustainability, mitigating carbon emissions etc. It can be applied in many different hotspots of
current societal focus.
The experience gained as well as the performed research underlying the work in IRCOW will be applied in continued
development of our consultancy services, as well as directly continued in other R&D projects, currently namely in the
ECO-INNOVERA project ECOBIM addressing building information models and business innovation models in the field
of eco-consultancy in the construction sector.
Integrated service aimed at the recycling of C&DW into high-grade applications

(referring to ACCIONAs business model)
ACCIONA Infrastructure intends to foster its image of innovative enterprise delivering cutting-edge and environmentallyfriendly solutions through introduction of novel practices aimed at recycling of C&DW for high-grade applications.
Building on the strong foundations of the services that ACCIONA Infrastructure already provides in the construction
market, a new integrated service has been developed that consists in delivering dedicated civil engineering and
construction services to the green buildings market by working in partnership with all actors involved in the C&DW
valorization value chain, namely demolition companies, concrete ready mix manufacturers and processing centers.
Thanks to having pioneered the definition of new concrete mixes in close collaboration with a concrete manufacturer
and with Tecnalia, ACCIONA Infrastructure is able to provide concrete parts for both structural and non- structural
applications including either up to 50% by weight of coarse recycled aggregates from processed concrete waste
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or 100% by weight of coarse mix recycled aggregates, thus partially replacing naturally occurring primary coarse
aggregates towards increased environmental sustainability and preservation of natural resources. Thereby, ACCIONA
Infrastructure is able to coordinate the whole supply chain that is necessary for that purpose, which encompasses
demolition, concrete ready mix manufacture and C&DW sorting as well as treatment aimed at recycling.
High-grade recycled concrete applications and thus the related ACCIONA integrated service could be first exploited
in those markets in which there is the highest attention especially toward those building certification programs that
grant a benefit to the use of sustainable materials or the recycle of C&DW through a return in terms of credits for the
certification. Since such credits are particularly involved in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
certification, countries in which the LEED certification program is mostly applied were regarded as potential target
markets. At the same time high-grade recycled concrete applications and thus the related ACCIONA integrated service
could be deployed in those markets which offer appropriate C&DW recycling infrastructure in place that is capable to
supply enough recycled aggregates to satisfy the potential demand of the market. As a result of the market analysis
carried out, among the potential target markets identified by the above described approach, countries with highest
opportunities are represented by Spain, which is ACCIONAs domestic market in which thus a high market penetration
can be envisaged, as well as Poland, where the company already has an established market position. Interesting
opportunities may be also found in Germany, the United Kingdom and France, where ACCIONA has not been present
at the construction market yet.
Being at the downstream end of the supply chain and as a construction company delivering engineering and
construction services, ACCIONA Infrastructure is the customer interface and the only player in the value network that
has the capability to promote the new practice in the construction market and thus pull all other actors of the network
towards the potential new market opportunity. Accordingly, ACCIONA Infrastructure will have to promote the use of
recycled aggregates into its new building and construction projects. This can only be done by exploiting the conventional
channels that are characteristic of the construction sector, meaning public procurement tenders in the case of public
entities as well as bid procedures launched by private actors, and proposing the use of recycled aggregates within
the applications for tenders or bids prepared by the company. Nonetheless, massive use of recycled aggregates in
concrete requires that the supply of such secondary raw materials is secured in adequate qualities and at reasonable
price on one side, and on the other side that the concrete is produced according to well defined specifications. This
requires that the recycled aggregates are processed by processing centers at the required specifications in terms of
particle size as purity. Additionally, massive use of recycled aggregates in high-grade concrete applications will also
require that such applications of secondary aggregates prove to meet adequate quality standards. Accordingly, quality
protocols would need to be established, conforming to standards and specifications in the same way as it is the case
for concrete applications utilizing natural aggregates.
6.
Validation of Results: Case Studies
One of the key factors that contributed to the added value generated by the IRCOW project were 5 demonstration
case studies carried out within the project. They were aiming at validation of optimal supply chain models and the
tools developed in support of reuse of building components (see section 5.3), validation of new C&DW recycling
solutions as well as well as demonstration of the efficiency of products and components manufactured with C&DW
recycled materials. Materials from these case studies including video films are available at project web site.
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6.1 SELECTIVE DEMOLITION OF AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING: ONSITE RECYCLING AND USE OF RECYCLED AGGREGATES IN
CONCRETE MANUFACTURING (CASE STUDY CS1-A, BILBAO,
SPAIN)
The objective of this case study was to demonstrate the on-site recycling routes for the stony fraction composed of
concrete and masonry oriented towards the use of the derived recycled aggregates in on-site and off-site concrete
manufacturing. The works performed by Derribos Petralanda included selective demolition of an industrial building
dating from the 1970s, located in an urban environment in the city of Bilbao (Spain).
Selective demolition and on-site recycling process
After checking that no elements can be recovered for reuse, non-stony waste streams (plastics, paper, etc.) were
separately collected and removed form the work-site. Then the mechanical (light followed by heavy) demolition
was performed, generating stony material of customized composition for the latter concrete manufacture, based on
concrete aggregates or mixed recycled aggregates with fixed ceramics content, according to formulations.
Those stony wastes (concrete, ceramics) were recycled on-site by means of a mobile crusher and sieves, producing
coarse and fine recycled aggregates which were characterised and validated by TECNALIA. More specifically, coarse
aggregates of three compositions (100% concrete, 80% concrete and 20% ceramics, and 100% ceramics) were
produced, as well as ceramic (0/6 mm) sand.
These recycled aggregates were used for the on-site and off-site manufacture of a range of concretes, on the basis of
formulations validated within IRCOW, based on the use of 100% coarse mixed recycled aggregates (with up to 35%
of ceramics) and also including a concrete with 10% inclusion of ceramic sand. A continuous footing and a slab were
constructed using these concretes.
Workability and compressive strength of the produced concrete were validated. Monitoring of the concrete slab has
shown no evidence of damage after almost two years from its construction.
LCA studies showed that the combination of a selective demolition and off-site sorting gave the highest
environmental benefit.
Execution of elements with recycled concrete
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6.2 VALIDATING THE OPTIMAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR REUSE (CS1-B,

BILBAO, SPAIN)
Within the demolition of another building in Bilbao (Spain), also performed by the project partner Derribor Petralanda,
the reuse supply chain was validated, apart from producing, as in the previuos Case Study (CS1-A) clean stony fraction
from a selective demolition, for its recycling into concrete. The second building was a student dormitory.
As an initial task in the demolition, the following elements were identified, as reusable and hence separately collected
and distributed: radiators, soap stands, wall braces, wash-hand basins, toilets, bed frames, shower plates and bath,
towel rails, furniture (chairs and table), a weighing scale and doors.
Execution of reusable elements with recycled concrete
6.3 DEMOLITION STRATEGY FOR A BUILDING IN SWEDEN AIMING

TO BOOST WOOD REUSE (CS2, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN)
Case Study CS2 was a demolition case with a school building in Stockholm built in 1968. The buildings components and materials
of the building where inventoried. Data on each products market value and normal waste management was collected and the
reusability was analysed in economic and practical terms.
In the end the case study has not involve a demolition but several important steps such as demolition inventory, quality
assessment and reuse costing have been performed.
Inventory
The inventory of reusable elements available in the building was performed in several steps. In the first step a screening
inspection was performed together with a reuse trader. The reuse trader gave his view on which products could be possibly
reused. Secondly, drawings were collected from the municipality archive. The drawings were analysed and additional products
were added as potentially reusable products. During the second visit at the building, aquantitative inventory accompanied by
photo documentation were performed. The collected data was then used in communication with several stakeholders to find
the quality indicators and market values. Finally a complementary inventory visit was performed to clarify important quality
issues revealed during the communication with stakeholders.
Quality assessment
Important quality indicators were collected for each product identified during the inventory. These indicators were collected
in communication with the reuse traders from the Stockholm area (Kompanjonen and Rivners) and one representative of a
large stakeholder in Gothenburg (Alelyckan). Experts on specific products were also involved: Persiennproducenterna and
Persiennkompaniet for venetian blinds, Huddinge stl for steel beams and NCC construction for concrete components.
Reuse cost and market value assessment
Costs related to a selective demolition were assessed together with PEAB, experts in demolition. Market values for different
reuse products were assessed using input from the same contacts as the ones used for quality assessment information described
above. Reduced costs as a result of reuse regarding avoided waste treatment cost were assessed using local cost information
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from waste management actor Ragn-Sells.

The case study comprised a reuse focused inventory pushing the limits to find possible reuse options that are normally not
considered, but still can entail attractive opportunities. In essence all components with a potentially commercial value and
suitable for reuse found in the building were considered. The market value and the selective demolition cost were assessed on
that basis. The components with economic potential were considered in the framework of the optimal scenarios from reverse
supply chains developed in IRCOW.
The case study demonstrated that for the first time:
a Swedish municipality allowed a reuse focused inventory in such a large scale and well in advance before demolition;
the environmental benefits have been calculated as thoroughly;
a complete methodology for reuse supply chains has been examined;
how reusable items recovered thanks to a selective demolition can be presented for sale using the IRCOW Stock-Exchange
tool.
6.4 SELECTIVE DISMANTLING AND ON-SITE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS

MATERIALS IN POLAND (CS3, STRADOMIA WIERZCHNIA, POLAND)
The objective of Case Study CS3 was to validate on-site microwave energy thermal treatment technology developed by the
Polish company ATON-HT SA in real life operating conditions. The technology uses microwave energy to force the disintegration
of asbestos and other mineral fibers (such as rock wools, glass wools, etc.), resulting in the change of the structure and chemical
properties of the input waste material. The input waste material included blends composed of asbestos and other fibrous
materials.
Within Case Study CS3, two different applications of the technology were demonstrated. On the one side, ATONs process was
applied to treat ethernite roof panels from a building renovation work carried out in Stradomia Wierzchnia (Poland), which is a
village located in a distance of about 50 km from Wrocaw. During the test, the ethernite panels were first removed and packed
in plastic foil. Then, the fibrous material packed in foil was treated using ATONs HR-200 reactor. The resulting product of the
treatment called ANTONIT, which is a complately inert material, was crushed and mixed with cement. The material, can be used
as an additive to cement for concrete manufacturing. Samples of concrete were further examined by strength tests. Moreover,
microscopic as well as X-ray spectroscopic inspection allowed to conclude that no fibrous structure was be found in the samples.
The technology was also applied in order to treat waste from a mineral wool production line in an industrial facility in Pamplona
(Spain). In this case, 25 tons of after-production wastes from rock wool production were successfully treated by ATONs
technology. After treatment, the resulting product was reused, forming briquettes by mixing it with cement.
This innovative process allowed converting problematic waste (including hazardous waste) into inert material, thereby reducing
the wastes impact on environment and health. The techno-econimic analysis carried out by DAppolonia highlighted that the
costs of the innovative process carried out in the real life operating conditions existing within the case study were just slightly
higher (+4,8-5,5%) compared to conventional practices aimed at disposing hazardous waste. Nonetheless, slightly higher costs
for the on-site treatment use of the ATON technology can be balanced by cost savings from the management of the hazardous
waste by the public authorities afterwards. Process optimization in terms of treatment capacity and energy consumption are
already planned in order to reduce this gap.
Dismantling and treatment of fibrous materials
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6.5 DEMONSTRATION OF TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DEVELOPED IN

IRCOW: EXTENSION OF A PENITENTIARY CENTER (CS4, TERUEL,
SPAIN)
Large construction company ACCIONA Infraestructuras, pioneer in developing and applying new technologies, was the leader of
this case study. Other project partners CONENOR and TITECH (presently TOMRA) were also involved in its implementation.
The Penitentiary Center construction site included the demolition of an old building and construction of a new building. This
construction site allowed for the validation of advanced recycling technologies (for stony and organic fraction) together with the
demonstration of recycled products developed in the IRCOW and the validation of the new business model proposed for ACCIONA
(with regard to the integrated service for recycling C&DW into high- grade applications).
Regarding the demolition phase, firstly an inventory of reusable elements was done in order to support the supply chain model
developed in IRCOW. Part of the building was intensively demolished in order to obtain mixed C&DW material (concrete, ceramic,
gypsum, plastic, wood, etc.). Approximately 25 tons of the resulting C&DW were separated off-site using the new algorithms for
Ongoing works in the penitentiary center (left) and simulation of new building (right)
the advanced sorting systems developed within IRCOW, in order to validate the new technology and to assess the costs of the
process. This task was performed in close collaboration with sorting technology developer TOMRA, at a Spanish C&DW recycling
plant where the Near Infrared (NIR) technology has been implemented (BTB, Bilbao). In addition, the demolition of the wall
provided aggregates of the concrete nature.
During the construction phase, the aforementioned recovered clean aggregates were used for the manufacture of a concrete slab
foundation following the project advanced and optimal dosages defined in IRCOW. Furthermore, also other recycled IRCOW products
were installed in the new penitentiary center, namely multilayer composite decking boards (WPC) and a multilayer faade panel.
Recycled concrete, extruded composites and monitoring of faade solution (left to right)
The IRCOW WPC were manufactured by CONENOR using recovered non-mineral fractions like plastic, wood & mixed wooden
materials, gypsum plasterboard and wool insulation waste. The resulting decking profiles were tested by TECNALIA (mechanical
and aging test) before being installed in the new building constructed by ACCIONA.
The multilayer faade/partition panel consisted of an acoustic insulation board elaborated with recycled gypsum in the inner
layer and a two-layer cement based precast panel elaborated with recycled aggregates and recycled plastic, as the structural
element plus outside thermal insulation layer. These elements were installed in a service building. In order to validate them,
ACCIONA monitored acoustic and thermal behaviour under real conditions by performing in-situ acoustic tests and temperature
measurements related to thermal properties. Also, the long term behaviour was monitored by means of non-destructive testing
techniques and visual inspection.
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6.6 APPLYING THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CEMENT-BASED PRODUCTS (CS5,

PORT OF ANTWERP, BELGIUM)
Case Study CS5 of the IRCOW project, Medium size industrial building in Antwerp (Belgium), had a strong focus on
applying (and monitoring) the newly developed cementbased products (developed in WP4) during the construction of
a medium size industrial building (waste collection facility) using recycled materials (WP3) coming from the demolition
of an office building from the Port of Antwerp.
Port of Antwerp: waste collection facility, Case Study CS5
The products applied in the waste collection facility included both applications that are current practice in Flanders
(mixed recycled aggregate for sub-bases and foundations) and applications going beyond the state-of-the- art as they
involved:
newly developed supportive substrate layers (insulating screed) using recycled cellular concrete, and
various concrete types with either increased levels of replacement of virgin materials by recycled concrete (minimum
20% replacement), or
high-grade concrete types where it is currently not allowed to use recycled aggregates (polished concrete floors etc.).
The Port of Antwerp, as the main external partner of the IRCOW - CS5 team, selected an office building as object to
be demolished within the framework of IRCOW - CS5. For the application and long-term monitoring of cement based
product solutions developed within the IRCOW project, the Port of Antwerp constructed a new medium sized industrial
building (waste collection facility).
Unfortunately the size of the office building did not allow IRCOW - CS5 to test and evaluate on-site crushing and sieving
of the stony fraction. The space available to enable on-site crushing and sieving equipment in was much too small which
makes, in a common business scenario, on-site treatment economically not viable. Performing on-site treatment in such
conditions would signifficantly increase the cost per ton (/t).
The construction of the waste collection facility was finalised in
March 2013. The new (developed) products produced by Jacobs
Beton nv were followed closely by the Belgium Concrete Federation
and by SECO (notified body, BENOR product certification) and
have been well documented. Various tests have been conducted
on the final products in order to comply with both technical and
environmental requirements and with the final goal to validate the
newly developed products from WP4.
The different concrete materials were reprocessed by Jacobs Beton Ongoing works (CS5)
nv into new concrete products that were used for the foundations
(XC3/XF1, 60% replacement of the coarse aggregates) and the polished concrete floors inside (XC3/XF1, 20 and 30%
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replacement of the coarse aggregates) and outside (XC4/XF1, 20 and 30% replacement of the coarse aggregates). The
latter application is to be considered as very high level, demonstrating the overall technical possibilities of recycled
concrete aggregates. Compressive strength of all concrete types was equal or better compared to concrete made with
only primary (virgin) raw materials.
Another important feature is the addition of recycled cellular concrete in new developed construction products as used in the
building of the waste collection facility. Cellular concrete is known to be one of the more problematic types of waste for the
construction products industry. Consumers know this material in the form of white or greyish lightweight blocks. The main
disadvantages and barriers of cellular concrete waste for its reuse are its limited mechanical strength and the tendency of
sulphate to leach out. One of the problems was overcome when VITO in collaboration with Jacobs Beton nv managed to reduce
the sulphate leaching by > 90%. One of the applications in which cellular concrete was reused was to replace natural sand in
insulating screed. The products made with recycled cellular concrete comply to the Flemish draft-standards (VLAREMA 4) in
which the sulphate leaching limit is set at 2.200 mg/kg.
The results from the IRCOW project regarding the valorisation of cellular concrete waste have strongly supported an agreement
between OVAM and the waste and construction sector to close the material cycle of cellular concrete. The agreement was
signed during the final conference of IRCOW in Brussels on October 24th 2013 (for details see section below).
7.
Closing the material cycle of cellular
concrete: signature of a collaboration
agreement
Construction and demolition waste
is one of the largest waste streams in
Flanders with yearly about 11 million
tons. Fortunately, more than 90%
of this waste is recycled. The stony
fractions are broken and reused as
recycled and certified granulates
of debris. Other fractions such as
Marc Dillen
Kurt Jacobs
Jim Wouters Johan dHooghe Danny Wille Pascal Vandelannoote
Daan Smulders Mireille Verboven
window glass, plaster, roofing or
cellular concrete demand a more
Representatives of the Organisations who signed the agreement
specific approach. In the context of
the sustainable materials policy of Flemish Minister of Environment, Joke Schauvliege, OVAM is setting up collaborations and
chain management projects with this sector. Such a collaboration has been signed on October 24th, 2013 to close the material
cycle of cellular concrete. Thanks to this collaboration, Flanders can save from 50.000 up to 100.000 tons of cellular concrete
waste every year and recycle this waste in new construction materials and applications.
The goal of this collaboration is to recycle up to 30.000 tons of cellular concrete waste in 2014 and to become a European leader
in the recycling of cellular concrete by 2020.
(Xella)
(FEBEM-FEGE)
(VCB)
(EKP Recycling en Jacobs NV)
(Chap-Yt)
(Chap-Yt)
(OVAM)
(Cellumat)
A new and recyclable construction material

Cellular concrete has been used in utility construction since 1955. Since 1995 it is also used in constructing houses. The Belgian
Building Research Institute (BBRI) estimates that currently there is about 7,3 million tons of cellular concrete being used in
Belgium. The Flemish demolition sector estimates the quantity of cellular concrete waste on 50.000 to 100.000 tons per year.
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Recycling cellular concrete is technically feasible and is already in practice today, but we can still do better. Recycling this waste
to new cellular concrete still has our preference. For this, we need a clean, selective demolition and separate collection of the
cellular concrete waste. The debris can also be used in other application such as light concrete products.
What is a chain management project

OVAM has, for a number of construction materials, a strong commitment towards chain management projects. These are
voluntary collaboration agreements to keep the material cycle of a certain product closed. For this, OVAM collaborates with
the demolition sector, the collection- and recycling sector, producers, sellers and the construction sector. OVAM chooses this
approach because practical restraints sometimes are a larger obstacle towards complete and high-grade recycling than the lack
of technical know-how.
These agreements fit into the sustainable materials policy of the Flemish Minister of Environment Joke Schauvliege and into
the objective of OVAM to work out tailor-made solutions to keep the cycle of construction materials closed. This because raw
materials are a scarce and precious commodity. Thus we have both ecological and economic reasons to maximise the selective
collection of our waste and to increase the recycling and reuse of these waste types as high-grade sources in new products.
Who does what in this agreement?

The collaboration was signed by:
the Confederation of Contractors for Demolition and Dismantling (CASO);
the Federation of Environmental Companies (FEBEM-FEGE);
EKP Recycling;
Chap-yt;
Xella Belgium;
Cellumat;
the Flemisch Confederation for the Construction Sector (VCB);
the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM).
The demolition sector is responsible for maximally separating of cellular concrete at the source and avoiding that the debris is
mixed with other waste products.
The waste- and recycling sector will take care of the separated collection and will try to separate the cellular concrete as much
as possible from the mixed construction and demolition waste.
Processors of cellular concrete waste will tune their processing capacities according the expected offer and provide a balance
between incoming and outgoing streams.
Producers and sellers of cellular concrete commit themselves to recycle their production waste for the full 100%, minimize the
use of raw materials and accept as much as possible cellular concrete waste that meets the quality criteria for reuse in new
products.
OVAM organises the dialog between the different parties, stimulates the selective demolition and separation of waste and
supports pilot projects and research towards closing this material cycle.
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8.
Policy recommendations from IRCOW
The main impact expected from the execution of the IRCOW project focuses on the increase of material recovery rates from
C&DW, due to both the activation of reuse practices and the improvement in recycling. These changes lay on, and also foster, the
paradigm shift deemed necessary for converting Europe in arecycling society, in which an integrated approach based on closed
materials loops is targeted, a life cycle perspective is assumed in the design of buildings and other civil works, and construction
products are both (partially) recycled and (totally) recyclable.
Regulation of the use of recycled coarse aggregates in concrete

A common and homogeneous framework for recycled products such as recycled concretes (i.e. their standardization) is desirable
for creating a demand for products that otherwise might not find the trust from the purchasers.
IRCOW recommends that a series of recycled aggregate categories (linked to their composition and purity) is established.
Likewise, the exposure class and maximum replacement rate for the recycled concretes made of these aggregates should be
defined, as well as the compressive strength class. The idea of the right aggregate for the right application lays behind it.
Promotion of selective demolition

Obtaining high-grade recycled products in an efficient and economically durable regime requires that high-grade recycled
materials are generated from C&DW, which is necessarily connected with the optimisation of construction and mostly demolition
practices, and the subsequent recycling treatments of the generated waste. This, in short, leads to the preferable practice of
selective demolition, as the demolition method determines, up to a great extent, the characteristics of the wastes that will be
generated and hence their recyclability.
IRCOW recommends that the building or structure at the end of its life is included in the waste list and consequently, that the
demolition is considered to be a waste management activity.
Selective demolition requires an adequate planning, regarding both the identification of reusable elements and materials
recyclability. Hence, IRCOW recommends the compulsory demolition inventory prior to the demolition which will focus both on
reusable elements and in recyclable materials.
change in the Gate fee system

IRCOW findings confirmed the need for developing and applying a new system of differentiated gate fees at C&DW recycling
plants based on the purity of the incomming material. Low, if any fees for clean stony waste could effectively result in an increase
of such material flow while compensating the additional effort required in the production of recycled aggregares from dirty
mixed waste.
Promotion of reuse
Regarding current reuse market, IRCOW suggests that public administration, most possibly at regional level, could activate the
present reuse market, by initiating regional pilot projects demonstrating that designers have the possibility to include reused
components in their design of conventional construction.
In relation to reuse and recycling in the future, the need of a change towards end-of-life design is claimed, as it could radically
decouple waste generation from demolition activity in the future. IRCOW recommends public procurement favouring it.
38
38
www.ircow.eu
9.
Contacts
SPAIN
BELGIUM
ITALY
TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION

(TECNALIA)
Jacobs NV
DAppolonia S.p.A.
Address: Via San Nazaro 19
Address: Berlaarbaan 404

Address: c/Geldo, Edificio 700
City: Onze Lieve Vrouw Waver
City: Derio (Bizkaia)

Zip-code:
Zip-code:
48160
www: www.tecnalia.com
ACCIONA
2861
City: Genova
Zip-code:
16145
www: www.dappolonia.it
www: www.jacobsbeton.be
BRIJSSE MINERALS & RECYCLING (BMR)
POLAND
INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGY OF INDUSTRIAL
AREAS (IETU)
Address: Ouwegemsesteenweg 30
Valportillo II, 8 Poligono Industrial
Address:
de Alcobendas
City: Alcobendas, Madrid
Zip-code:
28108
City: Huise (Zingem)

Zip-code:
9750
VITO
City: Katowice
Zip-code:
www: www.acciona-infraestructuras.es
DERRIBOS PETRALANDA, S.L.
Address: Kossutha 6
40-844
www: www.ietu.katowice.pl
Address: Boeretang 200
ATON-HT S.A.
City: Mol
Address: Txorierri Etorbidea, 26D
City: Loiu (Bizkaia)
Zip-code:
48180
www: www.derribospetralanda.com
Zip-code:
2400
www: www.vito.be
FINLAND
Conenor Ltd.
Address: Na Grobli 6
City: Wroclaw
Zip-code:
50-421
www: www.aton.com.pl
GERMANY
TOMRA SORTING GmbH
Address: Teollisuustie 13
City: Tampere
Address: Otto-Hahn-Strae 6
City: Mlheim-Krlich
Zip-code:
56218
www: www.tomra.com
INGENIEURBURO TRINIUS GmbH (TRI)
Address: Barmbeker Str. 9a

City: Hamburg
Zip-code:
22301
www: www.trinius.de
Zip-code:
33330
www: www.conenor.com
SWEDEN
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
(IVL)
Address: Box 210 60

City: Stockholm
Zip-code:
100 31
www: www.ivl.se
www.ircow.eu
39
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authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The responsibility for the content of
this publication lies within the authors, it does not necessarily reflect the opinion
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innovative strategies for high-grade

PROJECT FACT SHEET

4. IRCOW STUDIES ABOUT REUSE AND RECYCLING

4.1 REUSE OF BUILDING COMPONENTS IN EUROPE: CURRENT SCENARIO AND PROSPECTIVE

5. THE MAIN S&T RESULTS

Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for subfloors

Concrete mixtures with recycled granulates of the concrete type

Ternary mixture with recycled crushed sand

Insulating mortar with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS)

Gypsum plasterboard with recycled gypsum

Multilayer composite decking board

Ceramic aggregates for bricks

Multilayer panel for building envelope

New software for NIR sorting equipment

On-site microwave energy thermal treatment for inorganic fibrous materials

Multilayer composite extrusion technology

Stock- Exchange tool facilitating reuse of C&DW recovered construction items

Expert tool: Human health and Environmental Risk Indicator (HERI)

Services based on Eco-Design Recommendations

Integrated service aimed at the recycling of C&DW into high-grade applications

6. VALIDATION OF RESULTS: CASE STUDIES

6.1 SELECTIVE DEMOLITION OF AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING: ON-SITE RECYCLING

6.6 APPLYING THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CEMENT-BASED PRODUCTS (CS5, PORT OF

7. CLOSING THE MATERIAL CYCLE OF CELLULAR CONCRETE: SIGNATURE OF

C&DW Stony fraction

Other C&DW fractions

Traditional recycling systems

Advanced automated sorting techniques

Inorganic fibrous insulating materials

of the EC directives, the materials containing synthetic

Scientific & technological objectives

solutions for reuse activities;

users (e.g. architects, real estate developers, C&DW processors);

UPGRADING INTERACTIVE REUSE PROCESSES

IRCOW WORK CONCEPT DIAGRAM

To acknowledge the natural, cultural and legal diversity in Europe, and to

DEVELOPING ADVANCED RECYCLING

DEMONSTRATING THE SOLUTIONS: CASE STUDIES

Benefiting from the outputs of WP3, the technological

ASSESSING THE SOLUTIONS

4.1 REUSE OF BUILDING COMPONENTS IN EUROPE:

4.2 DEVELOPING ADVANCED RECYCLING SYSTEMS

Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for

New software for NIR (Near Infrared) Sorting

Raw material with recycled cellular concrete for subfloors

Concrete mixtures with recycled granulates of the concrete type

Ternary mixture with recycled crushed sand

Compressive strength [kPa]

Ternary mixture with recycled crushed concrete sand

Comparison in average compressive strength after 28+ days

Insulating mortar with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS)

Samples of mortar with recycled EPS

Comparison of thermal insulating performance

Gypsum plasterboard with recycled gypsum

Substitution of reference gypsum: (0%), 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%

100% recycled gypsum

Installation of recycled plasterboards in

Multilayer composite decking board

Ceramic aggregates for bricks

Multilayer panel for building envelope

Side view of the multilayer panel

Multilayer panel (after finishing layer)

Structural concrete layer thickness (cm)

On-site microwave energy thermal treatment for inorganic fibrous materials