Opinion paper in Stahlbau journal
© 2022 EPFL
Following an invitation by the Swiss Center for Steel Construction (SZS), Prof. Corentin Fivet (Structural Xploration Lab) has authored an opinion piece arguing for the reuse of steel members in building structures. The 6-page-long paper is published in the latest Stahlbau issue (Volume 91, Issue 4), Ernst & Sohn (Wiley).
Link to the paper on the publisher's website: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/stab.202200019
Link to the paper on Infoscience: https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/293421
Abstract:
The destructive impact of the construction industry on the planet and its inhabitants is no longer in question. Global warming, waste management, depletion of natural resources, air and soil pollution are all issues that must be urgently addressed. They are also challenging the current economy, whose growth is directly correlated to the extraction of raw materials, the manufacture of new products and, ultimately, to their increased consumption. Besides, the constant transformation of the built environment and infrastructure of a territory is a necessary lever for sustainable development and for guaranteeing the well-being of all. Faced with this situation, an emerging circular strategy could be salutary: component reuse, which makes it possible to build new assemblies without manufacturing new materials. Steel, if assembled with reversible means, is a particularly well-suited material for reuse. But are the stake-holders ready to adopt new business models?