First BENOR certificate for circular concrete opens the door for large-scale applications
About
The construction sector is taking its responsibility to reduce its impact on the environment more and more seriously. By using circular concrete with recycled concrete aggregate, the construction sector is making a positive contribution to reducing waste (concrete from demolition projects can be reused in high-quality applications), less stress is placed on the environment by mining aggregates and the amount of heavy transport required is significantly reduced (in theory, up to 125,000 trips could be saved every year in Belgium!).
This type of concrete is completely equivalent to ‘standard’ concrete, and demonstrates that this type of circular concrete is ready for a wider range of applications in construction.
Koen Feyaerts
principal structural engineering, VK architects+engineers
To date, the use of circular concrete in buildings has been limited to just a few projects, each of which used a project-specific type of concrete. The main reason for this was the lack of a BENOR certificate: a quality label that facilitates a wider range of applications.
The good news is that this certificate was finally granted 23/11/2021, meaning BENOR-certified concrete containing recycled concrete rubble is now available! Jacobs Beton received confirmation on 23/11/2021 that its circular concrete using recycled aggregate would be BENOR certified.
The fact that Jacobs was awarded this certificate clearly highlights that this type of concrete is completely equivalent to ‘standard’ concrete, and demonstrates that this type of circular concrete is ready for a wider range of applications in construction. The certification means that the circular concrete produced by Jacobs Beton is no longer project-specific, meaning it can be used in a much broader and more general way. Users can also rest assured in advance of the quality of the product, meaning retrospective quality assurance tests are no longer required — a major improvement in terms of peace of mind, sustainability and ease of use!
Due to the proactive attitude taken by design and engineering firm VK architects+engineers and its client, Revive, circular concrete is already being used at the KOMET site in Mechelen. In fact, this is the first large-scale project in the country to use BENOR-certified concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate, marking an absolute first for Belgium!
Read the full whitepaper by ir. Koen Feyaerts, principal Structural Engineering
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