LOOP:SLAB Nordic: Testing concrete elements for reuse

Why not reuse concrete elements instead of starting again? 

Concrete is the world's most widely used building material and is fundamental to buildings and infrastructure, but its production comes with a significant climate and resource footprint. When buildings are demolished, concrete elements are typically crushed and used as aggregate or fill rather than reused as structural components. This means that much of the material value and embedded CO₂ in the original elements is lost, while new raw materials are needed to produce replacement elements. 

Existing concrete material can be a practical alternative to new production 

LOOP:SLAB Nordic aims to change this by developing circular value chains that make the reuse of existing concrete elements a practical alternative to new production. Reusing whole elements has the potential to reduce demand for raw materials, construction waste and CO₂ emissions while extending the useful life of existing resources. 

Testing concrete elements for reuse at full scale  

A key challenge is being able to determine and document whether concrete elements taken from existing buildings can safely perform in new structures. We are developing methods for on-site assessment, validation and documentation of existing elements. 

Can reliable testing take place directly at construction sites? 

At our unique Strong floor facility in Lindø, we can test large concrete elements at full scale under realistic loading conditions to assess their condition and performance. The longer-term ambition is to make reliable testing and documentation possible directly on construction sites, helping remove one of the practical barriers to wider reuse.