The norm in the construction industry should be to reuse old concrete elements in new buildings. This is the mission of the start-up circrete, which was established by two MSc students at DTU. The start-up hopes that their matchmaking platform can provide an important tool that can help the construction industry reduce CO₂ emissions in new buildings.
The reality is that the limit for the maximum permitted emissions per square metre in new buildings will gradually decrease towards 2029, when the permitted limit will be 7.5 kg CO2 per square metre. This is a big change from the current permitted emissions of 12 kg CO2 per square metre in new buildings of more than 1,000 square metres.
Therefore, the start-up will test the quality of the discarded concrete elements and help to facilitate the process so that reusable concrete elements from, e.g., demolished buildings can be incorporated into new buildings that can use them, thus limiting the necessity to produce new concrete.
On the matchmaking platform, circrete will act as a link between, for example, a demolition company that needs to dispose of concrete elements and a developer that needs recycled elements for their new construction. On the platform, circrete will—through testing of the elements—describe the concrete's robustness and usability, so that a developer can get the right concrete match.
