RuMoer 85 : Waste Streams

Building Technologist Technology periodical forA(BouT) the Building featuring MANUFACTURA, NPSP BV, Veena Sahajwalla, Dr.Faidra Oikonomopoulou & Dr.Telesilla Bristogianni , Sam Lonis and ROTOR BT Spotlight featuring CORE Studio - Dr. Serdar Așut ,Project RED, DSS SARO & SeismoSolve, User centered sustainability Studio Dr. Craig Martin & Designing together

85. Waste Streams

Cover page NABASCO® 8010 The cover image shows a bio-composite material by NPSP BV made from reed and Recell® (recycled cellulose) fibers, which are recovered by the Dutch water boards and would otherwise be burned or composted.

NPSP develops and supplies innovative environmentally friendly composite materials and products for public space, construction, design and mobility. They use biobased and circular raw materials as much as possible, which can be reused after a long life cycle.

NPSP BV https://www.nabasco.nl

RUMOER 85 - WASTE STREAMS 3rd Quarter 2024 29th year of publication RuMoer RuMoer is the primary publication of the student and practice association for Building Technology ‘Praktijkvereniging BouT’ at the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. BouT is an organisation run by students and focused on bringing students in contact with the latest developments in the field of Building Technology and with related companies.

Every edition is covering one topic related to Building technology. Different perspectives are shown while focussing on academic and graduation topics, companies, projects and interviews.

With the topic 'Waste Streams', we are publishing our 85th edition.

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CONTENT 06

The Eggshell Project -Dinorah Schulte, Edurne Morales & Montserrat Ayala,MANUFACTURA Project Article

14

Nabasco biobased and waste-based composites -Willem Böttger, Mark Lepelaar & Dimitra Tsoli , NPSP BV Company Article

22

Waste as a resource for Sustainability & Decarbonisation -Veena Sahajwalla University of NSW Academic Article

28

Use of Aerospace Thermoplastic Composite Material -Sam Lonis TU Delft - Faculty of Industrial design engineering Graduate Article

36

Rotor/ Rotor DC - Emmanuel Cortés Garcia & Arne Vande Capelle ROTOR Company Article

48

Re3 Glass -Dr. Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Dr. Telesilla Bristogianni, ReStruct group,TU Delft Academic Article

56 60

CORE Studio - Dr Serdar Așut BT Spotlight article

Project RED - Ramya K umaraswamy & Sofia Markson BT Spotlight article

64 68 72

DSS for search 7 rescue resource allocation for earthquakes - Bo Valkenburg, Brent Smeeks, Pavan Sathyamurthy & Shreya K ejriwal BT Spotlight article SeismoSolve - Zahra K hoshnevis & Aron Bakker BT Spotlight article

User centered sustainability studio - Dr. Craig Martin BT Spotlight article

76

Designing together - Madevi Sewnath, Melissa Campos, K immy On and Juan Carlos Prazmowski BT Spotlight article

82

BouT's get-away to Czech Republic - Aron Bakker, Chair of study trips, Praktijkvereniging Bout

86 88

Bout Events and Trips - Praktijkvereniging Bout TU Delft

Board 29 Signing off - Ece Sel Praktijkvereniging Bout TU Delft

Editorial

EDITORIAL Dear reader, It is with great pleasure that I present to you the 85th edition of RuMoer: Waste streams. Repurposing waste streams into construction materials not only fosters innovation and

Bryan

Daniel

Fieke

Mauritz

Pavan

Ramya

Rossella

Shreya

Swornava

drives cost-efficiency but also contributes significantly to a more environmentally responsible construction industry, paving the way for a sustainable future. Exploring the current possibilities in construction utilizing waste streams allows us to understand the economic, environmental, and social implications associated with embracing waste as a primary resource. By delving into these multifaceted dimensions, in the 85th edition, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of strategically integrating waste into construction practices.

With the 29th year of publication, we introduced the BT

RuMoer committee 2023-2024

Spotlight section in the periodical.This issue’s BT Spotlight section features projects from the design studio electives

I would also like to congratulate Swornava Guha and wish

CORE (COmputational REpertoire for Architectural Design

him good luck in his new role. Having worked with him

and Engineering) and User-centered sustainability studio

the past year, I believe that RuMoer will evolve and reach

from quarter 5 of the MSc programme.

larger audience under his leadership. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the dedicated members of the RuMoer

As this edition also marks the end of my tenure as editor-

committee who consistently work towards enhancing the

in-chief, I would like to thank all the contributors and

quality of the periodical.

sponsors for the wonderful collaborations over the past year. Working with this exceptional editorial team the

We hope you enjoy this edition.

past 2 years has been a privilege, and I look forward to seeing this committee grow larger and stronger.

Ramya Pushpalatha Kumaraswamy Editor-in-chief | RuMoer 2023-2024

5

THE EGGSHELL PROJECT MANUFACTURA Materials of the future and new possibilities.

A third of the production of food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted worldwide, which is equivalent to approximately 1,300 million tons per year. An estimated 17% of all food available to consumers in 2019 ended up in landfills at households, retailers, restaurants and other food services, according to new UN research conducted as part of global efforts to reduce waste. of food in half by 2030. The weight is equivalent to approximately 23 million fully loaded 40-ton trucks, enough to circle the Earth seven times (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2019).

Fig. 1: Eggshell project © Zara Arroyo

QR1: manufacturamx Instagram

85 | Waste streams

Mexico is a hungry country that wastes tons of food. Total

workspace is certainly not a clean/green environment.”.

waste in Mexico, a country with 53.4 million people in

Gas emissions, waste management, transportation and

poverty, reaches 20.4 million tons per year (37.98 percent

energy consumption are just a few of the characteristics

of what is produced in the country). (Do you know how

that turn this process into one that can negatively

many tons of food Mexico throws away? El Universal,

impact our environment. We decided to reevaluate the

2018). Mexico is also considered the main consumer of

potentials of ceramics, keeping the connection between

fresh eggs worldwide; the per capita consumption of the

materiality and nature, extensive access to raw materials,

Mexican is 28.0 kg per year, considered the fourth largest

geometrical freedom and strength. But reducing some of

producer of eggs worldwide and is responsible for 1/27

the harmful traits by using a locally sourced extensively

eggs produced in the world (Sader).

found lightweight waste product: egg, together with biobinders that allow the mix to solidify without the need of firing and an additive fabrication process based on 3D printing with a robotic arm. Our process allows less

Fig. 2: Eggshells © Enrique Aquilar

We tend to think of ceramics as an environmentally friendly industry, and a beloved hobby for many of us. But, is this claim real? Robert Harrison in his book Sustainable Ceramics mentions: “Ceramics with all its necessities for manufacturing, materials, firing, fuels and

8

Fig. 3: 3d-printing an eggshell brick © Zara Arroyo

Project Fig. 4: a kuka kr-150 robotic arm in MANUFACTURA's atelier workshop © Zara Arroyo

9

85 | Waste streams

waste production, geometrical freedom, precision and

nature, extensive access to raw materials, geometrical

repeatability.

freedom and strength. But reducing some of the harmful traits by using a locally sourced largely found lightweight

THE EGGSHELL PROJECT / UN PROYECTO DE HUEVO

waste product: egg, together with bio-binders that allow

is a research project that seeks to take advantage of and

the mix to solidify without the need of firing. Our process

transform our waste to turn it into a buildable material

is based on 3D printing with a KUKA KR-150 robotic

and open up a new possibility to create our living in an

arm, an extruder and additive fabrication process, which

environmentally responsible way. In this project we create

allows us to shape our blocks with different geometries

a bioceramic made from eggshell and combine it with

and project them into different architectural applications.

sustainable aggregates, resulting in a new materiality,

allows efficient use of material (less waste), geometrical

which seeks to reduce food waste and generate new

freedom, precision and repeatability, project them into

opportunities.We decided to reevaluate the potentials of

different architectural applications.

ceramics, keeping the connection between materiality and In this research we have made two applications: A wall (Eggshell Bricks, presented in the INÉDITO collection

by Design Week Mexico 2022) made of a total of 105 different blocks that are assembled based on their geometry, and a column (Eggshell Column, presented in the DISEÑO EMERGENTE collection by ZONA MACO 2023) made of 26 pieces that embrace each other and create stability through their shape. Each brick is made in a 100% sustainable and circular way since the raw material was obtained through the collection and donation of waste from more than 2 months of production from various restaurants in Mexico City such as Rosetta, Rosetta Panadería, LARDO and Rancho Rio Blanco.

From the cultural perspective, this project frames a new material that does not exist in the current market, which generates added value as a construction material, since it cannot be found or produced in any other way.

Technology allows us to innovate in the current markets in terms of construction, which economically and culturally Fig. 5: Another 3d-printed bio-ceramic application with eggshell waste © Enrique Aquilar

10

has a great weight in society because it opens up new possibilities for construction and materiality in our habitat,

Harrison, R. (2013). Sustainable ceramics: A practical approach.

Bloomsbury.

Home | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Project

Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.fao. org/3/i2697s/i2697s.pdf ¿Sabes Cuántas toneladas de Comida Tira México a la basura?

El Universal. (2018, January 2). Retrieved February 13, 2023, from

https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/sociedad/

mexico-desperdicia-20-millones-de-toneladas-de-comida

Fig. 6: wall of eggshell bricks © Design week

generating a circular system from where it is obtained to its use, by giving a new life to our waste.

This project was achieved thanks to the mixture of computational design and the opportunities offered by digital manufacturing, technology and materials innovation to transform our waste and raise awareness, questioning our manufacturing methods and creating centuries of circular life, generating new sources of employment since you recycle it, sanitize it, until its manufacturing with robotic 3D printing and its placement on site; having to look for new talents to produce this material and product in series and opening up new opportunities in the construction of future architectural spaces, creating a new dialogue between machines and humans.

11

85 | Waste streams Fig. 7: collection of eggshell bricks © Arturo Arrieta

12

Project Dinorah Schulte

Edurne Morales

@MANUFACTURA

Montserrat Ayala

@MANUFACTURA Morales

obtained

a

@MANUFACTURA Montserrat

Ayala

is

a

Dinorah Schulte is a mexican

Edurne

architect/researcher

Bachelor of Architecture from

plastic artist with a great

graduated in Architecture from

Tecnológico de Monterrey and

interest in materials. She

Universidad

studied the Master of Advanced

founded Sumario Tierra, a

Mexico City. She completed

Studies

and

platform dedicated to the

her

Digital Fabrication at ETH Zurich.

dissemination of ceramics

Morales

to

and she’s co-founder of CAL

postgraduate

program, of

Iberoamericana, master’s

MASDFAB

Advanced

and at

ETH

Architecture

has

contributed

multiple international projects,

VIVA. Currently dedicated to

Digital

amongst

New

research and material design,

Studies

Architecture Fabrication,

Master

in

in

them,

the

Zurich

International Airport of Mexico

always having as a main

in Switzerland.In 2019, she

City (Foster+Partners and FR-

focus the sustainability of

participated as a scholar in the

EE), Clay Rotunda (Gramazio

materials. The center of her

Robotic Atelier hosted by the

Kohler Research), Magic Queen

research is the observation

Norman

Foster

Foundation.

(MAEID

Biennale

of natural processes, from

Currently

based

in

Mexico

2021), the GRAM certification for

the material’s birth to their

City, is a Co-Founder and

space applications (European

death

CEO of MANUFACTURA. She

Space Agency). Currently based

relationship that exists in

is an adjunct professor at

in Switzerland, she is part of

that is. Currently, Montserrat

Universidad

a

focused

is studying for her master

and Universidad La Salle and

on developing a constructive

degree at ELISAVA Escuela

member of the editorial board

system

Universitaria de Diseño e

of CEMEX México 2023.

unfired clay printed modules

Ingeniería

de

at ZHAW Zurich University of

in

Through

Applied Sciences.

Materials.

Iberoamericana

-

research

Venice

project

around

large-scale

and

Design

the

aesthetic

Barcelona New

13

NABASCO BIOBASED AND WASTE-BASED COMPOSITES :

NPSP turns waste resources into valuable products

Willem Böttger, Mark Lepelaar and Dimitra Tsoli at NPSP BV Introduction The challenge for the upcoming decades is the material transition.

Industrial revolution initiated the shift from local and organic resources to fossil fuels, which due to their affordability have allowed us to develop and trade specialty materials on a large scale, worldwide. Overtime, the overuse of fossil fuels has resulted in many negative side-effects. Specifically, their use in the construction sector is responsible for more than 30% of total CO2 emissions. At the same time, raw materials for products used in construction such as floor coverings, solar panels, fire-resistant additives and fibreglass, are coming under increasing economic and environmental pressure.

Fig. 1: Innovatie Paviljoen Marineterrein © Boom

QR1: website

85 | Waste streams

This is where NPSP targets to create impact, by using locally sourced bio-based and waste-based resources to develop materials that are processed as little as possible and used in products that can be easily taken apart, reused and recycled. In other words, are part of the circular economy.

At the moment, NPSP is a leader in making bio-based composites. Since its founding in 2003, NPSP has been engaged in the research, development and production of composite products for outdoor use that have as little environmental impact as possible. This is done by taking concrete steps, with our vision and mission as a guideline.

Fig. 2 (a): waste-based resources from the water authorities (waterschapen) that are used in Nabasco®: Reed, Recycled toilet paper – Recell® © NPSP

Mission: “Making an impact with highly bio- and wastebased composite materials and products and positioning

materials. NPSP uses local, natural fibres such as flax,

them as a viable alternative to less sustainable

hemp and increasingly residual materials such as roadside

conventional materials such as glass composites,

grass, reed and recycled toilet paper as much as possible

aluminium and tropical hardwood.”

combined with bio-based fillers and resins. The products are durable and maintenance-free, so very suitable for

Vision: “To keep the world liveable in the long term,

demanding outdoor use such as façade cladding.

the demand for bio-circular products with a truly low environmental impact will have to grow dramatically.

The fibres and fillers used for Nabasco® require

NPSP is committed to leading the way in the development

significantly less energy to produce and fewer chemicals

and application of composite materials, ultimately using

to adhere to the binder. As a filler NPSP uses chalk that

only bio-based, waste-based and circular raw materials,

is a by-product, extracted from the water of drinking

which are also extracted as locally as possible and which

water companies, instead of virgin chalk from mines.

demonstrably replace the use of less sustainable outdoor

The drinking water companies filter this chalk from the

materials."

water to make it softer and to give washing machines and dishwashers a longer lifespan. The resins we use are

Nabasco® materials

also based on residual flows from other industries. For

The bio-composites developed by NPSP carry the

example, resins are made from residual flows from bio-

Nabasco®

diesel production, sugar production, paper production

label.

Nabasco®

circular

bio-composite

products are made from bio-based and waste-based

16

and even sewage treatment.

We ensure that our bio-composite materials and

does not mean that the product is also recyclable at the

products keep improving by measuring and analysing

end of its lifespan. NPSP works together with its strategic

the environmental impact via the Life Cycle Analysis

partners on various forms of recycling. At this point, the

(LCA) method. The LCA of our materials Nabasco8012,

materials can be ground and completely reused as a

Nabasco8012F and Nabasco8040 is currently being

functional filler material in new composites. In addition,

validated by an external party. We have determined the

we are working on higher-quality chemical recycling with

CO2 emissions of our materials (A1-A3) according to the

which we expect to be able to separate the fibres and

LCA methodology: cradle-to-gate. The NET CO2 range

resin and reuse both. We are also working on optimal

of our materials is between [1,296] and [-1,519] kg CO2

recycling from the perspective of bio-based circularity,

eq / kg of material.

Company

100% bio-based and 100% based on residual materials

where we allow micro-organisms to break down the biobased composites into nutrients for agriculture.

Nabasco® Products Nabasco® products are produced by the application of high pressure and heat on the material while it is secured and shaped in a mould. Unlike sheet materials, this offers the possibility of creating three-dimensional, double bended products without material loss or additional processing costs. This allows designers to create façades with a completely unique identity.

Fig. 3 (a): Amsterdam Tectural © NPSP; Fig. 3 (b): Dune Tectural © NPSP

Nabasco®

bio-composite

is

maintenance-free.

It

requires no coating and is pigmented within its mass, so Fig. 2 (b): waste-based resources from the water authorities (waterschapen) that are used in Nabasco®: De-calcination chalk © NPSP

minor damage does not affect its quality or appearance.

The technical lifespan of Nabasco® bio-composite is at least 50 years. It is highly suitable for extreme conditions:

17

85 | Waste streams

“Amsterdam Tectural” is developed in collaboration with Studio Marco Vermeulen for the ‘Innovatie Paviljoen Marineterrein’ in the heart of Amsterdam, a project initiated by the municipality of Amsterdam. The design is inspired by the mathematical diagram Voronoi. This panel showcases the ability of forming complex detailed panels with multiple depths and shapes. The most recent panel of this line, “Dune Tectural” is developed inhouse by Frank Bleeker for ‘Pompstation 34’ in the ‘Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen’. The design is inspired by the sand dunes. This panel showcases the possibility of forming sharp edges and thin curves along the surface of panels.

Our latest innovation is the application of the 100% biobased and 100% waste-based Nabasco® 8040 material on the Dune Tectural façade. While this innovation is still under development, it shows a lot of promise as a carbon negative material.

Another innovation in the portfolio of NPSP is Nabasco® New Habitat. Nabasco® New Habitat are nature-inclusive façade elements for utility buildings such as warehouses, Fig. 4: Pompstation 34 in de Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen © NPSP

resistant to large temperature differences and suitable for ‘wet’ applications. Currently, applications of Nabasco® are among other things, level gauges and other signs.

Next to traffic signs, the largest product application at this moment is façade panels. Nabasco® Tectural is a collection of 3D-shaped architectural façade panels. The façade panels are offered in either a homogeneous colour scheme or in a playful hue. The panel system is also fire safe according to building regulations.

18

Fig. 5 (a): Dune Tectural with Nabasco®8040 © NPSP; Fig. 5 (b): Nabasco New Habitat © NPSP

work closely with our clients for the development of custom-made projects. Examples are; the façade panel developed together with Marco Vermeulen for ‘Prorail’, the “Exploded view” tile showcased in Dutch Design

Company

Except for the standard products that NPSP offers, we

Week and the “Natuurhuis”, a collaboration with Common Affairs Architects.

Fig. 6: Nabasco New Habitat © NPSP

data centres, pumping stations and hospitals. It was developed in collaboration with Studio Marco Vermeulen, ecologists and research institutes. This product is a solution to the increasing demand from customers and inhabitants for both practical building materials and nature inclusive products, without compromises on safety and scalability. Nabasco® New Habitat elements in buildings aim to enable biodiversity to thrive. The products consist of waste reed for the insect housing and fire safe biocomposite for the overall structure.

Fig. 7: Prorail Façade (a project for Prorail in collaboration with Marco Vermeulen)

Fig. 8: Exploaded view façade (shown at DDw)

19

85 | Waste streams Fig. 9: Natuurhuis (collaborations with Common Affairs Architects)

20

Company Mark Lepelaar

Willem Böttger Willem

is

a

Dimitra Tsoli

@ NPSP

@ NPSP

@ NPSP

bio-material

Mark is an entrepreneurial

Dimitra is a creative engineer

and

specialist

bio-based

and researcher of bio-based

founder of NPSP BV. He

and circular materials and

materials and products at

initiates

entrepreneur

a

co-

in

projects

products and a co-founder of

NPSP. Her work at NPSP

with valuable partners and is

NPSP. He brings the material

revolves

invested in developing 100%

innovations of NPSP to the

implementation

bio-based and 100% waste-

market by leading the product

façade panels, the effects

based Nabasco® materials.

development team. He has

of environmental exposure

He has more than 30 years

professional experience in

on the material through time

of working experience in the

Europe and Asia that varies

and the development of fire

field of renewable energy

from renewable energy to

safe products. She studied

and bio-based materials. He

sustainable technology and

mechanical engineering in

is also owner of four patents,

bio-based

composites.

Greece and then pursued

of which two are composite

At NPSP, he has received

her masters in the Industrial

related. His background is

awards for innovation (AVK-

Design Department at TU

experimental physics at the

Innovation,

Products/

Delft, where she discovered

University of Amsterdam.

Applications) and business

her interest for circular and

development

(NRK

innovative materials.

Ondernemen).

He

research

Prima is

around on

color the

a

graduate of the Industrial Design Department of TU Delft.

21

WASTE AS A RESOURCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY & DECARBONISATION Veena Sahajwalla Recovering valuable materials from wastes not only creates greater sustainability but introduces new capability to support wider manufacturing (and sovereign) needs. It also creates more skilled jobs, and delivers overall economic, social and environmental benefits, compared to only using virgin materials.

Our current overconsumption of resources is more than planet Earth can sustain in the medium to long term. Making sure that our actions today do not have an adverse effect on the potential of present and upcoming generations to exist comfortably on this planet is the essence of sustainability.

Fig. 1: Professor Veena in the UNSW SMaRT Centre's E-waste MICROfactorie. © Anna Kucera

QR1: SMaRT @ UNSW

85 | Waste streams

The challenge is very much one of incorporating

A wasteful society

emerging recycling technologies, like the various

Statistically, Australia is one of the most wasteful

ones developed by our UNSW Sustainable Materials

developed nations, second only to the United States of

Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, into future

America in terms of per capita plastic bags consumption.

manufacturing challenges to help make sure we can fulfill our requirements in ways that are financially viable,

On average, each Australian consumes over 24kg of

environmentally responsible and benefits communities.

plastic and uses over 230 plastic bags every year. In 2020, only 13% of the plastic waste was recycled and 84% going into landfill. The rest ends up in waterways and the oceans, which the 2021 The National Plastics Plan (NPP) estimates to be at 130,000 tonnes every year. This is equivalent to 1,280 kilograms of plastic being dumped every hour in Australia’s ocean.

Australia is also increasingly challenged by complex e-waste. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest waste estimate figures show the Australian economy generated 539,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2019, with more than 50% going to landfill and only 17.4% being ‘claimed as recycled’. Although much of the ‘claimed as recycled’ product goes offshore where outcomes are unknown.

Fig. 2: Veena with Green Ceramic tiles made from waste textiles and glass.

Australian traditional recycling facilities are limited to pre-processing or partial mechanical processing which can separate, dismantle or shred only. There are limited decentralised technologies for the effective isolation of the valuable metal alloys, REEs (rare earth elements) and critical metals contained in e-waste.

Fig. 3: Chairs and a table made from SMaRT's Green Ceramics.

24

The next generation of Green SteelTM research now

Many materials needed for future electrification and

shows waste plastics and bio-waste like coffee grounds

manufacturing components are subject to supply and

are also effective and contain hydrogen which improves

price constraints, not to mention the environmental

the efficiency of steel making. This technology locks the

impacts of virgin mining, transporting and processing raw

carbon from waste resources into the steel, hence causing

resources.

no emissions and delivers a form of carbon capture while

Academic

Valuable and much needed materials going to landfill

diverting millions of tyres from landfill.

Yet we are landfilling waste containing many of these valuable materials needed.

SMaRT’s various MICROfactorieTM Technology modules are now in various stages of R&D and commercialisation,

We know that over the coming decades all of our global

tackling hard to recycle wastes through small but

natural resources will not be sufficient to supply future

scalable MICROfactoriesTM that can recover the valuable

manufacturing needs, including to electrify the world.

materials of these waste and reform them into new products or as feedstock for new manufacturing.

So, it is clear we urgently need advanced solutions to supply recycled waste materials as feedstock resources

The Green Ceramics modules reforms waste textiles and

for future manufacturing needs, thus helping to truly

problematic glass, plastics and other materials into a

create circular economies and sovereign capability.

wide range of ceramics for the build environment, while the Plastics Ecofilament modules which reforms toner

Reforming complex waste to manufacturing feedstock

cartridges, and a range of e-waste plastics not being

There are emerging technologies that can reform various

recycled, into filament for 3D printing and manufacturing.

hard to recycle or complex wastes into new value-added products and manufacturing feedstock, and our various

The E-waste module recovers valuable E-materials

UNSW SMaRT Centre-designed technologies attest to

Some recent work has involved developing a new

this.

module to create a demonstration battery recycling MICROfactorieTM capable of dismantling spent batteries,

Best known of these technologies is SMaRT’s Green

including those made of alkaline and lithium for re-use.

SteelTM Polymer Injection Technology, which is well

And in a new partnership we have with a regional metal can

known for using millions of waste rubber tyres destined

manufacturer for our Green Aluminium MICROfactorieTM

for landfill as an alternative source for partial replacement

technology.

coke and coal (carbon) in electric arc furnace steel making.

25

85 | Waste streams

The

UNSW

SMaRT

Centre’s

aluminium

recycling

technology will be used to enable our partner become one of the first aluminium aerosol can producers in the world to make aerosol cans from waste currently not recycled because it contains mixed materials including plastics.

In another SMaRT Centre scientific breakthrough, a new process has been developed that could pave the way for the manufacturing of a new breed of batteries to help meet decarbonisation goals. Results from a UNSW SMaRT Centre scientific paper demonstrate that recovered carbon from automotive waste can be used as a vital ingredient (anode active materials) for sodium ion batteries.

Finding a sustainable purpose Diverting waste so it can become a resource for future manufacturing needs, particularly that related to making all of the electrical components needed for electrification, will help Australia and the world achieve its ambitions around decarbonisation, clean energy and creating circular economies.

With the right will, society can find a purpose for most waste by understanding the elemental value inherent in it.

This can only be done through rigorous scientific analysis and active collaboration with industry, the community and governments to ensure innovations are taken up and used.

By better valuing our waste materials and creating circularity for their reuse, we can help the world be more sustainable and tackle our big global challenges.

26

Fig. 4: Veena undertaking metallurgical reactions in a laboratory furnace.

Academic Veena Sahajwalla @ University of NSW Professor Veena Sahajwalla is

a

material

scientist,

engineer, and inventor that is revolutionising recycling science. She is the Director of the UNSW Sustainable Materials

Research

and

Technology (SMaRT) Centre, and the inventor of polymer injection technology Green SteelTM;

an

eco-friendly

process for using recycled tyres and other wastes in steel production. Veena launched her MICROfactoriesTM, the first of it's kind, in 2018 and is the Director of the ARC Microrecycling

Research

Hub, as well as Leader of the National Environmental Science Sustainable

Program’s Communities

and Waste Hub, and the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year.

27

USE OF AEROSPACE THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIAL Sam Lonis, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft Designing new applications The aviation sector's CO2 emissions, which currently account for approximately 2.4% of global emissions, require immediate attention for reduction. Composite materials offer crucial weight reduction potential, key to decreasing aircraft fuel consumption and emissions.

Yet, these materials require significant resources during production and offer limited re-use possibilities, challenging circular economy ideals. Repurposing this waste into valuable new applications aligns with circular economy principles, prioritizing resource efficiency. This project explores this approach by utilizing composite production waste from the aerospace industry in the design of a new application:

Fig. 1: Prototype exhibited at Dutch design week 2023 © Sam Lonis

QR1: Repository

85 | Waste streams Fig. 2: Representation of material exploration process © Sam Lonis

aligns with circular economy principles, prioritizing

The distinct types identified in the project include single

resource efficiency. This project explores this approach

ply-off-cuts, laminate off-cuts, blank cutting remains,

by utilizing composite production waste from the

post forming trim-offs and milling remains as shown in

aerospace

(Fig.2). Laminate off-cuts, for instance, are generated

industry in the design of a new application:

a bridge.

during the trimming of a larger consolidated laminate, often exhibiting defects along their edges resulting

Exploring the material

from the consolidation process. One of these defects is

The initial stages of the project focused on exploring

the squeeze out of resin from within the layers, which is

the various types of composite waste materials from

shown in (Fig.3).

the aerospace industry and selecting a suitable waste

30

material for the project. During the manufacturing process

These laminate off-cuts were deemed suitable for the

of composite materials, waste is avoided as much as

project as they were a recurring waste material from the

possible, but some material is still discarded due to the

composite manufacturing process, readily available within

stringent requirements posed by the aerospace industry.

the timeframe of the project and had little contamination

side, to envisioning an application which would allow for a creative and novel use of the material and provide a strong message about the value and functional use of the material. From an initial ideation session, a bridge

Graduate

created a shift of focus from the material and processing

structure was determined the best fit, as this allowed for ample design and shaping freedom, whilst portraying the properties of thematerial. Through a form exploration, the initial form of the bridge is created as shown in (Fig.4).

Fig. 3: Edges exhibiting defect © Sam Lonis

To create a strong link back to the origin of the material, and highlight its unique nature, the shape and form of

of other materials. As these off-cuts are discarded late

the bridge were related to themes from the aerospace

in the manufacturing process, embodying the energy of

industry. The chosen design style for the bridge is

the previous process steps, they present in a multiply

characterized by sleek, streamlined lines reminiscent of

consolidated form that can be readily processed. In terms

the aerospace industry's aerodynamic shapes. It aims

of geometry, the laminate off-cuts are very consistent

to capture an exclusive and futuristic aesthetic, with

and similar, making it easier to utilise a large amount in for

minimal decorative elements to maintain focus on the

a single design.

bridge's message and efficiency. The shape and form of the bridge are characterized by streamlined and sleek

With the type and form of composite production waste

lines inspired by the airfoil of an aircraft. The design

defined, the received material for the project was studied

envisions pedestrians becoming part of the airflow, with

in further detail. This more material oriented exploration

two paths along and below the airfoil shape, emphasizing

covered the defects in the material and how they affect the

asymmetry and creating a sense of direction.

mechanical properties, its aesthetic properties and how the material can be perceived. These explored properties

For the materialization, the bridge is divided into two

would form the basis for the development of the style of

parts: the deck and the railing. For the deck, end-

the final design.

of-life wind turbine blade (WTB) sandwich panels in combination with beams made from laminate off-cuts

Design of the bridge

are used, which not only enhance its functionality by

With the design of the bridge, the goal was to create a

providing a curved lightweight and stiff panel, but also

design from the laminate off-cuts that would stimulate

add value to the message of the design. By repurposing

creative thinking by designers and engineers about the use

these materials, the design extends the theme of re-using

of the laminate off-cuts in new applications. This process

end-of-life composite material beyond the initial scope

31

85 | Waste streams

Fig. 5: Visual of final concept © Sam Lonis

The railing, serving as both a support and visual element, features an asymmetric, sleek, and streamlined form with minimal decorative elements, stiffened by vertical balusters and horizontal elements. Despite material defects, shaping methods such as single bend forming, coil forming, twisting, and in-plane bending are employed to create functional and aesthetic elements, demonstrating the versatility of the material. The final concept of the bridge is shown in (Fig.5).

Prototyping manufacturing The prototype building started with a set of replica sections of end-of-life wind turbine blade material, which was cut to match the dimensions of the bridge design. This resulted in four sections, one for each end and two in the middle of the bridge, which were set in place temporarily whilst the beams made from stacked laminate off-cuts were prepared. (Fig.6).

Fig. 4: Form exploration © Sam Lonis

of the aerospace industry at the beginning of the project,

The initial idea was to use an adhesive to manufacture

demonstrating the synergy of combining composite waste

the beams, but due to time constraints simple fasteners

streams from different sources.

were used. Using glue clamps, the beams made from the laminate off-cuts were attached to the deck sections, through which holes for the fasteners were drilled. Using

32

Graduate Fig.7: Picture showing beams secured to dark sections © Sam Lonis

Fig. 6: Preparation of stacked laminate off-cuts © Sam Lonis

Fig.8: Picture showing threaded insert to support mannequin © Sam Lonis

a carriage bolt in combination with a nut and fastener at

for the duration of the exhibition. (Fig.8). The railing was

the bottom of the deck, the beams were secured to the

made by shaping the laminate off-cuts using simple MDF

deck sections. (Fig.7)

tooling and a heat-gun. The laminate off-cuts were heated locally until the glossy shine of the material disappeared,

To showcase the use of the bridge, a mannequin was

after which these were formed using the MDF tooling. For

introduced in the middle of the bridge. For the attachment

additional stiffness a cross member was introduced in

of this mannequin a threaded insert was used in the glass

the railing, and each section was again attached using a

fibre sandwich panel, which held the mannequin upright

carriage bolt. (Fig.9 and Fig.10).

33

85 | Waste streams

Dutch design week exhibition The bridge design was a part of the Dutch Design Week 2023

exhibition: Designing with composite waste

material. Together with two other graduation projects, the goal was to present the opportunities in designing with composite waste material. This included an overview of the design process, small prototypes from processing experiments, shown in (Fig.11), and three designs that demonstrate the value of composite waste material in new applications (Fig.12). The exhibition was very well received, attracting over eight thousand people over 9

Fig.10: Picture showing the final prototype © Sam Lonis

days, and hopefully contributed to furthering the more sustainable design using composite materials.

Fig.11: Picture from Dutch design week © Sam Lonis

Fig.9: Picture showing additional reinforcements © Sam Lonis

34

Fig.12: Picture from Dutch design week © Sam Lonis

Graduate Sam Lonis Sam is a Design Engineer at PAL-V in the Netherlands, discovered

his

passion

for

composite

materials

while

gaining

experience

at Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering (DARE) in 2016.

As a composite teaching assistant at the D:Dreamhall, he contributed to various student projects, sparking his interest in designing and manufacturing products pursued by

a

composite

further.

Sam

unique

path

completing

Individual

Double Degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design

Engineering,

culminating in a combined thesis project. His passion lies in the intersection of design and manufacturing with composite materials.

35

ROTOR / ROTOR DC Urban Mine Inc. Emmanuel Cortés Garcia and Arne Vande Capelle In its purest, conceptual sense the circular economy promises an endless cycle of reusable resources. With regard to the construction industry, the concept often revolves around the central metaphor of the urban mine, which understands the city as an accumulation of valuable materials and reusable elements. Through our work at Rotor and Rotor DC, we are continuously engaging with multiple actors on many levels within the reuse sector. The following text aims to demystify the urban mine metaphor by looking at a set of concrete situations, and by describing the framework wherein reuse is currently practiced, since both main elements of the somewhat romanticized term – the urban and the mine – need a more nuanced understanding in order to offer a clear understanding on circularity.

Fig. 1: Everheide © Rotor DC

QR1: Opalis website

QR2: Rotor DC website

QR3: Rotor website

85 | Waste streams

1. A short history of reuse in construction

the sale of reclaimed materials. They even bid against

First and foremost, the characteristics of an urban mine

each other for the right to deconstruct buildings.

differ significantly from mines in the more conventional understanding of the term. Contrary to geological raw

Achille Picart was probably the most notable and active

material supplies, which can be found concentrated by

deconstructor and reseller of reclaimed materials in

type within confined areas, the urban mine is by default

Paris at the time. In 1882 he received the commission to

heterogeneous and so far unpredictable, consisting of a

deconstruct the ruins of the Palais des Tuileries in the

wide variety of different materials in small quantities at

heart of the city, one of the largest remaining symbols

any given location. Specific types of building elements

of the monarchy. The contract specified a demolition

are often dispersed and, in many cases, ownership

time of just six months, a fact that deterred most of

varies between various kinds of private actors, making

Picart’s competitors from participating in the tender

the exploitation of an urban mine very different from the

and thus awarded him the contract at very low cost. As

exploitation of a geological mine. [1]

a deconstruction specialist, he was able to conclude the immense task in the relatively short time frame

This is not a small difference. In fact, the current economic

by mobilizing and coordinating enough manpower to

context highly favors regular mining with big investments

effectively disperse the reclaimed stones in a continuous

resulting in even bigger returns. Urban mining on the

flux across his entire network of customers.

other hand inevitably consists of a large number of small investments with uncertain returns. The responsible

In 1910, Jacob Volk, another important actor in the history

factors for the current situation become obvious when

of the demolition became famous for the demolition of the

comparing two symbolic moments in the history of

Gillender Building in New York City. With a height of 83

demolition: The demolition of the Palais de Tuileries in

meters, it was not only the tallest building ever razed, but

Paris in 1882 and the demolition of the Gillender Building

Volk also succeeded to do so within an astonishing time

in New York in 1910 – separated by only 28 years. [1,2]

limit of 45 days. The building was only 12 years old, fully functional and equipped with the latest technologies.

During the grand urban renewal operations in Paris

However, in a growing city it had to make place for a bigger

coordinated by Baron Haussmann at the time of Napoleon

and more advanced building. The demolition marked

III., a lively reuse scene was thriving in the city. By order of

one of the first modern encounters with the concept of

Haussmann himself, reclaimed materials from demolitions

obsolescence, [3] and as shown below, the beginning of

had to be sold at public auctions. Archived reports still

the decline of reuse as a common practice in construction.

attest to the fact that these elements found their way to

38

a whole series of small enterprises and craftsmen who

The construction industry naturally is part of the

directly benefited from the cheap resource. At the same

accelerating and globalizing economy. During the 20th

time, deconstruction companies were able to profit from

century, deconstruction practices gradually dwindled

the shift to a decline of reuse took place. It describes how new bricks still hot from the ovens were being delivered to building sites. The ovens were operating at full capacity

Company

A New York Times article from 1928 illustrates how quickly

to keep up with the sudden rise in material demand. Brick manufacturers were completely surprised by suddenly having to take over the market segment, which until then was occupied by reclamation dealers. [1] 2. Challenges of reuse in today’s construction industry Almost overnight, the economic framework which had rendered the reuse of building elements feasible had Fig. 2: Wallstra © Opalis

disappeared. The building industry started evolving, and

due to aspects such as the rising real estate pressure,

continues to do so today, shaped by forces prompting

which turned to be demolished buildings quickly into

ever- increasing levels of consumption. New materials,

expensive worksites: On the one hand, ever-rising land

freshly mined, cut and/or manufactured started to be

prices and rental income made profits from reclaimed

introduced into construction processes in ever growing

material resale negligible compared to profits from real-

quantities year after year, which ultimately caused the

estate operations. On the other hand, forced by delay

construction world to lose touch completely with the

penalties and speed bonuses for demolition contractors,

specificities of reclaimed materials.

deconstruction or demolition contracts needed to be fulfilled at an increasing speed. This in turn then resulted

The desire to introduce new elements to the market quicker

in growing insurance costs due to an increasing number

and in bigger volumes has supported the development of

of demolition related accidents, while a significant rise

new legal frameworks, leading to a highly codified and

in worker’s wages occurred around the same time. Put

bureaucratic construction sector. The process is based on

together, these influences drastically shortened the

clearly defined tasks for different actors, with formalized

amount of time a worker could spend economically

documents to mediate between them. Instructions

on reclaiming and cleaning a material, before the

from the architect considering a project and its use of

operation turned into a financial loss. Adding aspects

materials are formulated into tendering documents,

such as workforce mechanization, and the continuing

defining a series of legally binding obligations to which

diversification of building materials to the equation, it

the contractor subscribes by accepting the job. There

becomes obvious why organizing profitable salvage

are good reasons for this divide between architect

operations became extremely difficult and unpopular.

and contractor such as identification of liabilities and

39

85 | Waste streams

transparency of construction costs, however the mode of building production that is the result of it often neglects the way in which reclaimed materials are managed. A professional brick dealer does have a continuous supply of bricks, however, that doesn’t mean that every kind of brick is always available. Neither will he be able to provide proof of origin of the clay of which the bricks were made, or the exact test results about their pressure strength at the time of making. He will however be able to provide for exactly the right type of brick needed for the purpose of a specific project, but this kind of organic process where material identification influences the design and vice versa is very difficult to organise and requires a lot of effort for the different parties involved.

This results in the following revealing statistic: Only an estimated 1% of all materials implemented in new constructions today are reclaimed resources. [4] And they are distributed within a few types of construction where reuse is still common, such as industrial warehouses, landscaping and certain types of private housing. In big construction projects, reuse is a practice long lost.

3. Successful reuse in today's construction industry The described historic developments did not make the practice of reuse disappear completely, but reduced it to increasingly smaller proportions. Those businesses that are still operational did so by means of specialization.

Either they identified different types of reclaimed materials that are still able to compete price-wise with their equivalents from virgin resources, or they focused on materials that generated an added value beyond purely economic aspects, such as cultural or historic sentiment. Within its practice, Rotor has focused largely

40

Fig. 3: Gebroeders Sleeuwenhoek © Opalis

on such businesses and has been documenting them on its website Opalis.eu since 2011. These businesses prove that reuse is not only a great hope for the future, but that there are feasible business models being executed in the present already with a wide range of reclaimed materials to work with.

Even though the dealers had to undergo a gradual process of specialization, the variety of dealers and materials remains remarkably high. One may find contractors who started stocking roof tiles from their demolition sites in the yard behind their office; resellers of very high-quality timber floors, with an impeccably maintained showroom; and dealers featuring cavern- like stocks filled with beautiful antiques and marble chimneys. Rotor has met with small, one-person businesses, having started, for example, as the owner’s personal hobby for antique floor tiles. Other dealers jumped on a market opportunity and started selling doors out of a warehouse on an industrial zone and yet others are family businesses that exist

Company

for generations and operate enormous outdoor stocks ranging up to 30.000m2, filled with 15-meter tall piles of cobblestones or bricks.

These companies have a long track record and ample experience. Throughout the years they have established a strong network of specialized suppliers, and know exactly how to deconstruct and clean a specific element with ease and minimal loss while maintaining material quality.

A brick dealer can estimate before beginning a job, the amount of bricks which will be lost during deconstruction, how many during the cleaning, and for what purposes they can be used afterwards. Often the building elements sold by these dealers are provided with a lot of necessary information to assess their “fitness-for-reuse.”

Paradoxically, the most circular actors in the field of construction today are the ones that are advertising it the least. After decades of finding ways to survive, their marketing focus instead lies on the unique aesthetic of their material’s patina and the history behind its acquisition. They advertise the superior quality of their reclaimed product as opposed to a new one, or the fact that it is cheaper. Or they focus their energy on small scale private projects that still offer some space for a reciprocal

Fig. 4: LV Trading © Opalis

relationship between material and design. The ecological benefits of using reclaimed elements has little commercial viability in the construction industry (yet).

At the same time, the manufacturing and installation of construction materials also evolved, under the influence of the same mechanisms that drastically reduced reuse practices. Both were becoming faster and cheaper. By the 1970s most tiles had become so thin, and they were glued to the floor so strong that they couldn’t be salvaged anymore without breaking. Bricks were being placed using cement mortar instead of lime mortar, which is easier to work with during construction, but impossible to remove.

Additionally, production prices for these materials had

" By the 1970s most tiles had become so thin, and they were

become so low, that salvaging such products was and

glued to the floor so strong that they couldn’t be salvaged

is simply not feasible. The construction sector wasn’t

anymore without breaking. Bricks were being placed using

interested in reclaimed materials, and dealers weren’t

cement mortar instead of lime mortar, which is easier to work

interested in new construction materials anymore. Luckily,

with during construction, but impossible to remove. "

the first exceptions to this rule started to appear around the beginning of the 21th century. Heightened floor tiles,

41

85 | Waste streams Fig. 5: Maris © Opalis

technical installations, ceiling lights and selected window

4. Locating reuse within the urban context

types are among the elements produced from 1970s

We don’t have to change our point of view much for an

onwards that are currently available on the reuse market.

analysis of the urban element of the metaphor. Let’s return

Although not all of these market opportunities have been

to 19th century Paris: Located at the 12th Arrondissement,

discovered yet, the general offer of reclamation dealers

not far from Place de la Nation, Achille Picart’s warehouse

today reflects more or less what the sector is capable of

had a very strong presence in the city. His stock of

doing within the limits of a competitive market-based

salvaged stones, ironwork, and decorative elements was

economy. All things considered, it’s still a lot.

clearly visible from the street, and one could hear the sound of tools and see workers busy reconditioning items when passing by. After successfully deconstructing the

42

Company

Palais de Tuileries in under six months, Picart kept one of its pediments, known as "the one with the watch," and used it to decorate his warehouse façade. This heightened his presence in the city even more.

Similar scenes are hard to find nowadays. Because of the same rising land prices that prevent a lot of reuse in the first place, most reclamation dealers have left the inner cities. While some of them might still have a small showroom in the city center, warehouses are very rarely a part of the urban fabric. In Rotor’s experience, visiting a reclamation dealer equals getting into your car and driving to an anonymous industrial zone or a plot somewhere

Fig. 6: Neerhof © Opalis

along a busy road in between two cities. On opalis.eu,

or to distinguish their terrace or kitchen interior from their

Rotor has documented stacks of reclaimed windows

neighbors’. Because global transport costs are rarely an

located just in the open surrounded by fields. Sometimes

issue for clients looking to add an “authentic” or “eco-

the plot of a reclamation dealer presents itself through a

friendly” label to their project, there is a clear separation

mountain of cobblestones competing for sunlight with the

between locally sourced materials and the now global

surrounding trees, or through a set of tiles or architectural

market. Rotor DC often receives international shipping

antiques displayed strategically at the end of their land,

requests for elements, which used to cycle within a very

facing the road next to it. But in all these cases, they have

small radius - a trend that increased spectacularly after

become more a part of the Zwischenstadt and even the

the opening of the online shop in 2017. Via the world

countryside, rather than the urban fabric. This does not

wide web, reclamation dealers are now part of a highly

mean that they are absent though. The urban mine would

globalized world, in the same way manufacturers of new

be nothing without their capacity to stock and prepare.

products are. Today, the pediment from the Palais de Tuileries would probably be promoted online, with the

While this might seem arbitrary, the disconnection

implicit possibility to be shipped all over the world.

between city and dealer goes beyond this geographical disconnection. Although the extent of this phenomenon

And not only are locally sourced European materials

is difficult to assess, it is not uncommon for dealers

sold around the world, materials sourced around the

in Belgium to sell reclaimed materials to customers

world are being sold in Europe, or more generally, in the

in Australia, America, Russia, and other parts of the

West. Sometimes, these operations are nothing short

world. These clients are looking for authentic Belgian

of cynical, appropriating the mechanism of a globalised

materials to furnish for example a Belgian-themed bar,

neoliberalism. In the 1990s, the New York Times published

43

85 | Waste streams

an article about a company active in the repurposing of wood reclaimed in Asia for the American market.

The demand for this type of “guilt-free” wood skyrocketed so quickly that it became a market force, encouraging the dismantling of existing Asian houses that were still being used, and greatly disrupting local economies. [5] 5. Scalability The complexity of reuse raises interesting questions about the standards of the existing material economy. As described, reclaimed materials are often quite different from what today's construction industry is accustomed to. They demand a more reciprocal design process where materials and design influence each other, and where there is time to draw up project specific solutions, specific ways in assessing their fitness-for-reuse, and general room for flexibility. Reclaimed materials often reject in one way or another the easy scalability of their application. [6] Similarly, the preparation of reclaimed materials remains a predominantly manual and variable task. Preparing them is, in many cases, quite different from working along a mid20th century industrial assembly line. The preparation of reclaimed materials, which is really the essence of what a reclamation dealer does, include the cleaning of bricks; preparing of parquet or wooden beams for reinstallation;

Fig. 7: Europort © Opalis

dismantling and cleaning of radiators; deconstructing different kinds of partition walls on the 20th story of an office building before transporting them down to a truck waiting on a busy street. As every building, and every batch of used materials is different, and often relatively small, the majority of tasks related to reuse requires a significant level of knowledge, autonomy, flexibility, and a good understanding of the tools and methods that are being used. [1] Up until now, this meant that reuse was local work. For a majority of dealers, any preparation work is done inhouse or outsourced only on a very local scale. The logistics combined with material knowledge necessary to carry out all reclaim and reuse operations result in reclamation

44

" (...) the preparation of reclaimed materials remains a

dealers being predominantly small to medium scale

predominantly manual and variable task. Preparing them is,

businesses, commonly family-owned and employing their

in many cases, quite different from working along a mid-20th

third or fourth generation. Very few of them have scaled-

century industrial assembly line."

up beyond this level. Seen as a part of the complete

Company

material economy, this forms a remarkable alternative to our contemporary business culture.

6. Opportunities and the future of reuse But we find ourselves at a tipping point. Similar to other economic fields, small to medium scale businesses are slowly disappearing. [7] Their owners have trouble finding successors. A considerable share of the reclamation dealers is currently run by people that already have surpassed their 50s. Some companies have started selling off certain parts of their stock after years of decline, and others simply stop existing, without new traders to replace

Fig. 8: reclaimed heater © Opalis

them. Interestingly however, in parallel to this decline of companies in the reuse sector, interest in circularity and reclaimed materials is significantly increasing at the

needs of the contemporary construction world, rethinking

moment. But the significant rise in demand of reclaimed

these needs to the particularities of working with reuse is

materials that would be needed to revive the sector is not

an equally important part of the equation. If we succeed

seeping through.

in doing so, there certainly are unexplored opportunities waiting to be attained: different types of materials

This prompts the question: what kind of circular economy

could be salvaged and/or cleaned more efficiently, new

is it that is currently being promoted, and is it the circular

categories of contemporary materials that are currently

economy that we should want?

still being overlooked could be reclaimed, missing links between contractors and dealers could be restored, and

Because what makes reuse interesting for Rotor is

reversible ways of installing materials might again be

exactly what makes it difficult in the current construction

applied.

world. We could approach circularity as a way to rediscover alternative practices and narratives. First by

In the midst of the endlessly multiplying realities of our

acknowledging the current qualities of the existing reuse

current world, regarding closely and attentively might be

market, such as for example local and unalienated labour

the guidance we need to form new, maybe counterintuitive

in small scale companies, often organised around the

alliances and reintroduce some of the logic of Achille

needs of the workers. These qualities are key in working

Picart in Jacob Volk’s construction world. What that will

towards a truly sustainable future on more than only a

look like we have no idea, but we hope it will be radically

metabolistic level. Rather than shaping reuse solely for the

different than the Urban Mine Inc

45

85 | Waste streams Fig. 9: Lapierre Rofani © Opalis

This article has been written within the framework of and funded by the Interreg NWE FCRBE project. At the time of writing, the authors, Emmanuel Cortés Garcia and Arne Vande Capelle, were respectively employed by Rotor DC and Rotor. The text appeared first in German in: Heisel, F., & Hebel, D. (Red.). (2021). Urban Mining und kreislaufgerechtes Bauen: Die Stadt als Rohstofflager.

Fraunhofer IRB Verlag.

46

Company

Bibliography [1] Ghyoot, Michaël; Devlieger Lionel; Billiet Lionel; Warnier, André: Déconstruction et réemploi: Comment faire circuler les éléments de construction. Lausanne: Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes, 2018 [2] Byles, Jeff: Rubble: Unearthing the History of Demolition.

1st ed. New York: Harmony Books, 2005 Rotor

[3] Abramson, Daniel M: Obsolescence: An Architectural History. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2016

Rotor has been founded in

[4] Salvo: BigREc Survey. A Survey of the UK Reclamation and

2005 by Maarten Gielen,

Salvage trade. 2007; This research has been conducted for the

Tristan Boniver and Lionel

UK and Ireland only, but there are no reasons to believe that the

Devlieger. It is a cooperative

situation is different on continental Europe.

design

[5] Rotor; DogA; Dansk arkitekturcenter, eds: Behind the Green

investigates the organisation

Door: A Critical Look at Sustainable Architecture through 600

of the material environment.

Objects. Oslo, Norway: Oslo Architecture Triennale, 2014

They

[6] The concept of the ‘non- scalable’ is derived from: Tsing,

positions through research

Anna L.: The mushroom at the end of the world: On the possibility

and design. Besides projects

of life in capitalist ruins. Princeton NJ: Princeton University

in architecture and interior

Press, 2015.

design, they also produce

[7] Tourdjman, Alain; Le Dret, Thomas: La cession –

exhibitions, books, economic

transmission des entreprises en France. Les Carnets de BPCE

models and policy proposals.

L'Observatoire, 2019; The article does not specifically target

In 2016, they launched the

the reuse sector, but the findings of the authors align well with

spin-off project Rotor DC,

our experience.

a place to buy salvaged

practice

develop

that

critical

building components.

47

RE3 GLASS Glass up-casting Dr. Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Dr. Telesilla Bristogianni from ReStruct group at TU Delft in conversation with Pavan Kumar Satyamurthy from RuMoer RuMoer: Your work in the past few years on the topic of recycling and the ideas of volumetric casting has clearly revealed the aesthetic and structural potential of the product for construction and other industries. Where did the inspiration for this come from?

Faidra: The inspiration with the recycling of glass via casting? So, we started doing research on Cast Glass via the Crystal houses project in Amsterdam, where we dealt with soda lime glass. And while we were on site supervising its construction, we thought that the cast glass blocks truly make for a beautiful façade. But what happens at its end of life? The connections were glued and irreversible. And you cannot recycle this glass conventionally because of its contaminants. So,

Fig. 1: Glass interlocking systems © ReStruct group, TU Delft

QR1: ReStruct webpage

85 | Waste streams

can we do something to make it more circular? And

components where the castings are bulkier. So, can you

together we came up with this idea of a dry assembly

maybe elaborate on this and what the advantages could

system. And furthermore, can we make these glass bricks

be?

out of waste?

Faidra: Several reasons! There are structural, aesthetic, manufacturing and practical reasons.

Telesilla: And when we got funding or further exploration, we went to the Southern Illinois University to work with

Structural reason- the volumetric blocks resist loads better

Prof, Jiyong Lee. Coincidentally, it was Halloween, and

than flat sheet of glass. Glass in theory is exceptionally

they were blowing a lot of glass pumpkins, and we saw

strong in compression. However, mechanically loaded

an opportunity there! With the glass waste, which we

glass always fails in tension. This has to do with flaws on

hammered down and started our first trials, we started

its surface, where stresses accumulate. Material failure

experimenting with various casting temperatures, making

begins at these points. With typical sheets of glass, the

marbles. We were soon picking up glass from antique

high surface area means that there are a lot of surface

stores, glass waste from the other departments at TU

level flaws that make the glass vulnerable. Further, these

Delft- television screens, CRT’s (Cathode Ray Tubes) and

thin sheets are of course more vulnerable to buckling

what not! We were mainly driven by curiosity at this point,

under loads due to their own slenderness.

but we were growing aware of how little of these forms of glass waste are being recycled. It seemed like there was

Conversely, when you have a volumetric component,

unexplored potential here.

the flaws are dispersed in the bulk. And our research, particularly Telesilla’s PhD work, shows that these flaws

RuMoer: So what are the different kinds of glass waste

are far less likely to trigger material failure.

streams that you have explored?

Faidra: Too many to list! Architectural glass, of course,

Telesilla: So one thing is indeed the structural argument.

with coatings with no coatings, laminated windscreens,

There are also the aesthetic argument. Right now the

phone screens, old television screens, crystalware,

industry is focused on making perfect, transparent glass

Broken traffic light glass from around the campus, Pyrex,

with absolutely no distortion. And we must question this.

oven doors, microwave glass, to name a few. It’s almost

A lot of glass is now being rejected because it has a slight

easier to name what glass we haven’t tried to melt!

tint, slight colour in there, but it's often really good quality glass without contamination. We must ask- Can we make

50

RuMoer: The ingenuity of your work seems to lie, in part

attractive products that embrace the imperfections of

with the departure from the paradigm of glass as a sheet

glass- the bubbles, the colouration? It is also possible to

or panel, (which dominates a lot of the industries like the

cast with ‘contaminated’,‘compromised’ glass,and achieve

construction industry) and moving towards volumetric

very interesting mechanical, but also aesthetic results.

Interview Fig. 2: Casting contaminated glass sources © Faidra Oikonomopoulou, Telesilla Bristogianni

Faidra: The third argument relates to manufacturing.

have freedom to scale up or down your process, and try

Casting is a more flexible and versatile process that the

different glass recipes and temperatures, as each casting

float glass one. It lets us experiment with many ‘recipes’.

is essentially ‘discrete’. It’s like how, if you have the ingredients, you can make many kinds and sizes of pizza

The float glass process is literally continuous- a 24/7

with the same oven!

process where we float an uninterrupted ribbon of glass. It is very expensive to interrupt the float line, and we cannot

Telesilla: And then there is the practical reason. Some

change batch properties (E.g: Color) without incurring a

industries have very high standards with glass products.

lot of waste and expense. Casting, on the other hand, is

You can imagine- a vaccine bottle after use, is categorized

more comfortable. You can take any glass and melt it. You

as hospital waste, and will never be recycled into a new

51

85 | Waste streams

vaccine bottle. It’s the same with phone screens and so on- they do not get recycled into the same products, so there is a need to find a new way to use this waste.

To transform them into architectural, interior or even engineering products, is a solution.

RuMoer: How do you envision these volumetric products to feature in these industries? Do you see potential to use beyond the building industry?

Faidra: At the moment we have mainly tried applications for the building industry, but we think there is potential to use it in many different industries. We could have chemically and thermally resistant tableware, for example. Or load bearing furniture.

Fig. 3: Crystal house Amsterdam © MVRDV

Telesilla: We have been contacted by an expensive automotive company to use recycled glass for some of their interiors. There is also the idea of making a foam out of some glass, which could be used in prosthetic applications! I think there are several ideas to explore.

The more the merrier!

RuMoer: This cast glass technology is a great idea in that it almost sequesters or glass waste, but energy goes into recycling. From the performance versus cost/energy point of view, what are your remarks? How does it compare with other building materials?

Fig. 4: Closer view of the Crystal house © ReStruct group

Can you imagine for the next upcoming 30 years, another

Telesilla: We still need to solve the economics. Right

material than glass, that can have the same performance

now, like with many recyclable materials, the recycling of

in our buildings? That has all these properties-

glass is still expensive and takes effort, and we need to

transparence, strength, weather resistance, chemical

advance both the science and the legislation to make this

inertness... We may have to accept the fact that large

pathway more attractive. This is absolutely necessary.

volumes of glass are something we need for various industries in the coming future. So the question is about

52

Interview Fig. 5: Mirage at Apple park © Iwan Baan, Archdaily

making glass products in a responsible way. Does it all

of view, what are your remarks? How does it compare with

really have to be make the way it is? And creating so much

other building materials?

waste that is landfilled? We need to maximise how much

Faidra: This has to do with a very practical aspect of things.

of the glass we use is made from recycling, and improve the way we recycle. This requires advance in science and policy.

RuMoer: This cast glass technology is a great idea in that it almost sequesters or glass waste, but energy goes into recycling. From the performance versus cost/energy point

It is necessary to nudge industries to recycle more. The Netherlands has some of the strictest policies for glass waste, for example. We have the highest percentage of float glass recycling, which is very good. We hope that with our current 4-year project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), we will be able to further inform policy. There are limits to how much glass waste can go

53

85 | Waste streams

into landfills, with penalties for exceeding. Glass that can

Telesilla: Several things! We want to dive even more into

be safely recycled is not allowed for landfilling.

the fundamentals of glass flaws, and how we can engineer them- for example, a glass product that has different

There could also be better management at industry level.

properties on its surface and its core. We want to research

A big logistical challenge is that glass suppliers often

on the 3D mechanical testing of glass. But in addition to

cannot take back their own glass due to the mixing of

glass we are also researching plastic waste and how to

glass from various sources. Recycling this glass could

engineer products from plastic wastes.

compromise the glass as the nature of this cullet is not fully traced or known. There could be systems developed

It is also important for us to research the applications of

to improve trackability of glass waste, perhaps a QR code

the technologies and products we are developing, so we

or something! Some way for industries to identify their

have tangible actionable solutions for the industry for the

glass so they don’t have throw away a theoretically very

next few years.

recyclable material because of a practical uncertainty.

Telesilla: and there is the matter of market perception of the product. A lot more recycled glass can be used if we are more tolerant to colours and other material variability, and begin to question some of our aesthetic and perceptual preconceptions.

Faidra: The Mirage project was an interesting step it this direction. It was a collaboration with Zeller and Moye where we made an art sculpture for Apple at their Cupertino headquarters. For this we cast several 1.8m tall glass pillars using 70 different desert sands from around the world. These pillars have a lot of different colours, bubbles and inconsistencies, and this was appreciated

by Apple, who even with their rigorous design ethic and aesthetic, embraced this nature of glass.

RuMoer: What is next for you both? What are you researching in the domain of glass, as well as waste streams?

54

Interview Dr. Faidra Oikonomopoulou

Dr. Telesilla Bristogianni

Faidra is Assistant Professor

Telesilla specializes in cast

at

glass

the

Structural

Design

structures,

glass

& Mechanics Group in the

recycling, and glass strength

Faculty of Architecture at TU

and defect characterization.

Delft. Her research focuses

She

on

and

work at the Faculty of Civil

innovative

Engineering and Geosciences

structural

particularly

on

glass

completed

her

PhD

of

on the “Strength and flaws of

cast glass components and

structural cast glass”. She

on the design of full-glass

is also the Cast Glasslab

load-bearing

supervisor

at

diploma

structural

applications

structures

CiTG.

holds

a

holds two MSc degrees, in

of

Architect

Architectural

and

components.Faidra

She

degree Engineer

Engineering

(NTUA) and a MSc degree

by the National Technical

in Building Technology (TU

University of Athens (NTUA)

Delft). In 2014, when she

and in Building Technology

joined TU Delft, she worked

by TU Delft. She completed

together with Faidra in the

her PhD at TU Delft on the

research, development and

topic of “Unveiling the Third

construction supervision of

Dimension of Glass. Solid

the adhesively bonded cast

Cast Glass Components and

glass block system for the

Assemblies

Crystal Houses façade in

for

Applications”.

Structural

Amsterdam,

designed

by

MVRDV.

55

CORE STUDIO BT Spotlight Dr. S. (Serdar) Așut CORE stands for “COmputational REpertoire for Architectural Design and Engineering”. This name was chosen to give the students a hint that, with computational methods, they can develop original skills, tools, and content and use them to address diverse challenges of the built environment, similar to how a conductor directs an orchestral performance. This approach is elaborated within a different theme every year, addressing significant societal topics. Following the devastating February 2023 earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye, the studio theme was defined as “Computation for Earthquake Resilience and Recovery” for the 2023-2024 academic year. It was a response that aimed to contribute to worldwide endeavors to solve this crucial

Fig. 1: CORE Studio, 2023 © Melis K irbiz

QR1: website

85 | Waste streams

challenge through an academic perspective and reflect

management, seismic performance of structural and

on our roles as architects, designers, planners, and

non-structural

engineers in light of it.

problems in earthquakes, energy dissipation in buildings, seismic

building

fragility,

elements,

material-related

performance-based

earthquake

CORE follows a particular educational approach that

engineering, seismic simulation, finite element analysis,

prioritizes Challenge-Based and Self-Directed Learning.

earthquake-resistant

We aim to construct an educational environment

design and retrofitting, low-damage technologies,

where students can take the initiative to define their

earthquake early warning systems, robotics for search

learning needs and goals and implement customized

and rescue operations, emergency shelter design,

learning methods accordingly. This is done within a

participatory reconstruction, layout optimization, and

multidisciplinary context focusing on a sociotechnical

community empowerment through digital technologies.

problem related to the built environment. While doing

We organized a field trip to Groningen to observe

so, the students can develop transversal competencies

retrofitting solutions on historical buildings and conduct

in addition to disciplinary ones. Computational thinking is

seismic design experiments. Our diverse content aimed

both a transversal and a disciplinary competence. The

to cover all phases of earthquake management, leading

students of the Building Technology MSc program

to the development of 17 distinct projects addressing

develop

competencies

resilience in built environments. To further disseminate our experience, we organized a symposium with the

to Computational Design course. Eventually, they are

Chamber of Architects in İzmir, Türkiye, supported by

encouraged to implement them at an advanced level at

the Dutch embassy in Ankara and MipMap Technologies,

CORE by developing and using computer programming

bringing together over 150 participants from universities,

skills.

so-called

governmental organizations, companies, and NGOs to

“programming crash course” that introduces the Python

share experiences and insights on earthquake-related

programming language through intensive sessions in

topics in architecture education.

includes

a

the first two weeks. The students are further guided on their programming skills through weekly studio sessions until the end of the course. Along with the crash course, we provide several lectures and workshops to unfold the diverse dimensions of the theme.

This year, we discussed subjects such as the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes, urban and disaster resilience,

humanitarian

engineering,

geographic

information systems and machine learning for disaster

58

facade

thinking

CORE

computational

design,

throughout the curriculum, starting with the Introduction

Therefore,

in

architectural

Fig. 2: CORE Symposium at İzmir, Türkiye © Melis K irbiz

BT Spotlight

I cordially thank the CORE teaching team who have put in great effort to make such a challenging course a success, namely Charalampos Andriotis, Frank Schnater, Fred Veer, Jamal van Kastel, Juan Carlos Prażmowski Baczyk, Leandre Sassi, Mauro Overend, Puck Flikweert, Sevil Sarıyıldız, Simona Bianchi, and Stijn Brancart. Also, I would like to thank all guest lecturers who provided precious input, namely Aleksandra Wróbel, Cemre Çubukçuoğlu, Chris de Weijer, Clayton Prest, Daniele Perrone, Dragos tomas-

Dr. S. (Serdar) Așut

Danila, Eleni Smyrou, Francesco Messali, Gabriele Granello, Gertjan Peters, Giovanni Milan, İbrahim Emre Gündoğdu,

Serdar Aşut is an educator

İhsan Engin Bal, Imke Lánský, Kamil Owczarek, Leyla

and researcher at the Faculty

van der Waarde, Mehmet Sarper Takkeci, Meriç Kessaf,

of Architecture and the Built

Milena Casto, Nazli Yonca Aydin, Onur Arslan, Pooyan

Environment of TU Delft. He

Kazemi, Roberto Gentile, Sam Price, Tiina Ristmäe, Uğur

is an architect and holds a

Demir. Further I would like to thank the Dutch Earthquake

PhD in Informatics focusing

Engineering Assiciiation for hosting our trip to Groningen.

on Human-Robot Interaction

Moreover, I congratulate all students of the CORE studio who

in design. He is involved in

successfully managed to work on such a challenging task

research

and contributed to global know-how on this serious subject,

projects

namely Ahmed Alsalhi, Alkiviadis Oikonomidis, Aashish

computational

Sadaphal, Alya Farah Taufiqoh, Amir Ghadirilangari, Anna

creative

Konstantopoulou, Aron Bakker, Bo Valkenburg, Bob Post,

fabrication,

Brent Smeekes, Bryan Zwakkenberg, Daan Weerdesteijn,

materials within the design,

Daniel Aristizábal Baldeón, Dimitra Mountaki, Djani Cerneus,

production, and use of built

Ece Sel, Elena Macedo Dauzacker, Elisa van Klink van Klink,

environments.

and

educational exploring methods,

robotics, and

digital circular

Feras Alsaggaf, Gargi Gokhale, Georgia Kougioumoutzi, Jair Lemmens, Kuba Wyszomirski, Lara Neuhaus, Lucy Flieger, Maartje Damen, Mario Psalidopoulos, Mohammed Hassen, Nefeli Karadedou Isoua, Nils Wulfsen, Niroda Smit, Pavan Sathyamurthy, Pim Brueren, Ramya Kumaraswamy, Raymen Borst, Roelof Kooistra, Sareh Yousefi, Sasipa Vichitkraivin, Shashvat Shrotria, Shreya Kejriwal, Sofia Markson, Tingwei Du, Tahir Ishrat, Véronique van Minkelen, Yangyu Liu, Zahra

59

85 | Waste streams

Project RED (Rapid Estimation of Disaster estimation) Ramya Kumaraswamy | Sofia Markson About the event

Why is it important to solve this problem? What is the

On February 6, an earthquake struck the border region

urgency?

between Turkey and Syria. The epicenter of the earthquake

The survival rate of victims under debris decreases as the

was situated in eastern Turkey, near the town of Sivrice

time pass by and the first 24 hours according to report

in Elazig province. It had a magnitude of around 7.7,

by Saito, K., & Spence, R. (2004) is crucial time period

causing significant tremors and damage in the area. Due

in terms of search and rescue. Another fact to note is that

to its location, the quake affected both Turkish and Syrian

the extraction of satellite imagery takes 24 hours, and in

territories, leading to structural damage to buildings,

case of Turkish-Syria Earthquake it took almost 36 hours

injuries, and unfortunately, loss of lives. The earthquake’s

which calls for the urgent need to extract a faster rescue

impact was felt in the surrounding areas, prompting relief

plan.

efforts and emergency responses from both countries to aid those affected by the natural disaster. The map below

What are the research questions and design objectives?

shows the location of the disaster.

The design objective of the simulation software is to address the research question of the project: “What key structural parameters govern the assessment of a structure's response to an earthquake and should be incorporated into the nationwide GIS database?”. The primary aim is to reduce the time required to extract the information about buildings at risk or on the verge of collapse and to initiate rescue operations quickly without relying on the delay associated with waiting for satellite imagery.

We acknowledge the existence of the AFAD-RED System by the Turkish government which is preliminary damage and loss estimation system and has ability to make

Fig. 1: Map showing the earthquake’s location © CNN

automatic and manual solutions after a real earthquake.

What is the main problem addressed?

The project aim to reduce the response time that is lost

Read more about this project here : https://www.afad.

due to extraction of satellite imagery and the initiation of

gov.tr/on-hasar-ve-kayip-tahmin-sistemi.

quick actions by the response team.

60

conceptual and limited, Project RED enables users to

Project RED, or the Rapid Estimation of Disaster

create their own database by employing a dedicated

Consequences, serves as a simulation tool tailored to

structural analysis tool, capable of accommodating the

forecast risk zones within neighborhoods by leveraging

most common building archetypes in Turkey.

a comprehensive database of building archetypes and real-time earthquake acceleration data. It aimed to

The proposed approach centered on a risk response

enhance response teams’ efficiency in managing tasks

map (see Fig.2), focusing on seismic design principles

promptly following seismic events, leveraging preliminary

and assessment to understand how dynamic structures

data before more comprehensive information becomes

respond to earthquakes. Structural analysis led to the

available. While recognizing AFAD’s efforts in developing

development

the Preliminary Damage and Loss Estimation System,

allowing realistic assessment in a Multi-Degree-of-

which aligns with the project’s objectives, the lack of

Freedom (MDF) environment. Despite the necessity to

detailed public information prompted the initiative to

simplify

of

structures

Grasshopper-Karamba3d

into

BT Spotlight

Project RED

scripts,

Single-Degree-of-Freedom

explore potential solutions.

This simulation program operates in accordance with seismic design codes, placing a strong emphasis on structures possessing ample deformation capacity to endure intense ground shaking. Through the evaluation of crucial parameters like the Limit of Inter-Story for servicibility and ultimate limit states, the simulation programme identifies the buildings at severe risk or those on the verge of collapse.

With its user-friendly interface, Project RED prompts

Fig. 2: The neighbourhood map and risk map extracted from project RED simulation © Project RED

users to select earthquake magnitudes based on historical data, input archetype analysis data, and specify the analysis location. This, in turn, generates various visual outputs including acceleration time series, deformation response spectra, vibration patterns, and risk maps.

However, the current constraints of Project RED primarily revolve around the development of extensive countryspecific databases with buildings specific parameters.

While such databases are currently considered rather

Fig. 3: Illustration of the shape function from the first eigenmode of the MDF system, Source : K im, 2016

61

Archetype m

Archetype m

Element ID - Slabs, Column and Beam (The name of the element)

Unit Vector Z in reverse (Direction of loading)

Gr Loads (Karamba3D) Unit Vector Z in reverse (creates loading) (Direction of loading)

Mesh loads

List of all slabs ( as mesh surfaces)

of all slabs MoveList geometry in Z direction ( as mesh (UV Grid surfaces) on all floors)

Element ID - Slabs, Column and Beam Cross Section (Karamba3D) (The name of the element) (Column)

Li M (Me Loads (Karamba3D) Move geometry in Unit Vector Z in reverse (creates loading) (Direction of loading) (UV Grid on a

Cross section

Cros Cross Section (Karamba3D) (Column)

project aims to facilitate widespread participation from Dimensions (Height and height of the crss-section)

Cross Section (Karamba3D) Dimensions (Beam) (Height and height of the crss-section)

Cross Section (Karamba3D) (Beam)

Element ID - Slabs, Column and Beam (The name of the element)

Cross Section (Karamba3D) Element ID - Slabs, Column and Beam (Slab) (The name of the element)

Cross Section (Karamba3D) (Slab)

yielded valuable insights. The identification of three key

architects, civil servants, and interested individuals.

Material

variables—natural frequency, participation factor, and

While acknowledging potential limitations in precision

shape of vibration—enabled the creation of a Simulation

due to inconsistencies and lack of expertise among

Tool. This tool, solving the governing equation of motion

contributors, the user-friendly nature of Grasshopper-

for Single-Degree-of-Freedom structures, provided a

Karamba3D interface minimizes barriers to entry.

high-precision estimation of potential structural damage

However, it’s essential to note that the non-open-source

( see Fig.3).

nature of Rhino-Grasshopper-Karamba tools requires

Material family material and grade specification)

Material familyMaterial select material and grade specification) (Specification)

licensing.

Outcomes

Python Workflow

Python Workflow

85 | Waste streams

(SDF) systems for seismic evaluation, the approach

Gravity loads Unit Vector Z in reverse (Direction of loading)

Material select (Specification)

The project recommends the open-sourcing of the GIS

The significance of the project lies in its demonstration

database, fostering collaboration and enabling a rapid

that a comprehensive GIS database, incorporating the

accumulation of data. Despite potential limitations, the

three structural parameters, could enable immediate

proposed approach demonstrates a feasible and valuable

and precise assessment of seismic consequences.

contribution to seismic risk assessment, emphasizing Response spectrum

By proposing an open-source GIS database, the

accessibility and community involvement.

Archetype database

Archetype database

M

(

Acceleration time series

Further improvements:

Cityscape picture credits : Adobe creative cloud

List (Cros

Cityscape picture credits : Adobe creative cloud

Workflow Project RED

Workflow Project RED

Process ofdata analysis and evaluation, Grasshopper script to extract the deformation axis and to displacement values in Process of analysis and evaluation, Grasshopper script extract the deforma Information regarding existing infrastructure withregarding natural vibration participation data Information existing and infrastructure withfactor natural vibration and participation factor * The above picture shows a visual representation of the example considered while designing the project and doesnt represent theconsidered actual database.

Please refer the project in detail for * The above picture shows a visual representation of the example while designing the to project and doesnt represent the actual database. Please refer to the project in detail for further information. further information.

Timeline Infographics Timeline Infographics

Credits : All illustrations - CC by : pikisuperstar, storys

Before the event

Before the event

During the event

During the event

Creating a database that contains Creating Evacuate a database that contains In the the building situationthe where the escape route is situation farther away, instinctively safety away, instinctively Evacuate building In the where the escapefollow routethe is farther followof the safety Extraction real-time the information about the existing the information about the immediately afterexisting measures you have received, to drop ,cover you and have hold received, on seeking under the immediately after measures to cover drop ,cover and hold on seeking cover under acceleration data the from infrastructure, including data regarding infrastructure, including data regarding assesing the situation sturdythe furniture or structure to protect yourself during the earthquake assesing situation sturdy furniture or structure to protect yourself during the earthquake modern accelerographs in mode shapes, eigen frequencies, mode and shapes, eigen frequencies, and of tremors. of tremors. the field. participation factors. participation factors.

Use the acceler Extraction of as input todat pr acceleration modern accelerog the field.

Project R EProject D ( Rapid Estimation RED ( ofRapid Disaster Consequences) | Project for Studio CORE Estimation of Disaster Consequences) | Projec Fig. 4: Project overview infographics © Project RED , illustrations by pikisuperstar, storyset, freepik

62

structures. * The above picture shows a visual representation of the example considered while designing the project and doesnt represent the actual database. Please refer to the project in detail for further information.

Timeline Infographics Credits : All illustrations - CC by : pikisuperstar, storyset, freepik Post- Disaster rescue operation

BT Spotlight

Project RED Simulation

her away, instinctively follow the safety and hold on seeking cover under the yourself during the earthquake

ster Consequences)

Extraction of real-time acceleration data from modern accelerographs in the field.

|

Use the acceleration data and the building database as input to project RED and extract the risk map.

Project for Studio CORE

|

The post disaster management team to plan for swift - Search and rescue operation and immediate medical assistance.

By : Ramya Kumaraswamy, Sofia Markson

The post disaster management team reach the location immediately

|

Infrasrtucture database - collection of the structural parameters

Outcomes from Post disaster rescue operation planning

Deformation Response Spectra

Peak Displacements (after earthquke)

Shape vibration

Neighbourhood map

Risk map

QR1: Github link

63

85 | Waste streams

DSS for search & rescue resource allocation for earthquake Bo Valkenburg | Brent Smeeks | Pavan Sathyamurthy | Shreya Kejriwal In the aftermath of natural disasters like earthquakes, the

an earthquake. It helps analyse the situation and make

efficient management of Search and Rescue operations

quick computational decisions, creating plans to allocate

is crucial. Injured people need medical assistance, time

rescue teams of multiple organizations like Police and

is of the essence, and there are not enough rescue teams

Fire-fighters, Task forces, Urban Search and Rescue

for all people in distress. Accurate decision making

Teams, and Volunteers, to various sites of action. The

is challenging given the limited time, resources, and

overarching goal of the project is to “minimise loss of

chaotic environment. SARO is a decision support system

life, alleviate suffering, and prevent further harm by

for search and rescue resource allocation in response to

more efficiently locating, rescuing, and providing aid to

Fig. 1: Search and Rescue operation © Serhat Zafer/AA

64

BT Spotlight

individuals affected by the disaster.”

Accurately predict damage and distress The tool accurately predicts the damage state and potential injuries for each building in the aftermath of an earthquake, addressing the problem of chaos and lack of data. This information is crucial for search and rescue operations to make informed decisions about resource allocation in chaotic post-disaster environments.

Fig. 3: Part A overall workflow (early sketch)

Collaborative resource allocation for search and rescue

improving disaster response efficiency. This approach

The tool also facilitates better coordination among various

saves lives and minimizes long-term disaster impact by

organizations providing aid, addressing the problem

addressing priorities. It optimizes resource allocation for

of a lack of overview and coordination. By merging

life-saving efforts in the chaotic post-disaster setting,

communication and resource allocation, it reduces

tackling resource and time constraints. The computation

inefficiencies like double efforts or inadequate resource

happening in the tool is split into two parts, the first part is

allocation, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of

concerned with building and context assessment, and the

earthquake response efforts.

second part is concerned with allocation and scheduling.

Building and context assessment This part of the project means to gather data as quickly as possible about the damages incurred on the buildings in the aftermath of the earthquake, and the injuries suffered by the building occupants as a result of the damages incurred on the buildings. The actual surveyed data about injuries and building damages is a data collection process that can take hours or days (and is beyond the scope of this project). This means that for a rapid response, the tool must have a mechanism to predict or project the probable

Fig. 2: Phased framework of rescue allocation and scheduling

damages and injuries incurred, to facilitate a First Phase

Optimize allocation and its sequence based on multiple

of prompt SAR (Search and Rescue) response. This

criteria

algorithm uses occupancy data, earthquake data, and

Through systematic assessment using multiple criteria,

building data to estimate building damage profiles and

the system prioritizes critical, time-sensitive actions,

the number of victims trapped in the buildings. Both of

65

85 | Waste streams

Fig. 6: Example average compentence level of USAR teams

Fig. 4: a, b: F.E.M.A, 2001, Specific description of building types; Crowley, H. 2021, Distribution of occupant data for buildings in Gaziantep

Fig. 7: Priority weight based distribution

Fig. 5: Building and Damage states

66

Fig. 8: Factored weight based approach ; Time relationship with teams and competency

building level. The real time data that is available during this phase includes ‘action data’. This data has a list of actions that both corresponds to the level and type of training a rescue worker has completed, as well as the actions that are required to rescue people in distress

BT Spotlight

includes an action-based allocation and a scheduling on

for buildings of varying characteristics and damage states. This ‘action data’ is used for rescue asset and site Fig. 9: Example of generated sequence

matching. An accurate match relies on the actions that a

these estimates are then used to assign an injury profile

rescue asset can perform, and a rescue site requires.

to a building. The injury profile has a distribution of the

The last step is the scheduling of rescue asset allocation

severity of injury amongst the victims, the severity of injury

to rescue site. This means not just sending the right team

has a fade-away function associated with it. This fade-

to the right site, but also sending the team at the right

away function gives an indication of the amount of time

time. Time is a very important factor because of the fade-

a victim has left until passing away for a given severity of

away functions associated with the injuries of trapped

injury. The building damage profiles, number of trapped

victims. The goal of this algorithm is to find the schedule

victims, and injury profiles are used to make decisions on

which saves the most people. In other words, trying to

allocation and scheduling in the next part.

send rescue assets to trapped victims before their time has run out.

Allocation and scheduling The second part of the project concerns itself with

Future improvements

the allocation of rescue assets to rescue sites and the

This project explores a solution to the crisis of earthquakes

scheduling of this allocation.

through the development of a decision support system.

This allocation is structured in two phases. Phase 1

The project highlights the importance of such a tool, it

performs an allocation based on predictions of damage

has the potential to save many lives. Because this type of

states and injury distributions in the form of a priority

tool has such a great responsibility it should be developed

weight. Each building gets assigned a priority weight,

with care. More data and more accurate data are required

buildings with a high priority weight get rescue assets

for more accurate estimations for the building and context

allocated to them before buildings with low priority

assessment. This could lead to more precise predictions

weights. This phase exists so that rescue assets can

of the time it takes to perform rescue operations, which

respond before real time data has been acquired.

makes the scheduling more reliable and helps save more

Phase 2 starts after 24 hours of the earthquake striking,

lives.

when enough real time data is collected so that an allocation can be performed based on this data. Phase 2 QR1: Github link

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SeismoSolve Zahra Khoshnevis | Aron Bakker

WORKFLOW PHASES Problem Statement On February 6th, the city of Antakya, situated in the province of Hatay, was struck by two devastating

Project Overview

earthquakes.

SeismoSolve, a project from CORE Studio 2023, focuses

claimed over 50,000 lives and reduced a significant

These

catastrophic

events

tragically

on Earthquake Resilience and Recovery. The studio

number of buildings to rubble, with more than half of the

emphasizes computational design in architecture and

province’s 400,000 structures collapsing or suffering

structure across various scales in the built environment.

severe damage. This disaster raised a critical question:

SeismoSolve is a beneficial tool for designing seismic

how can we rebuild a city as quickly as possible after an

bracing that provides buildings with vibration control. It

earthquake? The answer lies in the efficient combination

aims to assist all parties involved in construction industry

of rapid architectural design, swift construction, structural

by offering real-time information about suitable seismic

engineering expertise, and contractor skills, all while

bracing.

ensuring the safety of the buildings.

It not only generates and optimizes designs but also offers quick estimations, saving time throughout the

How

design process. SeismoSolve learns from its own

SeismoSolve, operating in the Mitigation phase, assists

designs, predicting performances in early design

in designing seismic bracing that provides buildings with

phases and assisting in more detailed designs later on.

vibration control. By allowing some movement within

This contributes to faster and safer city rebuilding. The

the building, it ensures that the structural limit is never

project will be presented in six work flow steps: Problem

surpassed, preventing seismic forces from concentrating

Statement, How, Testing, Data Generating, Machine

in the beams or columns. These seismic bracings can

Learning, and Interface.

be replaced when damaged, thereby enhancing the building’s lifespan. The tool is designed for scenarios where architects, construction groups, or contractors have initial information about the structure’s grid, number of floors, and building’s openings layouts. They can then proceed to select a suitable lateral resistance by browsing through safe, responsive bracing products specific to their building located in seismic zones. This selection process provides them with information on the effectiveness of the chosen bracing product. Based on this information, the type of bracing and its price can be

Fig. 1: The final physical prototype W

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considered for placement in designs and ordering.

After successfully enduring tests on the shaking table,

A- Physical Prototypes

valuable insights were gained and applied to enhance the

The first physical test was conducted as a course group

design.

workshop at Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen on a demo shake table. To ensure the seismic

Subsequent improvements were made, incorporating

bracing functions as anticipated, physical prototypes

increased stiffness within the bracing system to restrict

were constructed and tested. The initial prototype (the

movement within the desired range. Additionally,

right picture) featured a reversed V bracing, based on the

adjustments were made to the prototype’s shape based

assumption that the elastic cord would permit controlled

on simulation results (visible in the last two pictures on

movement without exceeding its limits.

the left), refining the design further.

Fig. 2: The first physical test of the prototype- Groningen

Fig. 3: Digital modeling and simulation of the second prototype

BT Spotlight

TESTING PHASE

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B- Digital Simulations Creating effective seismic bracing solutions necessitates comprehensive

calculations

and

simulations.

The

integration of these processes with parametric design is crucial for evaluating a wide range of variations. The entire work flow is divided into five key phases: Geometry, Calculations, Materials, Simulation, and Data Generation.

This systematic approach, enhanced by the use of Karamba3D for validation and Alpaca 4D for earthquake simulation, enables the testing of various seismic bracing configurations. In this parametric model, there are two categories of variables and fixed parameters. The variable parameters are: •

Number of storeys: Between 3 and 11

•

Grid combination: 10 grid sizes set, combining span and width

•

Spring type: 4 pre-sets with combinations of outer spring diameters and spring wire diameter

•

Fig. 4: Different bracings analyzed in Kraramba 3D and Alpaca 4D

Number of portals in x direction: Ranges from 1 to 4, helping in understanding the effect of widening the design

•

Node/Joint position: Position of the node and performance differences are valuable for generating new designs and informing designers.

Dataset Generating By establishing domains for the variables “Grid size”, “Spring type”, “Number of storeys”, “Node Positions”, and “Number of Portals”, we were able to iterate through 42,000 different combinations. This information will be utilized in the next step for machine learning, leading to the creation of a model that can predict the effectiveness or failure of the bracings, both within and outside of the calculated database.

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Fig. 5: Data generation of four portal classes

Python Interface

By providing the K-neighbours classification model

The contractor can use the python interface. With this

with 42.000 samples it became possible to gain enough

simple interface the contractor can do a simple rough

information to reach a accuracy of 92%. Due to most

estimation on the product he needs and how much it will

sample’s being false the machine has a higher accuracy

cost. This interface in python is as a representative of the

in the false than true statements(94% against 83%).

future website.

BT Spotlight

Machine Learning

That makes the machine more conservative and thereby safer. This can increase while being provided with more

Conclusion

information.

The

SeismoSolve

project

incorporated

certain

simplifications to facilitate the process and meet its objectives, thereby establishing a solid foundation for subsequent research. Areas for future exploration include transitioning away from Grasshopper, broadening variables, improving the design interface for enhanced flexibility, and exploring associated digital fabrication methods. These are areas we hope to address in the near future!

Fig. 6: Clustering the dataset

Interfaces To make the project usable in all stages of design-toconstruction process, two interfaces are developed.

Hops in Grasshopper The architect can use the hops component while designing. Once the component has been plugged into the span, depth, number of storeys and a node tag the designer can get real-time feedback on the performance of the design with the Seismosolve system. This allows

Fig. 7: Hops and Python Interfaces

the designer to alter the design in a early stage to improve the earthquake resilience.

QR1: Video

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USER CENTRED SUSTAINABILITY STUDIO (Former SWAT) | BT Spotlight Dr. C.L. (Craig) Martin Embrace Your Social Responsibility: Engineering for a Sustainable Tomorrow You, as engineers, hold the key to addressing major societal issues.

With a foundational knowledge relating to the energy transition and zero-carbon solutions, this studio empowers you to explore and define your own role as a ‘socially responsible engineer’. Pushing the boundaries of your technological comfort zone to co-create solutions with society, and not for society. At the same time supporting you in finding the optimal solutions whilst stretching your limits as a group.

Here, you’ll challenge each other to keep thinking out of the box.

Fig. 1: User-Centred Sustainability Studio, 2023

QR1: website

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Tackle Wicked Problems with Cutting-Edge Methods

Shape the Future: Build Well-Being, Health, & Carbon-

Wicked problems, the complex, ill-defined challenges

Neutral Lifestyles

that keep us up at night. This studio equips you with a

Your mission is to promote well-being, health, and

toolkit of methods to tackle these challenges head-

carbon-neutral lifestyles amidst global uncertainty.

on; methods that help you gain valuable insights and

Through group projects and individual self-reflection,

questions into neighborhood energy needs; aspects

you'll learn to communicate effectively with stakeholders

that transcend traditional and assumed usability goals.

from all walks of life. You’ll learn to walk in their shoes,

Although you might find your new role as a true societal

fostering collaboration and driving positive change in the

engineer difficult and vague to start, later in the process, if

communities that need it the most.

you keep engaging, and show a sincere and open interest in other people and their perspectives, you will become

Ready to Make a Difference?

more enriched than you ever could imagine.

As a Master of Building Technology, you’ll also become a champion of societal impact, having the space and

Embark on a Transdisciplinary Journey: From Delft to

freedom to pave the way for a more energy and socially

London to Manchester

inclusive, resilient world.

In groups you’ll go beyond the classroom. An option will be to explore cities such as Manchester and London, where you'll witness how technology intersects with community need. Later bringing your unique insights and experiences back to Delft.

Fig. 2: Integrating the 'new' with the unknown

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BT Spotlight Dr. C.L. (Craig) Martin Dr. C.L. (Craig) Martin is a

transdisciplinary

skilled

at

and

realising

opportunities

expert

uncovering creative

in

diverse

fields of study, enabling him to cross boundaries and link communities. At TU Delft’s Faculty of Architecture, Dr. Martin collaborates with city stakeholders,

international

sustainability experts, and young innovators to devise spatial solutions that can shape policy and drive actions essential

for

the

future

well-being of communities.

Concurrently, he serves as 'Professor of Architecture' at the Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture in the UK, further enhancing his cityfocused expertise.

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Designing Together - How to define needs, priorities and solutions.

Madevi Sewnath | Melissa Campos | Kim My On | Juan Carlos Prazmowski Transition towards sustainable cities is a must. Cities are comprised of infrastructure, a built environment and people. A sustainable transition will only be effective if all three aspects advance; entwined by the need to improve our environment and livelihoods. Many strategies can be chosen towards developing environmentally conscious spaces but this is only possible if society is included.

THE GREATER ISSUE Electricity transformers provide neighborhoods with their electrical needs. However, the placement of these units is determined by the electrical company and only approved by the local government, excluding residents from the decision-making process.

Our aim is to determine an effective communication strategy for an integrated approach. The accumulation of ideas and viewpoints is necessary to entwine various perspectives and gain insight into user needs.

The project stems from acknowledging we can’t solve every problem, but we can create a space to establish user priorities. Breaking societal barriers towards implementing technical solutions and building resilient communities.

Equality

Everyone is treated the same

Equity

Everyone is provided with the same opportunities Removing Social Barriers

Everyone benefits without a need for assistance Fig. 1: Diagram of our course journey, from initial planning to the creation and organization of a community event.

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Fig. 2: Differences between equality, equity and removing barriers

BT Spotlight

PROJECT GOAL To develop a methodology towards neighborhood communication and the decision-making process.

A meta language in the form of a board game was introduced. The premise is to use various pictured tiles and build relationships among them, explaining personal views as to why the connection is necessary. To achieve neighborhood wide results, we used the ‘coffee machine’ principle to bring people together and interact with one another.

The serious game we utilized proved to be an effective and engaging method for involving relevant stakeholders and fostering collaboration. By recognizing individuals beyond their professional roles and incorporating relatable elements like familiar images and comical portrayals, we established a deeper connection with people and place.

While we didn’t arrive at one final solution, the game’s value lay in introducing the technical challenge and improving communication and teamwork among key community members. Even those with limited knowledge or awareness about the energy transition can interpret the images in their own way. As such, this game can be used by a variety of stakeholders, such as municipalities, associations, universities, and others, to better engage their public. We believe this activity fostered creativity and imagination, encouraging participants to approach challenges in a different way. Ultimately, we are human beings working to solve technical problems, but we need human-centered methods that bring us together to solve these challenges collaboratively.

Fig. 3: Boardgame tiles developed with local images

GAMEPLAY The game is a way to interact with different stakeholders around technical and sociological issues. Every group of players consists of 5 stakeholders. Each stakeholder is represented by a token and there is a set of tiles which represent different images of activities/places which can be seen as solutions or connectors relevant to the issue. There is no right or wrong tile placement, but your reasoning has to be well translated to others.

1 Teams of 4

4 Place tiles

players

1 Challenge tile

1

2

2 Figure roles

3

tile

Explain why you

5 placed a tile Resident Association

2 3

3 Challenge

6 Place Figure

roles on the tiles

Societal \ Technical aspect

TU Delft Big businesses Municipality

Fig. 4: Boardgame summary and rule setup

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PROCESS The first round starts with a first challenge tile put in the middle, this can be e.g. about amenities made by the municipality to introduce more energy boxes in the neighborhood.

The placement should be connected to at least one of the tiles, thus working and suiting to other stakeholders’ choices.

Tile Tile Challenge

Tile Municipality

Tile

Tile Tile

Tile

Association

Tile

Business

Tile

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Tile

Tile

Tile Tile

Residents

TU Delft

Tile

Tile

Fig. 5: Central challenge tile surrounded by stakeholder figures

Fig. 7: Schematic game layout

Each player gets around 3 turns to place an image tile one by one after each other.

In the end there will be a framework of tiles/possibilities that is surrounded around a technological and sociological issue discussed.

Fig. 6: Images from local context representing neighborhood culture

Fig. 8: Gameplay discussion about social connectivity

In the example below the distance between stakeholders is highlighted, the images representing interpretations about user connectivity.

The game is setup with as main goal to meet fellow stakeholders and see their perspectives on societal challenges to create connections, and solutions on how to solve challenges together.

BT Spotlight

GAMEPLAY DATA Hexagonal shapes fit perfectly into the board and offer six side connections as a way of building relationships.

kimmy which one is yours?

Fig. 10: Picture by Fred Ernst: Event participants and conclusion Fig. 9: Tile placement of Group C during neighbourhood event Close connection

Closest connection

Long connection

Furthest connection

Possible Solutions Municipality - Teaching residents about the energy transition by providing spaces for knowledge exchange.

University - Offer knowledge giving workshops/lectures to residents.

Resident - Organize activities to involve children through playgrounds with sustainability games.

Business - Build a network, through contacts, raising a budget to help sustainability goals.

Association - Spaces for education, working together with schools.

PRELIMINARY INDICATORS OF COLLABORATION A spirit of collaboration representing different stakeholders, collectively striving to find innovative solutions. The connections formed indicate the players’ willingness to engage in open dialogue and work together towards a common goal.

Collaboration emerges during the post-game networking phase, exchanging contact information, and building genuine connections. Participants become acquainted with each other’s perspectives, fostering a more relaxed and receptive atmosphere for fruitful discussions. This becomes a fertile ground for initiating joint initiatives, paving the way for real-world impact beyond the game’s boundaries.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS & IMPACT

Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10) Including diverse stakeholders, the game considers different perspectives and interests. This promotes a fair decision-making process, reducing inequalities in accessing and benefiting from sustainable energy initiatives.

Fig. 11: UN Sustainability Goals centred around our game

Quality of Education (SDG 4) Fostering a learning environment where participants can explore complex technical and sociological issues towards the energy transition. By engaging in discussions, justifying choices, and learning from other stakeholders, gaining valuable insights, and improving their understanding of sustainable energy.

Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) Energy transition, emphasizing the need for affordable and clean energy to residents in an understanding manner. Through the collaborative framework building, players can explore and propose solutions that promote clean energy adoption and affordability.

Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG 8) Involvement of multiple stakeholders representing various aspects of the community. By addressing the energy transition issue, the game encourages collaboration, innovation, and economic growth in the context of sustainable practices.

Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9) Collaborative approach to problem-solving, stimulating innovative ideas for sustainable infrastructure and technologies. Proposing and discussing novel solutions that support the energy transition and promote sustainable

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practices. Collaboration between university and residents would lead to the implementation of theoretical research into practice.

Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11) Through collaborative efforts, participants can work towards developing a community-based energy strategy that contribute to sustainable urban development where the solution is centered on the user.

Climate Action (SDG 13) Encouraging players to propose and discuss climatefriendly solutions, the game actively contributes to climate action efforts.

The serious game project is well-aligned with multiple UN SDGs, promoting education, innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in the context of the energy transition.

By engaging diverse stakeholders and encouraging creative problem-solving there is a potential to foster positive change in the community and contribute to the broader sustainability agenda.

BT Spotlight Fig. 12: Sketch of the people we met during our site visits to Voorhof and the knowledge they shared with us throughout our conversations.

REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY The journey taken throughout the development of our board game and culminating in a social gathering with activities and interactions has enriched us and the neighborhood’s residents. From association leaders, to volunteers, workers, inhabitants and the municipality, interactions with people created stronger social connections and gave better insight into various perspectives regarding technical solutions. Role playing games develop empathy and understanding.

relationship game and develop a similar version for their specific integrated design. Learn about the people that build your community and make it a culturally rich and environmentally restorative neighborhood.

We invite people to take part in our image-based QR1: Event Video

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BOUT'S GET-AWAY TO CZECH REPUBLIC Aron Bakker, Chair of study trips, BouT Why was Prague a chosen destination ?

The city of Prague is famous for its historical centre, while the Czech Republic is renowned for its engineering. The Czech Republic also offered us an opportunity to explore a different culture and country to what we’re used to. Especially by being part of the eastern block during the cold war made the city even more interesting with some of that past still visible inside the city. Since Prague itself was a rich city during the mediaeval times there is an abundance of culture and art present within the city itself.

Fig. 1: Picture from Glassworks © BouT

the

Rückl QR1: Picture Album

85 | Waste streams Fig.2: Pictures from the Rückl Glassworks © BouT

Fig 3: National Library of Czech Republic © BouT

What was your itinerary of the activities for each day?

and the Zizkov Tower. In the evening we combined our

Day 1 started off with an early flight from Schiphol with a

student lifestyle with our interest by going to a cocktail

flight at 6:50 in the morning. Once we arrived in Prague

bar where robots are used for making the cocktails, robots

and dropped our luggage at the hostel we went for a first

similar to what we have at the LAMA lab in Delft.

walk through the city. With a planned dinner in a Czech restaurant we were settled into this new city.

Day 3 started by climbing the hill to the castle of Prague.

Together with a small tour through the clementinum and

Day 2 started with an architecture tour which showed a mix

astrological tower we had a modest day through the city.

of different styles and centuries that are present within

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the city. In the afternoon we had a guided tour of Prague

Day 4 was an exciting day where we got a firsthand

behind the iron curtain. Here we saw the repression that

experience with glass. At Rückl Glassworks they gave us

was experienced by civilians under communist regime

first a tour through their factory and later we could blow our

and the buildings it left behind like the nuclear bunkers

own glass work and learn from the masters themselves.

tourism experiences?

While in Prague tried to combine study with exploring new

BouT

How were educational initiatives integrated with

cultures. For study related stuff we had the university tour, UCEEB tour and everyone's course nightmare: working with glass. Culturally we dived into Prague's rich history with a tour of Prague behind the iron curtain, going to the castle, visiting the jewish neighbourhood, going to the opera and much more.

How did the international trip planning experience unfold, and what unexpected challenges did you encounter?

Planning an international trip was a new experience for us all involved since the last study trip was during study year 2019-2020 due to corona. Everyone in the committee of study trips worked hard to reintroduce the international trip back into the curriculum. So once we were in Prague itself we were very proud of ourselves. We were a bit nervous in the beginning but that faded away really quickly Fig.4: Group pictures © BouT

once everything went as planned. Everyone had a great

Going back to Prague we did some final sightseeing since

all together. It definitely improved the experience of our

the days after this would be too packed.

study year. I would like to thank everyone who made this

time, and we’re so glad we were able to go on this trip

trip possible. From study trips Nefeli, Bee and especially Day 5 we were able to visit our colleagues in Prague to

Dimitra. But also Feras, Gargi and Sander for helping out.

see how they do things similar or differently and to learn

And of course everyone for coming and making this trip so

from it. In the afternoon we visited the research centre

enjoyable.

UCEEB to see some of the European research being done.

Stylos fund

In the final evening we dressed up to go and see Madame

We would also like to thank the Stylos fund for assisting us

Butterfly at the opera.

financially with this trip. With this we were able to expand our plans with the glass blowing workshop and factory

Day 6 was the final day and a long train ride with a lot of

visit among other things which was a great experience for

card games.

the students.

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Academic Year Event Chart January 2024 to April 2024

03-02-2024 International trip - Prague

Q2

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14-02-2024 Lunch lecture - RHDHV

28-02-2024 Master drinks

BouT 06 - 03-2024 Alumni event

29 - 04-2024 Office visit - Daiwa house

01- 05-2024 Symposium - Making sense

More events coming up! ?

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85 | Waste streams Ece Sel

Ramya Kumaraswamy

Sander Bentvelsen

Lara Neuhaus

Chairperson- BouT

Chair of RuMoer

Chair of Company Relations

Chair of Events

Gargi Gokhale

Aron Bakker

Feras Alsaggaf

Chair of Media and PR

Chair of Study trips

Chair of Education

2023-2024

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BouT

BOARD 29 SIGNING OFF

by Ece Sel

As the 29th chairperson, I had the honor to be the chair of a successful study association for the Building Technology Track at TU Delft. Throughout the year, we signed our signatures under great organizations. One of the most remarkable aspects was doing something effective to enhance the student studies and networking not only with companies but also with other other tracks and the faculty, in turn improving the study environment as much as we can. We would be more than happy if we did even slight changes that many of our colleagues agreed on. It was a privilege for us to be the bridge between faculty, companies and our fellow students colleagues.

The most important thank you goes to my teammates, who made BouT as great as it could be this year. I would like to highlight some events for their efforts, which I cannot skip without mentioning; This year, we aimed to increase awareness of challenges in the built environment while collaborating with companies, such as designing for earthquake resilience in Turkiye. This was organized primarily by our Company Relations committee, headed by Sander, as well as a further thanks for his efforts in company networking and finances. Many academic and social events were organized, including the symposium on "Architecture and Senses," by our events committee led by Lara. A great thanks also goes to our Study Trips committee, who organized an international study trip after a long time later, especially with a great collaboration with the Czech Technical University in Prague, as well as arranging further study trips together with companies and our studios.

Thanks to Feras, the head of the Education committee, who was the bridge between students and educational

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councils to improve our studies. Thank you to Gargi, head of our social media and her team for handling social media very well, promoting events and providing sneak peeks into our BT studies to showcase, as well as promoting our publication, RuMoer. Within mentioning RuMoer, last but not least, thanks to Ramya and her committee for being the editor of our student publication featuring innovative articles, spotlighting our BT projects, contacting international companies and universities, and in turn making BouT more international. It is one kind of important BT publication.. Great issues this year! “Additive Manufacturing”, “Heritage" and this 85.

Issue of “Waste Streams”; and ofcourse thank you for letting the board “sign off” here.

Before finishing, I’d like to ask the board their “most remarkable memories of BouT 2023-2024”; Aron Bakker: The most memorable achievement of BouT 2023-2024 has to be the train ride from Prague back to Delft during the international trip. It was a moment for Dimitra and I that we could let our guard down and realized that we accomplished something that we worked so hard on, while being surrounded by friends.

Ramya Kumaraswamy: The memorable one would definitely be Tilburg trip , a one-day getaway from the pressure of coursework.

Lara Neuhaus: What I enjoyed most in the past year was to grow and learn together. I think BouT helped us to become closer to both academic and social life and I am very glad to have had such a wonderful team by my side.

Sander Bentvelsen: What was definitely most memorable for me was the Debut event. Organizing the day was hard work from all of us, but very rewarding looking back. I definitely learned a lot during the months preceding the event.

Gargi Gokhale: The most remarkable memory for me was the Prague trip organized by the study trips committee.

The perfect trip timing was a much needed break from the academics and a great bonding experience.

Feras Alsaggaf: My most memorable experience was the BBQ organized last spring with BouT at the lake… and the Potlucks! It made me realize how important it is to connect with each other beyond building technology and education! And that BouT can help with making these types of events possible.

On behalf of the whole board, I’d like to extend our thank you, to all the members and professors at TU Delft and other BK master study tracks, Polis, BOSS, Argus, Geomatics and study association Stylos, as well as from civil engineering master track U-Base. Another special appreciation is extended to all the previous boards and members for upholding the BouT legacy over the past 29 years.

As we pass the baton to the 30th board, on behalf of the 29th Board - "from Nuts to Washers," I would like to wish them great success in continuing the Building Technology BouT legacy. We believe BouT will thrive even more in their hands.

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BouT

29 BouT Board Signing off... th

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Silver Sponsors:

Bronze Sponsors:

3rd quarter 2024

https://issuu.com/rumoer https://bouttudelft.nl/ rumoer@praktijkverenigingbout.nl rumoer_bt bout_tud