Ifsttar PhD subject

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Title : Environmental modelling and physical characterization of materials from demolition for their recycling in a circular economy

Main host Laboratory - Referent Advisor   -

Director of the main host Laboratory   -

PhD Speciality Structures et matériaux

Axis of the performance contract 2 - COP2017 - More efficient and resilient infrastructure

Main location Marne-la-Vallée

Doctoral affiliation UNIVERSITE PARIS-EST

PhD school SCIENCES, INGENIERIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (SIE)

Planned PhD supervisor FERAILLE Adélaïde  -  ENPC  -  Navier

Planned PhD co-supervisor COLAS Anne-Sophie  -  Université Gustave Eiffel  -  GERS - RRO

Planned financing Contrat doctoral  - Ifsttar

Abstract

The law on energy transition and green growth requires that 70% of wastes from civil engineering and building should be recycled as material. In parallel, in a context of scarcity of natural resources, it is necessary to preserve them and particularly in the field of construction since the aggregates are not available equally over the territory. Thus, the term circular economy is increasingly used in the field of materials, with the idea of preserving the resource using the demolition materials (reuse / recycling).

The life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool to characterize environmental impacts of a product, system or service. It is based on the principle of a multi-criteria approach to avoid the transfer of pollution from one environment to another and a multi-stage approach with the consideration of the entire life cycle in order to avoid transfers pollution in time and in space. In the case of a building or structure, the life cycle therefore begins with the extraction of raw materials that will constitute the materials and ends with the end of life stage (demolition, waste treatment , disposal). However this last step remains little studied so far [5], [6], then it becomes crucial as laying the essential foundations, with the design stage, of an efficient circular economy.

In addition, for a more proper use, it is important to assess the possibility of reuse / recycling of demolition materials according to their physical properties. Indeed, the method of demolition of a building can affect the characteristics of the material or the structural element. Furthermore, materials or structural elements are not new, it is therefore essential to accurately assess them become possible according to their characteristics after demolition. The national project "Recybéton" focused on recycled concrete deposit. Few projects address the scale of the structural element which nevertheless can have many advantages and get around obstacles of material reuse [6]. Eg for concrete, now become possible is a use as aggregate for roads but what is the future of a reinforced concrete beam? Can it be reused for example in a residential building or street furniture?

The project aims to preserve natural resources, by developing an innovative methodological approach based on LCA tool for modeling the environmental impacts of the end of life stage coupled with the physical characterization of materials and structural elements. It plans to rely on monitoring demolition work on buildings and on civil engineering structures and evaluate the potential for materials reuse and recycling (residual specifications, transport, processing or adaptation processes associated with cycle n + 1). So this will cross two important aspects, often uncorrelated : the environmental point of view and physical point of view.
This project will be conducted at the territorial level, to explore short waste management coordination and to associate local impacts (air pollution, local economy, for example) as a supplement to the environmental impacts of the international normative context (global warming, non-renewable primary energy consumption, eutrophication, etc.).

Objectives :
-Development of a methodology for the evaluation and characterization of structural elements on demolition sites
-Construction of potential re-use and recyclability indicators that can be associated with materials and products in existing environmental databases (DIOGEN, INIES, etc.)
-Development of methods elements to be included in design guides for civil engineering structures and buildings
-Integration of existing methodological issues relating to the circular economy into the existing standards for environmental product declarations

Keywords : Demolition materials, reuse of structural elements, life cycle assessment, circular economy

Main host Laboratory - Referent Advisor	-
Director of the main host Laboratory	-
PhD Speciality	Structures et matériaux
Axis of the performance contract	2 - COP2017 - More efficient and resilient infrastructure
Main location	Marne-la-Vallée
Doctoral affiliation	UNIVERSITE PARIS-EST
PhD school	SCIENCES, INGENIERIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (SIE)
Planned PhD supervisor	FERAILLE Adélaïde - ENPC - Navier
Planned PhD co-supervisor	COLAS Anne-Sophie - Université Gustave Eiffel - GERS - RRO
Planned financing	Contrat doctoral - Ifsttar
Abstract The law on energy transition and green growth requires that 70% of wastes from civil engineering and building should be recycled as material. In parallel, in a context of scarcity of natural resources, it is necessary to preserve them and particularly in the field of construction since the aggregates are not available equally over the territory. Thus, the term circular economy is increasingly used in the field of materials, with the idea of preserving the resource using the demolition materials (reuse / recycling). The life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool to characterize environmental impacts of a product, system or service. It is based on the principle of a multi-criteria approach to avoid the transfer of pollution from one environment to another and a multi-stage approach with the consideration of the entire life cycle in order to avoid transfers pollution in time and in space. In the case of a building or structure, the life cycle therefore begins with the extraction of raw materials that will constitute the materials and ends with the end of life stage (demolition, waste treatment , disposal). However this last step remains little studied so far [5], [6], then it becomes crucial as laying the essential foundations, with the design stage, of an efficient circular economy. In addition, for a more proper use, it is important to assess the possibility of reuse / recycling of demolition materials according to their physical properties. Indeed, the method of demolition of a building can affect the characteristics of the material or the structural element. Furthermore, materials or structural elements are not new, it is therefore essential to accurately assess them become possible according to their characteristics after demolition. The national project "Recybéton" focused on recycled concrete deposit. Few projects address the scale of the structural element which nevertheless can have many advantages and get around obstacles of material reuse [6]. Eg for concrete, now become possible is a use as aggregate for roads but what is the future of a reinforced concrete beam? Can it be reused for example in a residential building or street furniture? The project aims to preserve natural resources, by developing an innovative methodological approach based on LCA tool for modeling the environmental impacts of the end of life stage coupled with the physical characterization of materials and structural elements. It plans to rely on monitoring demolition work on buildings and on civil engineering structures and evaluate the potential for materials reuse and recycling (residual specifications, transport, processing or adaptation processes associated with cycle n + 1). So this will cross two important aspects, often uncorrelated : the environmental point of view and physical point of view. This project will be conducted at the territorial level, to explore short waste management coordination and to associate local impacts (air pollution, local economy, for example) as a supplement to the environmental impacts of the international normative context (global warming, non-renewable primary energy consumption, eutrophication, etc.). Objectives : -Development of a methodology for the evaluation and characterization of structural elements on demolition sites -Construction of potential re-use and recyclability indicators that can be associated with materials and products in existing environmental databases (DIOGEN, INIES, etc.) -Development of methods elements to be included in design guides for civil engineering structures and buildings -Integration of existing methodological issues relating to the circular economy into the existing standards for environmental product declarations
Keywords :	Demolition materials, reuse of structural elements, life cycle assessment, circular economy

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