Project summary
In the BMK flagship project KRAISBAU, 32 partners including companies, research institutions, and other organizations, collaborate to achieve the construction transformation—realizing the dream of a sustainable and circular construction industry. The project aims to create the conditions for this construction transformation in Austria and set strong impulses towards AI-supported circular construction. The consolidated expertise from 32 construction companies, research institutions, architectural offices, and other relevant organizations lays the foundation for these ambitious goals. A key focus of KRAISBAU is the integration of digital tools—specifically artificial intelligence—to find simple and scalable solutions for handling existing buildings. It also involves analyzing technical and legal frameworks, and the insights and standards obtained are disseminated to the entire industry through factsheets, roadmaps, and training.
The Challenges35% of global resource consumption and 40% of worldwide emissions are attributed to the construction and building sector. A disruptive shift towards circular construction methods is essential to achieve climate change goals. The lifespan of buildings must be significantly extended, effective renovations carried out, buildings repurposed, and the reuse of construction components optimized. AI and digitalization play a crucial role in standardizing processes and closing data gaps. The BMK flagship project KRAISBAU will be pioneering in this area.
Project Goals
- Networking: KRAISBAU aims to connect the Austrian construction community to advance circular construction methods in Austria.
- Digitalization: The project will further develop AI and digital tools to enable circular management, increase efficiency, and identify potential savings.
- Re-Use and Recycling: KRAISBAU seeks to enhance the disassembly and recyclability of building components and materials, thus extending their life.
- Life Cycle: The project will manage and optimize the entire lifecycle of buildings and their resources.
- Standards: KRAISBAU will standardize data collection and flows in the construction industry and automate them as much as possible.
- Roadmap: The project will identify actions to facilitate and accelerate the transformation towards a circular economy in construction.
- Knowledge Transfer: KRAISBAU will make the project’s findings accessible to the entire industry through factsheets and training.
The KRAISBAU ApproachFor a circular construction sector, collaboration among diverse specialists is crucial. KRAISBAU serves as the unifying force to establish vital foundations and standards for the construction transformation over the next four years. Through various working groups, the project focuses on different aspects of circular construction and strategizes to make the pooled expertise accessible industry-wide via factsheets, roadmaps, and training sessions.
Key Activities
- Resource & Data Availability: KRAISBAU defines necessary data, enhances databases with satellite and geodata, and models future returns of secondary materials.
- Flexibility in Use & Renovations: Foundations for building flexibility are being set, with automated plans for repurposing and renovations based on comprehensive building analyses.
- Reuse of Components: Conditions for reusing building parts are being established, involving detailed documentation and AI to design reusable components.
- Material Recycling: Exploring optimal recycling methods for building materials by studying their properties and processing technologies.
- Lifecycle Assessment: Analyzing buildings’ ecological footprints over their lifecycles, seeking methods to integrate biological and water cycles, and implementing AI for preventive maintenance.
- Enabling Frameworks for Circular Economy: Assessing legal and tax systems to identify barriers and develop solutions, with critical evaluation of AI applications.
- Demonstration Projects: Showcasing feasible circular solutions through concrete projects and ensuring knowledge transfer between them.
Consortium-Partners:
alchemia-nova research & innovation gemeinnützige GmbH
Architekten Tillner & WillingerArchitekturbüro einszueinsBABEG – Kärntner Betriebsansiedlungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H.
Circular Economy Forum Austria
ecoplus Bau.Energie.Umwelt Cluster Niederösterreich
einszueins architektur ZT GMBH
Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH
Institut für industrielle Ökologie
Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG
TU Wien, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik Umwelttechnik und techn.Biowissenschaft
Wopfinger Transportbeton
