Valuation of Recycled Materials: A Reincarnate Innovation

In the construction industry, innovation is key to addressing some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. In a collaborative effort to transform construction and demolition (C&D) practices, Reincarnate is developing ten groundbreaking innovations to pave the way toward a more sustainable construction industry. As part of this initiative, the Innovation Series highlights the work of researchers and developers behind these pioneering solutions.

In this episode, we feature Sabine Kruschwitz, Junior Professor at Technische Universität Berlin and Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, and her innovative research Sequential Learning App for Materials Discovery (SLAMD), an AI-driven software designed to accelerate the development of sustainable high-performance building materials.

Watch Sabine Kruschwitz’s video on Valuation of Recycled Materials: A Reincarnate Innovation

Brief Description of the innovation and its role in the Reincarnate project

The SLAMD innovation introduces a systematic approach to assessing secondary raw materials, ensuring their efficient and high-value reuse in the construction sector. This initiative leverages AI-driven methodologies to predict and enhance the performance of recycled materials, allowing for their integration into sustainable construction solutions.

This research addresses the challenge of high material variability and uncertain performance in construction applications by using data-driven approaches. The goal is to transform waste into valuable resources, reducing reliance on virgin materials and lowering the environmental footprint of construction activities. The innovation aligns with Reincarnate’s mission by providing a scientific foundation for circular economy principles in the construction industry.

Specific challenges in construction and demolition (C&D) that the innovation aims to solve

The construction industry generates large amounts of waste, and recycled materials are mostly reused in low-value applications due to high material variability and unpredictable performance.

The SLAMD approach addresses this issue by using AI-driven methodologies that require only limited information based on lab testing in the development phase. This supports the creation of secondary raw materials that previously had to be incinerated or sent to landfill. The innovation aims to reduce the reliance on virgin materials by improving the usability of recycled materials.

It also minimizes waste through better material characterization and quality assessment, enhances sustainability in construction by integrating high-performance recycled materials into mainstream applications, and supports decision-making for material selection in construction projects by providing reliable performance data.

What inspired the development of the innovation, and how it evolved

The inspiration for SLAMD came from the urgent need to guide the construction industry toward a circular economy and lower CO2 emissions. Traditional design approaches were limited in addressing the complexity of recycled materials, so AI and machine learning were introduced to optimize materials more efficiently.

The concept evolved from basic sequential learning techniques into a robust system that factors in environmental impact data and integrates smoothly with the Circular Potential Information Management (CPIM) system, which plays a central role in the Reincarnate project.

The stage of development of the innovation and next steps

The Valuation of Recycled Materials innovation has reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, with extensive validation through real-world laboratory testing. The methodology has been successfully demonstrated in case studies involving high-performance concrete formulations made from secondary raw materials.

Currently, the innovation is in the deployment and refinement phase, working with industry partners such as Ragn-Sells and CEMEX Poland within the Reincarnate project. These partnerships enable real-world testing on actual waste streams, further validating the methodology and refining its application.

In the long term, the approach developed for construction materials can also be extended to other sectors, such as metals, glasses, textiles, and composite materials, further promoting sustainability across industries.

A Step toward sustainable construction

The SLAMD innovation represents a crucial advancement in the Reincarnate project’s mission to foster sustainability in the construction industry. By improving the assessment and usability of recycled materials, this innovation contributes to minimizing waste, reducing environmental impact, and supporting the transition toward a circular economy.