INTEGRATED DECONTAMINATION AND REHABILITATION OF BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS IN URBAN RENEWAL - A EUROPEAN PROJECT FOR A SUSTAINABLE CITY CONCEPT

摘要

A project called "Integrated Decontamination and Rehabilitation of Buildings, Structures and Materials in Urban Renewal" (IRMA) is being conducted within the European Commission's Fifth Framework Programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development". This international initiative involves seventeen partners from nine European countries, representing important stakeholders with interests in urban development. The primary objective of the project is the development and implementation of a general "City Concept" comprising a toolbox of improved technologies and processes together with decision-making and management tools for sustainable urban renewal, focusing on contaminated buildings, in order to protect the environment from hazardous compounds and save reusable buildings and materials. The paper presents the main focal points of the project, including risk management, health and safety of construction and demolition workers, reduction of waste and preservation of buildings and resources. The holistic purpose of the project is to respond to some of the most important challenges of urban development, such as rehabilitation of old buildings, minimisation of waste and recycling of materials. Within this general context, focus will be placed on environmental aspects of demolition and reuse of the waste materials produced thereof. Firstly, cleaner techniques for selective demolition are developed, concentrating on the environmental aspects of the process in order to ensure optimal working conditions. Secondly, decontamination procedures of demolition waste are investigated so as to ensure an environmentally optimal reuse of those materials and prevent negative impacts during the re-use of the materials.