INBUILT

Innovative bio/geo-sourced, re-used and recycled Products coupled with BIM-based digital platform for very low carbon construction, circular economy, energy and resource efficiency

CONTEXT

The construction sector is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation, accounting for up to 50% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is primarily due to the widespread use of energy-intensive materials like cement, steel, and mineral wool, which have a significant embodied carbon footprint and limited potential for reuse in the circular economy. Traditional construction materials, such as geo-sourced earth and stone, once dominated the sector, but have since been largely replaced by more industrialized, unsustainable materials. Despite advances in recycling mineral construction waste, such as bricks and concrete, the sector still faces significant challenges in scaling circular practices and improving material efficiency. Moreover, while new bio-based materials show promise for reducing environmental impacts, their adoption remains limited due to high costs, performance concerns, and market barriers.

CHALLENGE

The construction sector faces multiple challenges in transitioning toward a more sustainable, circular economy. Traditional building materials like cement and fired bricks, while widespread, offer limited opportunities for recycling and contribute heavily to carbon emissions. Geo-sourced materials, once widely used, have been largely displaced by industrial alternatives due to convenience and lower upfront costs, despite their better environmental performance in life-cycle assessments. Additionally, while significant recycling of construction waste (e.g., bricks, concrete) occurs, many recyclable materials still face regulatory and technical barriers that limit their full integration into new construction. The market for bio-based alternatives such as earth, clay, and timber also struggles with low adoption due to their perceived higher costs and limitations in performance compared to traditional materials. There is a clear need for innovative construction techniques and digital tools to optimize material use, track lifecycle impacts, and improve the scalability of circular practices in the sector.

PROPOSAL

INBUILT introduces ten key innovations, categorized into “Reused and Recycled Materials“, which focus on minimizing waste by repurposing materials from existing sources, and “Low Carbon Building Products“, which primarily use bio-based or geo-sourced materials. These innovations are central to the project’s aim to reduce environmental impact and promote a circular economy within the construction sector.

A core aspect of INBUILT is an advanced digital platform that utilizes Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). This platform ensures optimal project lifecycle management, streamlining processes from the design phase through to end-of-life. By enhancing productivity and ensuring the efficient use of sustainable materials, the platform supports a multi-objective decision-support tool that optimizes building performance and environmental impact. This enables more informed decision-making, fostering collaboration, transparency, and resource efficiency.

These sustainable solutions will be demonstrated across four European sites in France, Germany, and the UK, strategically selected for their diverse climates and landscapes. These sites will serve to test and validate the practicality and adaptability of INBUILT’s materials and methods, proving their effectiveness in a variety of European environments and paving the way for their broader application.

ITeC’s ROLE

ITeC participates as a testing body in the development of a certification scheme, assessing product performance across mechanical, thermal, acoustical, and environmental properties. ITeC leads the definition of resource assessment methodology and platform services to enhance circular resource management, creating circularity metrics and key performance indicators. It also takes charge of defining platform requirements for BIM integration, including linking with external databases and ensuring compatibility with various standards. Additionally, ITeC leads the integration of LCA & LCC data into BIM models and develops a user-friendly SaaS for tracking and optimizing sustainability impacts.

Project consortium

Project coordinator: Universite Cote d’Azur
Grant agreement number: 101123412
Funding framework: HORIZON-CL5-2022-D4-02-05 – Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use
Budget: €7,270,540.74
Period: From 01/12/2023 to 31/05/2027
More info: inbuilt-project.eu

INBUILT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Actions under grant agreement no. 101123412