Empa researches the recycling of plastic slats
The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) wants to recycle plastic slats used in the construction industry. A corresponding research project has already found a sponsor.
Carbon fibre reinforced plastic lamellae (CFRP lamellae) are among the building materials that have not yet been reintroduced into the material cycle, Empa explains in a press release. Its researchers from the Mechanical Systems Engineering department want to remedy this situation. A corresponding research project has already found a sponsor in a foundation not named in the press release.
The process of reinforcing bridges, car parks, building walls and ceilings made of concrete or masonry using CFRP lamellas has already been developed at Empa by its former Dübendorf director Urs Meier, according to the press release. “By significantly extending the service life of buildings and infrastructure structures, CFRP lamellae make an important contribution to increasing sustainability in the construction sector,” Giovanni Terrasi, Head of Empa’s Mechanical Systems Engineering research department, is quoted as saying. “However, we now also need to find a way to continue using the CFRP louvres beyond the service life of these buildings.”
The first step is to develop a mechanical process that allows the lamellae to be detached from the concrete without causing damage. The researchers then want to process the demolished CFRP into reinforcements for prefabricated components. The first object the group has in mind is reinforcements for railway sleepers made from recycled concrete. This means that the “supposed waste material could play a new role in Swiss infrastructure”, writes Empa.