How a researcher builds new houses from old prefabricated buildings

New building made from old GDR concrete slabs at the sports field

The shell is being financed by the European research project "Horizon 2020 - ReCreate". "The process is being put into practice for the first time in Kolkwitz", Brandenburg's state government announced. It serves as a model for climate-friendly construction.

The prefabricated elements for the new building in Kolkwitz come from Großräschen in Lower Lusatia. An old prefabricated residential building was redesigned there - two storeys were demolished on one side and three on the other. The concrete parts, some of which are six meters long and weigh up to 5.8 tons, are now being installed on the sports field. A feat of strength that can only be accomplished with a crane.

Researcher: Why destroy the concrete?

The project is being implemented by engineering firm Peter Jähne from Cottbus. "We are currently in the process of creating the floor slabs," explains Jähne.He is using 88 concrete parts for the new building. The floor slabs and wall panels are pre-sorted and ready for use in a temporary storage facility. The new building should be completed by the end of the year.

"For me, continuing to use the concrete slabs makes the most economic sense," says Mettke. "If I destroy something, then I have rubble and I have to reprocess it, i.e. put energy back into it."

In many cases, they want to make concrete again from the prefabricated elements anyway. This raises the question: "Why am I actually destroying the concrete?" With the pilot project, the researcher wants to show that building with prefabricated parts from old GDR prefabricated buildings can have a future.

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