Of the 277 million tonnes of waste produced by economic activities in France, 213 million tonnes attributable to the construction industry. This represents 77% of the total, according to Ademe figures dating from 2023. The work of the Industrial Research and Innovation Chair for the reuse of alternative materials in the construction and urban planning industries (Cirval) focuses on the management and recovery of waste from industrial by-products and co-products.
An industrial chair designed for SMEs
The chair was launched in May 2022 for a period of 5 years and includes IMT Nord Europe and a dozen industrial stakeholders from the construction industry. “The goal is to find solutions through research that can be quickly implemented to recover waste from construction sites and save energy”, summarizes Mahfoud Benzerzour, head of the chair, professor specialized in the circular economy and Director of the Centre for Teaching, Research and Innovation in Materials and Processes (CERI MP) at IMT Nord Europe.
“There are several chairs on similar topics, across major firms”, says Romain Lochu, engineer and the Head of Development for the chair, working in cooperation with industrial stakeholders. “The particularity of Cirval is that it assists SMEs that wouldn’t necessarily have the technical resources to carry out the required R&D on these topics”. A dozen researchers work together to study specific issues that are raised by the members of the group. Research projects are developed over the short term, between 6 months and 3 years.
Another more operational benefit for industrial stakeholders is the possibility to point out any efforts in terms of low-carbon initiatives and waste recovery to their clients or partners.
The key challenges of Cirval
The work of the chair teams is focused primarily on the reuse of alternative materials, reduction of the energy cost for processes, treatment of polluted soils and the development of geopolymer concrete using waste materials.
There are three main research topics associated with this work: treatment of soils and equivalents with a view to reuse, the use of bio-based alternative binding agents and materials and energy optimization. There are 9 research and development areas addressing each theme, including sanitary and environmental impact, digital optimization of reuse and regulations and standards.
Although founded only two and a half years ago, the chair is already involved in a great number of research projects. In partnership with the Hauts-de-France region, the team has been working on a project to reuse local sediments, for example. The aim is to use these materials in organic growing media for sports pitches. Another example is the research carried out by the Aéroport de Paris group for Orly airport on improving pollution abatement in sludge that is contaminated by hydrocarbons contained in runoff water from the runways.
Complex regulations
Alongside research work, the chair is also working on adapting the sector’s standards and regulations to promote the circular economy. They are doing this alongside a second chair from the center, ECOSED 4.0, and in partnership with national institutions – The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Ministry for the Economy, and the Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning (Cerema) – and international institutions on a European level. “In the past, it was out of the question to consider the circular economy in the construction industry, especially with regard to the recycling and reuse of structural materials”, explains Mahfoud Benzerzour.
This was because the extremely strict specifications in the technical warranty could sometimes hamper any efforts. “This is also an opportunity to call the whole system into question, to redesign and improve it. Especially for major industrial players, to address the issue of reuse”, adds Romain Lochu. To bring about any change, it will also be necessary to involve the different partners in the discussion, to make sure everyone is on the same page. “Things are changing slowly but surely”, he says, with a special thanks to IMT for making communication easier among partners, and also with the State.
As proof that this initiative is effective with construction industry professionals, three new partners will be joining the Cirval chair by the end of 2024. Current funding will continue until 2027, and the two heads of the chair have already confirmed their desire to continue beyond this date.
