Analysis of the Design-Acquire Paradox inherent in the Reuse of Structural Steel Elements using an Ambidextrous Management Approach

Recently, the construction industry has been confronted with changing regulations, especially with the advent of sustainability goals and circular economy ambitions. The Dutch government wants to accomplish its ambitious initial objective of using 50% fewer primary resources by 2030. Further, by 2050, the goal is to have a waste-free economy that relies mostly on sustainable and renewable resources and reuses both products and raw materials. Steel is a fundamental building component in the construction industry. However, due to changing market and industry conditions like lack of availability of raw materials for the production of virgin steel, exponential rise in prices of virgin steel and production of virgin steel being a high carbon and energy-intensive process - the use of virgin steel is becoming a not feasible option. Therefore, to meet the ambitions of the Dutch circular economy and to comply with the changing regulations like the demonstration of the Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) as part of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the introduction of carbon taxes or EU ETS (European Union Emissions Trade System) is forcing the construction industry to limit the adoption of virgin steel. Thus, the reuse of structural steel elements is discussed highly in the building industry as an alternative. However, the reuse of steel encounters several barriers to its implementation. A combination of these barriers results in a paradoxical tension during the decision-making process in the design phase of the project is that “whether is it feasible to first locate existing reclaimed/demountable materials available for reuse from the market and then design around them [Material-Driven Design] or design first with the intention of sourcing/ identifying the required materials later during the procurement phase [Form-Focused Design] ?" The contradictory tension is called the design-acquire paradox. In this research, Biopartner 5, a project which has success
Civil Engineering | Construction Management and Engineering