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(Re)Euston Tower: Towards concrete reuse at scale
Obsolescence in buildings is driven by far more than technical performance. In practice, much end-of-life concrete remains structurally sound, yet current waste management approaches are usually limited to downcycling, perpetuating high material demand and the embodied carbon associated with new concrete.
In a ground-breaking trial the team at British Land, 3XN GXN and Arup have conducted a pilot project to challenge that paradigm. As part of the redevelopment of the Euston Tower in-situ concrete has been harvested for reuse as structural “precast” planks in a new application. A concrete slab was carefully extracted and tested in collaboration with the University of Surrey, demonstrating sufficient structural performance for reuse in a new floorplate. Initial analysis indicates carbon emissions approximately one-third of those associated with new precast elements, alongside clear benefits of waste reduction and raw materials use. This session will share the lessons learned to date, covering challenges such as fire safety, logistics, and regulatory acceptance.
A truly innovative approach to the reuse of concrete, it demonstrates the potential to realise scalable reuse techniques and transform how concrete buildings are designed, constructed, deconstructed and reused.
