Recycling Concrete
City of Zurich and recycling concrete
For the entire structural fabric, from foundation to roof.
Recycling concrete part of modernization program
Since 2002, all new-build commissions awarded by the city of Zurich have specified recycling concrete. The new ward block at Triemli municipal hospital was no exception. The 18-storey, 550-bed facility is one of the centerpieces in the city of Zurich's renewal and modernization program for its hospital infrastructure.
Minergie-P-ECO® building standard
The architectural concept adopted for the new ward block allows the building to achieve high levels of energy efficiency, meeting the requirements of the Swiss Minergie-P-ECO® standard. The use of recycled concrete is one of the central criteria for the award of this label. Accordingly, the systematic incorporation of this eco-efficient material, from foundation to roof, is one of the hallmarks of the new hospital building.
Watertight basement levels using recycling concrete
The four lowest floors of the new ward block lie below ground level. At a relatively early stage of design development, the client had opted to specify a waterproof concrete basement system for this part of the structure. The entire work package was awarded to Sika and Vistona (PERMATON system). Sika’s experience in recycling concrete technology in conjunction with Vistona's engineering solutions and their on-site implementation ensured watertight performance using recycled concrete and state-of-the-art joint seals. The waterproof concrete basement structure incorporates approx. 4,000m3 of water-resistant recycled concrete along with some 3,000m of Sika Forte-24 waterbars.
Considerable potential for recycling concrete
Considerable potential exists for the application of recycling concrete in building construction. To conserve precious resources – for the long-term benefit of all – a systematic investigation of all the options for using recycling concrete in construction should be high on the agenda.
Author: Peter Weber