Sustainability at the precast plant – New mindset, new plant, new products
Brüninghoff is constantly asking itself how the production of precast concrete parts can be made more climate- and resource-friendly.
Firstly, the new precast plant in Heiden is sustainable by design. This production facility was awarded a Gold certificate by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Secondly, the design, implementation,
and operation of the new plant focuses on fundamentally improving the sustainability
performance of manufactured products.
Substituting concrete with wood to produce hybrid components reduces their carbon footprint. Another important step in this direction is the shift to CEM III, a lower-carbon type of cement. In addition, a certain portion of virgin gravel is replaced with crushed recycled concrete. Reusing recycled materials mitigates the impact on natural resources. Brüninghoff can thus replace up to 45 % of the primary aggregate. Pure concrete rubble is used for this purpose to produce a Type 1 aggregate. The company premises also include a process water cistern. Collected rainwater is used in the production process to mix the concrete. The digital design and industrial-scale production of precast elements is not just limited to concrete as such; it also includes timber-concrete composite floor elements. The new pallet carousel system is semi-automated and allows for the manufacture of complex timber-concrete composite components in large quantities. Digitalization and industrialization are essential to achieving the sustainability goals, as is the continuous improvement of the circularity of finished precast elements. Other features such as a photovoltaic system, heating of the factory buildings using an air-to-water heat pump and charging stations for electric vehicles make the production site one of the most sustainable precast plants in Europe.
