Xella's goal is to eliminate all leftovers from the production of autoclaved aerated concrete from landfills by 2030. Achieving this is an ongoing process that requires collaboration with others, as it was the case in Almelo, the Netherlands. It was only two years ago that Xella supplied Hebel building components to the technology company VDL Energy Systems. In Almelo they were used to build a factory hall with an adjoining office space. In the meantime, the company has expanded and changed its activities to such an extent that the new hall has already become obsolete. A renovation in cooperation with the construction company Van Wijnen was due. All the technology, machinery, floors and walls inside the hall had to be removed. In addition, 1,100 square meters of autoclaved aerated concrete wall panels from Hebel were dismantled, which had previously served as fireproof partitions between the various sections of the hall.
Demolition and transport with Xella Construction Services
For many years, Xella's Construction Services have provided versatile support around the construction site, not only in the Netherlands. With the help of these services, the wall panels were carefully dismantled and transported to the Xella plant. There, components are inspected piece by piece for reuse. After Van Wijnen has rebuilt and refitted the empty halls, the dismantled wall panels will soon be reused.
A first reuse project has already been agreed, a second is currently being negotiated. For Xella and the Construction Services department, sustainability and circularity are playing an increasingly important role: "We learn by doing it again and again and analyzing how we can improve it," explains Niels van der Wouden, head of Construction Services. "I think that's something that's going to happen more I the future.”
In Puchheim, Germany, Xella recently demonstrated its pioneering role in the recycling of building materials. But this is just one of the many ways in which the company is promoting recycling: Xella is also in the process of optimizing product recipes and offering customers the opportunity to return materials from the construction site to Xella.