Project R-16118

End-of-life scenarios for earth-based building materials (Research)

Due to the high amount of embodied energy in conventional construction materials and the depletion of natural resources, there is a growing need for regenerative building materials. Materials based on unfired earth, such as earth blocks or rammed earth, are being increasingly used in practice and can significantly contribute to reducing the material footprint and CO2 emissions of the construction sector. However, additives are often added to improve the material properties. These additives not only increase the environmental impact during production, but also have an impact on end-of-life processing. When further scaling up the application of earth-based building materials, there is a need to better understand the influence of the end-of-life on their environmental impact and circularity potential. In this PhD project, different end-of-life scenarios for earth-based building materials are investigated through exploratory research, literature review, case studies and life cycle assessments. This mixed-methods approach is used to not only examine the environmental impact and circularity potential of possible end-of-life scenarios, but to explore their practical relevance too. A better understanding of the end-of-life of earth-based materials should help increase support for and facilitate their application in the Belgian construction sector.

01 November 2025 - 31 October 2029