Digital workflow to support the reuse of precast concrete and estimate the climate benefit

Abstract Concrete production contributes to around 8-9% of global CO 2 emissions. Reusing building components in a circular economy can contribute to closing material loops and lowering CO 2 emissions. When reusing concrete elements, it is necessary to have effective methods for evaluating their reuse potential. In this study, a novel digital workflow is developed to support the reuse of precast concrete elements by evaluating their lifespan based on carbonation depth. The workflow relies on automated retrieval of material quantities and information from a digital model. This model is then coupled with environmental data on construction products and calculation methods for CO 2 uptake in concrete by carbonation. The remaining service life of concrete elements was calculated for a case study. For reference, CO 2 uptake during the first service life was estimated at 4973 kg CO 2 or 4% of the embodied carbon. Hence, the potential benefits of reuse outweigh those of carbonation. The presented approach supports the decision-making process when evaluating the reuse potential for concrete elements. The digital workflow can help designers make quick decisions concerning the lifespan and carbon footprint of concrete. The digital tool can be extended in future work with more parameters to evaluate additional sustainability indicators.