CIRCTimber
CIRCTimber - New approaches and a real-world laboratory for transforming the linear timber construction industry into a circular value chain and towards business models with great potential
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirt-Ing. Jens OTTO, M.Sc. Ranya ABDUL KHALEK
© Sven Ellger TUD
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
NameMs Ranya Abdul-Khalek M.Sc.
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Visiting address:
Beyer-Bau, Beyer-Bau, 2. Etage, Raum 243 George-Bähr-Straße 1
01069 Dresden
The entrance to the office floors is accessible from the Bernhardstraße.
The CIRCTimber project is developing an integrated roadmap for the transition from today’s predominantly linear timber construction industry towards a circular value chain. The aim is to make the use of waste timber in the construction sector technically, economically and socially viable. To this end, the project is examining existing material flows, processes and market conditions, as well as technical and psychological factors that significantly influence reuse and acceptance.
The Institute of Construction Management (IBB) at TU Dresden is analysing the current process landscape surrounding the dismantling, processing and reuse of timber components. Building on this, the IBB is developing organisational, economic and digital solutions – including business and incentive models, process and logistics concepts, and ideas for digital marketplaces for reusable components.
The Institute for Steel and Timber Structures (ISH) at TU Dresden is investigating the technical requirements for safe and standards-compliant reuse. This includes non-destructive testing methods, assessments of load-bearing capacity and durability, separable structures, and contributions to the standardisation and further development of relevant standards.
RWTH Aachen University (Institute of Psychology: Occupational and Engineering Psychology) is researching the psychological factors influencing acceptance, trust and willingness to use. The study examines individual perceptions, decision-making heuristics and cognitive biases, as well as the expectations of different stakeholder groups regarding waste timber. Based on this, strategies are being developed for effective communication, framing and acceptance management.
All solutions are tested in a real-world laboratory with partners from the demolition, processing, planning and timber construction sectors, validated in practice and demonstrated in a prototype. On this basis, a roadmap is developed which provides concrete recommendations for action for policymakers, industry and practitioners, and charts the course towards a circular timber economy.
Project duration: 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029
Project partners:
- Institute of Steel and Timber Structures, TU Dresden
- Occupational and Engineering Psychology, Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen
Client:
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space