Digital Tool Maps Materials Stored in Existing Buildings

A digital tool developed by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and project partner Revitalyze estimates which materials and building elements are stored within existing buildings. Known as the Urban Mining Screener, it could support the reuse and recycling of concrete, bricks, timber and other construction materials.

The tool currently covers Austria’s building stock. Its developers aim to provide information that can help planners view existing buildings as material banks rather than solely as structures awaiting demolition.

Combining Geodata With Building Types

The Urban Mining Screener combines publicly available geodata with a database of 154 building archetypes. An algorithm uses three-dimensional OpenStreetMap data to determine characteristics such as a building’s floor area, perimeter and height.

It then connects this information to the most relevant archetype. Researchers from the Working Group for Sustainable Construction at TU Graz developed these building profiles using parameters such as construction year, materials and energy-efficiency class. Three additional levels account for possible refurbishment work and changes made since the original construction.

Users can enter an address to receive an estimate of the materials present in a building. This approach reduces the need for detailed on-site surveys during the early stages of material-flow planning.

Supporting Reuse And Recycling

A test involving an existing building indicated that the tool can provide relatively accurate estimates, particularly for mineral materials. Results for plastics and complex metal components, such as handrails, remain less precise because these elements are not yet fully represented in the archetype database. The project team plans to improve this aspect.

The screener could help demolition contractors estimate logistics and costs, while manufacturers may use regional forecasts to plan recycled concrete production. Developers and architects could also identify opportunities to recover components such as timber beams and windows.

Although individual-building results remain estimates, the system may be particularly useful at city or regional scale. Aggregated data could reveal when and where specific materials are likely to become available, supporting more coordinated reuse and recycling strategies.

By mapping materials already present in the built environment, the tool offers a way to anticipate future construction waste streams. This may help reduce demand for virgin resources, limit emissions and improve the practical organisation of circular material flows. The Urban Mining Screener files are publicly available through GitHub.

Source: Graz University of Technology
Photo: Tayssir Kadamany