RECONSIDER: REusable CONstruction Systems with hybrID steel-timber-concrete floors for an Enhanced fire Resistance

Principal researcher:

Manuel Luis Romero García

Ana Espinós Capilla

Team members:

  • Carmen Ibáñez Usach
  • Andrés Lapuebla Ferri
  • David Pons Aliaga
  • Marion Charlier

Funding Agency:

Duration: 01/09/2025 – 31/08/2028

Reference: PID2024-161153OB-I00

Abstract

Structural design can no longer be guided solely by criteria such as cost, speed of assembly or aesthetics. Sustainability criteria such as carbon footprint, recyclability and optimised use of resources are increasingly at the centre of design decision-making and this new reality is leading to the development and application of new structural materials and systems. In this context, one of the priorities for a sustainable built environment is to reduce its carbon footprint, which can be achieved through an efficient structural design that minimises resource consumption, relying on the availability of materials with lower embodied carbon and reusing components. This is directly linked to the concept of circularity which promotes keeping materials in circulation by channelling demolition waste, allowing it to re-enter the construction process. While some structural elements can be recovered after demolition, ensuring an adequate amount of them in a satisfactory state requires a specific intervention at the beginning of the project. This is commonly referred to as “Design for Disassembly” (DfD), where it is envisaged that the construction work, from the earliest conceptual engineering steps, will be dismantled in a non-destructive manner when it reaches the end of its service life. However, this philosophy has not yet been taken into account in the fire protection strategies and most of the solutions that are still used break the circularity or the possibility that the structural elements can be reused.

This project aims to contribute to the efficient use of resources and to the reduction of the carbon footprint in the construction industry. Modular structural systems will be proposed, designed with the possibility to be used in different buildings, to ensure flexibility during the lifetime of the structure. The technical requirements that the system must meet to minimise the carbon footprint, maximise recyclability and reusability of the structural elements and materials to compete effectively in the market will be described.

Specifically, the objective of this project is to assess from a comprehensive perspective the fire performance and sustainability of different reusable structural solutions with hybrid steel-timber-concrete floor systems. As an outcome of the project, design recommendations will be proposed for compliance with the DfD concept, in line with the principles of the circular economy in the construction sector, which in turn can meet a fire safety requirement of 90 minutes.