Lappeenranta

Circular economy

Urban infra revolution - Circular economy materials and novel method development to produce recyclable and functional urban construction products

“The city of Lappeenranta is committed to test and adapt circular economy technologies as well as business models. A mutual agenda with innovative companies helps us address environmental and economic issues simultaneously, for the benefit of Lappeenranta’s inhabitants. Urban Infra Revolution project is a great example, having truly global prospects for sustainable growth.”

Kimmo Jarva, Mayor of the City of Lappeenranta
Chiffres clef
73 000
inhabitants live in Lappeenranta, making it a typical European medium-size city
80%
reduction of CO2 emissions from 2007 level is the target for 2030
0%
waste is the target for 2050
EUR 3,386,638.4
Total ERDF budget granted
Challenge addressed

Present urban infrastructure consists mainly of steel reinforced concrete based solutions. Both these materials contain high energy, virgin raw materials and are intensive in CO2 emissions. Alone in Lappeenranta area, CO2 emissions from cement and lime production is ca 393 000 ton/CO2e/a. Current production methods are time and labor intensive, and don’t allow innovative shapes nor additional functions to the products. Recyclability of concrete is restricted: recycling of steel reinforced concrete elements is a complex and costly process. These difficulties usually lead to the situation, that constructional waste remains landfilled and causes unwanted costs. Little attention is also paid into recyclability of modern geocomposite and geobeton materials. Except demolition waste, there are also other materials in industrial cities that are landfilled unnecessarily: tailings from mining, green liquor dreg and ashes from the forest industry and energy production. This project strives to sustainable, fully recyclable solutions for these local side streams that are large in volume but also challenging to reuse. In South Karelia, mining generated side streams and tailings are 884 000 ton/a. Tailing waste from partnering Nordkalk equals ca 170000 ton/a. Total amount of slags and ashes generated in the county is 21 507 t/a.

Available additive manufacturing technologies cannot yet meet the industrial scale need of construction industry. In addition, the materials struggle in meeting the quality standards of arctic conditions. This project strives for high quality, multifunctional, industrial scale urban construction in extreme weather areas. We want to bring the production close to the building site, use local raw materials and close the material loop in order to diminish the CO2 emissions of urban building and enhance zero waste arctic cities. Traditional construction industry is much regulated and experimentally restricted but still a key player when moving from high-energy society to circular economy, low-carbon society. Therefore, we want to take initiatives to develop and provide new platform to experiment sustainable urban innovations for vivid, modern, clean technology pioneering cities.

Solution proposed

New generation urban development is focusing a lot on smart technologies, but modern construction engineering has an important role when creating smart cities. Our circular economy and low-carbon solution will revolutionise the urban construction engineering. The side streams from industry are utilised in urban construction by combining them into a high-value material to replace concrete. CO2 emissions are reduced by avoiding the use of cement and preferring local material sources. Side streams are analyzed, characterized and modified by activation. Method to pre-treat and activate tailings is developed separately. Novel material formulas will be created, containing suitable side streams to be used as geopolymer binder (replacing cement) and as inorganic aggregates in geocomposites. An innovative fiber reinforced geocomposites will be developed to achieve the high standards of construction industry. Owing to this, a method to recycle the products directly after crushing can be developed and unnecessary dumping of constructional waste can be avoided. Lab scale items are prepared to test the material combinations, before they are used and tested in full-scale piloting, to ensure the quality, technical performance, safety and appearance of the materials and products in arctic climate conditions. Multifunctional and aesthetic products, that cannot to be prepared with conservative construction methods, will be designed to create a novel urban environment. The innovative future vision, Urban City 2050, is created and visualised in Virtual environment, in cooperation with designers and stakeholders. Novel constructional solutions for the urban environment will be designed. Multifunctionality of the products is ensured with innovative shapes. Design restricted product methods are replaced with IT-directed device, and time and labor intensive methods with automated, additive manufacturing method. This allows a low-carbon and safe on-site building, avoiding disposable molds and unnecessary transportation. Selected pilot structures will be manufactured within the urban infra and their properties are tested in arctic climate conditions. Industrial piloting for more demanding conditions are piloted in the same way. To implement and finally benefit locally the project results, a viable sustainable business ecosystem is designed and environmental and socioeconomic impacts are assessed. The final implementation of the results demands the creation of the circular economy business model. Social and technical acceptance of the materials is crucial; this requires both chemical, physical and sociologic testing, and life cycle analysis. The final revolution and enhance in local business is possible, transferable and replicable globally, when the acceptance procedure and incorporation of product specifications are prepared.

Partnership
  • City of Lappeenranta
  • Apila Group Ltd - SME
  • Fimatec Finnish Intelligent Module Appartment Oy - SME
  • Total Design Ltd - SME
  • Design Reform Ltd - SME
  • UPM Kymmene - private company
  • Outotec Ltd - private company
  • Nordkalk Corporation - private company
  • Metsä Group - private company
  • Stora Enso Oyj - Private company
  • Lappeenranta University of Technology - higer education and research institute
  • Imatra Region Development Company Ltd - regional development company
  • Saimaan ammattikorkeakoulu - higer education and research institute
Expected results

As an outcome of the project, the following results will be achieved:
• Closed loop in construction demonstrated: recyclable products of recycled materials for urban construction
• Unutilised side streams/recycled materials used as raw materials to avoid the use of virgin materials
• Technically improved new materials in closed loop urban structures applicable for extreme climates
• Revolutional, aesthetic, safe multifunctional urban structures solving real urban issues e.g. neighborhood noise control and safety protection
• Product acceptance procedures and criteria created
• Enhanced value-generating circular economy business for local industries
• Existing international markets for the solution
• Lower carbon emissions by replacing use of cement with circular materials and by use of recycled raw materials from local sources to reduce logistics CO2 production and transportation energy consumption.

These outcomes contribute directly to the ambitious goal on carbon free and waste free cities by reduced amount of unutilised waste from local industries and lower CO2 emissions. New innovative products and new industrial scale technology enhance the local industry business and accelerate the employment possibilities in circular economy. Developed materials and technology improve the safety of construction areas and enhance construction industry sustainability and productivity. Industrial symbiosis created add bilateral value for project partners and local construction industry creating improved possibilities to operate in South Karelia region which further on affects positively to the vitality of respected urban areas. Aesthetic urban scenery upgrades the living convenience in the city whereas multifunctional and technically improved urban structures strive for improved citizen welfare in the city by a holistic approach by enabling e.g. better noise control, more versatile urban space usage and new possibilities for outdoor recreation and light traffic in extreme conditions.

Main milestones

May 2018: Start-up of implementation
October 2018: Lab-scale printing & testing additive manufacturing device (3D printer)
February 2019: Urban design and piloting
September 2019: Intermediate test prints and scope, goal and system boundaries
January 2020: Industrial scale up, virtual reality expo and full scale test print
October 2020: Finalisation of the project

 

Chiffres clef
73 000
inhabitants live in Lappeenranta, making it a typical European medium-size city
80%
reduction of CO2 emissions from 2007 level is the target for 2030
0%
waste is the target for 2050
EUR 3,386,638.4
Total ERDF budget granted
Contact du project
Eeva Pihlajaniemi
Project manager
Kinga Korniejenko
UIA expert

Actualités du projet

Journal n 06: Urban Infra Revolution

Journal n 06: Urban Infra Revolution: The Urban Infra Revolution project implementation

The article summarizes the project implementation and comments the most important problems that occurred during the project. Despite the difficulties,...
The Urban Infra Revolution project Journal 5: get an update about Lappeenranta's project

The Urban Infra Revolution project Journal 5: get an update about Lappeenranta's project

The fifth edition of the Journal describes and analyses the progress of the Urban Infra Revolution (UIR) project in the last six months, from March 20...
Get an update about the Urban Infra Revolution project - Journal 4

Get an update about the Urban Infra Revolution project - Journal 4

In this fourth edition of the Journal, UIA Expert Kinga Korniejenko describes and analyses the progress of the Urban infra revolution project from Oct...
Do we need innovations? Zoom-in on 3D printing technology for construction materials - ZOOM IN 2

Do we need innovations? 3D printing technology for construction materials - ZOOM IN 2

The second zoom-in of Urban Infra Revolution, UIA Expert Kinga Korniejenko focus on exploring the technology of 3D printing geopolymer composites and ...
Virtual models of urban future vision 2030 and 2050

Virtual models of urban future vision 2030 and 2050

In UIR project WP6 Piloting includes also virtual modelling of the city center of city of Lappeenranta. LAB University of Applied Sciences, Design Ref...
UrbanInfraRevolution: technical solutions and challenges

UrbanInfraRevolution: technical solutions and challenges in the last 6 months

The third Journal of Urban Infra Revolutions describes and analyses the progress of the project in the last six months, from March 2019 to end of Sept...
Designing and building the noise barrier!

Designing and building the noise barrier!

Within the Urban Infra Revolution (UIR) project, piloting products design is developing strongly and smoothly towards the finalisation of product desi...
Urban Infra Revolution geopolymer composite

Mechanical activation of geopolymers at Lappeenranta-Lahti University

The development of a new kind of circulative geopolymer composite material based on side streams of local industries is strongly promoted by the Urban...
Do we need innovations? Zoom-in on geopolymers composites

Do we need innovations? Zoom-in on geopolymers composites

Making the construction sector circular is one of the main challenge for the implementation of a full circular economy. The Urban Infra Revolutions pr...
Lappeenrenta Journal 2

Durability of the materials used and other technological challenges faced by Urban Infra Revolution

In the second edition of the Urban infra revolution Journal, UIA Expert Kinga Korniejenko provides an overview of the development of the project by fo...
City modeling Lappeenranta

Designing and modelling the city!

The City of Lappeenranta, the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences and Design Reform and have been working together on developing the virtual modell...
Lappeenranta Journal 1

Urban Infra Revolution UIA Expert Journal – reducing emissions in urban construction development

UIA Expert, Kinga Korniejenko, gives a first look on how the project is being implemented....
construction course for project partners

Urban Infra Revolution - training partners and public on construction methods

Construction industry being UIR project’s core development field, construction department of Saimaa University of Applied Sciences organised short int...
Ideas competition Lappeenrenta

Citizens’ ideas how to use new circulative sidestream based construction material

In the Urban Infra Revolution project, new sustainable material is developed by combining forest and mining industry side streams. In April, an idea c...

Media

Citizens Ideas competition

Citizens Ideas competition

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