
The European subsidized project CBCI is investigating how we can use raw materials in construction more efficiently, in order to reduce CO2 emissions, throughout the life cycle of a building. For the transition to a circular economy, an integrated approach to circular and biobased construction is being developed, which forms the basis for the construction sector.
CIRCULAR AND BIO-BASED BUILDING
Construction is a major consumer of materials and is responsible for about 33% of the total CO2 emissions. Currently, the components and materials used are often not adaptable during the life cycle. Nor are they made from renewable, biobased materials. This is because most construction projects are still designed in a linear way, which makes material reuse difficult. A transition from the current “linear construction” to a biobased, circular construction is necessary.
INTEGRAL APPROACH
In order to realize circular and biobased construction, an integrated approach is required in which processes, disciplines, companies and laws and regulations must be changed. This means that existing roles of construction industry stakeholders will change and new roles will be needed. Within CBCI, we are developing an approach that guarantees coherence between technical, legal and social aspects, and business models for biobased and circular design and construction. The approach is that what we develop can then be produced on an industrial scale.
PROTOTYPING, LIVING LABS AND REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS
Design research takes place in order to arrive at a working approach. A characteristic feature of this is the iterative approach and that we involve a wide range of stakeholders and experts in the research. During workshops we look at the different perspectives.
This research focuses on 2 real-life cases. A clinic of the Zeeland care institution Emergis and a building of KU Leuven in Ghent are being circular renovated with biobased materials. Through the approach with stakeholders and experts, we develop facade elements, which we not only test as prototypes in laboratories, but also apply real-life in these cases.
We ensure a good learning experience and knowledge sharing by recording and analyzing the various steps in the various development processes, such as workshops, prototyping, living labs and real-life cases. We use laboratories in Belgium (BBRI), the Netherlands (SPARK Maker Space Lab) and England (BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials) to design, test and produce the prototypes. In doing so, the researchers use the most modern production techniques and research facilities.
EXPECTED REVENUE
With CBCI we realize various outputs for the widest possible effect on the construction sector. The project results in various publications, MOOCs, a practical guide and a feasibility study. This is all intended to inspire and provide (future) professionals with practical information for their own construction projects, at every stage of the process. The learning results of the project and the materials developed eventually come together in a demonstration exhibition at Kamp C in Westerlo (BE). The goal of CBCI is to contribute to the application of new solutions for the circular economy.
COOPERATION
Avans works as lead partner of the Circular Bio-based Construction Industry research project together with 9 knowledge institutions and organizations. The following are involved within Avans: Expertise Centre Technical Innovation, Centre of Expertise Biobased Economy and the Expertise Centre Sustainable Business.
SUPPORT
The total project will run for almost 4 years, until September 30, 2022. And a size of almost € 7 million. CBCI is a project of Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020. This is a European territorial cooperation program. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is one of the funders.

Martijn Zieverink appointed as professor for the Biobased Transitions Research Group at MNEXT

In memoriam: Max Drath

Educate more professionals for the energy transition

10th Biorizon Annual Event on Bio-Aromatics

Kick-off conference Energy(k) Education

Lunch & Learn: Energy Holacracy

BIO-CAPPP

Energy(k) Eductation

BIO-CAPPP

GESCHIKT: energy transition on business parks

Rapid Renewable Materials: the next step in sustainable construction.

Mycelium on Board

From orange waste to a green future

Blueprint of fungal genomes

BioGov.net

Water-resistant mycelium composites

Sustainable Particle Board

Circular Emergency Shelters

FACET

Totally Nuts: Circular Biobased Thermosets from Cashew Nutshells

Biodegradation Coatings Stahl

Green Hub: Information hub value chains green residual flows

Acceleration of nature-inclusive area development

Reflow

Biobased Insulation – Lifespan Determination (BILD)

Setting up and performing biodiesel trials in a coaster ship

Mythic

PyroCHEM: Waste2Chem Innovation Cluster

Membrane Technologies

Flestic

Direct extrusion of PHA-rich biomass

Production of bioplastics from residual streams (WoW! Capitalisation)

Powering Agrifood

Smart Circular Bridge

Fungal Colourants

Learning Network Biobuilders

Orange in the Sea

Amino Acids!

Building on Mycelium

Follow-up S4G

Colour Application Centre

Making disposables disposable

Making shipping more sustainable (Russia – Benelux)

Zircular Seaweed food

Extraction of pectins from onion skins

Growing Leather

Learning Community Renewable fuels

PHA accumulation capacity of Sewage Treatment Plant

NACO – Zero Waste Collective Oosterhout

Bio Iso (RAAK MKB)

Design with RRM (rapidly renewable materials)

Resin biodegradation

Biobased gadgets

Biobased foam

Biobased flocculants for water purification

Viberscrete – biobased concrete

Innovation Traineeships

Building light

BioADD

CurCol

Learning community

Professors’ platform Biobased Economy

Porter’s lodge Delfland

Smart Circular Bridge

Biobased, circular Christmas bauble with packaging

Mycelium boards

Coloring Mycelium

Back to the Materials of the Future

National Biobased Database

Structural Health in Biobased Constructions

Beauti-Fully Biobased Fibers

Coffee Silverskin Biomass Utilization

Sustainable solid biofuels

Biobonding: Improved biocomposites

ZCORE (from Seaweed to COating Resin applications)

Cashing cashew

Material research for 3D printing

Seaweed Sterols

Onion deserves more

Circling in construction

Biomass flows in the province of South Holland

Circular Bio-based Construction Industry (CBCI)

Biodegradability of biopolymer and biopolymer composites

BBM+

Opportunities for composting in Brazil

Stadsjutters Breda

Innovation tables

Tomatozyme

MAA’s from algae

Sensor wise Biobased

Pyrolysis Experimental Garden South

Grassification

REFAWOOD

Valuable ONION

Biobased Network

Living Lab Biobased Brazil

Biopolymer Application Center

Borderless Biobased Education

Living Colors

Mycelium

BioCOLOUR

BioCannDo

Blue Chain

WOW!

Green Growth

Biobased Challenge

Biobased bridge

Pure Nature: 100% Biobased

National Biobased Knowledge Network
