Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications
The ongoing effects of climate change have led to a rise in global temperature, significantly reducing snow cover and resulting in the abandonment of numerous ski areas across Switzerland. As a result, many ski lifts have been decommissioned and left to deteriorate due to lenient local regulations....
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MDPI AG
2024-10-01
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| author | Adrian Kiesel Guido Brandi Jael Schlatter Andri Gerber Silke Langenberg |
| author_facet | Adrian Kiesel Guido Brandi Jael Schlatter Andri Gerber Silke Langenberg |
| author_sort | Adrian Kiesel |
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| description | The ongoing effects of climate change have led to a rise in global temperature, significantly reducing snow cover and resulting in the abandonment of numerous ski areas across Switzerland. As a result, many ski lifts have been decommissioned and left to deteriorate due to lenient local regulations. To address this issue, this paper presents a case study approach to repurposing steel trusses from abandoned ski lifts for a new structural application within the building industry. The design, sourcing, and construction of a new load-supporting column are described, focusing on reusing the ski lift steel trusses as a whole, without dismantling them into their components. After collection, these elements are adapted to comply with current building standards. By pouring out the hollow structure with the recently developed building material Cleancrete ©, a new load-bearing structure is developed. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates the environmental performance of the steel–Cleancrete hybrid construction, which achieves a global warming potential (GWP) of 536.58 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. In comparison, alternative designs using wood and concrete exhibited GWP values of 679.45 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq, +26.6%, and 1593.72 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq, +197.02%, respectively. These findings suggest that repurposing abandoned ski lift structures can significantly contribute to sustainable building practices, waste reduction, and the promotion of circular economy principles. The process outlined in this paper holds potential for future applications, particularly in the reuse of other steel components, ensuring continued circularity even as the supply of ski lift structures may dwindle. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b65d171125da4ccebcbd77f1917af5c3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-8945 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b65d171125da4ccebcbd77f1917af5c32025-08-20T02:50:56ZengMDPI AGArchitecture2673-89452024-10-014483585310.3390/architecture4040044Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing ApplicationsAdrian Kiesel0Guido Brandi1Jael Schlatter2Andri Gerber3Silke Langenberg4Institute Constructive Design (IKE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences, 8401 Winterthur, SwitzerlandInstitute Constructive Design (IKE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences, 8401 Winterthur, SwitzerlandOberli Ingenieurbüro AG, Lagerplatz 21, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandInstitute Constructive Design (IKE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences, 8401 Winterthur, SwitzerlandInstitute for Technology in Architecture (ITA), ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, SwitzerlandThe ongoing effects of climate change have led to a rise in global temperature, significantly reducing snow cover and resulting in the abandonment of numerous ski areas across Switzerland. As a result, many ski lifts have been decommissioned and left to deteriorate due to lenient local regulations. To address this issue, this paper presents a case study approach to repurposing steel trusses from abandoned ski lifts for a new structural application within the building industry. The design, sourcing, and construction of a new load-supporting column are described, focusing on reusing the ski lift steel trusses as a whole, without dismantling them into their components. After collection, these elements are adapted to comply with current building standards. By pouring out the hollow structure with the recently developed building material Cleancrete ©, a new load-bearing structure is developed. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates the environmental performance of the steel–Cleancrete hybrid construction, which achieves a global warming potential (GWP) of 536.58 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. In comparison, alternative designs using wood and concrete exhibited GWP values of 679.45 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq, +26.6%, and 1593.72 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq, +197.02%, respectively. These findings suggest that repurposing abandoned ski lift structures can significantly contribute to sustainable building practices, waste reduction, and the promotion of circular economy principles. The process outlined in this paper holds potential for future applications, particularly in the reuse of other steel components, ensuring continued circularity even as the supply of ski lift structures may dwindle.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8945/4/4/44circular economysustainable building practicesstructural reusesteel trussesdecommissioned ski liftsload-bearing structures |
| spellingShingle | Adrian Kiesel Guido Brandi Jael Schlatter Andri Gerber Silke Langenberg Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications Architecture circular economy sustainable building practices structural reuse steel trusses decommissioned ski lifts load-bearing structures |
| title | Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications |
| title_full | Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications |
| title_fullStr | Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications |
| title_short | Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications |
| title_sort | structural reuse of decommissioned ski lift steel trusses for load bearing applications |
| topic | circular economy sustainable building practices structural reuse steel trusses decommissioned ski lifts load-bearing structures |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8945/4/4/44 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adriankiesel structuralreuseofdecommissionedskiliftsteeltrussesforloadbearingapplications AT guidobrandi structuralreuseofdecommissionedskiliftsteeltrussesforloadbearingapplications AT jaelschlatter structuralreuseofdecommissionedskiliftsteeltrussesforloadbearingapplications AT andrigerber structuralreuseofdecommissionedskiliftsteeltrussesforloadbearingapplications AT silkelangenberg structuralreuseofdecommissionedskiliftsteeltrussesforloadbearingapplications |