With a theme of sustainability, the event was a great gathering for the German demolition industry. In German the event is called Fachtagung Abbruch, which translates as ‘Trade Union Day for Demolition’. PDi Magazine has covered Fachtagung Abbruch for many years and this year the magazine also exhibited with its own stand.

Best demolition gathering there is

Fachtagung Abbruch is the world’s largest annual conference and tradeshow for the demolition industry, even though it is mainly aimed at the German industry. PDi also believes that it is the best gathering internationally for the demolition industry. This is due to the event being very professionally organised by the German industry association, DA, with an interesting programme of lectures and discussions running throughout the day which comprised of a series of interesting and important discussion topics which proved to be of great interest to the attending German demolition contractors. 

Furthermore at Fachtagung Abbruch, there is none of that back slapping where industry awards are given for meritorious efforts to what seems to be a very small clique of industry players. This is a serious event, where those who participate really get value for the conference fee and take something home with them that they really can use in their business. What is also impressive is the large attendance at the various lectures. This year over 1,200 people attended the event and most of them also attended the lectures, with the dominant theme being sustainability.

Several interesting lectures and discussions

The day began with Andreas Pocha, CEO of the German Demolition Association, welcoming everyone and opening the event with the words: “The topic of sustainability is a welcome opportunity for the demolition industry”. It was the starting point for a panel discussion on the subject and how important the demolition industry’s processing of demolition materials is in order to create a sustainable circular economy. Then Johannes Harzheim gave a review of the last 20 years of recycling work in the demolition industry, with the title of his lecture being ‘Sustainability in demolition – status quo and visions’.

The day continued with sustainability experts Dr Christian Berg, Thomas Hagedorn, Sybille Mai and Johannes Schlenter discussing what emerged during the panel debate earlier in the day. The discussion was moderated by Kristina zur Mühlen.

Together with the participants, Kristina zur Mühlen addressed, among other things, the thesis put forward by Prof. Dr. Berg that all other options should first be carefully considered before demolishing a building. The primary goal for the entire economy is to conserve resources, which, according to Thomas Hagedorn, no other industry does better than the demolition sector in view of the over 90% recycling rate of mineral building materials. However, it is important to replace the word ‘waste’, for example, and to use a more positive term in order to raise the public profile of recycled materials and the demolition industry.

The thesis further stated that although acceptance has increased somewhat since the Substitute Building Materials Ordinance came into force, the public sector must play an even greater role and fulfil its exemplary function. It should therefore also be mandatory to include recycled materials in tenders and not just primary building materials. Overall, Prof. Dr. Christian Berg believes that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issue of used materials. Sybille Mai advocates including construction products industry in the cycles. She sees future collaborations with manufacturers and recycling companies as an opportunity for the industry, with the aim of bringing many high quality materials into the cycle. Whether reusing or recycling, according to Johannes Schlenter, both should be equally valued, because the main thing is that the materials remain in the cycle.

The next topic discussed on stage was concerning new approaches to R-concrete, digitalisation and the EU Taxonomy Regulation. These topics were covered by six different presentations given by Lena Näßl, Michael Appel, Katrin Bahlo, Dr Chritine Lemaitre, Valentin Gutknecht and Katrin Mees. Lena Näßl and Michael Appel from PST Spezialtiefbau Süd GmbH, presented a test series with concrete with 100% recycled aggregate in their presentation, ‘Urban Mining in perfection’, which covered how to make the production of concrete more sustainable.

Katrin Bahlo explained the advantages of digitisation for the demolition industry and presented the functions of the Madaster platform, which can provide information on the amount of secondary material, material recycling and the dismantling of existing buildings, for example. Buildings are also key to climate protection, which is why Dr. Christine Lemaitre, from DGNB GmbH, believes that sustainability doesn’t just start with new construction, but also with demolition. DGNB now has a new certificate for the end of life of buildings in the initial application phase. The aim of the certificate is to close material flows in current demolition projects and promote existing building fabric. The aim is to create incentives for reuse, recycling and the networking of demolition and new construction. 

Demolition material can also store CO2, which saw Valentin Gutknecht from Neustark AG speaking about the opportunities this presents for the demolition industry. Finally, environmental adviser Katrin Mees from DA e.V., explained what opportunities the EU Taxonomy Regulation offers for the demolition industry. Following the presentations, questions were invited from the audience. The conference part ended with members of DA’s Professional Committee Blasting Technology presenting a report on best practices for the controlled blasting of buildings and highlighting the challenges that individual contracts face.

Great tradeshow held in parallel

In parallel with DA’s conference, a trade fair was organised which was open throughout the day. A total of 124 companies representing an array of European and global manufacturers of demolition, recycling and remediation equipment exhibited their products and services. The show was often very well attended, especially during coffee and lunch breaks, and between the various lectures. The only thing that could perhaps improve on the trade fair is that for it to have an outdoor area for product demonstrations. But with such a solid lecture schedule, it would probably be difficult to arrange in terms of timings.

The exhibition hall was directly adjacent to the lecture hall. Next to the exhibition hall there was also a well-proportioned dining room. In the evening, the so-called Dialogue Evening was held here where the participants came together for networking and informal discussions. An excellent dinner was of course served.

As already mentioned, the Fachtagung Abbruch in Berlin is an excellent event that clearly demonstrates the professionalism and seriousness that the German industry association conveys to its members, the industry itself and other partners. A visit next year is recommended. The lectures are held in German but are simultaneously translated into several other languages. Fachtagung Abbruch 2025 will be held on 14 March 2025 at the same location as last years, namely Station-Berlin right in the heart of Berlin.

www.fachtagung-abbruch.de