Abstract
At conventional construction sites, the removal of soil and other excavated materials causes enormous mass movement, with a significant climate impact and contribution to global CO2 release. This study aimed to generate a Circular Soil concept for reusing excavated materials by creating engineered soils for landscape construction at large building sites. Engineered soils act as a substitute for natural soils and fulfill vital technical and soil functions when installing an urban green infrastructure (GI). In a field study, the vegetation performance on engineered soils was evaluated to establish a methodological approach, to assess the applicability of the Circular Soil concept. First, the technical specifications (grain-size distribution) were modeled for intensive green roof and turfgrass applications. Then, the soil components were optimized, mixed, installed and tested for greenery purposes, focusing on plant growth performance indicators (vitality, projective cover ratio and grass-herb ratio) to assess the vegetation performance. The results showed that the engineered soils match the performance of the reference soil alternatives. In conclusion, the Circular Soil concept has a high potential to contribute considerably to sustainable on-site soil management and the circular economy. It can be applied on a larger scale for urban GI development and sustainable resources management in the landscaping and construction sector.
Highlights
The global building sector (28%) and the building construction industry (10%) are responsible for an immense climate impact, accounting for 38% of total global energyrelated CO2 emissions [1]
The engineered soil alternatives were assessed for their applicability regarding their soil structural stability and vegetation performance to answer RQ1: How is plant growth performance characterized in engineered soil substitutes, based on excavated materials, compared to horticultural soils?
The Circular Soil concept presented has a high potential to contribute to climate change adaptation measures as it protects valuable soil resources
Summary
The global building sector (28%) and the building construction industry (10%) are responsible for an immense climate impact, accounting for 38% of total global energyrelated CO2 emissions [1]. The high impact is a result of the massive resources consumption for buildings and infrastructures. Aggregates like sand or gravel, intended for construction purposes, especially for the cement industry, are extracted at an unsustainable rate, most likely exceeding the current level of 50 billion tons per year in the near future [2], making humankind the most decisive geological factor of the present time. The ongoing construction boom contrasts with the need to protect valuable soil resources and their ecosystem services [4,5], especially in urban areas where the degree of impervious surfaces is high [6,7].
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