Berlin students research recycled building waste

January 9, 2013

BERLIN (Jan. 9, 3 p.m. ET) — Bayer MaterialScience, Puren GmbH and AB-Polymerchemie GmbH — partners in the EcoCommercial Building Program — are supporting research into recycled building materials at the Technical University of Berlin.

As part of the project, 20 students designed and built a “White Pavilion” using panels made from compressed, recycled polyurethane insulation scrap, fixed onto a wooden frame. The students chose the material in order to meet the strict moisture protection requirements required by the underlying wood structure.

The sides of the pavilion were fitted with transparent slats constructed of twin-wall polycarbonate – Bayer’s Makrolon – as an alternative to glass. This reduced weight, which in turns required fewer mounting elements and struts.