Circular and sustainable solutions

Peikko drives low-carbon construction with green products, hybrid solutions, and circular economy. We focus on the circular economy by designing solutions for disassembly, promoting solutions made of recycled materials, and contributing to building renovation projects.  

The built environment has traditionally followed a linear "take-make-waste" approach, resulting in significant waste and carbon emissions. To achieve genuine sustainability, we must shift towards circular principles right from the planning and design phases. This transition requires developing new and innovative solutions that prioritize reducing and avoiding embodied carbon, enabling the creation of buildings designed for longevity, reuse, and minimal environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle.

Steel, the second most abundant material in buildings, represents 7.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Using recycled raw materials with lower CO₂ emissions is key to achieving environmental targets. By avoiding unnecessary extraction and production, shifting to regenerative/bio-based materials, and improving conventional material decarbonization, the circular economy could reduce global building materials’ CO₂ emissions by 38% by 2050. 

Materials make a difference – our products and solutions

Peikko's DELTABEAM^® Green Slim Floor Structure enables slender and light structural solutions and is made of over 90% recycled steel. DELTABEAM^® Green composite beam cuts CO₂ emissions by up to 50% compared to traditional steel structures. PETRA^® Green Slab Hangers are used to support hollow-core slabs and make openings and configurations into hollow-core slab floors. The EPD certified PETRA^® Green has a 43% smaller carbon footprint compared to standard slab hangers. DELTABEAM^® Green and PETRA^® Green are both manufactured by using energy from renewable sources and transported in a way that burdens the environment as little as possible, by using biofuels and cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.

The environmental impacts are confirmed by the 3rd party verified Environmental Product Declaration, EPD, and project‑specific Life Cycle Assessment calculations of CO₂ emission can be made based on this certificate. When the aim is to reach high on BREEAM or LEED standards, DELTABEAM^® Green is an easy and efficient solution.

By choosing products that utilize recycled raw materials with lower CO₂ emission in process, even challenging environmental targets can be reached sooner than later.

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Hybrid Solutions reduce emissions

DELTABEAM^® Green with timber floors is the more sustainable hybrid solution. PUUCO^® is our timber-based hybrid construction enabler. PUUCO^® Timber Connections is a range of standardized connections that enable connecting timber and concrete seamlessly and reliably in multi-story buildings.  
PUUCO^® Timber Connections is the next level in forming our complete ecosystem of hybrid solutions that enable using DELTABEAM^® Slim Floor Structure timber-to-timber or DELTABEAM^®-to-timber.

Circular Economy – solutions for load-bearing structures

We provide connections that enable the construction, disassembly, and reuse of load-bearing frames. In time, led by our Product Development department, we aim to establish a fully circular product portfolio and a building concept that enables the reuse of load-bearing structures several times.

Bolted Connections for Precast Structures Enable Circularity without Compromising Performance

There are many types of concrete buildings that could already benefit from demountable connections, which would make it possible to dismantle and to reuse the structures. Secondary class buildings, like industry frames, warehouses, car parks, etc., might only be needed temporarily at certain locations. After the required service life, such buildings could be relocated to serve again wherever needed.

In addition to relocation, removable structures could be also replaced if they are damaged or deteriorated. Bolted connections have great potential to increase the reusability of precast concrete structures. In principle, untightening of a bolted connection should be as easy as tightening it.

Many Peikko solutions are already compatible with circular economy principles. To assess the performance of a bolted connection between precast concrete structures as both demountable and load transferring, Peikko performed a series of tests: dismount ability and load‑bearing.

Identical precast columns and connection details were used in both test series. Foundation structures were equipped with two different types of Peikko’s anchor bolts: either HPM^® Anchor bolts or COPRA^® Anchoring couplers with threaded bars.

Disassembling and reassembling the connections showed, in practice, that bolted connections can provide not only easy and fast assembly, but also effortless disassembly of precast concrete structures. COPRA^® Anchoring couplers especially showed an outstanding potential for reusing both the column and the foundation.

Load‑bearing tests took place at the test laboratory of Eurofins. Performance of the column connections was evaluated by measuring the displacement of column end under increasing shear load. Both connections showed ductile and robust behavior, reaching high ultimate load related with large deformation.

These tests have been one of Peikko’s first but firm steps towards its future with circular and sustainable solutions. These test results proved that bolted connections between precast concrete structures can be considered as demountable without compromising load‑bearing capacity.

 

Further Information

Peikko's Demountable Solutions

In Search of a Bright, Circular Future!

Bolted connections for precast structures – enabling circularity without compromising performance

DELTABEAM^® Slim Floor Structures to lighten a building's environmental footprint

Dismount and Reuse of Precast Concrete Structures

Connections circular video