Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/W018705/1
Title:	REuse of Structural sTeel in cOnstRuction (RESTOR)
Principal Investigator:	Faramarzi, Professor A
Other Investigators:	Brilakis, Professor I Theofanous, Dr M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Atkins Chetwoods Associates Services Ltd HCL Technologies UK Limited ISG Construction Limited Nolan Associates PTC Inc. Steel Construction Institute Tata Steel Limited Trimble, Inc. (International)
Department:	Civil Engineering
Organisation:	University of Birmingham
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 October 2022	Ends:	30 September 2025	Value (£):	1,323,872
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Design & Testing Technology Manufacturing Machine & Plant
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 02 Nov 2021 Sustainable manufacturing Full Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Steel buildings form the vast majority of multi-storey and industrial buildings in the UK. More than 85% of the structural steel in existing buildings is recycled at the end of their service life whereas less than 15% is reused. However, steel recycling is energy-demanding and contributes to the UK iron and steel industry being the largest industrial sector in terms of both energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, there is a genuine need for cutting-edge technical innovations embedded in the circular economy that maximizes sustainable, efficient and low-energy reuse, rather than energy-demanding recycling, of structural steel. RESTOR is the first project of its kind to apply sophisticated non-destructive testing (NDT), machine learning optimization, and building information modelling to reuse structural steel in construction. At the end of the first lifespan of used steel members (e.g., beams, columns, braces), RESTOR will allow their material properties to be determined based on NDT measurements. RESTOR will optimize the repurposing of used steel members and validate their structural performance during their second lifespan. It will develop a new, validated and optimized state-of-the-art generative design tool that will create automated and optimized building configurations made of used steel members. The outputs of RESTOR will therefore enable sustainable delivery of the infrastructure projects planned as part of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery strategy.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.bham.ac.uk