Smart deconstruction with foresight in Rheda-Wiedenbrück

Removal of 20 glued-laminated timber beams for reuse

Between November and December 2024, Johannes Landwehr Abbruchunternehmen GmbH deconstructed an old furniture factory in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in the Gütersloh district. As a DA member company, it placed a particular focus on resource conservation and sustainability in this deconstruction project.

The roughly 13,500 m² site was home to a building erected in 1970, which has now been cleared to make way for new development. Over the course of the work, a total of 3,700 t of construction rubble was generated, including 2,600 t of concrete. This concrete was processed into recycled aggregate in the 8–16 mm fraction and reused in the production of new concrete.

Three Hitachi excavators were used on the project to carry out the selective dismantling of the structure. Hazardous building materials such as asbestos-containing window putty, wired glass, and artificial mineral fibres (AMF) were removed professionally, disposed of separately, and landfilled in accordance with legal requirements.

Special attention was given to preserving reusable components. In total, 20 large-format glued-laminated timber beams from the hall structure were carefully removed and recovered undamaged with the help of a crane. Three of these beams were handed over to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where they were examined for structural integrity and compressive strength. The remaining 17 beams were reused in a neighbouring new-build project, demonstrating how targeted deconstruction planning can keep valuable building materials in the usage cycle.

With the deconstruction complete, the way is now clear for the construction of new production halls to be built on the former furniture factory site. The project shows how technical expertise and a clear commitment to sustainable construction can meaningfully connect old and new.

Information

Johannes Landwehr Abbruchunternehmen GmbH
Samtholzstraße 80
33442 Herzebrock-Clarholz
05245 86070
info@abbruch-landwehr.de
www.abbruch-landwehr.de