CERIS – Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability organised a Pizza Seminar titled Digitalisation and Automation in Building Demolition and Recycling: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction”, presenting the DISCOVER Horizon Europe project and its contribution to circularity in the demolition sector.

The seminar brought together a multidisciplinary team of experts to share DISCOVER’s ongoing work on robotic solutions, automated inspection tools, and the digitalisation of pre-demolition building information. These developments aim to provide decision-makers with more accurate and structured information on building typology, material recovery potential, and selective demolition options.

During the session highlighted how robotics and digitalisation can support more informed and sustainable demolition practices. The discussion focused on the opportunities offered by automated inspection and digital building data to improve material identification, support reuse and recovery, and promote the circular treatment of demolition waste.

The seminar also explored the role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) in the demolition sector, demonstrating how environmental and economic assessment methods can be integrated with digital and robotic tools to advance sustainable deconstruction strategies.

By hosting this seminar, CERIS provided an important platform for knowledge exchange, bringing together researchers and experts to discuss how innovation, sustainability assessment, and digital technologies can contribute to the transformation of demolition practices.

Special thanks to the presenters for sharing their work in DISCOVER project: Alba Perez, Rui Vasco Silva, Renato Neves, José Dinis Silvestre, and Melissa Bacatelo.