ABOUT DISCOVER

ABOUT DISCOVER2025-01-29T11:33:18+00:00

Our mission 

DISCOVER is a four-year European project dedicated to transforming the construction industry by harnessing emerging technologies to accelerate the twin transitions of green sustainability and digital transformation

Revolutionizing the construction and demolition industry

Innovative solutions

Key points
  • Advancing robotics in pre-demolition inspection and identification

  • Unlocking the potential of AI and BIM-based tools for sustainable deconstruction

  • Transforming demolition practices for optimal resource recovery

  • Increasing direct material reuse in construction

  • Rapid and autonomous on-site material identification methods

Deconstruction Sector
Robotics
Digital Twin

Project info

 Project acronym: DISCOVER
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-TWO-STAGE
 Topic: HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-11
 Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA
 Grant Agreement number: 101129909
Partners2024-12-12T10:53:43+00:00
  • Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain – Coordinator
  • C5Lab – Sustainable Construction Materials Association (C5Lab), Portugal

  • DigitalTwin Technology GmbH (DTT), Germany

  • Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Tecnalia), Spain

  • Hercal Zero SL (H-Zero), Spain

  • Holcim Innovation Center SAS (HIC), France

  • Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST), Portugal

  • Institut Mines-Telecom (IMT), France

  • Panellinia Enosi Diplomatouchon Michanikon Ergolipton Dimosion Ergon (PEDMEDE), Greece

  • Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft), the Netherlands

  • Tree Capital Sp.z.o.o. (Tree), Poland

  • Tracimat vzw (Tracimat vzw), Belgium

  • UPC Technology Center (CIT UPC), Spain

  • Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (VITO), Belgium

Coordinator2024-12-12T10:53:19+00:00

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) – Spain
discover.project@upc.edu

 

Scopes & Objectives2024-12-12T10:53:04+00:00
  • Develop new techniques and technologies to rapidly identify materials and their characteristics, construction products and components

  • Develop solutions to digitally record, categorise and tag existing materials, construction products and elements

  • Develop solutions that would analyse the suitability of identified elements for use in a circular economy

  • Address ways to make circular use of the identified elements as secondary materials or reused products on the market in construction projects

  • Address ways in which the characteristics of identified elements are presented in a user-friendly manner to relevant actors

  • Build on existing standards or contribute to standardisation. Interoperability for data sharing should be addressed, for example concerning product databases and cross-border collaboration

  • Present a strategy for skills development, associating social partners where relevant, integrating SSH aspects and including relevant tools such as MOOCs (massive open online courses)

Target Groups2024-12-12T10:54:48+00:00

Industrial community in the construction and demolition activities

Professionals and researchers in the areas of civil and building engineering, circularity, robotics, signal processing, AI and social sciences

Public authorities and policy makers

Professional associations and networks

Universities and R&D centres

General public

 

Impact2024-12-12T10:55:17+00:00

Optimize deconstruction processes, reduce waste, and enhance worker safety

Increase reused components by up to 20% in Europe, reduce workrelated injuries by over 25%, and lower construction sector emissions by 15%

Reduce C&DW by 55%

Outputs2024-12-12T10:56:16+00:00

Increased use of BIM-based digital twins for decision making on C&D activities

Increased use of sensor-based identification in C&D

A better life cycle of C&D elements, thanks to the multicycle LCA and LCC

Increased supply and usage of secondary materials

Reduction of the amount of C&D waste

Improvement of the selective demolition processes with the interactive BIM model

Job specialization and reduction of intensive and hazardous labour in C&D

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