Construction and demolition waste contains a wide range of mineral fractions including mixed fine aggregates, ceramics, gypsum, mineral wool, and lightweight materials. These streams hold significant material value yet their heterogeneous composition makes recovery technically demanding. Efficient reuse depends on processes capable of separating, classifying, and upgrading these fractions so they can return to industrial use as reliable raw materials.

The VALDESC project addresses this challenge through coordinated research and industrial development focused on the recovery and transformation of complex construction and demolition waste (CDW). The initiative brings together industrial partners and research institutions to investigate new processes, digital tools, and construction materials capable of supporting a circular material economy within the construction sector.

The project launched in Madrid at the Instituto Eduardo Torroja de Ciencias de la Construcción (CSIC-IETcc)nd operates with a budget of six million euros over a three-year period extending to 2027. VALDESC is funded by the Community of Madrid through the 2024 program supporting public–private R&D collaboration and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The consortium is led by Surge Ambiental and includes Valoriza, Sacyr, MOGENSEN, Sika, Hormicruz, Knauf, Holcim, Adcore, Forestbank and LayerMDtogether with research partners Tecnalia, CSIC-IETcc and IMDEA Agua.

Research activity is organized around four technological lines. These include digital tools designed to improve traceability and purity in recycled materials, new processes for recovering usable fractions from complex CDW streams, the development of construction products containing higher recycled content with reduced carbon intensity, and industrialized façade systems incorporating circular materials within modular building components.

Within this framework, MOGENSEN contributes its expertise in material dry density sorting and screening. The recovery of usable mineral fractions requires precise separation, particle size control, and stable classification before these materials proceed to subsequent processing stages.

The expected outcome includes the recovery of more than 770,000 tonnes of construction waste per year, a measurable reduction in carbon emissions associated with construction materials, and the integration of recycled resources into new construction products and systems.

The VALDESC project, “Innovative Solutions to Promote the Recovery of Complex Construction and Demolition Waste and Decarbonization of the Construction Sector in the Community of Madrid,” has been funded through the 2024 Call for Grants to contribute to improving public-private cooperation in R&D&I through flagship projects carried out by a consortium of the Department of Education, Science, and Universities of the Community of Madrid and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the Community of Madrid Program 2021-2027.