Transformation of Berlin excavation material into high-compressive-strength earth blocks
Berlin, January 2026 - Dezember 2027
The project “Bodendreieck - Transformation of Berlin excavation material into high-compressive-strength earth blocks” aims to systematically convert mineral excavation material into high-quality, standards-compliant earthen building materials. At its core is the development and scaling of a form-pressed earthen block process that completely avoids firing processes and hydraulic binders. Instead of homogeneous primary raw materials, heterogeneous regional excavation material is used and processed into load-bearing building materials with very low greenhouse-gas potential through material-adaptive formulations and mechanical compaction. In this way, the project combines circular economy principles, regional value creation, and industrial research.
Within the scope of the project, the legal, technical, and logistical conditions along the entire value chain are examined—from the legal classification of excavation material and quality assurance to initial building-regulation testing. Building on already validated laboratory and demonstration projects, the focus lies on optimizing the earth blocks, particularly with regard to compressive strength. This is intended to enable the construction of more slender masonry using the resulting blocks. “Bodendreieck” thus positions itself as a research project at the intersection of value chain analysis, laboratory research, and industrial processes.
The project is developed in collaboration with the Berlin-based research institute Bauhaus Earth and is funded by the State of Berlin through Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) as part of the MPI program.
