Cable ladders and cable wall ducts/channels have a high reuse potential as their design hasn't changed much over the years and are usually not visible to tenants. Hence, their reuse is less dependent on aesthetics.
According to the assessment in Bengt Dahlgren Gothenburg's guide, reusing a 400 mm cable ladder can save around 5.6 kgCO2_eq/m.
How to reuse and recycle
usually, there is no need to collect detailed documentation on the properties of cable ladders and wall ducts; often, it is enough to check the type of the elements and look for documentation for new products of a corresponding type;
in cases in which the corrosivity of the environment is relevant, precisely document the corrosivity class from which the element comes to plan its reuse correspondingly to the corrosivity class of the space they will be reused in;
If such is not available, reuse the cable ladders and wall ducts in spaces with the lowest requirements regarding corrosivity.
check the surface for damages (e.g., scratches, holes, rust) and if any hazardous substances are present (e.g., lead in the case of old ducts – can be checked by XRF measurements);
White rust (i.e., chalky substance that forms on the surface of zinc materials) usually does not significantly influence the functionality and longevity of cable ladders/wall ducts.
protect from any surface damages and deformation during transport and store in a dry space;
Plastic or steel wall ducts? There is no significant difference in quality and lifespan between plastic and steel wall cable ducts; however, steel can get scratched more easily than plastic ones. Therefore, storing and transporting plastic ones might be more manageable.
while reinstalling, ensure that the products can be dismantled and reused again in the future.
In ENTRA's KA13 project, a Norwegian complete full-scale circular project, 90 m of plastic wall ducts were reused. There were no significant problems with the reuse.
In Vasakronan's KAJ16 project, a Swedish complete full-scale circular project, 400 m of cable ladders were harvested from a demolished building, and 100% of cable ladders in a new 16-storey building will be reused.
Sources and further reading
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