Hazardous waste management for GRASSL

IB GRASSL is a specialized engineering consultancy with extensive experience in the structural assessment, planning, and design of complex infrastructure projects. Within interdisciplinary project teams, IB GRASSL is responsible for evaluating structural integrity, developing refurbishment and construction concepts, and translating technical requirements into feasible planning solutions. Working closely with TAUW, structural engineering and hazardous‑materials expertise are coordinated from an early stage, ensuring that safety, functionality, durability, and sustainability are addressed in an integrated and efficient manner.

Challenge – Modernizing aging infrastructure safely and sustainably

The client faced the task of upgrading and partially dismantling aging public transport and traffic infrastructure while maintaining safety, operational continuity, and environmental responsibility. Many of the existing structures — such as pedestrian underpasses, underground transit facilities, retaining walls, and tram tunnels — dated from periods when hazardous materials were commonly used in construction. Before any refurbishment or demolition could proceed, it was essential to identify and manage contaminants such as asbestos and PCBs. The challenge lay in enabling refurbishment within existing structures wherever possible, avoiding unnecessary new construction, limiting disruption to traffic and public use, and ensuring full compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental regulations.

Solutions – Targeted hazardous‑materials assessment and remediation planning

TAUW conducted systematic hazardous‑materials investigations across various infrastructure components, focusing on identifying contaminated waterproofing systems, joint fillings, and other relevant construction elements. These investigations formed the basis for precise and risk‑based remediation concepts.

By developing structured remediation and dismantling plans, TAUW enabled controlled removal of hazardous materials using clearly defined safety measures and disposal pathways. The work was closely coordinated with structural engineering partners to ensure that contamination issues, structural integrity, and functional requirements were addressed in an integrated manner.

This approach allowed the client to refurbish and upgrade many structures within the existing footprint, planning demolition or replacement only where technically necessary. Night‑time assessments and phased remediation concepts were used where relevant, minimizing disruptions to surrounding traffic and public transport operations.

Partnership – Human connection

GRASSL chose TAUW for our experience in hazardous material management, regulatory knowledge and pragmatic, people-oriented approach. The partnership has expanded and we are now supporting GRASSL on other infrastructure projects across Bavaria.

“We appreciate the long standing collaboration, marked by reliability, high quality, and a solution oriented approach” – Johanna Kratzer, IB Grassl

Impact – Resource efficiency, safety, and sustainable urban mobility

While the individual projects were relatively small in terms of material volumes, tonnages, and turnover when compared with TAUW’s larger national and international assignments, their impact on the local living environment is nevertheless significant. Targeted hazardous‑materials remediation prevented uncontrolled releases of contaminants, protecting workers, residents, and the surrounding environment, while supporting material separation and responsible disposal or reuse where possible.

By prioritizing refurbishment and upgrading over replacement, the projects reduced material consumption, waste generation, and the environmental impacts typically associated with new construction. At the same time, the modernized infrastructure contributes directly to safer, more accessible, and more attractive public transport and traffic systems. Taken together, these measures demonstrate how even comparatively small‑scale projects can deliver meaningful improvements in environmental quality, urban functionality, and quality of life when planned and executed with a strong sustainability focus.

We aim to quantify the positive impact of our projects through the project’s handprint. Below, we demonstrate how this project makes sustainability tangible and feasible by using a set of predefined TAUW ESG indicators.

TAUW carried out inventory, planning, and design and supervised the execution of remediation and deconstruction works in preparation for sustainable, safe, and future-proof infrastructure and mobility in a major city in Bavaria, southern Germany.

ESG	TAUW’s ESG Indicator	Impact
Environmental	Hazardous material removal Climate mitigation - Planned resource reduction and recycling	34.7 tons of asbestos planned for removal from the environment 0.325 tons of PCB containing materials planned for removal from the environment 2,325 tons of concrete diverted from disposal to be recycled
Social	Human Health & Safety – Work & processes	H&S measures and supervision across an area of 1,449 m² resulted in zero reported incidents
Governance	ESG value creation	Reuse of existing structures and materials resulted in reduced costs, hazardous waste and construction waste