When we at Deutsche Bahn build new tunnels and other infrastructure, we extract huge quantities of material from the ground. These tons of sand, gravel, clay and stone we sell on the market, creating a sustainable economic cycle and protecting resources. Erdpool makes this easy.
From the construction site to the materials cycle
Erdpool is our central point of contact for the sustainable use of minerals and helps us to put excavated material into a sustainable economic cycle. This is how it works: Thanks to Erdpool, we can offer displaced material for sale even before our construction project begins. This means that the extracted materials can be better utilized elsewhere – claystone, for example, is perfect for the brickmaking industry. By delivering the material almost directly from the ground to the customer, we not only reduce the mining of valuable minerals but also the associated land use. This protects the environment and also saves landfill capacity.
For the construction site of the Augsburg transshipment terminal in Gersthofen, for example, more than 50 percent of the excavated earth could be returned to the cycle in the years 2024-2025. This corresponds to a quantity of around 250,000 tons, consisting mainly of topsoil, loess loam and raw gravel. The high-quality materials were reused directly on site as well as in other DB projects and were also used in the brick industry.
Quality is all-important to us. We analyze all materials in the laboratory before sale and provide samples. This enables us to keep supplying large quantities of material of consistently high quality. To ensure that clay, gravel and the like reach our customers in an environmentally friendly manner, we can organize Germany-wide transport by climate-friendly rail from the construction site to the customer's premises.
Expert advice for more resource protection
But Erdpool can do even more: The service, which is provided by DB Bahnbau Gruppe GmbH, also allows large-scale projects outside the DB Group to market their minerals. In addition, Erdpool also supports the transfer of materials from one project to another.
To this end, Erdpool has built up a database of projects with material requirements and volumes and can thus bring partners together. Erdpool can also provide support with organizing logistics, procurement projects, awarding contracts, and in the handling of material flow management on the construction site.
With our expertise, we want to recycle as much material as possible with our customers and make a sustainable contribution to protecting valuable natural resources.
