Fachtagung Abbruch 2025: Insights for Germany’s Demolition Professionals

The 2024 iteration attracted over 1,200 demolition industry professionals. (PHOTO: DA)

Fachtagung Abbruch 2025: Tackling Real-World Demolition Challenges

On 28 February 2025, Fachtagung Abbruch will bring demolition and C&D waste professionals to Berlin’s Station Berlin for a day of targeted discussions on the sector’s most critical issues.

Organised by the Deutscher Abbruchverband (DA), this year’s programme reflects the challenges and opportunities faced by the German demolition industry as it navigates evolving regulations, sustainability goals, and complex project demands.

While last year’s event focused on sustainability, the 2025 congress and exhibition will emphasise “Quality in Demolition” - a theme that will entice contractors to both ‘tighten up’ the new sustainable practices and digital systems and technologies that have been introduced and implemented in recent years, as well as to re-hone their core businesses and site operations.

With hazardous substances remaining a key concern, a session on waste legislation will unpack how current frameworks impact project timelines and compliance costs.

The programme also addresses the practicalities of material flow management, offering strategies for improving resource recovery and waste segregation in light of Germany’s ongoing landfill scarcity.

Similarly, the deconstruction of a nuclear power plant will shed light on balancing safety, precision, and cost in technically demanding projects.

Another topic gaining attention is the use of recycled concrete under DIN 1045-2 standards, which has created new avenues for resource utilisation while also posing questions about structural quality and market adoption.

The 2025 theme of the Fachtagung Abbruch Congress is “Quality in Demolition”. (PHOTO: DA)

These sessions, alongside a showcase of cutting-edge equipment, reflect an industry looking to balance regulatory pressures with innovation and efficiency.

As demolition companies increasingly integrate circular economy principles, Fachtagung Abbruch will give a practical forum to share insights and strategies for meeting these demands.

For those contractors grappling with pre-planning, hazardous materials, or shifting materials markets, this year’s event promises to provide context, solutions, and connections grounded in the realities of the German demolition sector.

Over 1,000 attendees - primarily from Germany - are anticipated to attend the event, which despite it being a Bauma year will have in excess of 100 exhibitors and sponsors present - a turnout that strongly underscores the essential work of the demolition industry and the role it plays in the wider construction sector. 

Key Sessions and Speakers at Fachtagung Abbruch 2025

Of the conference topics, these sessions are set to provide the most actionable insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping Germany’s demolition sector today.

Quality in Germany – Responsibility and Performance of Entrepreneurs
KEYNOTE: Wolfgang Grupp, Entrepreneur, Business Leader, Owner and Founder of Trigema - Insights into maintaining high operational standards in the face of increasing regulatory and environmental pressures.

Demolition of a Nuclear Power Plant – A Qualitative Challenge
Thomas Mandrysch, Project Leader at Preussenelektra - Practical lessons from dismantling complex structures, addressing safety, cost, and precision.

Fachtagung 2024 attracted over 1,200 attendees. (PHOTO: KHL/Demolition & Recycling International)

Hazardous Substances vs. Waste Legislation in Germany – Reason Prevails (Not)?
Andreas Fricke, Managing Directir at Balance Engineering - An analysis of current legislation and its impact on managing hazardous materials on demolition sites.

The Art of the Perfect Blast – 52 Weeks of Preparation for 29.5 Seconds
Jürgen Hanewald, Project Manager for Demolition at Arcadis Germany; Clarissa Rapps, Head of the Structural Dynamics and Demolition Planning at Wölfel Engineering; and Michael Schneider, Project Manager Blasting Technology at RL Liesegang - A detailed look at the technical and logistical planning behind precision demolition blasting.

Transformation to a Circular Economy – A Contradiction Between Visionaries and Practitioners?
Michael Weiß, Chairman of the Recycling and Disposal Committee at DA - The challenges and practical steps for aligning demolition practices with circular economy principles.

New Opportunities for Recycled Concrete under DIN 1045-2
Christian Pöppel, Technical Manager at KRO Fürstenfeldbruck; and Ottl Abbruch & Rückbau - Exploring the practical implications of updated standards on recycled materials and market adoption.