Building material stock’s contribution to circular economy strategies in soviet-era buildings in Astana

Abstract

At present time, in Kazakhstan, rapid growth in the construction sector has increased the use of water, energy, and raw materials, leading to more waste and environmental pressure. At this time, Astana’s post-Soviet urban buildings generate large material flows, yet building-level mapping of an entire city for urban mining remains absent from the literature. This thesis is the first to conduct such an assessment, using Astana to quantify material stocks in Soviet-era housing scheduled for demolition by 2030. Building locations and recovery pathways are mapped to support integration of secondary materials into a circular economy. A bottom-up Material Flow Analysis estimates material composition for 193 buildings using geometric parameters from technical passports, material characteristics from Soviet construction norms, and municipal demolition records. Buildings are classified into six typologies, reflecting Soviet industrialization phases between 1930 and 1990. Total material stocks reach 187.131 kilotons, Khrushchevki buildings account for 78% of total mass. Material composition profiles transition from timber-dominated low-rise structures (43.5 - 48% wood) and non-structural materials (30%) to concrete intensive mid-rises (52 - 59% concrete). Spatial analysis identifies concentrated material clusters near the Baikonur-Saryarka boundary, forming 1 to 3 km catchments suitable for localized recovery. Demolition outflows include recoverable concrete panels, brick aggregates, and steel, supporting selective demolition, logistics planning, and coordination between demolition and construction demand. The framework informs district-level urban mining and material recovery planning decisions for municipalities. Keywords: urban mining; material flow analysis; Soviet-era buildings; circular economy; post-Soviet cities.