Reuse in contemporary construction is mostly limited to down-cycling. This leads to unnecessary waste production and resource consumption, especially in case of concrete structures that are demolished and crushed despite having intact load-bearing components. The newly established, DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre CRC 1683 aims to develop scientific methods for the genuine structural reuse of concrete elements, guided by sustainability principles [1]. Instead of uncontrolled demolition, the project promotes rational deconstruction into modules that can be characterized, refurbished, and reassembled. This approach seeks to fully reuse reinforced concrete elements that have served under various load and environmental conditions. Such reuse requires a reliable framework for assessing load-bearing capacity and durability in new service scenarios [2]. This study addresses key research questions to establish fast, economical, yet accurate characterization methods for extracted reinforced on concrete elements. A comprehensive experimental program is conducted for one first example of an extracted element to identify effective in-situ techniques, focusing primarily on non-destructive tests (NDT). Beyond structural features like reinforcement layout and concrete cover, NDTs are evaluated for their ability to detect flaws such as honeycombs, cracks, and reinforcement debonding. These tests aim as well to determine properties like concrete strength, and permeability. The study explores correlations between in-situ measurements, NDT and destructive tests to develop reliable yet quick inspection strategies for assessing the element condition, reinforcement detailing and structural performance in the context of potential reuse. Ultimately, the developed testing framework and inspection methods aim to support classification models for assessing reusability and predicting the remaining service life of reinforced concrete elements, enabling a more sustainable future in construction.