Demolition project management pathways: the route towards circular demolition

Abstract

Demolition pathways in academic literature are divided into two main categories: conventional demolition and selective demolition. While conventional demolition is deemed a wasteful approach, selective demolition is considered a sustainable solution moving away from the destruction approach of conventional demolition to one that emphasises materials recovery. Currently, there is much contradiction in the academic literature as to the categorisation of demolition pathways. This is compounded by a mis-match between the reality of demolition pathways in practice and observations made in literature. This paper, therefore, sets out to explore the demolition pathways from the perspectives of demolition engineers operating in the UK. Data was gathered from twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews. The findings show that demolition pathways, from the industry’s point of view, are categorised under three main headings: conventional demolition, sustainable demolition, and circular demolition. While conventional demolition is perceived as a wasteful approach, the findings show it is the most appropriate demolition pathway to implement in times of crisis. Sustainable demolition represents the current best practice in the industry, which is signified by a drive for recycling. And circular demolition is a step beyond sustainable demolition whereby building materials are retrieved to maximise reuse opportunities. The demolition engineers interviewed indicated that the demolition industry could contribute to circular demolition through early engagement with designers, establishing circular objectives in the tender process, disposing of waste following the order of the waste hierarchy, and providing a circularity feedback report at the end of each project.