Abstract
© Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2017. The construction industry consumes a large part of raw material and global energy, and produces huge amount of solid waste. It is established that waste generated by construction processes has significant negative impact on the economy and environment. Effective waste management helps in reducing quantity of wastes and making a substantial contribution towards sustainable development and cost control. Based on a benchmarking approach, this research quantifies the material wastage and its causes in different types of building projects. In a waste diagnostic survey, 38 project sites were surveyed. Results revealed that bricks, tiles, and plaster from mortar are the most wasteful materials, and improper worker's skills, poor supervision, and lack of management the most significant causes. Buildings with substantial architectural works tend to generate maximum amount of waste while contractor size does not affect waste generation rate. Based on expert opinion, practical recommendations are given to control material waste. The findings offer a new perspective on sustainable construction by correlating building types with waste generation, as contribution to the existing body of knowledge. It will lead the construction managers to better understand the actual situation of construction waste and devise control measures.
Highlights
Building construction consumes 40% of global energy, contributes 5%–15% towards GDP, and offers 5%–10% of employment (Division of Technology, Industry and Economics [DTIE], 2009)
The results reveal significant variations in waste generation for some materials such as bricks (2%–12%), wood (2%–15%), and plain cement concrete (PCC) (1%–10%)
The findings reveal that on average bricks are the most wasteful material at a rate of 6.82% followed by tiles (6.68%) and plaster from mortar (6.63%)
Summary
Building construction consumes 40% of global energy, contributes 5%–15% towards GDP, and offers 5%–10% of employment (Division of Technology, Industry and Economics [DTIE], 2009). It consumes 40% of the world's raw materials (Sharma et al, 2011). According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainability Discussion Group (2008), 25% to 40% of total waste comes from building construction, which impacts the environment severely. European Commission in July 2014 formally adopted the proposal for reuse and recycling of up to 50% of municipal waste till 2020 and increase it to 70% till 2030. Building material waste is difficult to reuse due to large degree of heterogeneity. The large amount of solid waste generated by the construction industry is becoming a pressing
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