Systematic evaluation framework and empirical study of the impacts of building construction dust on the surrounding environment

Abstract

Dust generated by construction activities profoundly affects ambient air quality and could adversely affect the health of individuals living close to construction sites. However, there is no systematic evaluation framework for assessing its impact on the surrounding environment, making it difficult to meaningfully compare results for different construction projects, hindering comprehensive assessment and effective impact reduction decisions. Therefore, this paper proposes a systematic framework for evaluating and decision-making regarding the impact of building construction dust on the surrounding environment. To produce multi-angled and comprehensive evaluations, the framework uses three methods for measuring dust concentrations: with-without comparison assessment (WCA), dust incremental concentration assessment (DICA), and horizontal distance assessment (HDA). The framework is applied in an empirical case study examining six representative construction projects. The results show that the concentration of particulate matter (PM) in the surrounding environment is significantly affected by the state of construction; this effect is particularly visible in the concentration of total suspended particulate matter (TSP). During the monitoring period, the mean absolute concentrations of TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 downwind of the construction sites increased by 58.33 μg/m3, 15.83 μg/m3 and 6.50 μg/m3, respectively, corresponding to increases of 28.23%, 14.83% and 10.60% per day relative to the basis environment. With an average wind speed of 1.5 m/s, the influencing distances of building construction dust on downwind TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are about 100 m, 50–100 m and 20–50 m respectively. The empirical study validates the proposed framework as a reliable guideline for evaluations and making reduction decision of the impact of construction dust on the surrounding environment.