Building Construction Waste Research Articles

Analysis of the Use of Environmentally Friendly Building Materials and Construction Waste Management on Cost Efficiency and Project Sustainability in Karawang

This study investigates the impact of environmentally friendly building materials and construction waste management on cost efficiency and project sustainability in Karawang. A quantitative analysis was conducted using a sample of 150 respondents from the construction sector, with data collected through a structured survey based on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS 3) was employed to analyze the relationships between the variables. The results show that both environmentally friendly materials and construction waste management significantly improve cost efficiency and project sustainability. Construction waste management exhibited a stronger influence on both outcomes, emphasizing its importance in reducing costs and promoting environmental responsibility. The findings suggest that adopting sustainable construction practices can enhance financial performance while contributing to long-term sustainability, offering valuable insights for construction companies and policymakers.

A construction waste landfill dataset of two districts in Beijing, China from high resolution satellite images

Construction waste is unavoidable in the process of urban development, causing serious environmental pollution. Accurate assessment of municipal construction waste generation requires building construction waste identification models using deep learning technology. However, this process requires high-quality public datasets for model training and validation. This study utilizes Google Earth and GF-2 images as the data source to construct a specific dataset of construction waste landfills in the Changping and Daxing districts of Beijing, China. This dataset contains 3,653 samples of the original image areas and provides mask-labeled images in the semantic segmentation domains. Each pixel within a construction waste landfill is classified into 4 categories of the image areas, including background area, vacant landfillable area, engineering facility area, and waste dumping area. The dataset contains 237,115,531 pixels of construction waste and 49,724,513 pixels of engineering facilities. The pixel-level semantic segmentation labels are provided to quantify the construction waste yield, which can serve as the basic data for construction waste extraction and yield estimation both for academic and industrial research.

Implementation of Circular Economy Principles in Building Construction Waste

Building projects often generate significant amounts of waste. This happens because the building projects mostly adopts a linear economic model of “take, make, dispose of”, using materials to the construction of buildings and disposing them at the end of life. This linear economic model only focuses on human activities because the disposal of materials ultimately does not become a sustainable practice in the future. For this reason, an alternative is needed in reducing and processing the construction waste by implementing circular economy principles. This study aims to identify type of construction waste in building project, provide recommendations for handling it with circular economy principles, and calculating the cost savings. The method that used in this study are field observation and interview for collecting data. The result showed that steel reinforcement, ready-mix concrete, light brick, ceramic, multiplex, spun pile, and anchor can be handled with circular economy principles are reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery, and repair. The cost savings from handled it in project A, B, and C are Rp. 68.252.490,65, Rp. 84.182.684,96, and Rp. 31.794.238,51, respectively.

Analisa Waste Material Konstruksi Dengan Menggunakan Metode Lean Construction Studi Kasus : Pekerjaan Pembangunan Puskesmas Purwodadi Kabupaten Tanjung Jabung Barat

Material is one component of the cost that plays an important role in supporting the success of a project. In the implementation of building construction projects, leftover materials or Construction Waste cannot be avoided. Excess material, whether from work results or from construction materials that are left/scattered/destroyed and cannot be used again, is called construction waste. Thus, a method is needed for the efficiency of remaining construction materials (Intan et. Al,2005). Construction in Indonesia currently has many problems regarding inefficiency in the implementation of construction. The causes of this inefficiency include poor performance, waste of resources used during the construction process, but this does not add value to the function of the resources used. Based on data submitted by the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), waste in the construction industry is around 57% and activities that provide added value are only 10% (Abduh, 2007). In construction projects, problems are often found in the construction process, such as changes to project drawings, changes to specifications, poor storage, and other technical problems in the field that cause material waste. Problems like this can have an impact on project cost losses beyond what was planned.Lean Construction is very necessary in construction projects so that waste does not occur due to the problems that have been explained previously, it is hoped that it can reduce waste on the project. So that it can reduce costs caused by waste and can establish better relationships between individuals involved in the project.

Facilitators and benefits of implementing lean premise design: A case of Hong Kong high-rise buildings

Defective design, poor stakeholder participation, and a mismatch between design provisions and end-user requirements cause most building construction waste. However, lean building design promotes collaboration and reduces waste. This study examines the benefits and facilitating measures of applying the lean premise design (LPD) scheme in high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs) to promote sustainability and minimise waste. This study employed a mixed-method strategy integrating a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, research interviews, and a questionnaire survey. The study highlighted the critical phases of the LPD scheme to achieve its benefits in building design and construction before the empirical examination of its benefits and facilitating measures. LPD includes stakeholder training at project start-ups, project goal identification, user-oriented collaboration, communication platform establishment, BIM, and digital tool inclusion. The benefits of the LPD scheme are enormous, including construction waste reduction, improvement in overall sustainability, reduction in cost overrun, flexibility to sustainable building design, reduction in energy usage and reduction in time waste. LPD benefits can only be realised with a sufficient facilitating framework. This study identified a policy mandate to drive fundamental cultural shifts among stakeholders, government credit for LPD adoption in BEAM Plus, public education, and the development of a communication platform for stakeholders to improve end-user feedback in design and construction processes as critical facilitators. Recent research on the construction industry's benefits and sustainability strategies supports the study's findings. While the LPD scheme can achieve sustainable flexibility in Hong Kong's HRRBs, the need for government involvement and support will further increase its adoption.

Performance analysis of machine learning-based prediction models for residential building construction waste

Performance analysis of machine learning-based prediction models for residential building construction waste

Evaluating the effects of policies on building construction waste management: a hybrid dynamic approach

The construction industry, as a vital pillar of a country's economy, generates a significant amount of construction waste, which places a tremendous burden on the environment and society. Although previous studies have explored the impact of policies on construction waste management, there is a lack of a simulation model that can be easily used, taking into account the dynamic nature, generality, and practicability of the model. To fill this gap, a hybrid dynamics model of construction waste management system is developed using agent-based modeling, system dynamics, perceived value, and experienced weighted attraction. Based on relevant data from the construction waste industry in Shenzhen, China, the effect of five policies on contractor strategy selection and overall evolution is tested. The results indicate that industry rectification policy and combination policy can effectively promote the resource treatment of construction waste and reduce illegal dumping, pollution to the environment of waste and treatment process, and waste treatment cost. The findings of this research will help not only researchers better analyze the effect of construction waste policies but also policymakers and practitioners in proposing effective construction waste management policies.

Quantification analysis and prediction model for residential building construction waste using machine learning technique

Quantification analysis and prediction model for residential building construction waste using machine learning technique

A low carbon treatment technology of green building construction waste based on genetic algorithm

A low carbon treatment technology of green building construction waste based on genetic algorithm

A low carbon treatment technology of green building construction waste based on genetic algorithm

A low carbon treatment technology of green building construction waste based on genetic algorithm

Incentive Regulation of Construction Waste Resource Recycling: Subsidy and Tax Incentive

Construction waste destroys the sustainability of environment and economy. In the study of game theory at present, the construction waste resource-based products supply chain only considers that there is only one type of enterprise producing renewable building materials or new building materials in the market, but in the construction market, there is no single type of enterprise. It isvery important for government to protect the environment and promote the resource utilization and development of construction waste. Therefore, this study establishes a game theory model between traditional building materials enterprise and construction waste recycling enterprise, which considers the decision-making behavior of enterprise under no regulation, subsidy incentive regulation, or tax incentive regulation. The findings are listed as follows: (1) both subsidies and tax incentives can effectively improve the economic benefits and production initiative of construction waste recycling enterprise. (2) The impact coefficient of unit new building materials on the environment and the tax rate of unit new building materials are the key factors that affect government decision-making. (3) Resource utilization cost coefficient and builder’s preference for renewable building materials have a great impact on the profits of construction waste recycling enterprise. These results will provide reference for the government to formulate incentive regulations and promote the development of construction waste resources.

Quantifying Building Construction and Demolition Waste Using Permit Data

Quantifying Building Construction and Demolition Waste Using Permit Data

Comparative aspects regarding concrete of structural grade made with recycled brick aggregate with / without fine particles from crushing

Recycled brick aggregate (RBA) is regarded like an eco-friendly aggregate because it contributes to conservation of the resources of natural aggregate. This type of aggregate may come from building construction waste, construction demolition waste (CDW) and ceramic industry waste. The RBA aggregate is obtained through crushing but a substantial percentage of the resulted particles are small in size being included in the fine aggregate category and its use is usually disregarded.Recycled brick aggregate concrete (RBAC) is a conventional making-concrete in which commonly the coarse and fine aggregate consist of coarse recycled brick particles and sand, respectively. Early evidences on RBAC are mentioned in the sixties of the last century in Germany, but many studies were developed after 2000. Nowadays, RBAC is regarded like a sustainable material having a positive environmental impact.This study assess feasibility of using fine particles of RBA obtained through crushing of brick waste from the buildings demolition in the conventional recycled brick aggregate concrete and its influence on some properties of RBAC like density and strength. As reference concrete, RBAC containing RBA aggregate as coarse and sand as fine aggregate was developed. Subsequently considering the same particles size distribution of aggregate, concrete mixes were developed in which each size of sand it was replaced in volume by fine brick aggregate (FBA) of equal size, size by size, until the entire replacement. For a valid comparison, the mix parameters like the water-to-cement ratio, cement content and volume of aggregate were identical for all mixes.The results indicate that replacing consecutively each size fraction of sand in conventional RBAC and thus increasing the replacement volume has in some extent influence on strength at standard testing ages. In this study, replacing entirely sand with fine brick aggregate the density and strength decreased with 150 kg/m3 and 17%, respectively.

Comparative aspects regarding a novel lightweight concrete of structural grade containing brick aggregate as coarse particles and expanded polystyrene beads

Recycled brick aggregate (RBA) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) are both considered lightweight aggregate. These aggregates are considered eco-friendly because they assure preservation of the non-renewable natural resources and environment protection. Recycled brick aggregate (RBA) may came from building demolition, ceramic industry waste, building construction waste. Expanded polystyrene may be as recycled waste and as beads available in the building materials market. Expanded polystyrene is a widespread material in many engineering branches because it has some distinguished properties like very-low density, high-impact absorption capacity, low-thermal coefficient, insignificant water absorption capacity, etc.For concrete, both the recycled bricks and polystyrene beads may be embedded into concrete as lightweight aggregate, replacing entirely or partially the natural aggregate. For structural applications, lightweight concrete with natural coarse aggregate (NCA) which contains polystyrene beads in diverse percentages of natural aggregate replacement, has some limitations regarding obtaining a structural grade strength for a density lower than 1700 kg/m3. Obtaining such concrete having a compressive strength 20 to 30 MPa and a density lower than 1700 kg/m3 is a difficult target.The study develops lightweight concrete of structural grade embedding both recycled brick aggregate and polystyrene beads as coarse aggregate and investigates their influence on density and compressive strength considering the expanded polystyrene beads in diverse percentages of brick aggregate replacement. For comparative aspects regarding the properties, within the experimental investigation, a polystyrene aggregate concrete (PAC) containing normal weight aggregate and EPS beads in the same percentages of aggregate replacement it was developed based on the same mix parameters.For the each replacement percentage of natural aggregate by EPS beads, it has been found that when recycled brick particles replace the NCA, the resulted concrete is lighter with 200 kg/m3 and has a strength very close to concrete made entirely with natural aggregate.

Green building rating systems and construction waste in high density urban environment: The case study of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, as many other countries, is currently facing a waste management crisis with the shortage of reclamation sites and landfill space. Examination of construction waste management (CWM) criteria within Hong Kong’s BEAM Plus is limited and lacking. In this paper, CWM criteria were assessed and a case study was conducted on a recent project, pursuing BEAM Plus, to assess the effectiveness of CWM criteria to facilitate waste reduction. The findings revealed that the overall impact of BEAM Plus on construction waste reduction is negligible. The case study showed that the reasons material/waste-related credits are not commonly attempted is due to the lack of minimum thresholds and a low weighting relative to credits in other categories. In the case study, waste generated per constructed floor area was 0.21 tons/m2. This paper also makes recommendations to improve CWM criteria in BEAM Plus in order to promote a more sustainable building industry.

A case study on the effective implementation of the reuse and recycling of construction & demolition waste management practices in Malaysia

This paper presents a case study on the implementation of the construction and demolition waste management practices in the Malaysian construction sector. The scope was limited to the housing and high-rise buildings. Characterization of reuse and recycling potential was done using descriptive statistics. It is estimated that the waste generated by the housing sector is approximately 16% of the gross materials used, which is about 8.8 million tons/year, and 32% of such waste (approximately 2.8 million tons/year) has the potential for reuse and recycling. However, the high-rise building construction generates construction waste in a large quantity of more than 10 million tons/years (about 70% of the building construction waste), which shows a high potential for reusability and recycling. The reasons behind the low recycling potential for the construction and demolition (C&D) waste generates by the housing sector are found that its quality is low and contains some types of contaminants.

An off-site snapshot methodology for estimating building construction waste composition - a case study of Hong Kong

Waste composition analysis is essential for implementing appropriate management strategies. In Hong Kong, on-site waste quantification is often not practical due to site space limitation at construction sites. In addition, as the construction waste problem urgently needs addressing, reliable waste generation rates need to be derived over a short time. To address these two issues, this study presents an off-site snapshot methodology for estimating construction waste composition. Three construction sites, at the initial stage, mid-stage, and end stage respectively, are selected for illustrating the proposed snapshot methodology. It is found that the composition of inert and non-inert waste varies significantly at different construction stages. Non-inert waste is an important component of building construction waste, of which wood & timber waste contributes the largest proportion. Following wood & timber waste, metal waste is the second largest source of non-inert waste. Results show that the proposed off-site snapshot methodology can sufficiently solve the problem of limited on-site sorting space and derive reliable detailed waste generation information over a certain short time.

An analysis of building construction waste in Badung, Bali

Various activities in construction will produce waste, as a solid, liquid waste, or gas. Construction waste defines as a large number of an unused material from the construction process, such as overplus, broken, faulty materials, and can not be used, which disrupts the project’s activities, financial losses, and environmental pollution. Handling the construction waste must involve all parties’ commitment, good management, and a good understanding of the problem causing factors. As yet, waste management within the construction industry has been widely investigated by researchers. This research aims to identify and analysis the important causes of building construction waste, and the frequent activities, manage this waste in Badung, Bali, Indonesia. Data were collected through questionnaire survey and interviews with fifty contractors who has been handling building in 2014 to 2018. An analysis used is statistical factor analysis with SPSS 17, and scoring methods. The findings revealed that important causative factor of construction waste such as lack of skill and knowledge of the workforce, poor material handling, inferior material quality, and unappropriate work methods. The most frequent activity performed in existing projects are strict and regular monitoring of workers, material handling procedure and clear storage, an accurate estimate material to avoid overplus, good handling storage and reachable, well organized material delivery time.

Comparative environmental evaluation of construction waste management through different waste sorting systems in Hong Kong

This study aimed to compare the environmental performance of building construction waste management (CWM) systems in Hong Kong. Life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was applied to evaluate the performance of CWM systems holistically based on primary data collected from two real building construction sites and secondary data obtained from the literature. Different waste recovery rates were applied based on compositions and material flow to assess the influence on the environmental performance of CWM systems. The system boundary includes all stages of the life cycle of building construction waste (including transportation, sorting, public fill or landfill disposal, recovery and reuse, and transformation and valorization into secondary products). A substitutional LCA approach was applied for capturing the environmental gains due to the utilizations of recovered materials. The results showed that the CWM system by using off-site sorting and direct landfilling resulted in significant environmental impacts. However, a considerable net environmental benefit was observed through an on-site sorting system. For example, about 18–30kg CO2 eq. greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission were induced for managing 1 t of construction waste through off-site sorting and direct landfilling, whereas significant GHGs emission could be potentially avoided (considered as a credit −126 to −182kg CO2 eq.) for an on-site sorting system due to the higher recycling potential. Although the environmental benefits mainly depend on the waste compositions and their sortability, the analysis conducted in this study can serve as guidelines to design an effective and resource-efficient building CWM system.

Analysis of the environmental performance of life-cycle building waste management strategies in tertiary buildings

At urban level, the generation Municipal Solid Waste and Construction and Demolition Waste is mostly related to the life-cycle of buildings. An evaluation method based on Life Cycle Assessment methodology is presented in this paper to make an analysis of the environmental performance of different life-cycle building waste management strategies in tertiary buildings. As a case study, several waste management strategies considering a tertiary building located in the city of Zaragoza in Spain, are studied. The aim of the case study is to compare the environmental impacts, in terms of Global Warming Potential, of the scenarios proposed focussing on the waste minimisation and avoidance of landfilling of at least 10% for the Municipal Solid Waste generation during a building's use stage, and Construction and Demolition Waste generated during its construction and end-of-life. In case of Municipal Solid Waste, the results show that when a recovery scenario includes energy recovery from the residual fraction of the mechanical-biological treatment plant in the form of Refuse Derived Fuel, greater benefits in terms of the Global Warming Potential are obtained than with current scenarios of landfill deposition of the residual fraction. On the other hand, in case of Construction and Demolition Waste, a similar situation can be observed in case of an increase of the recovery rates of metals.