Construction Waste Minimization Research Articles

Current 3R Practices on Construction Waste Minimization in Construction Site

The rise of the construction industry nowadays has a lot to do with the production of industrial waste. The needs of the construction industry whether for developing countries or developed countries is something that cannot be avoided. The main objectives were to find the main causes of construction waste generation, assess the level of awareness of 3R concepts and to evaluate the current approach used at the construction site in reducing construction waste. The study involves companies involved in the construction industry, namely architects, consultants and contractors. The research method used is a questionnaire to the construction industry. Results show that most respondents are aware of the benefits of 3R practices but most of them also do not practice the 3R due to lack of knowledge. The finding of this research is the construction waste can be reducing after practising the 3R.

Assessment For Best Practices of Construction Waste Minimisation in Construction Projects

Assessment For Best Practices of Construction Waste Minimisation in Construction Projects

A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model for Selecting the Best Project Delivery Systems for Offsite Construction Projects

Off-site construction (OSC) is an innovative construction method that transfers most of the site-based work to a more controlled environment. Construction waste minimization, speedy schedules, higher sustainability, and better quality are some of the perceived benefits of OSC. Therefore, significant research attention has been given to OSC. However, minimal research attention has been given to procurement management in OSC, which could impact its pace of adoption. Existing studies on the procurement methods of OSC projects have overlooked several criteria related to OSC that impact the selection of the appropriate procurement methods (i.e., design-build, construction management, etc.). In addition, the literature lacks decision-making tools to assist OSC practitioners in selecting the appropriate procurement method. In this regard, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by (1) identifying the criteria that impact the selection of OSC procurement methods; (2) developing a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model to select the appropriate OSC procurement methods. The developed MCDM model uses a hybrid approach of analytic network process (ANP) and evidential reasoning (ER). The ANP, which considers the interdependencies among the collected OSC procurement criteria, is used to calculate the relative importance weights through questionnaire surveys. The ER method evaluates various OSC procurement methods in accordance with the criteria importance weights. The results indicate that project quality, cost control, and funding arrangement are the prominent selection factors. On the other hand, the model reveals that the integrated project delivery (IPD) and construction management (CM) methods have the highest utility scores. The MCDM model has been validated by comparing the results with similar studies. The present study could assist OSC practitioners in selecting the appropriate procurement method for OSC projects.

Evaluation of the Implementation of Lean Techniques to Reduce Construction Process Waste in Real Estate Firms in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Waste in the construction industry is the loss produced by activities that generate direct or indirect costs but do not add any value. In recent years, waste in the construction industry has been the subject of several research studies around the world; however, it still continues to be a critical issue. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop an analytical hierarchical model for the implementation of lean techniques for the reduction of construction waste in real estate companies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study was conducted on seven private residential real estate companies which were actively involved in the construction sector at the time, by targeting decision-makers as respondents. Analytical hierarchical process-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were conducted for the collection of primary data. Thus, comparison-based surveys and data analyses were used to quantify the relative priorities for a given set of alternatives on a ratio scale based on the judgment of the construction professionals. According to the data analyses, poor material handling, poor site management, and frequent changes in the design were identified to be the three most dominant sources of construction waste. It was found that the real estate companies do not have any waste reduction strategies or practices. Furthermore, the concerned professionals have limited awareness of the lean techniques and their implementation. Based on the findings, the construction companies are recommended to give proper attention to construction waste minimization and a huge task is ahead of the policymakers for lean techniques implementation.

Factors in critical management practices for construction projects waste predictors to C&DW minimization and maximization

There has been a significant increase in the amount of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) produced over the past few decades, posing challenges to the construction industry and endangering environmental and sustainable development. Therefore, the present study is conducted with an objective to determine the association among factors in critical management practices that contribute in waste maximization and minimization in construction projects. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The population of this study comprised of project managers, field engineers, consultants, civil engineers, working in the construction industry in Pakistan. The ‘confirmatory factor analysis’ (CFA) was applied to validate the measurement model, based on five latent factors and 27 observed variables for construction waste maximization (case study- I), and five latent factors and 28 observed variables for construction waste minimization (case study- II). The Cronbach's alpha value < 0.05 was set to determine the association among factors. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between each of the five parameters connected to construction waste maximization and minimization. The results of the study concluded that critical management practices such as contract management, materials logistics management, materials reuse, waste segregation, and onsite practices are strongly correlated with each other and are contributing factors in the minimizing the waste in the construction sites. The study is novel in terms of identifying the contributing factors in construction waste maximization and minimization, as well as determining the relationship among these factors. The study carries some important practical implications in terms of illustrating the two proposed models on factors influencing to construction waste minimization and maximization.

Investigation on the generation of construction wastes in Bangladesh

The construction sector in Bangladesh is facing negative impacts on financial and environmental aspects due to excessive waste generation. The construction industry cannot function properly if its resources are being wasted abruptly. Therefore, this study aims to identify the construction waste-generating factors and develop construction waste management strategies for the construction industry of Bangladesh. This research was conducted through an extensive survey which was done by interviewing various construction professionals and reviewing existing literature rigorously. The survey was conducted on the basis of the Likert scale, and the waste-generating factors were prioritized using the Relative Importance Index (R.I.I). The factor identification revealed that ‘deposited material in a public place’ is the most significant waste generating factor on construction sites. In addition, improper material storage, lack of training of workers, solid waste, and the absence of proper guidelines for workers are also identified as the top reasons for construction waste. Furthermore, stakeholders’ opinions on construction waste minimization have revealed a huge opportunity to manage those potential waste generation factors in a project. This investigation would be able to picture out the whole waste generation scenario and suggest important waste management strategies in the context of the Bangladeshi construction sector.

The Mediating Role of Policy-Related Factors in the Relationship between Practice of Waste Generation and Sustainable Construction Waste Minimisation: PLS-SEM

As the construction industry grows, it produces large volumes of construction waste, which has a tremendous environmental impact and generates public concern in the neighbouring towns. The construction industry generates a significant volume of waste and faces a challenge with poor construction waste minimisation in order to prevent adverse environmental and dumping impacts worldwide. In developing countries, regional waste management systems have increased problems. Environmental pollution (air, water, and soil) and human health issues are caused by waste produced in a country as a result of different cultural, social, and religious activities. Prior studies were reviewed to choose dimensions and items for the data gathering instrument. A pilot test was conducted to identify potential questionnaire adjustments, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). A total of 220 Malaysian construction professionals answered the survey, which yielded the results. Five hypotheses have direct correlations based on the findings, three of which have a significant effect. Furthermore, the findings reveal that policy-related factors mediate the relationship between improving factors and sustainable construction waste minimisation. In contrast, they did not mediate the relationship between current practices/generation and sustainable construction waste management. The established framework can help improve construction waste management and help achieve global sustainable development goals. The data reveal that adopting preventive plans to reduce construction waste is one of the most important aspects of enhancing profitability. This study could aid construction industry players in evaluating waste management components during the construction and design stages of a building project.

Minimization of construction waste in Chennai construction industry

Generally, solidified scrap is mostly produced by the construction field. There is a need to manage and reduce bulldozing scrap which has become a rising concern due to the adverse things of human’s happenings on the atmosphere. Wastage of construction materials, unsuitable management at the place and little alertness of waste reduction are common in Indian construction sites. With landfills becoming scarcer the need to reduce wastes generated at all stages and recycle construction and demolition wastes is becoming increasingly relevant. This research assessed the knowledge of construction professionals in Chennai about sustainable construction and waste management perception through a designed questionnaire survey that help to provide experiential evidence on levels which has become an evident to waste minimization methods for construction waste minimization. Study has shown that government legislature on non– availability of bulldozing scrap in the building area and the defendants measured various factors such as training of workers, company waste management policy, financial reward and promotion as more helpful incentives to reduce waste. Nearly half of the respondents says that, there is no bill available for minimizing scraps of resources that are used in construction. This article scrutinizes various factors affecting waste generation at all stages and gives remedial measures to be taken to curb this.

Green Building Practices on Waste Minimization in China Construction Industry

In China, a common practice for construction waste management is to dispose of it in landfills. A 5% construction waste recycling rate and ongoing insufficient landfilling practice resulted in decreased environmental and socioeconomic well-being. Management hierarchy that starts with rethink, redesign, reduce, reuse, refurbish, recycle, incineration, and finally disposal is a probable strategy to facilitate construction waste minimization in China. The green building concept pursued by China also served as a promising tool in evaluating the performance of Chinese green buildings. Barriers include lack of standard operating procedure in waste minimization, immature recycling technology and an undeveloped recycling market, leading to poor performance in construction waste minimization. Several strategies are proposed to ameliorate the current condition in China's construction sector. Even though results reveal that China falls behind in the engagement of green building compared to developed countries, green materials are utilized in various building structures such as flooring, roofs, walls, and outdoor pavements. Lastly, the benefits and shortcomings of two green material technologies, in particular material selection and recycling, applied in China were reviewed.

Drivers of Applying Ecological Modernization to Construction Waste Minimization in New South Wales Construction Industry

The application of ecological modernization (EM) (to delink industry growth from environmental damage) to minimize construction waste has not been explored within the construction industry in general, and the New South Wales (NSW) construction industry in particular. This study seeks to identify the drivers of applying EM to construction waste minimisation (CWM) in the industry. Also, to determine the CWM measures that are critical for each of the drivers. A survey was adopted in this study to target stakeholders engaged in the delivery of construction projects in NSW from design to completion. The survey was selected to reach a large number of respondents within a manageable period. A pilot study was conducted to ensure the reliability of the research design before a full-scale data collection was launched. The data from 240 valid responses was analysed using factor analysis, relative importance index and descriptive statistics. The results revealed five important drivers for EM’s application to CWM. These are agents of change, government policies, supply chain dynamics, skill-building and technological innovations. The CWM measures that are critical for each of these drivers were also identified. The study provides insights into the application of EM to address the construction industry problem of waste generation as by-product of its growth. It also shows the ability to protect the environment while enabling continuous economic growth. Furthermore, it demonstrates the applicability of EM to minimize the construction waste of NSW construction industry.

A Project Life-Cycle Readiness Approach to Manage Construction Waste in Jordan

The construction industry is well-known for generating the largest amount of waste amongst other industries, which significantly pollutes the environment. This study, therefore, examines the causes and sources of waste in construction projects, considering activities, inputs, and outputs of each phase of the construction projects’ lifecycle (i.e., concept, definition, deployment, and transition). Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals in construction projects in Jordan, including architects, contractors, and project administrators. The findings reveal that waste resulting from construction projects passes across several organized operations from generation to final disposal. Furthermore, waste is generated in small amounts at the early stages of the project construction but grows as the project progresses towards the end. This paper’s key contribution is to supplement the literature on waste management solutions by providing a holistic approach to tackling waste at its root by including waste management strategies across the project lifecycle phases, not only during the construction phase. This is done with a management readiness view to develop a suitable strategy for construction waste minimization and improve the management of construction projects. This study’s practical implication is providing a holistic waste management framework for practitioners to adopt in the early stages of the project.

Strategies for Effective Waste Reduction and Management of Building Construction Projects in Highly Urbanized Cities—A Case Study of Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a densely populated city with high-rise developments, and as in other metropolitan cities, the amount of waste generated from construction projects in the city is increasing annually. The capacity of existing landfills is expected to be saturated by the 2020s. Construction waste management has been implemented for years but the performance is still not satisfactory. The aim of this research paper is to explore and formulate strategies and measures for effective construction waste management and reduction in highly urbanized cities such as Hong Kong. A desktop study on construction waste management practices was carried out for a preliminary understanding of the current situation in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews and focus group meetings were further conducted to shed light on how to improve construction waste reduction and management in Hong Kong. The main contributions of this research study are the potential short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies, which are related to the design stage, tender stage, construction stage, and government support. The five major strategies recommended are financial benefits to stakeholders, public policies in facilitating waste sorting, government supports for the green building industry, development of a mature recycling market, and education and research in construction waste minimization and management.

Revisiting the effects of prefabrication on construction waste minimization: A quantitative study using bigger data

Prefabrication has long been recognized as a green production technology to minimize construction's adverse environmental impacts such as waste, noise, dust, and air pollution. Previous studies reported the effects of prefabrication on construction waste minimization. However, these studies relied primarily on small data obtained by ethnographic methods such as interviews and questionnaire surveys. Research to evaluate the effects using bigger, more objective quantitative data is highly desired. This research aims to re-evaluate the effects of prefabrication on construction waste minimization by exploiting a quantitative dataset stemmed from 114 sizable high-rise building projects in Hong Kong. It was discovered that the average waste generation rates of conventional and prefabrication building projects were 0.91 and 0.77 ton/m² respectively. Compared with conventional construction, prefabrication logged a 15.38% waste reduction. Further probing into specific prefabricated components adopted in the samples, it is discovered that precast windows and walls are more conducive to waste minimization. This is coincident with the fact that these components are also widely adopted in the sample buildings. This study reconfirms the positive effects of prefabrication on waste minimization and articulates that two types of prefabricated components play relatively bigger role in minimizing construction waste. The strengths of this study lie in its statistical analyses of a valuable and objective quantitative dataset measuring prefabrication and waste generation rates. Future studies are recommended to prove the corollary - it is not what category of prefabricated component, but the actual proportion of prefabrication in the total construction volume that matters to waste minimization.

A dissipative structure theory-based investigation of a construction and demolition waste minimization system in China

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste minimization is an important strategy for addressing waste management challenges. Generally, C&D waste minimization is a complex and open system involving various interrelated processes, elements and stakeholders. Previous studies have investigated internal factors of the system, but neglected effects of external factors and interactions between internal and external factors. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate China’s C&D waste minimization system from the perspectives of integrity and dynamics. Based on the dissipative structure theory, the paper examines whether China’s C&D waste minimization system is a dissipative structure, given that a dissipative structure system can transform itself from disordered state to ordered state spontaneously through interactions among the inherent subsystems and elements involved. Firstly, 28 factors influencing waste minimization are identified. Secondly, the Brusselator model and entropy methods are adopted for empirical analysis with the data collected by questionnaire survey. The findings reveal that China’s current C&D waste minimization system is not a dissipative structure; consequently, the development of the system cannot form a macroscopic stable and orderly structure through self-organization. Accordingly, suggestions are proposed to effectively promote the C&D waste minimization system toward a dissipative structure. The findings are expected to enhance the C&D waste minimization system through forming a dissipative structure and consequently achieving orderly and coordinated system development.

Construction Waste Minimization: A Narrative Review

Colossal growth of construction waste (CW) generation worldwide, and its consequential environmental and economic impact, has ensured that construction waste minimization (CWM) practice is critical. Notably, the largest proportion of waste generation that can be actively reduced within the sector lies within the construction/on-site activities stage. As such, a number of waste minimization approaches have been utilized during construction, targeted to reduce/eliminate waste with the aim to support a more sustainable construction agenda. This article provides a narrative review of related literature published in leading journals in Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases, to understand the fundamentals of CW and to investigate CWM implementation levels and barriers during the construction stage. This will aid in identifying research gaps for future studies and highlight key findings that will help researchers and construction industry practitioners to understand the principles of, and the need for, CWM, as well as the challenges facing its effective implementation in construction projects.

A Behavioral Framework for Construction Waste Minimization: The Case of Jordan

Construction waste (CW) accounts for approximately 36 percent of the total solid waste received at landfill sites around the world and, therefore, presents a significant challenge to the sustainability of the construction industry, the country’s economy at large, and environmental sustainability worldwide. For Jordan, this issue is pertinent since the construction industry is still suffering from insufficient sustainability practices characterized by poor production, sub-standard performance, and a wasteful culture. Increasing attention has been placed on addressing the role of human factors in construction waste minimization (CWM), as the majority of the causes underlying CW are directly or indirectly affected by the behavior of those working in the construction industry. However, understanding CWM behavior is most challenging and complex, as adopting positive CWM behavior depends on many factors that contribute to its success or failure. This paper describes the development of a behavioral framework (BF) that aims to address this research gap. The Delphi technique, incorporating a series of semi-structured interviews, was chosen as the primary research investigative method, for the discovery and building of the BF. Twelve respondents (the experts’ panel), with extensive knowledge of and experience in the Jordanian construction industry, participated in two rounds of the Delphi study. They were able to offer a well-informed look at the current and potential status of the adoption of CWM behavior among Jordanian contractors. The resulting BF advances a more holistic understanding of the factors influencing the behavior of contractors toward CWM, which will support the adoption of waste minimization in Jordanian construction projects.

Design for construction waste minimization: guidelines and practice

ABSTRACT Design for Construction Waste Minimization (DfCWM) advocates the proactive minimization of potential construction waste from the design or earlier stage. Numerous DfCWM practices have been recommended, but they are hitherto in a piecemeal fashion without an integrative guideline to enable designers to consider DfCWM in a systematic manner. Their practice examples and application results have also been rarely investigated. This study aims to amalgamate DfCWM recommendations, develop practicable guidelines, and implement in real-world settings. It adopts a design thinking method to develop the guidelines from literature, brainstorming, action research, case study, and most importantly, dynamic iteration thereof. The results affirm the impact of DfCWM on not only preventing construction waste generation effectively but reducing the construction cost without jeopardizing the design. However, its implementation is not merely a simple linear process and requires coordination from all stakeholders. For practitioners, this research also provides the DfCWM guidelines to be a design companion, encouraging deliberation of an entire building and material life cycle with special consideration given to waste minimization. Further studies are suggested for two areas: (a) modelling DfCWM into a multi-criteria optimization problem, and (b) integrating it with other design for excellence considerations.

Waste minimisation strategies at the design phase: Architects’ response

Effective minimisation of construction material waste has demonstrated that environmental pollution arising from construction activities can be reduced. Yet, there is insufficient knowledge on the role of architects in minimising waste, especially at the design phase. The purpose of this article is to identify the causes, barriers, approaches, driving factors to waste minimisation and to investigate strategies employed by architects at the design phase. This study adopted a survey questionnaire with both open and close-ended questions to elicit information from architects in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Empirical results indicate that the major cause of waste at the design phase is the client’s last minutes changes to design. Lack of training and design for flexibility and adaptability were the top barrier and approach to construction waste minimisation respectively. The driving factors were training, waste management policy and legislation while the top three strategies employed by the architects are modular coordination, proper detailing and market survey. Findings recommend that a design checklist be created and implemented, that waste minimisation options be considered and that architects take more responsibility for their actions during the design phase.

INTEGRATION OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) AND INDUSTRIALIZED BUILDING SYSTEM (IBS)

The Construction industry in Malaysia is always progressively moved ahead with the full support from the Malaysian government through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). As report by CIDB, “there were 34,172 projects valued at RM 407 Billion for the 2006-2010 (9th Malaysia Plan) period, compared to 30,717 projects valued at RM 507 Billion for the 2011-2014 periods. Infrastructure projects such as road, major bridges, railways, ports/airports and other major civil works are avenues for major capital influx into the areas where work will be undertaken. The impact to downstream economy can be immediate at the start of the construction and can continue during the operations itself. It is for this reason that local residents get excited when new major infrastructures are established in their locality. Coupled with the promised economic and financial benefits of the construction industry, the activities themselves generate considerable waste materials at the worksites, workers’ campsites, and ancillary facilities. The aim of this research is to investigate the use of BIM as a platform and IBS construction to aid construction waste minimisation, and to develop and validate a BIM-IBS aided waste minimisation Framework in design. Reducing construction waste has been driven by economic and environmental consideration due to the cost of waste, which is about 15 times that of disposal. Thus, the construction industry has been exploring and developing effective and efficient approaches to minimise waste generation In the context of this research, construction waste minimisation (CWM) is a process for preventing, eliminating or reducing waste at its source during design.

Construction waste minimization in green building: A comparative analysis of LEED-NC 2009 certified projects in the US and China

Construction waste minimization is a key sustainability goal in green building rating systems. Although these rating systems traverse countries’ boundaries, no research so far has compared construction waste minimization performance in such systems across countries. This research aims to investigate and compare the construction waste minimization performance of green building projects in the US and China by focusing on the widely adopted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification system. Data on 599 and 297 LEED-New Construction (NC) 2009 certified projects in the US and China, respectively, were sourced from the US Green Building Council project directory. Their construction waste minimization-related points were compared using the Mann-Whitney U and effect size test, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the possible causes behind statistical analysis results. We found no significant difference in construction waste minimization performance of LEED platinum-level projects in the US and China, but the magnitude of the difference between two countries increased as the certification level went lower. The enforcement on regulations, recycling market development, public consciousness and advanced technologies lead to the differences while the influence of the political, economic, social, and technological context increased when the projects were certified with lower LEED levels. An amenable context should be fostered to achieve a better construction waste minimization performance in green building and a sustainable development goal.