Demolition Phase Research Articles

A study on energy use for excavation and transport of soil during building construction

The building life cycle consists of production, on-site construction, operation and demolition phases. The energy use due to construction (i.e. materials and on-site construction) represents a significant component of life cycle energy in case of naturally ventilated or partially air-conditioned buildings. Earthmoving is one of the major parts of construction processes and it involves the use of heavy equipment. This study presents the influence of technological, operational and site related parameters on the performance of earthmoving operations using five case studies. The energy use due to ‘excavation’ and ‘excavation and transport of soil’ is in the range of 14–89 MJ/cu.m. and 19–135 MJ/cu.m. respectively. The choice of equipment selection and its influence on the time (duration), cost, energy use and emissions of earthmoving operations are presented using trade-off analysis. It is observed that the cost of transporting soil could be higher than the excavation cost if the truck is not utilized effectively. A procedure for incorporating sustainability metrics into earthmoving operations during the planning phase is presented. The practical application of this work in industry practice is also demonstrated. The findings are expected to be useful for construction planners in decision making including sustainability metrics.

Identifying potential opportunities of building information modeling for construction and demolition waste management and minimization

Abstract The amount of waste generated in construction and demolition (C&D) processes is enormous. Therefore, many studies on efficient C&D waste minimization and management have been conducted. However, 21 process-related and 8 technology-related limitations in C&D waste management and minimization have not yet been resolved. Building information modeling (BIM) helps project participants improve the processes and technologies in the planning, design, construction, and demolition phases, thereby managing and minimizing C&D waste efficiently. Therefore, this paper identifies the potential opportunities of BIM for efficient C&D waste management and minimization, such as design review, 3D coordination, quantity take-off, phase planning, site utilization planning, construction system design, digital fabrication, and 3D control and planning. The BIM-based approaches can support C&D waste management and minimization processes and technologies by addressing existing limitations through in-depth literature review. The roles of project participants and information required for each BIM-based approach in C&D waste management and minimization are discussed with illustrative process maps.

Factor Affecting of BIM Technique in the Construction Firms in Iraq

The construction industry in Iraq became much more difficult than before because of complexities in the diagrams and documentations in the construction projects. Building information modeling (BIM) started to appear with entry the foreign companies to build the large projects in Iraq. It is a bode well technique for the construction industry, it has many benefits in all project phases from planning and scheduling to operation and demolition phase. This paper concentrated on the implementation of BIM technology and identify the benefits desired and challenges that reduce adoption this technique in the Iraqi construction industry. A qualitative approach has been used to collect data from two experts in the construction field in Iraq to show the factors affected on using BIM in the Iraqi construction firms. The results indicate to a rare implementation of BIM technology among construction professionals in Iraq. The study recommended encouraging the investment in the Iraqi construction markets to share the knowledge and experiences related to BIM technology between the construction professionals.

Barriers to Improving the Environmental Performance of Construction Waste Management in Remote Communities

The construction sector represents one of the most significant contributors to global waste production and is responsible for over 30% of the waste that ends up in landfill. Sending construction waste to landfill results in a broad range of environmental consequences including: degradation of land, habitat destruction, contamination of soil and groundwater, and release of methane. There is a growing awareness of the need to divert construction and demolition (C&D) waste from landfill for reuse or recycling. This helps maximise the value of the resources embodied in these materials and reduce the demand for virgin raw materials and the associated environment effects resulting from their extraction, processing and manufacture. However, diversion of C&D waste to reuse or recycling in remote communities can be difficult and costly. This poses a significant challenge for improving the environmental performance of construction waste management in these communities. A housing refurbishment project in Alice Springs, a remote town in central Australia, was used to identify the barriers associated with improving the environmental performance of construction waste management in remote communities. This study considers the materials removed as part of the demolition phase of the project. Material types and quantities were documented and on-site and off-site waste management practices observed. Reasons for waste management decisions were recorded. The study identified a range of barriers to improving the environmental performance of construction waste management in remote communities. These include cost and time associated with on-site waste management, industry culture, lack of education, competing project priorities, and lack of financial incentive. Greater incentives to encourage the diversion of C&D waste from landfill are needed, in particular. This and other strategies for improving construction waste management practices in remote communities must be targeted at the context of individual communities though, due to their unique characteristics.

Green Housing Evaluation Through Carbon Footprint Dynamic Model: Questioned the Urban Policy Sustainability

Tangerang local government's housing policy states that settlement area has to be rejuvenated through the ‘green housing’ development. This study suggest that urban planning policy has to consider about carbon footprint as one of sustainability indicator. Many studies reviewed from socio-economic issues to figure whether the policy is sustainable whilst there is lack of consideration about carbon footprint per-capita emitted. Employing carbon metric, GIS and system dynamic methods, carbon footprint per-capita was estimated based on the implementation of green housing development. This study was focus on whole life cycle of building: construction phase, operational phase and demolition phase. Demolition would be conducted to settlement area which is not suitable with RTRW (urban land use planning). The result show that in the early year of policy implementation, there would be an increasing number of carbon footprint per capita due to the demolition and construction phases. However, in the long term carbon footprint per capita would be less cause by implementation of green housing.

Comparison of different building shells - life cycle assessment.

The Renewable Energy and Efficiency Action (REACT) project is a European Union-funded cross-border cooperative venture featuring the participation of companies and researchers from the Austrian state of Burgenland and western Slovakia that is developing zero-energy concepts for newly built single-family homes. A variety of building structures are defined for family houses, and the different impacts they have on the environment are evaluated over the entire life cycle. This paper aims to compare the environmental impacts of different building shells during both the construction and the demolition phases. However, the operation phase of the building is not evaluated. One of the findings of the project thus far is that the demolition and disposal of building materials should be included in any such evaluation. For some environmental impact assessment categories, both demolition and disposal are important. The environmental impacts of various end-of-life scenarios can differ greatly based on the disposal method (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling) chosen and on the proportion of recycled content. Furthermore, the results show that manufacturing building materials from renewable resources can have strong environmental impacts, particularly when substantial amounts of fossil fuel are required in their production. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:437-444. © 2016 SETAC.

A detailed analysis of the embodied energy and carbon emissions of steel-construction residential buildings in China

Some previous studies on the embodied energy of the residential buildings in China show that the percentage of embodied energy in the building total energy use varies from 20% to 50%. It is believed that the accuracy of data acquisition, the differences in the definition of the embodied energy boundaries and the lack of building life cycle inventory (LCI) standards contribute to the large variation in findings. Often researchers should acquire data through typical process technology (national average level), engineering estimation and the professional judgments. There is a need to further study on embodied energy and carbon emissions of building, in this study, an embodied energy consumption and carbon emissions of the residential buildings model was created to study three steel-construction residential buildings in China. This model includes the materials production phase, transportation phase, construction phase, recycle and demolition phase as well as upstream of energy. The direct materials and energy consumption of these three residential buildings with different volumes are investigated on site. The results show that the embodied energy consumption of steel members, concrete and cement account for more than 60% of the total energy consumption of all building components, the proportion of energy consumption of steel members increases with the increasing of the floors, while the proportion of energy consumption of concrete and cement decreases, the embodied energy and environment issues of the building components of the steel-construction buildings is sensitive to building height rather than building volumes.

Life-cycle assessment of post-disaster temporary housing

ABSTRACTThe estimation of energy consumption and related CO2 emissions from buildings is increasingly important in life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies that have been applied in the design of more energy-efficient building construction systems and materials. This study undertakes a life-cycle energy analysis (LCEA) and life-cycle CO2 emissions analysis (LCCO2A) of two common types of post-disaster temporary houses constructed in Turkey. The proposed model includes building construction, operation and demolition phases to estimate total energy use and CO2 emissions over 15- and 25-year lifespans for container houses (CH) and prefabricated houses (PH) respectively. Energy efficiency and emission parameters are defined per m2 and on a per capita basis. It is found that the operation phase is dominant in both PH and CH and contributes 86–88% of the primary energy requirements and 95–96% of CO2 emissions. The embodied energy (EE) of the constructions accounts for 12–14% of the overall life-cycle energy consumption. The results show that life-cycle energy and emissions intensity in CH are higher than those for PH. However, this pattern is reversed when energy requirements are expressed on a per capita basis.

Vibration Mitigation and Monitoring: A Case Study of Construction in a Museum

Vibration from demolition and construction activities poses a serious risk to museum objects. This case study presents preventive conservation and vibration monitoring strategies developed in response to a large-scale renovation project on the floor directly below the Egyptian Art galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to safeguard this fragile, ancient art collection. The paper discusses the methods and procedures that were developed not only to protect the art but also to allow visitors continued access to as much of the collection as possible during the work period. In advance of the construction, pilot testing was performed to determine the levels of vibrations caused by different tools, as well as to gain a better understanding of vibration propagation within the museum and to specific objects through their mounts, pedestals, and display shelves. Vibration prone installations were modified with isolation and/or dampening approaches to mitigate vibration, or when possible, selected objects were deinstalled. A variety of mitigation solutions were shown to be effective through testing. During the demolition and construction phase, continuous wireless vibration monitoring was provided from within the galleries, and sometimes from sensors directly on objects or their shelves to provide near real-time alerts to museum staff and construction personnel. Alert levels were based on frequency independent velocity levels.

Construction solutions for energy efficient single-family house based on its life cycle multi-criteria analysis: a case study

Improvements in the design of energy efficient houses lead to the increase of environmental impact in construction and demolition phases, creating a need to investigate the use of construction materials more carefully. The approach presented herein is based on a complex system of criteria that allows performing comprehensive evaluation of the alternative design solutions. This article presents a case study which illustrates the proposed approach. In this study we estimate the environmental impacts of three alternative types of envelopes (masonry, log and timber frame) of an energy efficient single-family house, simultaneously identifying the most rational alternative according to the considered criteria (reduction of expenses, non-renewable primary energy, Green House Gases and ozone layer depletion). Results of the life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis are evaluated by the multi-criteria decision analysis method and criteria weights of impact categories are determined by the analytic hierarchy process method. The results obtained with the life cycle assessment and life cycle cost show that in the case of buildings, which are designed according to the passive house requirements, the share of the embodied input and output flows in the whole life cycle generally constitutes more than 1/3.

Life cycle energy (LCEA) and carbon dioxide emissions (LCCO2A) assessment of two residential buildings in Gaziantep, Turkey

Today, buildings are responsible for more than 40% of global energy used, and as much as 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions, both in developed and developing countries. In this paper, a life cycle energy (LCEA) and carbon dioxide emissions (LCCO2A) analysis of two residential buildings has been conducted. The study includes the literature review, the data used for such a comprehensive analysis, and methodology and provides an application of the methodology that considers two actual residential buildings constructed in Gaziantep, Turkey. The proposed model focused on building construction, operation and demolition phases to estimate total energy use and carbon emissions over a 50 year lifespan. Energy efficiency and emissions parameters are defined for the buildings per square meter basis. It is found that the operation phase is dominant in both urban and rural residential buildings and contributes 76–73% of the primary energy requirements and 59–74% of CO2 emissions, respectively. The embodied energy (EE) of the buildings accounts for 24–27% of the overall life-cycle energy consumption. The results show that, because of the differences in building structures, living standards and air conditioning habits, the life cycle energy demand in rural residential buildings is 18% lower than in urban conditions.

Life Cycle Energy Analysis of Eight Residential Houses in Brisbane, Australia

Life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) of eight residential buildings in and around Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is undertaken in this study. Energy used in all three phases of construction, operation and demolition are considered. It is found that the main contribution to the operational energy in residential buildings is from use of general appliance. The choice of building materials is shown to have significant effects on the embodied energy for the production, construction, maintenance and demolition phases. From this study, it is shown that the embodied energy may vary from 10% to 30%, while the operational energy may vary from 65% to 90%. The demolition energy generally accounts for less than 4% of life cycle energy.

Carbon emission analysis of a residential building in China through life cycle assessment

In this paper, a quantitative life cycle model for carbon emission accounting was developed based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) theory. A residential building in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city (Tianjin, China) was selected as a sample, which had been constructed according to the concept of green environmental protection and sustainable development. In the scenario of this research, material production, construction, use and maintenance, and demolition phases were assessed by building carbon emission models. Results show that use and maintenance phase and material production phase are the most significant contributors to the life cycle carbon emissions of a building. We also analyzed some factor influences in LCA, including the thickness of the insulating layer and the length of building service life. The analysis suggest that thicker insulating layer does not necessarily produce less carbon emissions in the light of LCA, and if service life of a building increases, its carbon emissions during the whole life cycle will rise as well but its unit carbon emission will decrease inversely. Some advices on controlling carbon emissions from buildings are also provided.

Life-cycle energy of residential buildings in China

In the context of rapid urbanization and new construction in rural China, residential building energy consumption has the potential to increase with the expected increase in demand. A process-based hybrid life-cycle assessment model is used to quantify the life-cycle energy use for both urban and rural residential buildings in China and determine the energy use characteristics of each life cycle phase. An input–output model for the pre-use phases is based on 2007 Chinese economic benchmark data. A process-based life-cycle assessment model for estimating the operation and demolition phases uses historical energy-intensity data. Results show that operation energy in both urban and rural residential buildings is dominant and varies from 75% to 86% of life cycle energy respectively. Gaps in living standards as well as differences in building structure and materials result in a life-cycle energy intensity of urban residential buildings that is 20% higher than that of rural residential buildings. The life-cycle energy of urban residential buildings is most sensitive to the reduction of operational energy intensity excluding heating energy which depends on both the occupants' energy-saving behavior as well as the performance of the building itself.

Contruction waste generation across construction project life-cycle

The construction and demolition waste (CDW), which is produced by the construction process, presents 33% of the total waste stream in European Union in year 2010 (Eurostat 2010). A construction and demolition waste is generated during whole life cycle of construction design phase, realization phase, occupation phase and demolition phase. On the other hand, the sustainable design of construction in the design phase presents possibility for the significantly reduce a volume of generated construction waste. In this phase, we are able to identify and quantify the volume and sort of construction waste. Based on this information, it is possible to determine the possibilities of construction waste disposal and the costs for its treatment.

A Study on Energy Consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions in End-Life Cycle of Residential Buildings

In recent years, demolition work in Korea has been rapidly increasing, and accordingly, its environmental impact has become significant, thus requiring quantitative analysis on energy consumption and CO2 emissions generated during demolition work. This study aims to examine energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the end-life cycle of buildings. In this study, inventory analysis was conducted and basic units of energy consumption and CO2 emissions were calculated in accordance with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines published in 1996. Major findings show that 64% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in buildings’ end-life cycle is generated in the demolition phase, and 36% in the transportation phase.

Life Cycle Energy Analysis of a Multifamily Residential House: A Case Study in Indian Context

The paper presents life cycle energy analysis of a multifamily residential house situated in Allahabad (U.P), India. The study covers energy for construction, operation, maintenance and demolition phases of the building. The selected building is a 4-storey concrete structured multifamily residential house comprising 44 apartments with usable floor area of 2960 m2. The material used for the building structure is steel reinforced concrete and envelope is made up of burnt clay brick masonry. Embodied energy of the building is calculated based on the embodied energy coefficients of building materials applicable in Indian context. Operating energy of the building is estimated using e-Quest energy simulation software. Results show that operating energy (89%) of the building is the largest contributor to life cycle energy of the building, followed by embodied energy (11%). Steel, cement and bricks are most significant materials in terms of contribution to the initial embodied energy profile. The life cycle energy intensity of the building is found to be 75 GJ/m2 and energy index 288 kWh/m2 years (primary). Use of aerated concrete blocks in the construction of walls and for covering roof has been examined as energy saving strategy and it is found that total life cycle energy demand of the building reduces by 9.7%. In addition, building integrated photo voltaic (PV) panels are found most promising for reduction (37%) in life cycle energy (primary) use of the building.

원단위를 활용한 공동주택의 건설폐기물 산정 자동화 시스템 개발 및 사례분석

지속가능한 발전을 추구하는 최근의 추세에서 해체산업은 자원의 재활용이나 재생측면에서 중요성이 더욱 커져가고 있다. 주택건립 및 기존주택현황을 고려할 때 해체시장의 규모는 계속 증가될 것으로 예측되고 있다. 따라서 지속가능한 발전을 위해서는 해체폐기단계에서 발생하는 건설폐기물을 정확히 예측하고 관리하는 것이 필요 하다. 그러나 국내에는 이러한 폐기물을 예측하기 위한 모델의 개발이 미흡하고, 또 이를 적절히 관리하기 위한 시스템의 개발도 이루어지지 못하고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 공동주택 및 단독주택 등의 건설폐기물의 발생을 예측하기 위해 원단위를 개발하였다. 본 원단위는 공동주택의 도면을 실측 분석하여 원단위를 산정한 후 시뮬레이션을 실시하여 회귀분석 모형을 개발하였다. 또한 이의 활용성을 높이기 위해 전산시스템을 개발하였다. 본 모형의 적절성을 파악하기 위해 사례분석을 실시하였다. 본 회귀모형은 공동주택의 바닥면적 및 세대수를 근거로 22개 폐기물을 비교적 쉽게 산출할 수 있는 장점을 갖고 있다. 본 모형은 국내에서 광범위하게 이루어지고 있는 재개발, 재건축 등에서 발생 가능한 폐기물을 정확하고 쉽게 산출할 수 있는 장점을 갖고 있는 것으로 파악되었다. 해체물량의 정확한 산정과 예측은 건설폐기물관리에 많은 도움을 줄 수 있을 것으로 기대한다. The importance of demolition industry is becoming lager because of reusing and recycling of construction waste in current trend to pursue for sustainable development. As considering situation of the domestic housing construction and existing house, a scale of demolition industry is expecting to be increased continually. Therefore, for sustainable development is needed forecasting and managing rightly demolition waste to be producted at demolition phase. But, The development of model for estimating demolition waste is not sufficient in the country, also, the development of computer system for managing it rightly has not yet been created. In this study developed the estimating waste units for estimating demolition waste of an apartment and a house. A regression model for quantifying demolition waste easily is developed to do simulation again after making the estimating waste units through analyzing draws. This model is developed as a computer system for increasing application and then verified the reliability through field application. this regression model can quantify a sort of 22 demolition waste easily based on the size of the floor area and a number of units. This system is expected to quantify demolition waste easily which is producted during redevelopment and remodeling of existing house.

The Ideal Usage of Sustainable Materials and Local Resources of the Interior Space Design in Jordan

Buildings generate a large amount of waste throughout their life cycles, from construction and building operations to demolition. The amount of waste leaving the properly can be reduced, however, through responsible procurement choices, as well as by implementing comprehensive recycling programs throughout the construction, operation, and demolition phases. Consideration for materials and resources focuses on the health and productivity consequences of material selections for building occupants, plus the long term social, economic, and environmental impacts of materials used in the design and construction of the building. Green building addresses two kinds of problems related to materials and resources: waste management and life-cycle impacts. This issue has been discussed by many professionals and researchers and it seems this problem is more likely existed in not developing countries comparing with developing countries. The lack of selecting the right materials, have not been well taken into the consideration. Researchers have developed a number of assumptions that helps to resolve the research problems, which includes the application of the green material and resource in the Jordanian interior designs to provide a healthy environment to the interior spaces. Therefore, the paper aims to search for the possibilities of proposing some indicators using sustainable material and resource in the of internal Jordanian spaces. The theoretical part goes through a brief study to definition of sustainable material and resource in Jordan, and its uses in all the elements of internal and emphasis about the traditional symbols to preserve the identity of Jordan , then we going through the uses of the material and resources by analyses examples of the green interior spaces in Jordan.

Gordon Matta‐Clark's Conical Intersect: “Luxury will be king”

By 1975 the Plateau Beaubourg (“beautiful village”) and the entirety of the land known as the Les Halles section of Paris had been subject to an extensive programme of reconstruction inaugurated some 22 years earlier. During the demolition phase of the project, the area took on the general appellation “Le trou des Halles” (The hole of Les Halles) or “Le grand trou”. The old Les Halles car park became the projected site for the Centre Georges Pompidou. The American artist Gordon Matta‐Clark chose to work at Plateau Beaubourg precisely because of the controversy caused by the demolition and subsequent dispersal of the community, as well as the projected nature of the future site as a cultural centre. The resulting artwork, Conical Intersect (1975), and its problematic critical reception provide a series of interpretive opportunities that form the matrix of this essay. Conical Intersect recalls, on the one hand, a history of place, whilst, on the other hand, dramatising a situation where communities are evicted from the land: dispersed, made powerless. The specific form and reception of the artwork illustrates the tension between the narratives of historical progress — as embodied, for example, in the construction of the Pompidou Centre — and the destruction of site that was its prerequisite. This cultural tension is the subject and object of this essay as Conical Intersect becomes, by way of its particular morphology and its own inevitable erasure (its self‐effacement), emblematic of memory, loss, condescension and contradiction, artistic and “political” naivety, confusion and the powerlessness of communities over the possession and use of the land.