Assessing the accumulation of construction waste generation during residential building construction works

Abstract

The difficulty of dealing with construction and demolition waste (CDW) on construction-sites is not new and continues to be an environmental problem. Understanding the waste generated in a construction work is essential to optimize CDW management. Therefore, any tool used for establishing an estimation of the COW that will be generated should be considered as an alternative to achieve real solutions pursuing sustainability. This paper presents the evolution of COW flow generation in the construction of new residential buildings, and has identified that the construction activity is increasing the waste generation. In an attempt to find some solutions and provide improved alternatives, several building sites have been analysed in order to quantify the estimation of CDW generated. Results show that when using plasterboard walls the COW generation, per m(2) of built surface can be reduced up to 15.94% compared to the use of traditional brick partitions. In addition, a model describing the accumulation of COW throughout the project duration is proposed. This model states that COW mainly accumulates in the middle stages of the project. This study allows an estimation of the amount of COW to be generated in a building construction site, helping to plan the number and size of containers required at any moment of the construction process, as well as the space required for a proper COW management. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.