Designing for deconstruction : closing the material loop through a green design strategy

Abstract

The construction industry has been blamed for the excessive depletion of global resources, making it one of the least sustainable industries in the world. This led to a greater awareness of the increased value of resources and the importance of using them efficiently. One of the most challenging aspects in the construction industry is the redundancy of existing buildings which are being demolished and disposed of, unnecessary. This large-scale problem has led to the squandering of materials and resources. A way of tackling this issue is by closing the material loop and turning waste into a resource. Concepts like Design for Disassembly (DfD), deconstruction, material reuse and recyclability are examples of better waste minimisation strategies. This dissertation focuses on the possibility of implementing DfD in the Maltese Construction Industry to alleviate the current landfilling problem, by reusing materials and reducing the amount of waste generated. DfD is a method of designing buildings to be deconstructed at the end of their useful life. Materials and components reclaimed from this process are either recycled or reused into new construction projects. The work focuses on the context and principles of DfD and on the possibility of increasing the awareness of this concept amongst Clients, Periti and Contractors. A questionnaire was used to reveal the current practices in Malta and to evaluate the barriers which are impeding the respondents from practicing DfD, as well as the strategies which could be adopted to encourage its use.