Downsizing in Achieving Sustainable Construction Development  

Downsizing in Achieving Sustainable Construction Development          

Aim

Construction activities in the United States have increased drastically in the past decade. It has been accompanied by an increase in the amount of construction and demolition waste, which has created an environmental problem considering that the level of reuse and recycling of the waste is low. There is, therefore, a need to develop strategies and motivate construction managers to come up with plans to solve the issue. The composition of construction and demolition waste allows for a high degree of recyclability hence improved sustainability of construction. The lack of practical methods to assist in downsizing to achieve Downsizing in Achieving Sustainable Construction Development is rarely practiced in the construction industry, which is a significant consumer of energy and natural resources (Ibrahim, 2016). It has been noted that the construction industry produces high levels of waste, which is unacceptable. In the past few years, the industry has noticed the importance of taking care of the environment and the impacts associated with the waste it generates during the demolition of old structures and the construction of new ones. The construction waste has contributed to environmental damage both locally and internationally and has also burdened local waste management systems. This paper, therefore, aims to investigate the impact of recycling construction waste on downsizing sustainable construction development

Objectives

1. To determine how construction waste affects the environment
2. To evaluate what happens to construction waste
3. To determine why recycling of construction waste is essential
4. To assess how construction materials can be recycled

How Project Aligns to MSc Program of Study

Construction and demolition material refers to the debris obtained during renovation, demolition, and construction of bridges, roads, and buildings. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides guidelines on how sustainable material management should allow for the reuse of material in new building projects (Ibrahim, 2016). The topic of Downsizing in Achieving Sustainable Construction Development relates to the MSc program on construction management in that it ensures that all construction project use processes that are environmentally friendly and resource-efficient. The field of construction management can contribute to sustainable construction, given the large amount of resources and energy needed to produce and maintain this environment. There is a lot of emission and waste generated in the building. Given the rate at which the world is being urbanized, it is crucial that whatever is being built should be environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.

Justification

The construction sector is looking for better ways to mitigate environmental impacts due to the importance given to sustainability. Sustainable building and construction require a multidisciplinary and holistic approach. The construction industry produces a lot of waste within the various phases of a construction course, beginning with raw material extraction, manufacture of the material, the process of construction itself, demolition, and finally, waste disposal in the landfills. It is, therefore, necessary to consider sustainable construction in terms of development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising future generations and how they will meet their needs.

There is a need to research on how recycling of construction and demolition material can assist in downsizing in achieving sustainable construction development. The process of recycling has two significant benefits. First, recycling saves a considerable amount of energy and also reduces the usage of natural resources to create new material. For example, the recycling of concrete waste generated in the United States each year would save energy equal to 1 billion gallons of gasoline (Ibrahim, 2016). The filling up of landfill means there is a need to find new ways of dealing with construction waste. It can get turned into something new or recycled as it is. Processing of toxic waste assists in minimizing the build-up of toxic waste in the environment, while recycling eradicates the need to send waste to landfills.

Recycling also has some economic benefits indicating the importance of this research topic. First, it saves on cost by eliminating the need to transport and dispose of the waste. The demand for new resources is reduced with recycling hence cutting production and transportation costs. The increase in demand for green building and conservation of the environment has given companies that recycle material a competitive edge. Construction companies can gain points for LEED certification for recycling, which is the essential rating system in green buildings (Arum, 2011).

Review of Focal Literature

The construction industry has become a critical production engine for the growth of the economy in recent years in the United States. It is hence considered as a strategic sector because it facilitates the growth of other areas such as service and transportation as well as leading to a substantial economic turnover and offering a considerable number of employment opportunities. The rise of the construction and demolition industry has, in turn, led to the release of construction waste, creating the need to identify effective ways of managing the waste. The problem has a significant impact on the environment, and the US government considers the construction and demolition sector to be one of the most massive waste streams in the country. In European countries, it accounts for over 450 million tonnes of waste annually, which is about a quarter of the waste generated (Arum, 2011). Construction and demolition waste forms the most substantial waste terms in terms of quantity after farm and mining waste. For instance, if earth and road excavated material are excluded, the amount of construction waste generated is about 180 million tonnes in a year (Arum, 2011). It is estimated that about 55% of waste generated in the construction industry is reused or recycled (Arum, 2011). There are several incentives placed to ensure that the potential impacts of construction waste on the environment are mitigated. Forced, governments across the globe have increased regulatory agency enforcement of rules concerning the proper management of construction waste. There are also incentives to encourage the industry to find and apply reuse and recycling measures of their waste stream appropriately. There is also an increased fee for the waste dumped on land.

The construction and demolition industry uses about 400 million tonnes of natural resources in the US (Arum, 2011). The process then generates over 100 million tonnes of waste, which is more than a third fo the country’s waste (Arum, 2011). Over 25 million tonnes go to landfills (Arum, 2011). It is disappointing that more than 10 percent of this waste consists of unused material (Arum, 2011). The waste has a significant impact on our environment, creating the need for sustainable construction development. The scarcity of landfills has made it difficult to dispose of construction waste, which also overburdens the dumps. Poor management of the trash, materials such as chemically treated wood, and solvents may pollute water and soil. It is, therefore, essential that the construction industry comes up with better measures of controlling its waste to reduce the damage caused to the environment and to preserve natural resources. Companies are encouraged to follow guidelines to reduce, reuse, and recycle their waste.

First, construction companies should cut the amount of waste they dispose of by reducing the amount they generate. The second step is to reuse as it is unacceptable to dispose of material that is in perfect condition. Salvaged and surplus material should be collected and stored safely for use again in the same project or another site. Some of the elements that can get reused include paint, inert material such as concrete, asphalt, and stones, tiles and bricks, plasterboard, wooden pallets, and timber. Recycling is crucial as it helps to avoid the valuable material from going to landfills and has the potential of turning nonhazardous equipment back into the construction process. The process of recycling begins with the segregation of waste material using containers for different materials.

The construction industry, according to the United Nations Environmental Program, has become a large consumer of resources that uses 40% to 50% of global energy and 40% of global resources (Ulsen et al., 2013). It is essential to identify what happens to construction waste after its generation. First, some of it goes to landfills, which is not appropriate as they should be kept clear of construction and demolition waste that is not biodegradable. The different forms of waste generated in a construction site include glass from windows, metal, wood, concrete, plumbing material, and electrical material, among others. There is the need to carry out proper source separation to ensure that the waste generated is safe and to adhere to recycling methods. The management of waste differs from one state to another as well as the level of environmental protection required. Although some states have introduced measures to manage the waste based on prevention, restriction, recovery, and also ban on disposal to landfills, most of the waste generated simply ends up in the landfills without any precaution having been taken or sorting of the waste done.

In European countries, approximately 28% of construction waste is recycled with countries such as the Netherlands recycling up to 95%, Belgium 87%, and England 45% of their construction and demolition waste and marking the highest rates of recycling in the past ten years (Ulsen et al., 2013). The rules that govern the recycling of waste stream indicate the level of diversity that occurs. Some countries have developed regulations to manage waste, while others are yet to evolve and develop the necessary rules. The high degree of recycling in the Netherlands indicates that it is possible to achieve high levels of recycling and reuse of construction waste.

The recycling of construction waste is becoming popular with companies resolving to recycle their construction waste for various reasons. Construction companies that have taken this option have found it useful as it helps to save on construction costs. Construction material can be expensive, and recycling can help save on the purchase of new content. The use of durable and quality material benefits the building of strong and stable structures. Recycling of construction material helps in cutting down costs whenever the company moves to a new project (Wibowo, Sholeh & Adji, 2017). It also helps to save on transportation and disposal costs making it cheaper to recycle rather than disposing of. Recycling is also essential as it helps to conserve energy. Energy helps in the implementation of various tasks hence the need to preserve the available energy resources. Recycling is an efficient method of saving energy. The filling up of landfills means that the construction industry needs to find better ways of disposing of construction waste that is environmentally friendly. Recycling is one efficient method that can assist in minimizing the pollution of the environment.

Despite the increased environmental protection awareness in society, there are still countries struggling to implement the recycling process. It is a common practice in countries such as Spain to dispose of demolition waste in landfills with no attempt to recover material that can be reused. Recycling policies should be developed such that they embody legal, economic, and environmental issues. Preventive procedures should include regulations concerning construction waste separation, reuse, and recycling and treatment of waste before disposal to ensure construction sustainability.

Research Strategy

The research approach used for this proposal is a case study. The project will identify various companies whereby the recycling of construction waste has aided in sustainable construction development. The use of a case study is suitable for this proposal as it allows for the investigation of how recycling of construction waste helps to protect natural resources and conserve energy in real-life context hence attaining sustainable construction. Various studies have been carried out on sustainability; therefore, there is a lot of credible information on the issue. The issue of sustainability is relevant to most developing countries as well as developed countries. In countries like Lebanon, the construction industry is highly active, creating a strain on its natural resources (Asam, 2007). Such a case can be useful in identifying how the country is dealing with this problem to ensure sustainable construction is achieved. The study will also help to understand how the construction industry has evolved over the years in the efforts of ensuring that sustainability is achieved. The various challenges faced by human beings due to climate change, environmental degradation, and depletion of natural resources can be understood using a survey compared to other research strategies. The construction industry is responsible for some of the environmental challenges faced today due to its heavy consumption of natural resources such as raw materials, water, and energy. The use of a case study will help to resolve the problem of construction waste leading to pollution and how it can be recycled.

Practical Implementation

This paper conducts a systematic review of construction projects to recycle waste products. It not only looks at the research findings of previous cases but also practices and policies implemented by the industry and authorities. Three case studies will be used to obtain information on how various countries are attaining sustainable construction development through the recycling of construction and demolition of waste. The first case study will focus on how the United States construction industry is ensuring that sustainable construction is achieved. The second case study will involve countries in Europe while the third case study will look at the developing countries and the efforts they are putting into place to ensure construction material is recycled to achieve sustainable construction. The information obtained from the three case studies will give a clear outlook on how the efforts and challenges faced in ensuring sustainable construction are attained. It will also help to compare sustainability in the USA, England, and Lebanon, which is a developing country. Generally, developed economies are more active in ensuring sustainability compared to developing and undeveloped economies. This is because developed economies have more resources set aside to address the issue of ensuring the environment is well protected (Asam, 2007). A lot of research has been carried out on the benefits of sustainable construction on the environment. The issue of how recycling of construction waste can ensure sustainability is still lacking in previous studies. This proposal, therefore, will review various cases on sustainable construction to show how recycling and reuse of construction waste can help ensure that the environment is protected. The data for the case study will be accessed from peer-reviewed journals and books in the past decade. The science website is also a powerful source that can be used for the study. This proposal will, therefore, obtain data from the science web to identify published articles related to recycling and sustainable construction.

The technique used for this study is the unobtrusive measures. This technique is useful for this proposal as it does not require one to intrude on the context of research. The technique is appropriate for the aim of the proposal, which is to investigate the impact of recycling construction waste on downsizing sustainable construction development as it allows for a review of a wide range of data. The technique is appropriate as it reduces the bias of the obtained results due to intrusion. The challenge of using this technique is that it reduces the degree of control that the researcher has over the data collected. To address the problem, the researcher will obtain various journals to ensure there is a variety of information on the case. Content analysis of various peer-reviewed journals on the recycling of construction waste to attain sustainable development is an effective way of understanding how various states are addressing the issue.

The approach to data analysis will begin with data requirement gathering, whereby the researcher will begin by identifying what they want from the study. One will also identify what they want to do with the data. The other step in data analysis will include the collection of the data where one will have a clear view of the kind of data they want. The data will then be organized for analysis to find out the extent to which recycling is being carried out to attain sustainable construction development (Kibert, 2016). The next step in the analysis of data is data cleaning to remove duplicate copies and data that may be irrelevant. The next step of data analysis is data interpretation to show the results of the study, and it can be done through charts or tables.

Work schedule

A work schedule is important to ensure that everything is carried out within the required time frame. It identifies the various activities to be carried out during the project and when they will be done. A work schedule will assist in ensuring that the work plan is feasible.

Ethical considerations

To ensure that the dissertation is successful, several ethical considerations will be made. First, all those involved in the research will not be subjected to any harm in any way whatsoever. The dignity of the research will be prioritized at all times. Before the beginning of the study, consent of anyone involved in the study will be obtained, and their privacy guaranteed. The confidentiality of the data obtained is also guaranteed. The anonymity of organizations involved in the study will be ensured. Exaggeration and deception about the aim of the study will be avoided. All forms of communication-related to the research will be done with at most transparency and honesty. The study will also avoid any misleading information or bias representation of data. The research will also acknowledge the work of other authors through the use of a referencing system such as APA or Harvard.

References

Arum, C. (2011). Recycling of construction and demolition concrete for sustainable buildings. European Journal of Scientific Research, 52(2), 265-270.

Asam, C. (2007). Recycling prefabricated concrete components–a contribution to sustainable construction. IEMB info 3/2007.

Hossain, M. U., Poon, C. S., Dong, Y. H., Lo, I. M., & Cheng, J. C. (2018). Development of social sustainability assessment method and a comparative case study on assessing recycled construction materials. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 23(8), 1654-1674.

Ibrahim, M. I. M. (2016). Estimating the sustainability returns of recycling construction waste from building projects. Sustainable Cities and Society, 23, 78-93.

Kibert, C. J. (2016). Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery. John Wiley & Sons.

Ulsen, C., Kahn, H., Hawlitschek, G., Masini, E. A., & Angulo, S. C. (2013). Separability studies of construction and demolition waste recycled sand. Waste Management, 33(3), 656-662.

Wibowo, M. A., Sholeh, M. N., & Adji, H. S. (2017). Supply chain management strategy for recycled materials to support sustainable construction. Procedia Engineering, 171(1), 185-190.