European Research Center for Social Development

Tag: Building Deconstruction

  • Design for Deconstruction Using a Circular Economy Approach: Barriers and Strategies for Improvement

    Design for Deconstruction Using a Circular Economy Approach: Barriers and Strategies for Improvement

    While the circular economy offers a clear path to sustainability, the construction industry faces a significant “implementation gap” when it comes to Design for Deconstruction (DfD).

    This study identifies 26 specific barriers—ranging from weak legislation to a lack of effective digital tools—that keep the industry stuck in a “demolish-and-discard” cycle.

    The findings suggest that achieving a sustainable building agenda requires more than just good intentions; it requires a structural shift in how we manage information and create business value. For the built environment to become truly circular, the industry must develop better software for lifecycle tracking and advocate for policies that make deconstruction more profitable than destruction.

    By bridging these gaps, we can turn the “end-of-life” for one building into the “birth” of another, fulfilling the promise of a waste-free urban future.

    Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2019.1695006

    Reference

    Akinade, O., Oyedele, L., Oyedele, A., Davila Delgado, J. M., Bilal, M., Akanbi, L., … Owolabi, H. (2020). Design for deconstruction using a circular economy approach: barriers and strategies for improvement. Production Planning & Control, 31(10), 829–840

  • Fundamentals of Building Deconstruction as a Circular Economy Strategy for the Reuse of Construction Materials

    Fundamentals of Building Deconstruction as a Circular Economy Strategy for the Reuse of Construction Materials

    Is the end of a building’s life actually an opportunity? This research reframes “deconstruction” as the backbone of a circular urban future. While traditional demolition is fast and cheap, it hides a massive environmental cost in the form of landfill waste and lost resources.

    By adopting a strategy of Selective Dismantlement, the construction industry can recover valuable materials for immediate reuse or repurposing.

    The study proposes a set of universal principles that apply to any construction system, emphasizing that the potential for a building to be “recycled” is decided the moment it is designed.

    For modern cities to meet their sustainability goals, we must move beyond the “linear” model of consumption and start viewing our built environment as a rotating inventory of materials. This paper provides the foundational “how-to” for turning that vision into a standard industrial practice.

    Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.3390/app11030939

    Reference

    Bertino, G., Kisser, J., Zeilinger, J., Langergraber, G., Fischer, T., & Österreicher, D. (2021). Fundamentals of Building Deconstruction as a Circular Economy Strategy for the Reuse of Construction Materials. Applied Sciences, 11(3), 939