Quantification of construction waste amount

Abstract

This article outlines the importance of the quantification of wastes for a sound and adequate management of waste in the construction of buildings. It is noted that such quantifications provide a necessary tool for evaluating the true size of the wastes and hence making the adequate decisions for their minimization and sustainable management. This information also provides the essential information for a better pricing of construction bids and hence the user would be more competitive on the market. Furthermore, the quantification of wastes enables a more adequate planning of the construction site and the related logistics in terms of containers and their management. This will provide the necessary information not only on the amount but also on the type and time of waste generations. Environmental and economic gains are thus incentives for contractors to opt for this prior quantification and planning. Two approaches for quantification of wastes are outlined. The Component Index (CI) enables quantification of wastes for each constructive component in the overall project. As for the Global Index (GI), this provides the necessary indicators for a given type of building, which can then be used for similar future buildings and hence facilitates the overall estimation of the wastes. The usefulness of preparing such data files, as well as the necessity for their updating and refining progressively is indicated. As the basis for the quantification of wastes, examples of CI and GI are presented. Data for these data files have been gathered empirically on construction sites and are good indicators for a first approach to the quantification of wastes. The waste managers are encouraged to update and refine these files to their own specific conditions and circumstances.