Reusability analytics tool for end-of-life assessment of building materials in a circular economy
World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development
ISSN: 2042-5945
Article publication date: 30 October 2018
Issue publication date: 7 January 2019
Abstract
Purpose
In a circular economy, the goal is to keep materials values in the economy for as long as possible. For the construction industry to support the goal of the circular economy, there is the need for materials reuse. However, there is little or no information about the amount and quality of reusable materials obtainable when buildings are deconstructed. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to develop a reusability analytics tool for assessing end-of-life status of building materials.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the extant literature was carried out to identify the best approach to modelling end-of-life reusability assessment tool. The reliability analysis principle and materials properties were used to develop the predictive mathematical model for assessing building materials performance. The model was tested using the case study of a building design and materials take-off quantities as specified in the bill of quantity of the building design.
Findings
The results of analytics show that the quality of the building materials varies with the building component. For example, from the case study, at the 80th year of the building, the qualities of the obtainable concrete from the building are 0.9865, 0.9835, 0.9728 and 0.9799, respectively, from the foundation, first floor, frame and stair components of the building.
Originality/value
As a contribution to the concept of circular economy in the built environment, the tool provides a foundation for estimating the quality of obtainable building materials at the end-of-life based on the life expectancy of the building materials.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge and express their sincere gratitude to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK (Grant Reference No. EP/N509012/1, Grant Application No. 54832–413479/File No. 102473) for providing the financial support for this study.
Citation
Akanbi, L., Oyedele, L., Davila Delgado, J.M., Bilal, M., Akinade, O., Ajayi, A. and Mohammed-Yakub, N. (2019), "Reusability analytics tool for end-of-life assessment of building materials in a circular economy", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 40-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-05-2018-0041
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited