Measuring the impact of prefabrication on construction waste reduction: An empirical study in China

Zhengdao Li, Geoffrey Qiping Shen and Mustafa Alshawi

Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 2014, vol. 91, issue C, 27-39

Abstract: Prefabrication has been widely regarded as a sustainable construction method in terms of its impact on environmental protection. One important aspect of this perspective is the influence of prefabrication on construction waste reduction and the subsequent waste handling activities, including waste sorting, reuse, recycle, and disposal. Nevertheless, it would appear that existing research with regard to this topic has failed to take into account its innate dynamic character of the process of construction waste minimization; integrating all essential waste handling activities has never been achieved thus far. This paper proposes a dynamic model for quantitatively evaluating the possible impacts arising from the application of prefabrication technology on construction waste reduction and the subsequent waste handling activities. The resulting model was validated based on an actual building project in Shenzhen, China.

Keywords: Waste management; Prefabrication; Material flow; System dynamics; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:recore:v:91:y:2014:i:c:p:27-39

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.07.013

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