Identifying the Major Construction Wastes in the Building Construction Phase Based on Life Cycle Assessments

Won-Jun Park, Rakhyun Kim, Seungjun Roh and Hoki Ban
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Won-Jun Park: Department of Architectural Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Korea
Rakhyun Kim: GREENers, Ansan 15455, Korea
Seungjun Roh: School of Architecture, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi 39177, Korea
Hoki Ban: Department of Civil Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the major wastes generated during the construction phase using a life cycle assessment. To accomplish this, the amount of waste generated in the construction phase was deduced using the loss rate and weight conversions. Major construction wastes were assessed using six comprehensive environmental impact categories, including global warming potential, abiotic depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential. According to the analysis results, five main construction wastes—concrete, rebar, cement, polystyrene panel, and concrete block—comprehensively satisfied the 95% cutoff criteria for all six environmental impact categories. The results of the environmental impact characterization assessment revealed that concrete, concrete block, and cement waste accounted for over 70% of the contribution level in all the environmental impact categories except resource depletion. Insulation materials accounted for 1% of the total waste generated but were identified by the environmental impact assessment to have the highest contribution level.

Keywords: major construction wastes; life cycle assessment; construction phase (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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