Effective Management Techniques For Construction Waste

Types of Wastes

Wastes can be of two types depending on their degradation nature – bio-degradable and non-biodegradable. Bio-degradable wastes can be managed easily as they can be degraded and neutralized by various types of bacteria. However, the most problematic wastes are the non-biodegradable wastes that cannot be broken down by the bacteria. There are some waste management techniques that are used to manage and reduce the volumes of these wastes. The wastes that originate from the construction industry are non-biodegradable and cannot be decomposed by bacteria. Although there are several waste management activities undertaken for the construction wastes, they are not very effective and have other negative impacts on the environment. One of the most common techniques of waste management followed around the world is land fill. In this technique, a certain part of land is dug and the wastes are dumped before filling the land again with the soil. This is an effective technique for biodegradable wastes as they can be decomposed and the land can be used for agriculture. Not only the human beings but also the animals and plants around the world are affected by the pollution created by the wastes. The focus of this research is on the construction wastes because the construction industry contributes to 40% of total wastes generated. Moreover, the wastes generated by the construction industry cannot be decomposed and hence, urgent solution is necessary. Some of the recommended management technique includes reuse of the construction wastes like sand, ceramics and other materials.

As per reports around the world, everyday, tons of various wastes are generated at accelerating rates that have significant negative impact on the global environment. In order to manage these wastes, several waste management techniques are utilized that aim to dump the wastes such that they do not have negative impact on the ecosystems. Land fill is one of the most common techniques of waste management in which the wastes are dumped within the soil far away from residential areas. According to a study conducted in Australia, 40% of all the wastes that are dumped in landfills are construction and demolition wastes (Rhyner et al. 2017). In other words, the construction industry significantly contributes to the generation of wastes every day. Thus it is clear that if the waste generation continues to grow at this alarming rate without proper management measures, it will cause even greater negative impacts on the environment even after land fill, incineration and other current measures taken. Some common techniques used to manage the construction wastes include land fill and incineration. While land fill will only provide sufficient space for some period of time, incineration results in expense of energy and generation of toxic gases that also harm the environment at an alarming rate (Blackman Jr 2016). Hence, it is important to develop some effective solutions for managing the construction wastes as it is also evident that the amount of construction wastes is constantly increasing with the increasing number of building constructions in Australia.

Waste Management Activities

Since the industrial age, production of various types of wastes has increased considerably. Throughout the years, the wastes have had negative impact on the environment that has now reached an alarming level. Wastes can be solid, liquid or gas depending on the nature of the sources. Again, wastes can be of two types depending on their degradation nature – bio-degradable and non-biodegradable. Bio-degradable wastes can be managed easily as they can be degraded and neutralized by various types of bacteria. However, the most problematic wastes are the non-biodegradable wastes that cannot be broken down by the bacteria. These wastes can accumulate and result in high amount of pollution including soil pollution, water pollution, air pollution and others. There are some waste management techniques that are used to manage and reduce the volumes of these wastes. The wastes that originate from the construction industry are non-biodegradable and cannot be decomposed by bacteria (Jambeck et al. 2015). On the other hand, due to accelerating rate of construction of structures like buildings, bridges, monuments and others, the volume of construction wastes is also increasing at a very fast pace. Although there are several waste management activities undertaken for the construction wastes, they are not very effective and have other negative impacts on the environment. Construction wastes are mainly managed using any of the three R’s – Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. Some of the common methods that are implemented for the management of construction wastes and their impacts are discussed below.

Land Fill – One of the most common techniques of waste management followed around the world is land fill. In this technique, a certain part of land is dug and the wastes are dumped before filling the land again with the soil. This is an effective technique for biodegradable wastes as they can be decomposed and the land can be used for agriculture (Reinhardt 2018). However, for the wastes coming from the construction industry, this is not an effective technique and the land fill with these wastes will only result in creating dump hills.

Incineration – Another technique used for managing the construction wastes is incineration. In this technique, the disposed wastes are taken at a remote location and incinerated. This is an effective technique for reducing the volume of the solid waste but on the other hand, a huge volume of gas waste is generated. This gas waste contains high amount of toxic gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and create greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion (Kinnaman 2017). Furthermore, these gases also increase the toxicity of the air that the people and the animals breathe every instant. The incineration process also requires expense of huge amount of energy that could be used elsewhere.

Construction Waste and Environmental Impact

From the analysis of the waste management procedures, it can be said that none of these waste management techniques are effective for the construction wastes and moreover, unless suitable waste management techniques are developed, it will create a huge global problem as the volume of construction wastes is increasing at a fast pace.

The significance of this research is that it aims to explore a major global problem that has to be solved or at least reduced within a very short time span. Due to the growing problem regarding pollution, the human life expectancy around the world is decreasing and the condition of the living environment around the world is changing rapidly in a negative way (Sadef et al. 2016). Not only the human beings but also the animals and plants around the world are affected by the pollution created by the wastes. The focus of this research is on the construction wastes because the construction industry contributes to 40% of total wastes generated. Moreover, the wastes generated by the construction industry cannot be decomposed and hence, urgent solution is necessary.

Some of the recommended management technique includes reuse of the construction wastes like sand, ceramics and other materials. While this can be a possible situation, the broken materials like ceramics and bricks cannot be reused. Another suggested solution is to recycle the materials for other purposes so that the wastes need to be dumped or incinerated.

The scope of the project involves the study of the problem caused by the construction wastes and the possible management techniques that can be applied to reduce the amount of wastes effectively without affecting the environment. The research focuses on the condition of Australia regarding the generation of construction wastes although the solution will be explored based on the global context rather than local.

The existing research has significant gap as they have not yet provided a long term solution to the growing problem of construction wastes. The management techniques that are discussed are already known and are only suitable for short term solution rather than long term.

The question to be answered in this research is “How can the environmental impacts of construction wastes can be eliminated using proper techniques that will have long term effects?”

The main aim of this research is to explore the problems caused by construction wastes and find suitable long term solutions to prevent their impacts on the environment.

• To find the amount of damage caused to the environment by the construction wastes
• To determine the amount of construction waste generated globally every year
• To explore current management techniques used for managing construction wastes
• To develop suitable long term solutions for managing the construction wastes
• To develop a roadmap for further research in the future

1. Methods

Current Waste Management Techniques

Research method is of three types and is mainly selected based on the type and nature of the research. These research methods are discussed as follows.

Qualitative Research – This type of research generally involves study of data that cannot be quantified and can only be expressed in terms of some quality or characteristics. Qualitative research is generally conducted when there are no requirements for statistical data and the analysis only involves study of characteristics and quality of the research topic.

Quantitative Research – Quantitative research involves the study of the data that are quantifiable. In other words, this type of research involves the study of statistical data that is used to deduce answers and reach suitable conclusion regarding the research topic.

Mixed Research – This type of research is conducted when both qualitative and quantitative data is utilized for reaching the research conclusion. In this type of research, both quantifiable and non-quantifiable data and information are collected from primary and secondary sources before proceeding with the analysis process.

In this particular research, the main data that is required is the characteristics of the construction wastes and the management techniques of these wastes. Statistical data is required to analyze the volumes of construction wastes generated and the amount by which the volume can be reduced using suitable techniques. Hence, the most suitable research method for this particular research is mixed method. In this research, the qualitative data will be collected by conducting interviews of various construction managers and also from data sources published online. The quantitative data will be collected by conducting questionnaire surveys in which the target audience will answer several multiple choice questions regarding the research topic. However, the main focus of the research is to identify the gaps in existing research and conduct study on the development of more effective waste management techniques.

The research timeline is shown in the following table that also includes the status of each activity.

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish	Predecessors	Resource Names	Status
Timeline for Research on Waste Management	124 days	Mon 12/3/18	Thu 5/23/19
Research Planning and Proposal	14 days	Mon 12/3/18	Thu 12/20/18
Receive Research Guidelines	2 days	Mon 12/3/18	Tue 12/4/18		Research Team Member 1	Completed
Select Research Topic within Field of Study	1 day	Wed 12/5/18	Wed 12/5/18	2	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Check Feasibility of the Research Topic	2 days	Thu 12/6/18	Fri 12/7/18	3	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Check whether sufficient resources are available to conduct the entire research	1 day	Mon 12/10/18	Mon 12/10/18	4	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Determine whether the time provided is sufficient for the project	1 day	Tue 12/11/18	Tue 12/11/18	5	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Develop a Team for conducting the research	1 day	Wed 12/12/18	Wed 12/12/18	6	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Prepare Research Proposal	5 days	Thu 12/13/18	Wed 12/19/18	7	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Submit the Proposal	1 day	Thu 12/20/18	Thu 12/20/18	8		Completed
Get the Proposal Approved	0 days	Thu 12/20/18	Thu 12/20/18	9		Completed
Research Initiation	14 days	Fri 12/21/18	Wed 1/9/19
Create Research Plan	4 days	Fri 12/21/18	Wed 12/26/18	10	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Allocate Tasks between Research Team Members	1 day	Thu 12/27/18	Thu 12/27/18	12	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Determine Research Methodology that will be followed throughout the Research	2 days	Fri 12/28/18	Mon 12/31/18	13	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Agree Upon Mixed Method Analysis	1 day	Tue 1/1/19	Tue 1/1/19	14	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Get Access to Online Library for Literature Sources	1 day	Wed 1/2/19	Wed 1/2/19	15	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Receive Funding from University for the Research	2 days	Thu 1/3/19	Fri 1/4/19	16	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Procure Necessary Resources for Research	2 days	Mon 1/7/19	Tue 1/8/19	17	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Develop Research Schedule	1 day	Wed 1/9/19	Wed 1/9/19	18	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Initiate Research	0 days	Wed 1/9/19	Wed 1/9/19	19	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Completed
Research Execution	75 days	Thu 1/10/19	Wed 4/24/19
Conduct Detailed Literature Review	10 days	Thu 1/10/19	Wed 1/23/19	20	Research Team Member 1, Conveyance and Other Costs[1], Research Related Costs[1]	Completed
Document All Information from Literature	4 days	Thu 1/24/19	Tue 1/29/19	22	Research Team Member 1	Completed
Analyze the Literature	15 days	Wed 1/30/19	Tue 2/19/19	23	Research Team Member 1	Ongoing
Prepare Research Framework	4 days	Wed 2/20/19	Mon 2/25/19	24	Research Team Member 1	Not Done
Contact Managers for Interview	2 days	Tue 2/26/19	Wed 2/27/19	25	Research Team Member 2	Not Done
Conduct Interview for Qualitative Data	5 days	Thu 2/28/19	Wed 3/6/19	26	Research Team Member 2	Not Done
Document All Qualitative Data Received	5 days	Thu 3/7/19	Wed 3/13/19	27	Research Team Member 2	Not Done
Prepare Questionnaire	2 days	Tue 2/26/19	Wed 2/27/19	25	Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Conduct Questionnaire Survey for Quantitative Data	5 days	Thu 2/28/19	Wed 3/6/19	29	Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Document All Quantitative Data Received	2 days	Thu 3/7/19	Fri 3/8/19	30	Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Analyze Qualitative and Quantitative Data	10 days	Thu 3/14/19	Wed 3/27/19	31,28	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Reach Conclusion on the Research Topic	15 days	Thu 3/28/19	Wed 4/17/19	32	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Document the Finds and Discussions of the Research Results	5 days	Thu 4/18/19	Wed 4/24/19	33	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Complete the Research	0 days	Wed 4/24/19	Wed 4/24/19	34	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Research Closing and Sign Off	21 days	Thu 4/25/19	Thu 5/23/19
Prepare Final Research Report	15 days	Thu 4/25/19	Wed 5/15/19	35	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Submit the Report for Grading	1 day	Thu 5/16/19	Thu 5/16/19	37	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Received Grades	5 days	Fri 5/17/19	Thu 5/23/19	38	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done
Sign Off and Closing	0 days	Thu 5/23/19	Thu 5/23/19	39	Research Team Member 1, Research Team Member 2, Research Team Member 3	Not Done

The graph for the research timeline is shown below.

 

Conclusion

Finally, it can be concluded that this research aims to find suitable solutions to manage the construction wastes so that their volumes can be reduced and the impact of the wastes on the environment can be reduced. This research aims to explore a major global problem that has to be solved or at least reduced within a very short time span. Due to the growing problem regarding pollution, the human life expectancy around the world is decreasing and the condition of the living environment around the world is changing rapidly in a negative way. Not only the human beings but also the animals and plants around the world are affected by the pollution created by the wastes. Hence, this research is done to analyze the existing solutions and find the gaps that are preventing the development of any long term solutions for the problems. The target results are expected to be found through detailed analysis of literature, qualitative and qualitative data along with the addition of technical knowledge and creative application of ideas can aim to reuse or recycle the construction wastes. The main limitation of this study is that it is conducted in an academic environment and cannot establish accurate results regarding the application of the solution in global scale. Furthermore, the research is aimed to benefit from the research gaps and application of technical knowledge but there is no significant scope for experimental analysis. Considering the scale of the research, the timeline suggested for the entire research process is sufficient but for future research activities, a much bigger time period is required especially if the study is conducted on the context of global scale.

Ineffectiveness of Current Techniques

The thesis is based on the research on Waste Management and its Impact on Environment. Some common techniques used to manage the construction wastes include land fill and incineration. While land fill will only provide sufficient space for some period of time, incineration results in expense of energy and generation of toxic gases that also harm the environment at an alarming rate. Hence, it is important to develop some effective solutions for managing the construction wastes as it is also evident that the amount of construction wastes is constantly increasing with the increasing number of building constructions in Australia.

In this particular research, the main data that is required is the characteristics of the construction wastes and the management techniques of these wastes. Statistical data is required to analyze the volumes of construction wastes generated and the amount by which the volume can be reduced using suitable techniques. Hence, the most suitable research method for this particular research is mixed method.

As per reports around the world, everyday, tons of various wastes are generated at accelerating rates that have significant negative impact on the global environment. In order to manage these wastes, several waste management techniques are utilized that aim to dump the wastes such that they do not have negative impact on the ecosystems. Land fill is one of the most common techniques of waste management in which the wastes are dumped within the soil far away from residential areas. According to a study conducted in Australia, 40% of all the wastes that are dumped in landfills are construction and demolition wastes. In other words, the construction industry significantly contributes to the generation of wastes every day. Thus it is clear that if the waste generation continues to grow at this alarming rate without proper management measures, it will cause even greater negative impacts on the environment even after land fill, incineration and other current measures taken.

The scope of the project involves the study of the problem caused by the construction wastes and the possible management techniques that can be applied to reduce the amount of wastes effectively without affecting the environment. The research focuses on the condition of Australia regarding the generation of construction wastes although the solution will be explored based on the global context rather than local. Some of the recommended management techniques for the construction wastes include reuse of the construction wastes like sand, ceramics and other materials. While this can be a possible situation, the broken materials like ceramics and bricks cannot be reused. Another suggested solution is to recycle the materials for other purposes so that the wastes need to be dumped or incinerated.

This research is done to analyze the existing solutions and find the gaps that are preventing the development of any long term solutions for the problems. The target results are expected to be found through detailed analysis of literature, qualitative and qualitative data along with the addition of technical knowledge and creative application of ideas can aim to reuse or recycle the construction wastes. The main limitation of this study is that it is conducted in an academic environment and cannot establish accurate results regarding the application of the solution in global scale.

Reference list

Blackman Jr, W.C., 2016. Basic hazardous waste management. Crc Press.

Jambeck, J.R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T.R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R. and Law, K.L., 2015. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347(6223), pp.768-771.

Kinnaman, T.C., 2017. The economics of residential solid waste management. Routledge.

Reinhardt, P.A., 2018. Infectious and Medical Waste Management: 0. CRC Press.

Rhyner, C.R., Schwartz, L.J., Wenger, R.B. and Kohrell, M.G., 2017. Waste management and resource recovery. CRC Press.

Sadef, Y., Nizami, A.S., Batool, S.A., Chaudary, M.N., Ouda, O.K.M., Asam, Z.Z., Habib, K., Rehan, M. and Demirbas, A., 2016. Waste-to-energy and recycling value for developing integrated solid waste management plan in Lahore. Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy, 11(7), pp.569-579.