Reusing materials in building demolition sites

This project proposal explores the advantages of reusing demolition materials for construction sites. It examines the risks in modern construction and ways to reduce them. The project aims to investigate the benefits of reusing demolition materials and their impact on the environment.

Templates
Project Proposal Form
Student Team
DateStudent Name Student Number
Centre Name
Tutor
Proposed Title
Section One: Title, aims, objectives
Title - Reusing materials in building demolition sites
Project aims and objectives
Aim: “To investigate the advantages of reusing demolition materials for construction sites.”
Objectives:
 To examine the notion of demolition materials and their usage in construction sites.
 To identify the risks in modern construction.
 To determine the ways through which the risks in modern construction can be reduced.
 To acknowledge the advantages of reusing demolition materials for construction sites.
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this project
To conduct research, construction has been chosen, where to optimize resources and maintain capital,
if materials of demolishing sites can be used for building new site. This would aid in analyzing how
waste debris can be utilized for constructing new sites, with enhancing knowledge in the same field
about new technology, development and maintenance of sustainability etc.
Section Three: Precedents and Sources
Notion of demolition materials and their usage in construction sites –
As per opinion of Estanqueiro and et. al. (2018), it has been analysed that Construction and Demolition
materials contain various debris that are generated during building, renovating and demolition of old
buildings, bridges and roads. Recycling and reusing materials refers to a Sustainable Materials Management
(SMM) approach which helps companies or constructors in identifying the materials as resources that can
be used for new building sites and avoiding the requirement to mine as well as process virgin materials. It
includes gypsum, asphalt, bricks, plastic debris, earth and rock, metals, glass and more, are some of
construction elements that can be recycled materials. For designing a new business, mostly materials like
exterior wood extract from crates can be used for window frames, offcuts floors from high spec of flooring
company, terraces and decking, glasses for creation of greenhouses. In UK, demolition industry has been
grown significantly from last few decades, which demonstrates that by including the concept of reusing
building materials can increase value of work, with sustainability of construction work.
http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/CRWP-Demolition-Report-2009.pdf

Risks in modern construction
According to theoretical perspectives of Nascimento and et. al. (2020), it has been analyzed that
Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste forms as one of the main components of generating solid waste.
Whenever any kind of such activity takes place, like building or reconstructing the roads, bridges, subway,
fly over and so on, contains mostly the inert and non-biodegradable materials. It includes concrete, plaster,
glass, wood, metal and more. So, concerting these materials into useful products for building new sites,
might create high solid wastages, which blown off into the atmosphere in terms of dust. Such kind of wastes
are heavy, of high density, often bulky and occupy considerable storage space either on the road or also
exaggerate toxic materials into atmosphere, that might cause risks for associated people who are working
over there.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336736982_Mitigating_The_Unknown_-
_Risks_In_Construction_Demolition_I
Ways to reduce risks in modern construction
According to viewpoint of Chen and Lu (2017), with increase in usage of technologies in construction like
Modern Method of Construction (MMC), Off Site Manufacturing (OSM) techniques and more,
sustainability in construction work has much increased. It results in development of innovative construction
products which incorporate the composite materials as more likely to be reused or recycled for building new
site. In UK, various regulatory and technological drivers highly affecting the construction and demolition Industry,
with aims to ensure that workforce must adheres to safe practices and run on the basis of Health and Safety
regulations. This would help in mitigating risk of major accidents that might arise by using demolished materials in
construction of new, that aid to drive the industry towards most sustainable waste management practices with focus
on reusing and recovery of materials. Before any kind demolition debris is extracted, it is essential to resolve the
contamination from various hazardous materials like lead, asbestos and more. Along with this, Hazardous materials
needs to be disposed of separately, as per federal regulation.
https://murraydemolition.com/high-risk-demolition/
Advantages of reusing demolition materials
As per views of Ghisellini, Ripa and Ulgiati (2018), it has been evaluated that Reusing demolition or waste
materials at construction site help in prevention of environmental impacts via reducing the requirement for
extraction of virgin natural resources. Along with this, it saves forests and natural areas including new site
from further degradation. Careful demolition also helps in this regard, for maximizing the reusing value of
materials, importantly with assurance to use again, upgrade the quality and sustainability of construction.
The United Kingdom currently consumes more than 600 million tonnes of products every year, with
generation of near about 220 million tonnes of waste. The main reason behind it construction of new
buildings, demolition as well as excavation, which contribute over 60% of this amount. Along with this, it
also built environment accounts for forty-five per cent of total CO2 emissions of this country. But reducing
or minimizing waste is not enough process to change stimulate such together. Therefore, it is essential for
constructors, stakeholders, policy makers and more, to come together with re-appropriating the waste
materials back into construction as a new way of slashing overall contribution of construction industry
towards increasing carbon emissions. By utilizing the waste debris and other materials from demolishing
buildings, roads and other sites, constructors can enhance efficiency of whole work.
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/virtuous-circles-can-reusing-building-materials-in-new-projects-go-
mainstream/10045957.article
REFERENCES
Ghisellini, P., Ripa, M. and Ulgiati, S., 2018. Exploring environmental and economic costs and benefits of a
circular economy approach to the construction and demolition sector. A literature review. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 178, pp.618-643.
Estanqueiro, B. and et. al., 2018. Environmental life cycle assessment of coarse natural and recycled
aggregates for concrete. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 22(4), pp.429-449.
Nascimento, A. S. S. and et. al., 2020. Production of plaster mortar with incorporation of granite cutting

wastes. Journal of Cleaner Production, p.121808.
Chen, X. and Lu, W., 2017. Identifying factors influencing demolition waste generation in Hong
Kong. Journal of cleaner production, 141, pp.799-811.
Section Four: Roles and responsibilities
Name Role Responsibilities
Management role To distribute roles and responsibilities among
team members to gain insight knowledge about
what kind of waste materials of demolished
building can be used
Team leader role To provide resources and setup communication
for transforming information among team
members, with giving proper guidance for
assurance of high quality of work
Resource management To ensure that each and every resource, capital
and time properly manage
Quality management To oversee that quality of all over work for
increasing efficiency of entire process

Section Five: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the project How long will this take:
10 weeks
Milestone one:
Target date (set by tutor):
Milestone two:
Target date (set by tutor):
Comments and agreement from tutor
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work that has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is
appropriate:
Agreed: (name) (date)
Comments and agreement from project proposal checker (if applicable)
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work that has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is
appropriate:
Agreed: (name) (date)

Research Ethics Approval Form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data collected from
human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing their research. Please answer all
relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor.
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with your Unit
Tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to commence.
Section One: Basic Details
Project title:
Student Details
Student Name Student ID
Programme:
School:
Intended research start date:
Intended research end date:
Section Two: Project Summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your project
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observations
Use of Personal Records
Data
Analysis Action
Research Focus
Groups
Other (please specify)
Section Three: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply
Ages 12-16: Young people aged 17-18: Adults: ✓

How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
Participants will be recruited through usage of online approach
Describe the process you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
Participants will be given prior information through e-mails about purpose behind conducting the
project, to get their feedbacks on usage of demolishing materials for construction of new building.
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to
participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
Proper information will be given to participants by giving them assurance about their
personal identity will not be disclosed during and after publication of project. Along with
this, they will also allow to withdraw their consent anytime in case, they feel any
insecurity…
Studies involving questionnaires: Will participants be given the option of omitting questions they do not
wish to answer?
Yes: ✓ No:
If No, please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this:
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to
be approved.
Yes: ✓ No:
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation? (eg. give them a brief explanation of the
study)
Yes: ✓ No:
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study? (This could be a summary of
your finding generally)
Yes: ✓ No:
Section Four: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act
(1998)
Yes: ✓ No:
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
Only team-members

During the Research
Where will the data be stored?
In pen drive

Will mobile devices, such as USB storage and laptops, be used?
Yes: ✓ No:
If yes, please provide further details:
Laptop will be used for gathering, storing and accessing information on time.
After the Research
Where will the data be stored?
How long will the data and records be kept, and it what format?
Will the data be kept for use by other researchers?
Yes: No:
If yes, please provide further details:
Section Five: Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work which may raise ethical concerns? If so, please
outline how you will deal with these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise as a result of your
research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not
limited to the following:
 Informed consent.
 Potentially vulnerable participants.
 Sensitive topics.
 Risks to participants and/or researchers.
 Confidentiality/anonymity.
 Disclosures/limits to confidentiality.
 Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer,
sharing, encryption, protection).
 Reporting.
 Dissemination and use of your findings.
Section Six: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the Pearson College Research Ethics
Policy: Yes: ✓ No:
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my
Tutor: Yes: ✓ No:

I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the above information is correct and that this is a full
description of the ethical issues that may arise in the course of my/our research.
Student Name(s) Date
Please submit your completed form to: