Developing a decision support tool for quantification and reduction of construction material waste

Abstract

The construction industry has a major impact on the environment, both in terms of resource consumption and waste production. Given the high rate of raw materials wastage and ineffective waste management frequently conducted on construction sites, waste minimization strategies have become an important area of concern in the construction industry. However, the knowledge of origins and distribution of construction waste is very limited. This gap in knowledge limits the effectiveness of decisions made to reduce construction waste at the design and planning phase. The University of Alabama Construction Administration department (UACA) provides management and support for construction projects on campus. In this paper, the application of decision support system (DSS) technology is investigated to support UACA interest in construction material waste management. DSS are software systems that utilize sophisticated algorithmic approaches to solve problems. The utilization of technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), in construction has allowed for more efficient, better designed structures that limit the waste of resources, optimize energy use, and promote passive design strategies. The objectives of this research are to quantify construction waste, determine its causes, and lead to methods to minimize this waste. A prototype DSS was designed utilizing historical data at the University of Alabama. The design proposes a framework that integrates BIM with advanced analytical methods, within the DSS, to reduce the impact of construction waste materials. The current status of development of the prototype DSS, and future path forward, are discussed.