An Optimization Model on Construction and Demolition Waste Quantification from Building

Abstract Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste, which constitutes more than 30% of the solid waste stream in India is not given proper attention and loses it's recycling potential. Absence of enforcement and negligence on behalf of the authorities has given rise to independent overlords who fight among themselves for the control of waste thereby making it even more difficult to categorize and quantify C&D waste. Re-utilization of Solid Waste is in developmental stage and thus ends up mostly in landfills without taking into consideration the malignant effects on the environment. Elements like Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium and Silica find their way into the soil and are then transported into the ground water (Stefania Butera, 2015). So the directive is to minimize the exploitation on the environment and find a means for recycling the waste into environment friendly building materials. Estimation of CD waste is carried out by making use of Building specific and region specific waste generation rates. An all encompassing model which can successfully predict the total amount of waste generated from a particular project does not exist and this fact is quite evident given the diversity of construction techniques and composition of building materials. Even If such a database were to be compiled, end users would find it hard to comprehend and apply this data into meaningful quantity. The most appealing way of making users more aware of the need to recycle is by offering a perspective where they can perform a cost benefit analysis of the revenue that can be generated from proper optimization and reutilization of CD waste. Contractors can make a prior estimate of the investment for a particular project and order precise quantities of the materials required. This would not only eliminate the additional cost incurred but also reduce waste on site from off cuts and poor handling of surplus materials. Therefore the objective is to propose a model which makes use of easily available data like transportation rates and resale value of recyclable materials which would provide an intuitive and simple optimization model while imbibing the basic principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle into action.