Market-Smart Deconstruction and Material Recovery at Brownfield Sites: How to Identify and Reuse Existing Materials Found at Brownfield Sites

Abstract : As a member of the Federal Brownfields Partnership, the US Army Corps of Engineers supports the US Environmental Protection Agency and its brownfields grantees in their efforts to assess, remediate, and sustainably reuse brownfields. This project is based on the premise that communities have finite resources and that the sustainable practices of deconstruction and recycling/reuse can provide them with much needed economic and environmental benefits. The objective of this work is to develop tools and guidance for brown-fields partners to assess the potential of extracting construction material assets from buildings, structures, and infrastructure on brown-field sites, and to reuse or recycle this material. This assessment will address the physical characteristics of the structures and materials present; the potential for extracting materials for recycling and reuse; economic considerations of extracting, processing, and reusing materials compared to landfill disposal; limitations due to contamination; industry resources; regulatory requirements and other practical considerations associated with construction material recovery. This report does not specifically address the (already well-documented) brownfield characterization and remediation process. Instead, it focuses on helping the project team assess a brownfield site to determine what buildings, materials, and resources on the site may be saved, reused, recycled, or deconstructed and sold.