Deconstruction vs. Demolition

The case for deconstruction ultimately becomes an investigation of deconstruction vs. traditional demolition. In a paper posted to Academia.edu titled Deconstruction in the United States, authors Charles Kibert and Jennifer Languell state:

Out of 260 million tons of non-industrial waste produced annually in the U.S., 136 million tons
are a result of the construction and demolition industry. This equates to approximately 33% of
the waste produced nationally.

This is 136 tons of demolished material that can potentially, in large part, be diverted from landfills altogether simply by changing how we take buildings down. As our awareness of environmental issues grows and we collectively come to understand that our natural resources hold tremendous value, we can immediately see that deconstruction lends itself well to reining in construction landfill waste.

Cherry Picking vs. Comprehensive Approach

The current style of building demolition involves first removing everything that can be salvaged: doors, windows, cabinetry, etc, and then crunching the rest into a pile of rubble that then goes to the dump. The authors describe below what deconstruction is and in a wider sense, how it can positively impact a local community:

Deconstruction may be defined as the disassembly of structures for the purpose of reusing
components and building materials. The primary intent is to divert the maximum amount of
building materials from the waste stream. Top priority is placed on the direct reuse of materials
in new or existing structures. Immediate reuse allows the materials to retain their current
economic value. Materials that are not immediately reused can be recycled, downcycled, or
upcycled. An example of immediate reuse is large structural timbers for use as structural
members in a new building. Recycling may consist of turning scrap steel into new steel rebar or
beams. Downcycling for example, would be turning a concrete slab into road base, and
upcycling may consist of salvaging lumber and creating custom cabinetry or other value-added
products.

Deconstruction is a new term used to describe an old process – the selective dismantlement or
removal of materials from buildings instead of demolition. The common practice in the industry
is to cherry pick or strip out highly accessible recyclable, reusable, or historic materials prior to
traditional demolition. Traditional demolition usually involves mechanical demolition, often
resulting in a pile of mixed debris, which is often sent to the landfill. Deconstruction
encompasses a thorough and comprehensive approach to whole building disassembly (versus
cherry picking specialty items), allowing the majority of the materials to be salvaged for reuse.

Deconstruction requires the careful disassembly of buildings in the reverse order of construction.
Deconstruction, unlike demolition, is labor intensive, low-tech, and environmentally sound. The
process of deconstruction can significantly decrease the national solid waste burden the
construction industry places on the environment. Through deconstruction, natural resources are
saved, employment and training opportunities are created, and local businesses grow are
developed that use the materials diverted from the landfill. Deconstruction supplies useful
materials to building materials yards, recycling centers, and re-manufacturing enterprises,
creating additional jobs and community revenue.

The construction industry’s practice of land-filling construction and demolition debris not only
results in a large loss of potentially reusable building materials, but also wastes natural resources
and landfill space. The effective reuse and recycling of materials requires at least three key
elements: knowledge, incentives, and coordination. Deconstruction is considered a new strategy
to advance local and regional sustainability and reduce environmental degradation.
Deconstruction is a significant advance toward a sustainable environment. The immediate reuse
of materials keeps existing materials in circulation and out of landfills.

To read more of this article, click HERE.