Modelling material flow of construction and demolition waste from an infrastructure project for the construction phase

Effective construction waste management is a pressing need for our sustainable built environment. One of the key factors in an effective waste management plan is accurately quantifying the likely waste volume generated by a project. In this study, we develop a new model to account for waste generation using work breakdown quantification (WBQ) at the design stage. Das Modell basiert auf der detaillierten, aktivitätsspezifischen Abfallbeobachtung eines laufenden industriellen Bauprojektes über 17 150 m2, die 332 267 kg Abfall produziert hat. The WBQ model links 12 major activities that generate waste to waste coefficients for unit activity (x) and per square metre (y) for 34 types of material waste. Validation with six established models (Yost and Halstead, Gheewala, Fatta, Martinez–Lage, Hsiao, and Wang) showed close agreement with WBQ (19.4 kg/m2), with an accuracy range of 18.99–21.36 kg/m2. This model also allows tendering and project delivery to consider waste management issues earlier so that zero-waste principles can be developed as part of project delivery, based on circular economy principles. The study demonstrates the environmental and economic benefits of proactive waste quantification.