Cheltenham & Gloucester Damp Proofing Specialists

What are the common barriers to deconstruction?

The successful implementation of deconstruction and material reuse relies on successful resale of reclaimed building materials and components. If materials cannot consistently be marketed and sold in a timely manner, it is difficult for deconstruction to be profitable. For this reason, consumer tastes and perceptions concerning used and recycled building materials is often a barrier to the successful implementation of deconstruction.
Architects, engineers and landscape architects have the potential for impacting the use of used building materials in new construction. Brand or manufacturer loyalty poses one barrier to expanding the use of used and recycled building materials. Currently, architects are more likely to specify a particular product from a product line or manufacturer they trust than to establish a non-brand specification which allows used materials to fill that specification.
Contractors also have the potential for impacting the used building materials market. In general, contractors are slower to accept the use of reclaimed construction materials for the following reasons:

• Dimensional problems: Contractors’ view finding used damp materials that fit into the pre-dimensional space is more difficult than purchasing a new product.
• Inconsistency in supply: Contractor’s perceive the inconsistent availability of the right quantity and size of used materials as inconvenient.
• High risk: Due to the high personal risk involved when something goes wrong in the construction process, builders are reluctant to trust used and recycled products.
• Poor Quality: It all boils down to the overall perception that used and recycled materials are of lesser quality than virgin materials.
• Expensive: damp proofing Contractor’s tend to view reused and recycled materials to be overall more expensive than virgin materials

What types of materials have the highest potential for material reuse?

Wood, steel, concrete, carpet, brick, plastics, and drywall all have high

How do you identify the stage and points for deconstruction?

This is best done with experience and knowledge of the relationship of building components to one another. The first step in removing a piece of material for salvage is to identify how that piece is fastened within the building. An understanding of how materials are installed is paramount in being able to uninstall them without damage. The following deconstruction sequence are the basic steps in building deconstruction.

1. Remove the trim work, including; door casings, and molding.
2. Take out kitchen appliances, plumbing, cabinets, windows, and doors.
3. Remove the floor coverings, wall covering, insulation, wiring, and plumbing pipes
4. Disassemble the roof.
5. Dismantle the walls, frame, and flooring, one story at a time.

What is Embodied Energy and why does it matter in building construction?

Embodied energy is the energy required to extract, process, manufacture, and even transport a product. It is measured in kj/kg and is considered over the material’s life cycle from extraction all the way to land filling.

What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

LCA is a systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle.

What is down-cycling and up-cycling? Isn’t it all recycling?

Upcycling is the process of converting a material into something of similar or greater value, in its second life. Aluminum, for example, can usually be upcycled into the same quality of aluminum. Downcycling means that materials have a lesser value in its second life. Most recycled materials lose its value in the process of recycling. White writing paper, for example, is often downcycled into materials such as cardboard and cannot be used to create more premium writing paper.

What is adaptive reuse?

This is a process that adapts an existing building to meet the needs for new uses. Designing for adaptability elongates the lifetime of a building without having to go through renovations that affect the integrity of the structure and infrastructure.

Cheltenham & Gloucester Damp Proofing Specialists

What is a flexible building?

This type of building is able to transform its internal spaces, building systems and functions in order to meet the changing demands that occur over the life of the building.

Why design for adaptive reuse and flexibility?

The more flexible and adaptive the building is to different uses and occupiers, the longer it useful life will be and that has economic and environmental investments over time. Buildings that are not adaptive have a higher risk of becoming obsolete or poorly utilized due to minor changes within the building’s structure, demographics, technology, or environmental shift. This may cause complete demolition and new construction simply because they are not able to adapt to a building. Designing for adaptive reuse allows the building to adjust, at lower costs, to new technologies that become available.