There is plenty of advice on how to put a building together using sustainable and environmental techniques.
But when it comes to tearing down a building, it can seem a lot easier to trash everything and ship the wreckage off to the nearest dump.
However, there is an alternative to standard building demolition. Across Canada, there are building deconstruction companies that offer a greener, more environmentally-friendly way to get rid of building materials.
Here, Alan Parkin and Ron Ball of Demxx Deconstruction Inc. explain the difference between deconstruction and regular demolition, and how the former can increase waste diversion at the end of a building’s life.
What is building deconstruction and how does it differ from standard demolition?
Deconstruction is the opposite of construction. The last materials to go in or on the building are the first to come out – all doors, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, mouldings and furnishings are removed by hand. Everything that can be salvaged from a building is removed for reuse or recycling.
The recycling process itself involves separating everything and hauling the building materials to different recycling depots.
This differs from regular demolition, where an excavator comes in and raises the whole building with all the materials and products still inside. Complete demolition costs are less than deconstruction, as the time that it takes to crush an entire building with an excavator, fill bins with the debris and ship it to a disposal site is considerably less.
However, demolition means that the entirety of the building ends up in the landfill. Deconstruction ensures all recyclable items are separated and brought to the proper depots, not buried underground.
In renovation jobs, whether deconstructed or demolished, the costs are usually similar.
What are the sustainable benefits of building deconstruction?
In some properties, up to 97 per cent of the materials can be salvaged for reuse.
The materials taken from the buildings may become the property of the deconstruction company. At times, the owner may keep some or all of the salvageable materials. The deconstruction company then either brings the materials to a recycling centre, or sells them on-site, at a store or sales yard. This means less product goes to the landfill and fewer new products need to be manufactured.
The amount of material that deconstruction companies divert varies with each building.
However, when looking at the types of items that are salvaged (styrofoam, steel, wood, piping, wiring, windows, doors, trim, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, and cabinets), it is easy to picture the amount of items kept out of the landfill.
Are there any incentives for property owners to choose building deconstruction over standard demolition?
Reduced or even zero disposal costs can be considered an incentive for property owners. There are also LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points available. With some jobs, owners receive a credit for the salvaged materials.
In addition, everyone involved in the deconstruction process shares in the reuse, recycle and reduce cycle that benefits the planet.
Has the idea of deconstruction taken off?
We have noticed a growing awareness in B.C. of the necessity to recycle and reuse building materials whenever possible. There is a much bigger demand for recyclable and re-usable building materials and fixtures than in the past.
Alan Parkin is the owner of Demxx Deconstruction Inc., a demolition and salvage company near Coombs, B.C. The company, which was formed in 1997, works on projects throughout the province. Ron Ball is a deconstruction supervisor at Demxx. They can be reached at 250.954.0296 or info@demxx.com.
Let’s also not forget the importance of designing with end of life cycle and deconstruction in mind. An important but often neglected aspect of building durability is the idea that buildings last longer when they have the opportunity to be completely re-purposed (long life, loose fit) through adaptive re-use and only minor demolition and reconstruction; partly repurposed, whereby large portions of the building’s primary structure and envelope are retained, renewed and reused in situ; or where larger, complete components and assemblies find new homes with only minor inputs of energy and materials, ideally, within the fabric of any new building(s) occupying the same site as the original. All of these approaches require that design for de-constructability be carefully considered from the outset so the above strategies become as cost-effective as possible, while minimizing or eliminating environmental and human health risks related to air, water and soil contamination.