Title: Strategies to improve waste management in Portuguese construction industry: the deconstruction process

Authors: Joao Pedro Couto, Armanda Couto

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058, Guimaraes, Portugal. ' Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058, Guimaraes, Portugal

Abstract: The environmental impact of the construction activity has gained increasing importance in the last few years and has become a key challenge for the sector. The resulting inconveniences of the activities in a construction project are numerous. However, there are still many examples of an inefficient waste management. The deconstruction of buildings has gained more and more attraction in recent years as an important waste management tool. The aims of this paper are to discuss strategies and actions that should be implemented in Portugal to improve waste construction management by impelling the deconstruction process.

Keywords: environmental management; waste management; construction site impacts; historical centres; environmental impact; waste impact; demolition techniques; deconstruction process; Portugal; construction industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2009.024706

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2009 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.164 - 176

Published online: 15 Apr 2009 *

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