Unveiling the potential of design for deconstruction in the circular economy

Abstract

The construction industry plays a vital role in fostering sustainability through various concepts and strategies being implemented globally. Among these, Circular Economy (CE) stands out as a prominent approach to enhancing sustainability. CE aims to move the industry away from the traditional linear model (i.e., build-use-demolish) towards a more sustainable circular approach. In the built environment, the ‘Design for Deconstruction' (DfD) aims to integrate planning for a building's end-of-life disassembly and material/component salvaging into the design process, thereby promoting sustainability through waste minimisation. However, the relationship between DfD and circularity is less evident. For example, most of the literature about DfD explains the potentials of end-of-life disassembly is limited in terms of discussion on the second life (potential reuse) of those disassembled materials/components. This research aims to bridge this gap. A detailed literature review has been undertaken to establish the status of DfD within the construction industry, including principles, practices, advantages, and barriers of DfD and its contribution to CE. The findings confirm that the blurred link between DfD and CE, and the required improvements in standardisation, awareness, and deconstruction information model/databases are the key priorities to enhance the circularity through DfD.