Construction Waste Lab (CWL)
Research and Industry Portal
Analysis of Defects Waste in Low-Rise Residential Buildings in Victoria
In Australia, construction and demolition activities have substantially grown over recent decades leading to the generation of a large amount of waste. In 2021, the construction industry produced 29 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, of which only 23.2 million tonnes were recovered (National Waste Report, 2022). It is documented that one of the main reasons for waste generation in the building construction sector is defects. Building defects are a common phenomenon in the Australian construction industry. A recent study estimated that at least one defect was detected in around 70% of buildings built between 2000 and 2018 and Australians have spent 10.5 billion dollars to manage building defects. A fraction of this figure is spent on managing defect waste. To date, there has been no research conducted to quantitatively evaluate the impact of building defects on C&D waste generation in Australia.
Project Aim
This proposed research is at the intersection of two disciplines: C&D waste management and building defect management. The research aims to provide clear insight into the role of building defects on C&D waste generation in Victoria, Australia. To achieve this aim, the following objectives are proposed.
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To identify the building elements/trades where defects often occur
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To investigate the type of waste generated due to defects.
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To quantify the construction waste generated due to the defects.
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To estimate the costs associated with defect waste management for low-rise residential buildings.
Project Team
Dr Argaw Gurmu (Deakin University: project leader)
Dr Salman Shooshtarian (RMIT University)
Dr Gayani Karunasena (Deakin University)
Dr Nilupa Udawatta (Deakin University)
Prof Tayyab Maqsood (RMIT University)
Grant Details: School of Architecture and Built Environment- 2023 School Research Fund
Grant amount = $14,300
Call
Dr Gurmu: 0424 662 009
Dr Shooshtarian: 0426 99 1363