Building Reuse Assessment for Sustainable Urban Reconstruction
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 134, Issue 3
Abstract
Building reuse is a linchpin to managing solid waste. Despite the various benefits beyond contributing to sustainability that can be realized through building reuse, including direct and indirect cost savings, truncated construction schedules, and reduced site disruptions, little formal consideration has been given to this topic, which places professional engineers at a disadvantage when considering this as a design option. As each building project has its own specific requirements, reuse is not always the most economical solution, but, in cases where reuse is in part motivated by other factors such as heritage protection, substantial economic and environmental savings can be realized in tandem. Based on nearly two decades of professional experience, a generalized assessment method for reuse is proposed to facilitate benefit maximization. Applying this 10-step method, the costs related to building replacement and sustainable reuse are compared using two case histories and a theoretical building. A clear correlation is shown with the potential for savings as a function of project size.
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Acknowledgments
The writers of this paper would like to thank Liviu Schwartz and Kirk Mettam of Robert Silman Associates, P.C., and Alice Chen of Howard B. Spivak Architects for the details for the case histories, and Dr. Michael Wysockey of Thatcher Engineering Corporation for information on pile removal.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 134 • Issue 3 • March 2008
Pages: 217 - 227
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 16, 2005
Accepted: Aug 14, 2006
Published online: Mar 1, 2008
Published in print: Mar 2008
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