Decision support model for selecting construction and demolition waste management alternatives: A life cycle-based approach

Yanqing Yi; Xunchang Fei; Andrea Fedele; Maria Cristina Lavagnolo; Alessandro Manzardo

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175408

Decision support model for selecting construction and demolition waste management alternatives: A life cycle-based approach

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Nov 15:951:175408. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175408. Epub 2024 Aug 9.

Authors

Yanqing Yi¹, Xunchang Fei², Andrea Fedele³, Maria Cristina Lavagnolo⁴, Alessandro Manzardo⁵

Affiliations

¹ DICEA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; CESQA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
² School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
³ DICEA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; CESQA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy.
⁴ DICEA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy.
⁵ DICEA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; CESQA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architecture Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39128521
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175408

Abstract

Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) represents a pressing concern within the European Union, underscoring the urgent need for effective waste management strategies. The selection of these solutions constitutes a complex task, entailing the identification of efficient C&DW management strategies that balance appropriate practices, regulatory compliance, resource conservation, economic feasibility, and environmental considerations. LCA is widely utilized to assess environmental impact, yet the economic aspect has not been adequately incorporated into the LCA process in the field of C&DW management. The life cycle costing (LCC) methodology has been tailored to assess economic performance in conjunction with LCA. The selection of an appropriate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method is vital for the C&DW system. This study proposes a novel framework for C&DW management by integrating LCA and LCC outcomes into MCDM, using AHP for weight determination, and applying TOPSIS to identify the favorable alternative. Four waste management alternatives were examined in the Lombardy region of Italy, namely (i) landfill; (ii) recycling for concrete production and road construction, incineration with energy recovery; (iii) recycling for road construction; (iv) recycling for concrete production and road construction. We determine that, with the implementation of various scenarios, the most suitable scenario emerges to be recycled for concrete production and road construction, with a score of 0.711/1; recycling for road construction with final score 0.291/1, ranks second; recycling for concrete production and road construction, incineration with energy recovery scores 0.002/1, ranks third; and landfill (scores: 0/1) is the worst choice, signifying it has the highest environmental impacts and the least economic benefits. Lastly, recommendations were formulated to enhance the environmental performance of the system.

Keywords: Construction and demolition waste (C&DW); Life cycle assessment (LCA); Life cycle cost (LCC); Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM); TOPSIS.