Digital Technology Use Cases for Deconstruction and Reverse Logistics

Abstract

AbstractThe transition towards a circular built environment challenges dismantling firms to revisit their practices. These firms traditionally demolish buildings with crushing force, essentially creating poorly recyclable waste. This practice leads to a loss of economic value and has several negative social and environmental consequences. Deconstruction, defined as construction in reverse, represents an alternative practice in which as many materials are recovered as possible. Deconstruction is particularly challenging because responsible firms need to process more information to organise various reverse logistics options efficiently. This chapter, therefore, reviews reverse supply chain practices in construction and illustrates how digital technologies could support dismantling firms and their partners during essential deconstruction activities. Through evidence-based insights and examples from practice, the chapter presents a state-of-the-art overview of digital deconstruction technology use cases for identifying, harvesting, and distributing reusable building elements. It shows that digital technologies have been developed for separate deconstruction activities but are rarely used in an integrated manner. Further integration through aligning the digital technologies with practitioners’ information needs will, accordingly, unlock new opportunities for closed-loop material flows.