Material Transparency
Adjust the management system of material distribution in the construction industry to limit waste.
Re[link] is a data-driven system, fuelled by precision, providing information on the past, present and possible future implementation of each material. Within this system, I’m interested in how technology can extend the lifecycle of materials. Firstly, by providing transparency according to the life of a material, and secondly, by implementing technology to optimize the management of construction materials which eventually leads to a construction industry with no waste.
1| Introduction
The general acceptance of the substance plastic explains how we see a finite material as an infinite resource. Its lifecycle shows how we currently perceive and interpret materials in the construction industry. Plastic abolishes the hierarchy of substances since it can imitate all of them. This highlights its infinite transposability and makes it a ‘some’ or an ‘any’, never a ‘this’ or ‘that’. But as everybody knows, this infinity is not correct because it is oil that generates plastic. Revealing the hidden industry is only possible with information about the whole lifecycle of the plastic. To conclude, plastic is exemplary to explain why this essay examines a method to track the full lifecycle of a material and how the construction industry can use this tracking method to eventually reduce its generated waste. [1]
2| Resource efficiency
Construction activities influence the natural bio-diversity due to the extraction and consumption of natural resources. These resources are used directly as building materials, or indirectly as raw materials to produce building materials. In particular, the large number of mineral resources consumed in the built environment form a problem. These mineral resources are often non-renewable, which makes it paramount to take them into account during the material choice at the project’s initiative and design phases as well as in the construction and deconstruction phases. [re]link offers a material bank -constructed through technology- to limit the extraction of minerals. This bank works as a framework from which materials can be reclaimed, linked and used to rebuild, which results in a circular flow for each material. As a consequence, there is no need to construct new materials and extract extra minerals.[2]
This sustainable lifecycle is the solution to construction waste and can be limited down to a single idea of material efficiency. BREEM Mat 06 defines material efficiency as:
‘[The] process of undertaking a building project to enable the most efficient use of materials over the lifecycle of the building and its components.’[3]
This regulation proposes the WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Program) strategy of the three R’s -Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- to achieve a resource-efficient economy. [re]link takes this strategy further by creating a platform through which you can lease materials. This platform considers three main elements regarding the material lifecycle.[2]
- Waste minimization
- Sustainability
- Use of local and natural materials
WASTE MINIMIZATION
‘Waste are unwanted materials, generated through construction and demolition processes’
The construction sector produces the largest amount of waste in the UK; accounting for 59%, or 203 million tonnes. [4] [re]link aims to bring down the number to 0 by providing three stages -recovering, recycling, disposal- who extend the lifetime of the materials. These stages provide a fundamental shift for the construction industry to work within a circular economy and away from linear material flow. So, implementing this system means there is no need to extract new resources or build new materials because the existing buildings are the material depots for the system of [re]link. My interviewee gave this intention a critical note:
‘Possible to create a cycle of material flow, but at the moment without any waste is impossible, due to current regulations about the quality of certain products in construction or buildings.’.
Recovery
The recovery of useful products out of construction waste, reduces waste and Green House Gas emissions. It lets these materials re-enter at the first stage of a building’s life. [re]link targets this circular economy model. Therefore, the platform requires a clear understanding of the possibilities for recovery of each material. Eventually, applying this method will only leave the construction industry with products designed for reuse.[2]
Recycling
The process of recycling useful products from demolished buildings offers a method to let these materials re-enter as construction materials and components at the start of the production chain. To reach this point, designers need to build a database of materials. This database will give information about the possible refurbish grade for each material. By implementing this database, designers can estimate which materials can meet the needs of new projects. So, the designer’s task is to create pre-demolition audits of demolished buildings. These audits provide information about the recycling possibilities for each material.[2]
This process of reclaiming materials from building stock and other build infrastructure is called urban mining. It involves three main challenges: the difficulty of harvesting building data, the heterogeneity of buildings regarding construction types, materials and morphologies, and the quality assurance of the recycled material.[5] [re]link challenges these issues with its material bank, a database with information regarding each material’s quality, function, past usage, maintenance, recycling, and reuse possibilities.[6]
Via this urban mine and the pre-demolition audits, producers can access the material quality. Eventually, technology will organize this material bank and select all materials in the built environment, ready to re-enter design processes.
Disposing
When impossible to reuse or recycle the waste products in the construction chain, the materials need to be disposed. The intention of [re]link is to eliminate disposal, done via incentivizing the implementation of materials with possibilities for recovery. Pointing back to the critical note from the interview, here [re]link should examine, which materials will never be suitable to re-enter the construction phase. When pointed out these materials, elimination at the first phase of material production is required, consequently, they don’t destroy the generation of a circular material flow. [2]
SUSTAINABILITIY
To increase the sustainability of the construction industry, [re]link will incentivize the implementation of materials with a longer life relative to other materials designed for the same purpose. In this way, the platform enhances the building’s sustainability by increasing the durability of its materials. Besides choosing materials with a longer lifespan, also reduces the natural resources required for manufacturing and the amount of money spent on installation and the associated labour. To conclude, durable materials that require less frequent replacement will circulate longer in the database and accumulate the system’s stock.[2]
NATURAL AND LOCAL MATERIALS
‘First start with the production of materials itself, only local and natural materials, start to produce them sustainably, so they are biodegradable or reusable infinitely, so you can just continue to recycle them. Like aluminium for example.’ [7]
Like Anna pointed out as a solution to limit waste, [re]link aims to only use natural and local materials. These materials require less processing and are less damaging to the environment. So, it is necessary to choose for them instead of materials with a high toxicity index.
Currently, the ‘red list’ gathers all the materials with a toxicity index that is too high, this list identifies chemicals that are responsible for polluting the environment, bio-accumulating up the food chain until they reach toxic concentrations and, that can harm construction and factory workers. The red list comprises over 800 individual chemicals and besides also over 3400 chemicals on the watch list. With this list, the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) tries to counter climate change by pushing the regulatory boundaries of material characteristics to create an urban environment free of fossil fuels. [8]
As a result, [re]link aims to incentivize the use of natural and local materials. Because the incorporation of these materials into building products makes the products more sustainable since they lessen the environmental burdens, shorten transport distances, and consequentially reduce air pollution produced by vehicles. These materials often have an initially higher ‘off-the-shelf’ price, but [re]link tackles this problem by offering a leasing model. This model removes the initial higher cost of the materials for individuals and opens up the field to incorporate these sustainable materials into the built environment.
3| Gap between regulation and implementation
We should think about all the various implementation stages throughout the total production chain since all these stages influence each other. Looking at the behavioural environment model of Kirk gave me insight into how individuals perceive a connected environment. This model suggests that individuals and groups do not make decisions based on the objective knowledge of their environment, but on the subjective view derived from education, experience, expectations, hopes and social interactions. So, this implies a mismatch of the perceived and actual world and shows a gap existing between the proposed regulation for the perceived environment and the final implementation of this regulation, the decision making itself. [9]
Currently, the EU has agreed on a circular economy action plan. As a result, cities, as well as nations, formulate visions, create strategies, develop policies and set goals on circular economy and construction. For example, London has introduced a mandatory circular economy statement for all primary developments, which requires developers to outline how they will integrate circular construction principles into their building projects. [10] But still, there is a gap between the actual implementation and the proposed regulation. So even though nations or cities made recommendations, this doesn’t mean they are already set-in place and running.
Cities will be the starting ground for the implementation of [re]link’s plug-in. Just as set out in the London plan, striving to a circular economy is key to transition to a construction industry without waste. The proximity of people and materials in cities urban environments are the perfect conditions to provide ground for this shift. The platform of [re]link brings together materials which are suitable for reuse. Besides, city governments also have to ability to directly influence their urban planning. Therefore, they can play an active role in embedding the backbone principles of circular economy across all urban functions and policies. [11]
Unfortunately, the law limits what can be demanded from private property developers related to planning and building permits. This implies that to reach higher levels of circularity, we need to achieve this voluntarily. Regarding Kirk’s model, this can only come in if individuals experience or see the occurring problems and included them in their perception of the environment and afterwards, into the whole system. To conclude, the efficient collection of reusable materials in the platform depends on the geographical proximity as well as on the intentions of users and producers.
4| Digital technology for transparency
The climate crisis is a crisis of communication and knowledge, in the past, the present and the future. The platform of [re]link tries to tackle this crisis, by providing transparency around the materials used in the build environment.
McKinsey & Company brought out a global survey in 2019 on the expected disruptions the construction industry will face. According to 400 industry decision-makers, unprecedented disruption, especially regarding new production technology and the digitization of products, will affect the industry. In fact, 20% of survey respondents believe that materials distributors will see the largest decline within ten years. Probably this will mean they stop existing in their current form, but by repositioning themselves they can also transform into logistic hubs for the construction setup of the future. [12]
My interviewee pointed out an interesting example of a company that advanced its project management by implementing technology. Namely, the ON!Track system of HILTI. Within this system, all the equipment is tagged and scanned and then put into a database. This means managers can track their work material; where it is, to what task it is assigned, how long it is used, etc. This ON!Track system makes the material flow more efficient. HILTI manages besides the equipment database also the on-site installation and explanation. So, they make sure this technology is efficiently implemented by teaching all people within each company, from IT-managers to the workers on site. [13] [7]
Besides this case study, some other existing technology management tools currently already exist in the construction industry. For example, project schedule optimizers; video data to identify unsafe working behaviour; analytics platforms to collect and analyse data to deploy a real-time solution, cut costs, prioritize preventive maintenance and prevent unplanned downtime. [12] But as shown in this graph created by McKinsey, especially compared to other industries the use of technology within the project management of the construction sector is relatively nascent.
Adjacent industries, such as transportation and manufacturing, already use technologies to break down the information barriers between one another and start to operate as ecosystems. Correspondingly, stakeholders across the whole project lifecycle, such as contractors, operators, owners, and service providers also ask for a switch in the construction industry. They see the advantages of operating ecosystems in other industries and also want to jump on this boat. However, before the construction industry can act as a digital ecosystem in which global markets are aligned, and sectors don’t have borders, they require a fundamental shift in its operating economy. [14] This approach of ecosystems is based on partnership and makes it possible to collect data across several industries. As a result, the widespread collection of data gives the potential to grasp the whole lifecycle of the materials in the database of [re]link.
Currently, the project Madaster perfectly explains how [re]link could challenge the networked world and create transparency regarding the material flows of the construction minerals. Madaster’s vision highlight how they eliminate waste by giving materials an identity:
‘We consider the earth as a closed system where there should not be any waste. Raw materials are scarce. To keep materials available indefinitely, they need to be reused, and their use must be documented. ‘Waste is material without an identity.’ [15]
The company setup of Madaster organizes the materials found in the built environment into an online library. The platform links the identity of the materials to a location and gives each material an individual passport via smart data management tools.
Just as Madaster, [re]link aims to use technology to track and trace demolished materials, suitable to rebuild. But [re]link will expand on the idea of an individual passport for each material by allocating information collected across various sectors. With this information [re]link aims to build out transparency about the past, present and future implementation of each material. Knowing the whole lifecycle gives [re]link’s database the possibility to outline key areas of structural waste, provide systemic solutions and generate more effective decisions to limit waste across the full material lifecycle. [16]
Furthermore, [re]link includes generative intelligence to its platform. This tool can find the optimal material for each project, based on the project’s location and material usage intentions. Thus, when you need to choose a material during the design stage, generative intelligence will inform you about the optimal material choice. This allocation of a material happens via assessing information about each material located in the material bank. The generative intelligence system can provide your project with the most effective and sustainably efficient material choice.
[re]link choose to target the minimization of waste with the use of a technology-driven database. This database is manually created by individuals and fuelled with materials. Everybody can adapt -take out or insert- new materials into the material bank. During the interview, we brainstormed about the possible pathways to expand this platform. My interviewee said:
‘I think this is very interesting because then you can indeed collect all the materials and material data in the database, but I think you can maybe extent it in a later phase in such a way that companies that produce sustainable building materials, can also add their materials to the material database and then you get a total construction material database about what is available. With the use of the generative intelligence system can propose the most efficient or sustainable material to you, the whole drawing process can be optimized without any human mistake.’ [7]
So, ultimately this database of [re]link aims to optimize the efficiency of project management in the construction industry and minimise the waste production.
[1] Boetzkes, Amanda, and Andrew Pendakis. ‘Visions of Eternity: Plastic and the Ontology of Oil.’ E-Flux Journal #47 (September 2013). https://www.e-flux.com/journal/47/60052/visions-of-eternity-plastic-and-the-ontology-of-oil/.
[2] Akadiri, Peter O., Ezekiel A. Chinyio, and Paul O. Olomolaiye. ‘Design of A Sustainable Building: A Conceptual Framework for Implementing Sustainability in the Building Sector.’ Buildings, no. 2012 (May 4, 2012): 126–52.
[3] ‘Mat 06 Material Efficiency.’ BREEAM International New Construction 2016, December 23, 2015. https://www.breeam.com/BREEAMIntNDR2016SchemeDocument/content/09_material/mat06.htm.
[4] Sharman, Jess. ‘Construction Waste and Materials Efficiency.’ Accessed January 1, 2021. https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/construction-waste-and-materials-efficiency.
[5] Circuit. ‘Urban Mining.’ Accessed January 2, 2021. https://www.circuit-project.eu/urban-mining.
[6] Savvilotidou, Vasiliki. ‘Understanding the Past, Building Our Future.’ CIRCuIT (blog), November 19, 2020. https://www.circuit-project.eu/post/understanding-the-past-building-our-future.
[7] Devis, Anna. Material transparancy, January 8, 2021.
[8] International living future institute. ‘The Red List,’ November 8, 2016. https://living-future.org/declare/declare-about/red-list/.
[9] Paul Rodaway. Sensuous Geographies. 1 Edition. Routledge, 1994.
[10] ‘Circular Economy Action Plan.’ European Commission, 2020.
[11] ‘Cities in the Circular Economy: An Initial Exploration.’ Ellen MacArthur foundation, 2017. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/.
[12] Andersson, Timmy, Jonas Biörck, Erik Sjödin, and Jan Mischke. “The next Normal in Construction Material Distribution.” McKinsey & Company, September 30, 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-next-normal-in-construction-material-distribution.
[13] België, Hilti. ‘Materiaalbeheer.’ Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.hilti.be/content/hilti/E2/BE/nl/service/tool-services/on-track.html.
[14] Atluri, Venkat, Miklos Dietz, and Nicolaus Henke. ‘Competing in a World of Sectors without Borders.’ McKinsey Quarterly, July 12. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-analytics/our-insights/competing-in-a-world-of-sectors-without-borders.
[15] ‘Vision and Mission : Madaster.’ Accessed January 2, 2021. https://www.madaster.com/en/about-us-2/vision-mission-aims.
[16] Blanco, Jose Luis, Steffen Fuchs, Matthew Parsons, and Maria João Ribeirinho. ‘Artificial Intelligence: Construction Technology’s next Frontier.’ McKinsey & Company, April 4, 2018.
