Bulletin No. 19 | Parsons International Limited | Middle East and Africa December 17th, 2015

Links: References, further reading, information on Costs Hub Discussion

CONSTRUCTION WASTE REDUCTION Due to rapid economic growth and development in the Gulf region, the GCC countries currently rank amongst the top in terms of waste production per capita, with construction and demolition waste contributing a significant portion of the total waste stream. Accordingly, GCC countries are developing a more robust regulatory framework that requires the construction industry to adopt a lifecycle approach for waste reduction on Projects. Following are some key constraints contributing to waste generation, along with proven solutions that have helped to reduce waste in the construction industry.

In keeping with growing awareness of the importance of waste management, waste reduction initiatives are being implemented on most Parsons Projects in the GCC. Recent examples of successful initiatives include:

Saadiyat Island Project, Abu Dhabi, UAE: o Using 100% recycled base and sub base in project road construction helps the project save a significant

amount of money on procurement of virgin materials while reducing waste and environmental impact. o 90% construction waste diversion target. Saadiyat Tunnel Project achieved a 93% diversion rate.

Masdar Headquarters Project, Abu Dhabi, UAE: o In addition to achieving a >95% waste diversion rate, the construction team worked with their gypsum

board manufacturer to recycle more than 5,000 m3 of their gypsum waste generated from off-cuts and damaged material, helping them to save on disposal costs while reducing environmental impacts.

Abu Dhabi Airport Complex: o Targeting a 70% construction waste diversion rate as part of Estidama 3 Pearl Sustainability Scheme.

Key Contributing Factors: Key Solutions: • Waste reduction not a Project objective • Designing out waste not considered at Project

concept stage • Financial and Time Constraints • Poor construction programming • Wrong construction techniques • Unskilled resources • Over-specification, design complexity and

frequent design changes • Procurement of standard sized materials • Over-packaging & ordering, bulk procurement • Poor procurement scheduling • Poor quality • Untidiness, poor handling and storage at site

during construction • Poor waste management and non-segregation

of waste for reuse and recycling • Lack of adequate regulations or poor

enforcement of regulations

• Prefabricated / Precast Materials – Prefer to

use prefabricated or precast construction items. • Integrated Design Process- Engage all

stakeholders early on to identify and implement waste reduction targets on Projects.

• Specify more Regional & Recycled Materials. • Waste Champion – Appoint representative

during construction to closely work with procurement and construction teams.

• Waste Reduction Plan– Develop and implement a waste reduction plan with targets for construction team, including penalty and reward scheme.

• Take-Back Scheme -Work with manufacturers and suppliers on possible options to recycle excess products through take-back schemes.

• Good Coordination- Avoid rework through regular stakeholder coordination meetings.