Designing Buildings Using Reclaimed Steel Components

Integrating reuse in the design process of new projects is one method to increase reuse rates by organizations.

“One method to increase the reuse rates by the organizations is through integrating reuse in the design process of new projects (Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Rogers, 2011; Tingley et al., 2017 (among others)).”

Proper estimation of the required sizes and lengths at the beginning of the design phase promotes reuse.

“In projects with recovered building components, the proper estimation of the required sizes and lengths at the beginning of the design phase is reported to promote reuse (Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

Reusing recovered components, such as structural components, to serve the same purpose has a positive impact on the success of reuse.

“Some articles advise that reusing the recovered components, such as the structural components, to serve the same purpose (for instance, similar loads) has a positive impact on the success of this intervention (Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Pongiglione and Calderini, 2014).”

With an underdeveloped reuse market, the supply chain remains fragmented and information about supply and demand cannot be shared, which further decreases reuse rates.

“With an underdeveloped reuse market, the supply chain remains fragmented and information about the supply and demand cannot be shared, which further decreases the reuse rates (Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Rameezdeen et al., 2016; Rose and Stegemann, 2018).”

Difficulty in designing with reused components is a barrier to widespread reuse of building components.

“Difficulty in designing with the reused components is another barrier to the widespread reuse of the building components (Brütting et al., 2019; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Pongiglione and Calderini, 2014; Tingley et al., 2017).”

The lower environmental impacts of building components reuse compared with recycling are primarily due to the significantly lower treatment and reprocessing required for building components reuse.

“It is primarily due to the significantly lower treatment and reprocessing required for building components reuse (BCR) in comparison with recycling (Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

Availability of information about the characteristics, details, certificates and drawings of recovered building components can positively contribute to increasing reuse rates.

“According to Gorgolewski (2008), Gorgolewski et al. (2008) and Pongiglione and Calderini (2014), the availability of information about the characteristics, details, certificates and drawings of the recovered building components can positively contribute to increasing the reuse rates as well.”

Integrating reuse in contractual requirements will increase reuse rates.

“some articles suggest that by integrating reuse in the contractual requirements, reuse rates will increase (Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; MacKinnon, 2000).”

Deconstruction instead of demolition can enhance the reusability of the recovered components.

“Based on the reviewed articles, deconstruction instead of demolition can enhance the reusability of the recovered components (Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Hglmeier et al., 2013; Pongiglione and Calderini, 2014; Yeung et al., 2015 (among others)).”

The design team needs to put in extra efforts to find reused elements, and the design needs to remain as flexible as possible.

“It is because the design team needs to put in extra efforts to find the reused elements (Gorgolewski et al., 2008), and the design needs to remain as flexible as possible (Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

Deconstruction is believed to be more labour intensive.

“Although deconstruction can increase the reusability of the recovered building components (Addis, 2006; Munroe et al., 2006), it is believed to be more labour intensive (Chileshe et al., 2015; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Rameezdeen et al., 2016).”

Another economic barrier to BCR is the higher cost of design with reused components.

“Another economic barrier to the BCR is the higher cost of design with the reused components (Dunant et al., 2017; Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

Sometimes it is required to purchase identified reused components early in the project to cope with uncertainty about the timely availability of the desired elements.

“Sometimes it is required to purchase the identified reused components early in the project (Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008) to cope with uncertainty about the timely availability of the desired elements (Chileshe et al., 2015; Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

The time required for deconstruction and reuse, and the consequent project scheduling, is one of the main barriers to reuse.

“According to the reviewed articles, the time required for deconstruction and reuse, and the consequent project scheduling, is one of the main barriers to reuse (Dantata et al., 2005; Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; MacKinnon, 2000; Shaurette, 2006 (among others)).”

Design of new buildings with reused components needs to remain flexible to accommodate alternative dimensions due to uncertainty in availability of desired sections.

“the design of the new buildings with reused building components needs to remain flexible. This is because the design should be able to accommodate alternative dimensions of the reused components due to the uncertainty in the availability of the desired sections (Gorgolewski, 2008; Gorgolewski et al., 2008).”

Other design challenges include designing with long spans, difference in loading requirements, and mismatch between old spans and new features.

“Other design challenges while reusing recovered building components are designing with long spans (because such elements might not be readily available) (Brütting et al., 2019; Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Huuhka and Hakanen, 2015), difference in the loading requirements of the old and the new buildings (Gorgolewski et al., 2008), and the mismatch between the old spans and the new features (Huuhka”