چكيده به لاتين
The linear approach of take-make-dispose is what forms the current economic model of almost all industries. Despite its rapid economic growth, this approach has resulted in numerous negative outcomes. Reduction in raw natural resources, volatility in prices of material and energy, air pollution, and environmental impacts are some of the notable ramifications of the linear economy. Contrary to this concept, the Circular Economy (CE) aims to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining economic growth. In the present study, first, the concepts of linear and circular economy and previous studies regarding these two topics are reviewed. Later, CE’s application in the construction industry is investigated. The End-of-life stage of a building has a great potential in implementing a circular approach because of its significant amount of generated waste. The two main end-of-life strategies are building demolition and building deconstruction. Unlike demolition where a significant amount of debris is produced, through deconstruction materials and components are carefully dismantled from the building. These elements are to be used again for a similar or possibly different purpose. These materials can either be disposed of, recycled or reused with minimal changes. The latter is often regarded as the most suitable choice as it requires significantly less amount of energy, raw recourses and is more cost-effective.
One of the key elements for a successful end of life stage is access to information and related documents for the building. Modern tools like Building Information Modeling (BIM) provide such access to these materials. In this study, a framework is proposed for reusing deconstructed structural elements using the database and tools provided by BIM. In this framework, an efficient solution using both new and second-hand elements is suggested using a tool developed inside the BIM software and Genetic Algorithm. Finally, the altered structure is analyzed for its structural performance and possible modifications for failed elements are done if needs be. A hypothetical case of a two-story steel frame building is used to examine the framework’s applicability. The results indicate that the solution provided by the Genetic Algorithm can reduce the cost of the structure by 10% to 20%. Sensitivity analysis is also carried out and the effects of changes in different parameters on the final result are investigated. This framework can aid designers in assessing the potential of using reclaimed components in their design and possibly reduce their costs.
