The recycling of consumer items and their use as building materials have long been recognized by researchers and scholars in studies of informal settlements. There they are used as substitutes to traditional materials for walls and roofs, scarce or unaffordable in urban areas. However, they are also used as a means to repair or protect dilapidated materials and building components. / Recycled consumer items are neither accepted nor regarded as standard building materials. Nevertheless, builders continue to use them, recognizing the existence of a market where they are regarded as alternative materials in housing. The use of these materials is defined by the users' needs and priorities. However, the decision-making process also depends on availability in the market, opportunity cost of the products, the performance of each material and its perceived aesthetic and social value within the community. In the process their use has created complex supply networks that deliver building materials according to local supply and demand. / Based on a field study, this thesis presents the recycled consumer items used for the provision of housing in a squatter settlement. All the recycled non-conventional materials found are recorded according to their uses in the dwelling units, classified according to building types. Later on these materials are classified and analyzed according to their properties, their provision and acquisition.

Today because of changes in the zoning plans, structural problems, building obsolescence and owner&rsquo / s wishes, old buildings are being demolished to erect newer, larger and taller ones. The objective of this study was to investigate the process and feasibility of building deconstruction. A literature survey was conducted on two unpublished theses at Middle East Technical University (METU), and publications available on web sites and international conference proceedings. Case studies were conducted on building deconstruction and demolition processes, and recovery of used building materials (UBMs) in Ankara. Information related to these issues was obtained through informal interviews with demolition contractors, demolition teams, merchants of UBMs and building contractors. Information regarding the official procedure of demolition was gathered from &Ccedil / ankaya and Yenimahalle Municipalities. This study confirmed that recovery and reuse of UBMs is a continual practice in Ankara. In the light of case studies and interviews, it was possible to determine the problems in building deconstruction, such as building systems, materials, components and connections that give rise to difficulties during the deconstruction of buildings. It was also observed that UBMs are being reused either as it is or after modifications, and waste timber components are sold for fuel, while only metals are recycled to be used in new production. On the other hand, reinforced concrete components such as slabs, columns and beams can neither be reused nor recycled, and thus they are wasted. The findings of the investigation indicated that building deconstruction practices were found to be feasible and profitable job. The success of building deconstruction is dependent on type of tools used, sufficient time, and worker ability and experience, whereas the feasibility of deconstruction depends on the quality, quantity, type and condition of materials, components and connections used in a building.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2003. / Adviser: Daniel C. Jansen. Submitted to the Dept. of Civil Engineering. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-152). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (PhD) - Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. / Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology - 2006. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Helsinki University of Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-154). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-100). / Concern for environmental degradation has been a motivating factor in the efforts to reuse or recycle construction and demolition waste. The intention is not only to reduce environmental desecration, but also to recycle the construction and demolition waste into potential building materials to be reused elsewhere. This study investigated the supply and demand of recycled construction materials in the Western Cape, and aimed to determine the perception held by important stakeholders about these materials. A qualitative analysis of the case study results revealed that poor waste management plans implemented on construction and demolition sites have affected the quality, supply and price of recycled materials. In addition to this it was also revealed that the negative perceptions regarding recycled materials were the major barriers to creating an established secondary market. Inadequate knowledge and experience were major contributors to resistance to change of perceptions. A case study was conducted on Malans Quarries Recyclers in order to determine the supply of raw materials (construction and demolition waste) reaching the recycling plant; the supply of recycled materials to the end user (consumer); and the recycling process that takes place. A sample of fifteen respondents from a variety of large, medium and small construction contractors, as well as consultants and civil engineering companies, completed a questionnaire to determine the demand for and perceptions about these materials. The qualitative analysis of the results of the questionnaires showed that the majority of respondents still preferred to use primary materials over recycled materials. However, it appears that the gap between respondents who prefer to use primary materials, and those who utilize recycled materials, has narrowed in comparison to results obtained in previous studies. It seems that there may be more usage of recycled materials in the future. The results also revealed that tax cuts, could be a good economic incentive to encourage the use of recycled material. The questionnaire results also revealed that the majority of the respondents believed that landfill taxes where not effective in discouraging the illegal dumping of waste, and that the lack advertisements, and difficulties in obtaining recycled materials played a crucial role in the under-use of recycled materials.

No description available.

This study is a report of the results of an investigation into the extent to which native materials were used in the antebellum buildings of Harrison County, Texas; the way in which they were used; and the aesthetic implications of their use. It was hoped that this research might fill a gap in the art and architectural history of Texas, since nothing has been written on this specific subject except a few articles and unpublished papers dealing with certain houses individually or with log construction in general.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy