INCORPORATING URBAN METABOLISM CONCEPTS INTO SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore and understand the concept of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, which can be recovered through closed-loop recycling and the importance of recycling C&D waste. Singapore is moving towards becoming Asia’s leading MICE (Meetings, Incentives Conventions and Exhibitions) and Jurong Lake District is a new project that is kept aside as home to the largest commercial hub outside the city. Therefore construction activities such as construction, renovations and demolitions of buildings will therefore be foreseeable in years to come. Construction activities generate piles of waste and this will definitely exert pressures on the environment and put a strain on human health. The landfills in Singapore are constantly being filled up, making it a major problem and due to the scarcity of land; people are diverting the waste elsewhere. Hence, it is essential to reuse, reduce and recycle construction waste that will be created during the course of major transformations. The research aims to open up the opportunity to explore and study new and feasible measures, initiatives and strategies adopted by other countries that can be carried out in Singapore to reduce the negatives impacts due to upcoming construction activities. For instance, a few countries have applied concepts of urban metabolism through material flow analysis to research on how materials and energy flow into and out of the built environment to minimize the use of resources and materials and the waste generated. Even though measures, initiatives and plans have been currently taken by the government to encourage recycling, it is still usually not favoured by contractors in Singapore. It is due to the fact that recycling requires huge amount of time, effort and manpower. Case studies, journals, site visits and interviews were examined in this dissertation. The amount and percentage of recovery of construction materials such as concrete, steel and glass in the selected four blocks of HDB flats located in Jurong East will also be studied.