Tackling Demolition Waste – An en route to Sustainable Development

In Pakistan, construction and demolition waste (CDW) is generated in voluminous amount each year. CDW is widely ill-handled and ultimately fed to landfills causing harm to the already alarming environmental conditions. In order to search for the solution of this drastic matter, a study was done, which is explained in this paper. This paper presents the study done at a demolition site near Karachi, in Sindh while the demolition works were being carried out. At the site there were old barracks which were being demolished. Before the demolition works were commenced, the site was surveyed and structural components of the barracks were counted and their dimensions were measured. When the demolition was over, the demolished waste was calculated which comprised of concrete and masonry rubble, steel round bars, steel doors, steel windows, steel ceiling, steel girders, steel main gate, and plastic water tank. This study interpreted that construction and demolition (C&D) works were progressing considering the works' deadline and the clients' requirements but the ecosystem's ecology and the environmental health were not taken into account. Recommendations are made to handle CDW properly throughout its lifecycle. These recommendations aim to provide technological and logical solutions to grip CDW. The recommendations include waste reduction and reusing waste, life cycle assessment and costing, environmental and economic impact, material flow analysis, and advanced computerized-tools.