When Buildings Die: How to Deconstruct Instead of Demolish

What happens when a building dies (aka is abandoned)? In most cases it’s demolished and tons of usable lumber, bricks, and metal become trash in our landfills. According to the reuse advocacy website Waste to Wealth,“The construction and demolition (C&D) industry disposes of almost 65 million tons of waste annually, much of which is reusable or recyclable.” The wastefullness of demolition is compounded when fresh materials are made for a new construction project using up valuable resources and draining energy.

One solution to construction pollution might be Deconstruction; a process by which a building is taken apart piece by piece and then the materials are prepared for reuse or recycling…Read More