Advances in Building Deconstruction: A Critical Review to Deconstruction Effectiveness

This paper outlines the importance of design when considering sustainability after the end-of-life buildings, with a focus on reducing demolition waste. It is considered that this can be achieved through the Design for Deconstruction (DfD) and specification of reused materials. To improve the supply chain for reused materials in the future, it is recommended that new buildings be designed for eventual deconstruction as an alternative to the demolition, partial or total, of buildings at the end of their lifecycle. This approach maximizes the quantity of recoverable and reused materials while time minimizing the extraction of new ones. The purpose of this article is to analyse the DfD guidelines and identify relevant characteristics to promote material recovery and circular use of materials, regardless of the type of construction system or material used. Subsequently, barriers and strategies for designing for deconstruction are outlined and analysed under three topics: structural and architectural conception; economic principles; and the implications of Brazilian norms and politics. This paper aims to provide a holistic understanding and a critical review to contribute to the discussion on how deconstruction can be transformed from a concept into strategies that can be widely adopted by the construction industry.