title: A systems analysis tool for construction and demolition wastes management.
abstract: Managing construction and demolition (C&D) wastes has challenged many municipalities with diminishing waste disposal capacity. Facing such challenges, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection proposed a policy restricting the landfill disposal of certain C&D waste materials, if unprocessed. This research is to study the potential economic impact of such restriction on construction contractors and C&D waste processors. A spreadsheet-based systems analysis model has been developed to assist the cost-benefit evaluation for various C&D waste management scenarios. The model, developed based on the mass balance principle, is designed to track a C&D waste stream through the various stages of a waste management system, i.e. generation, source separation, processing, recycling, and final disposal. This model, by incorporating the material flow data with the cost/revenue data associated with each management activity, can then provide an economic analysis for a proposed C&D waste management scenario. A case study illustrating the application of this model for Massachusetts is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA. jywang@coe.neu.edu
authors.forename: James Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Touran
authors.forename: Christoforos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christoforou
authors.forename: Hatim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fadlalla
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003252:Construction Materials; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D008404:Massachusetts; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013597:Systems Analysis; D014866:Waste Products
chemical_list: D014866:Waste Products