SLE720 RISK ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL

Student Name: Nihar Addagarla

Student No: 220156558

Course: Master of Construction Management

Assignment 2- Individual Risk Assessment Report

Environmental risk assessment- Construction and demolition waste
Date: 11/9/2022
Word count:1700

1|Page
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Environmental risk-construction and demolition waste----------------------------------------------------------3

Risk assessment Analysis-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

Risk assessment tools used to reduce the environmental impact----------------------------------------------5

Stakeholder analysis of construction demolition waste management and risk assessment----------------6

Risk communication strategy--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

2|Page
Environmental risk-construction and demolition waste:

Recent studies show that construction is the largest sector causing environmental pollution (Heredos,
2012). The growth of environmental impact caused from construction industry became a critical issue
as it is leading to serious damage to ecosystem along with wellbeing and health of construction workers
and surrounding residents of building sites. So this is very important to address the risks caused by
construction and demolition waste to attain sustainable construction and decrease the impact in every
phase of building lifecycle (Heredos, 2012).

The environmental risks caused by construction demolition waste:

 The waste produced during construction ends up in landfills which emits methane that pollutes air
and causes greenhouse gas effects. Also few material landfill leads to seepage into soil which causes
waterways destruction (Kamaleshwar,2022).
 The waste generates various pollutants and hazardous materials like mercury, lead and other toxic
substances causing adverse impacts on public health (Kamaleshwar,2022).

Risk assessment Analysis:

Role of risks assessment and potential outcomes:
The construction and demolition waste materials mostly concrete and tile demolition causes soil
contamination and water pollution (Nassar, 2022). So to improve environmental performance, the
assessment of these risks are very much necessary to understand the effects caused. This is conducted
to determine the risk related of construction site contamination (Nassar, 2022). The assessment report
can identify the potential concerns of the contamination, exposure pathways along with receptors. The
risk assessment helps to create safety measures taken in demolition sites to decrease the extent of
damage caused to environment and reveals the obstacles to implement effective environmental
management. The evaluation of risks also provides the details of typology of the waste like masonry
forms major waste from demolition and construction in Australia and Europe (Nassar, 2022). Ecological
risk assessment is required for proper risk identification and characterisation of waste. The ecological
risk assessment framework is shown below reflecting current construction and demolition waste issue:

Risk assessment framework (source: D2l.deakin.edu.au. 2022. [online] Available at:

<https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/le/content/1193663/viewContent/6271738)

3|Page
The risk management is described with the figure of construction waste management which starts with
understanding the construction and demolition wastes and types and impact created by them and then
crating the framework policies to reduce the impact created through technology and cost analysis.

Risk assessment-construction waste management (Nassar, 2022).

Analysis:

The assessment will benefit to priorities risks and provide data regarding probability of harm and
severity which helps in decision making. The most outcomes likely to be resolved by proper risk
assessment understanding the impact of construction and demolition waste to get the recovery strategies
to recycle waste and get financial benefits and mostly used to measure and decrease waste indicated by
proper storage of building materials and helps in required design of ground works technology. The
major need of the assessment helps in energy saving and decrease environmental pollution.

Referring to example, the research based on risk analysis for construction and demolition waste in Gaza
projects gives clear understanding of waste management (Nassar, 2022). The hazardous waste caused
by demolition includes harmful chemicals (Abdullah, 2008). The reasons include lack of disposal
techniques, and methods. Using sustainable waste management reduces the higher risk caused by them.
The study shows million tons of demolition waste is created by residential buildings construction and
demolition during war times in Gaza. This huge debris causes lots of economic and environmental
problems (Ghuraiz, 2011). Thus the risk assessment and analysis helped to minimise the impact created.
They followed the process such as examining the existing practices and factors impacting those
methods. Presenting comprehensive risk analysis associated with construction and demolition waste
and identifying major types of waste and understanding waste management techniques to eliminate
them. The risk analysis is taken in form of survey and questionnaire to understand the impact created
and results are tested through quantitative approach. One of the table from their analysis is shown below

Risk analysis of demolition aspects (Ghuraiz, 2011)

4|Page
Risk assessment tools used to reduce the environmental impact:
Tools and techniques used to minimise the risks analysed:

To identify the significant risk and assess the construction demolition waste dumping using GIS tools.
Geographic information system is usually used in environmental research understanding the sites of
dumping and landfills of construction and demolition waste. This analysis used to investigate the
alternative locations of landfill sites along with water and soil contamination to evaluate the health risks
linked with residential proximity to waste disposals (Portnov, 2018) Also this approach gives data of
illegal landfilling sites to minimise the expenses linked with cleaning. Also sometimes geo statistical
modelling is used to identify illegal landfill sites. The other tool used is site space performing waste
management as the construction and demolition waste is always mixed with inert and organic materials
including contaminated waste where they cannot be reused can be analysed by on site sorting schemes
(Koch, 2014). The other important method was ecological footprint method as it is unique one and a
form of sustainable development indicator determines the construction and demolition waste impact on
the environment. Ecological foot print generally seen in biologically productive water and land
requirements to generate necessary consumption and absorption of construction and demolition waste.
This footprint converts the raw material quantity to carbon footprint and provide the resources required.
In this context life cycle assessment is also included to analyse the environmental impact (Gavrilescu,
2013). Along with these tools alternative waste management method is required to reduce the impact
created by these construction demolition waste.

Benefits of these tools in reducing the environmental impact:

The GIS tools helps to identify landfill sites with construction demolition wastes and amounts
accumulated, proximity from zones for example in research study conducted I Northeast Italy, using
GIS tools they identified illegal waste deposits and data regarding size, shape and locations of illegal
landfills which benefits to understand the impact created through soil contamination. The geo statistical
analysis and waste disposal risk assessment developed in this case study is shown in below table.

Risk assessment of waste disposal ((Portnov, 2018)

The ecological footprint method is conducted in one of the case study in Romania where the waste
management is assessed based on life cycle analysis method and this tools helps to identify carbon foot
print and focused towards the land use as it involves more in long term impact of soil, air and water
contamination (Portnov, 2018). The largest impact on environment was found in this ecological foot
print assessment for proposed scenarios because of carbon emissions in the study. also results showed
that sorting and incineration phases are connected to landfills. The outcomes also identified negative
environmental impacts of construction demolition waste including assessment of waste alternatives for
integrated management system based on life cycle analysis (Gavrilescu, 2013). Also study related to
alternative management gives the alternative solutions to construction and demolition waste as shown
in figures below (Koch, 2014).

5|Page
 solutions to construction and demolition waste (Koch, 2014)

Stakeholder analysis of construction demolition waste management and risk assessment:

The participation and involvement of the project stakeholders in various construction projects is the
significant factor to attain sustainable waste management. Among different stakeholders the three main
stakeholders are mainly impact the achievement of construction demolition waste management
successfully (Zhao, 2021). These three are mainly owners, consultants and contractors. While coming
to the construction waste management stakeholders are classified into internal and external
stakeholders. The external body of stakeholders include government associations and general public
along with other professionals who involves in process such as researchers and academicians. The
internal stakeholders of the waste management include direct involvement groups like clients, designers
and contractors along with waste recycling companies. The study done by Zaho (2021), discusses the
main impact of stakeholders related with factors of construction and demolition waste. Each and every
factor linked to individual stakeholders who directly engages the environmental risk analysis and
management process and who initiates the influencing factors. The factors were divided into various
groups such as regulatory environment, advances in tools, general public and government supervision,
recycling market, project specific issues, awareness and knowledge of stakeholders. These groups are
analysed with factors of risk analysis and construction demolition waste management linked to
individual stakeholders as shown in below image (Zhao, 2021).

These stakeholders individually may have various perceptions but they have to clearly understand their
responsibilities in construction demolition waste management to make better decisions. By analysing
in perspective of life cycle analysis the design, construction and demolition phase is very critical for
effective waste management practices so client, designers and contractors are identified as significant
stakeholders (Zhao, 2021). The other reason was contractors are responsible to perform on site waste
recycling methods and transport all construction and demolition waste to recycling facilities and other
waste materials to landfill sites which is significant part. This process should be mainly supervised by
clients and governments. These stakeholders help to successfully reduce the environmental risk caused
by construction demolition waste and results in successful waste management (Zhao, 2021).

6|Page
 stakeholders involved in successful waste management (Zhao, 2021)

Risk communication strategy:

The siting of incinerators and waste landfills has become difficult as the public is mainly concerned
about the impacts. Inefficient siting of construction waste disposal issues and facilities causes various
problems like shortage of waste treatments and increase in consumption of resources (Tanaka, 2003).
To conduct smooth waste management with stake holder relations, effective risk communication
strategy is required. The waste disposal system becomes with better risk communication strategies.
Effective risk communication is process based on exchange of data, with participation of individuals
and community. The individual party includes citizens, government officials, private and public limited

7|Page
companies. These groups helps to exchange data regarding risk perception, countermeasures, risk
assessment and extent of risk acceptable as these help to enhance mutual understanding. The objectives
of risk communication which leads to effective solutions to issues and problems (Tanaka, 2003).

objectives of risk communication (Tanaka, 2003)

Need for the risk communication is to get cost effective waste treatments and disposal facilities having
less load and impact on environment (Tanaka, 2003). The rules of risk communication include accept
and public involvement as legitimate partner in the project, plan wisely and assess the efforts and
listening carefully to publics specific issues, coordinating and stakeholder’s collaborations with other
credible sources. Also meeting the needs of media and communicate clearly with compassion. The
process of risk communication is shown in below image (Tanaka, 2003).

process of risk communication (Tanaka, 2003)

8|Page
References:

 Heredos, P., 2012. Assessment of environmental risks during the construction

process. International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference: SGEM, 5, p.75.
 Sivamani, J. and Kamaleshwar, S., 2022. Review on Impact of Construction Waste Landfill on
Environment and its Reutilization. Ecological Engineering &amp; Environmental Technology,
23(6), pp.233-242.
 Al Hallaq, K.A., Hamad, R.J., Tayeh, B.A. and Nassar, S.S., 2022. Risk Analysis and Waste
Management for Construction and Demolition Projects in the Gaza Strip. Jordan Journal of Civil
Engineering, 16(3).
 Seror, N. and Portnov, B.A., 2018. Identifying areas under potential risk of illegal construction and
demolition waste dumping using GIS tools. Waste management, 75, pp.22-29.
 Simion, I.M., Ghinea, C., Maxineasa, S.G., Taranu, N., Bonoli, A. and Gavrilescu, M., 2013.
Ecological footprint applied in the assessment of construction and demolition waste integrated
management. Environmental Engineering & Management Journal (EEMJ), 12(4).
 Kourmpanis, B., Papadopoulos, A., Moustakas, K., Stylianou, M., Haralambous, K.J. and Loizidou,
M., 2008. Preliminary study for the management of construction and demolition waste. Waste
Management & Research, 26(3), pp.267-275.
 Dajadian, S.A. and Koch, D.C., 2014. Waste management models and their applications on
construction sites. International journal of construction engineering and management, 3(3), pp.91-
98.
 Zhao, X., 2021. Stakeholder-associated factors influencing construction and demolition waste
management: A systematic review. Buildings, 11(4), p.149.
 Kim, S.Y. and Nguyen, M.V., 2020. A performance evaluation framework for construction and
demolition waste management: stakeholder perspectives. Engineering, Construction and
Architectural Management, 27(10), pp.3189-3213.
 Ishizaka, K. and Tanaka, M., 2003. Resolving public conflict in site selection process—a risk
communication approach. Waste Management, 23(5), pp.385-396.

9|Page