Deconstruction and Recovery Information Modelling (DRIM): A Tool for identifying and reclaiming valuable materials at end-of-life of Buildings

More than 50,000 buildings are demolished yearly in the UK leading to huge demolition waste that ends in

landfill (Power, 2014). It is noted that demolition waste comprises significant proportion of valuable materials

that could be re-used for new constructions or refurbishment if recovered properly. However, no such tool

currently exists that can help in identification of valuable building materials for reuse and recycling. This project

aims is to develop an intelligence-based tool called Deconstruction and Recovery Information Modelling (DRIM)

that will enable identification of reusable and recoverable building materials at end-of-life of a building. DRIM

Tool will enable: (i) production of deconstruction plan; (ii) simulation of deconstruction process; (iii) production

of deconstruction protocols during demolition of the building to enable efficient recovery; (iv) improved

demolition waste collection schemes. DRIM is aimed at both new and existing buildings sector. The Tool will

use innovative technologies that include ontologies, NoSQL and big data analytics to capture and predict end-

of-life properties and value of building materials. It is about circular economy within the construction industry.