Impact of construction waste management towards environmental health / Mohamad Haziq Sulaiman

ln a typical construction project, there is always a wastage arise on the site. Construction waste consists of unwanted material produced directly or incidentally by the construction industry. Majority building waste is made up of materials such as brick, cement and sand and wood damaged or unused for various reason during construction. This includes building materials such as piling, nails, insulation, electrical wiring, roofing tiles, concrete, reinforcement, formworks and other waste originating from site clearance such as tree stump, hedges, rubble and tree stumps. ln addition, construction waste also may contain lead, asbestos or other hazardous substances. Observational research has revealed that this can be as high as 10 to 15 percent (o/o) of the materials that go into a building, a much higher percentage than the 2.5-5 percent (%) usually assumed by quantity surveyors and the construction industry. Since considerable unpredictability exists between construction sites, there is much opportunity for reducing this waste.