Deconstruction

An Introduction for the Cook County Board of Commissioners

March 13, 2012

•Deconstruction • Carefully dismantling a building and salvaging

components for reuse. Results in:– Products for sale (windows, doors, lumber)– Jobs and trained labor force– Improved environmental quality

•Demolition • Destroying a building (or portion), often with

heavy machinery, employing very few and resulting in some recycling, and large amounts of landfill waste.

Definitions

Building Material Reuse Center: ReBuilding Exchange in Chicago

Store open 6 days a week, making reused materials available to the public. Employs 10 FTE’s

Construction and Demolition WasteWaste– Construction and demolition material is largest

single category of waste in Cook County– Cook County has 1 remaining landfill – 7 years of

remaining capacity

Demolition– 250,000 homes demolished annually in the US

(2006 EPA figure, before increases due to foreclosure crisis)– Dust from demolition contributes to asthma.

Reuse potential - fixtures, doors, windows, cabinets, lumber, and brick are some of the materials in a typical home that can be reused.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Sample diversion results from pilot Cook County deconstruction, June 2011

Cook County Pilot Deconstruction Contractor Training

• Trained 60 contractors in deconstruction• Deconstructed 4 homes, 1 commercial bldg• Diverted 750 tons of waste from the landfill• Created 6 deconstruction case studies to use

for policy initiatives.

Photos from Deconstruction Training

Cost Comparisons:Demolition versus Deconstruction

The costs of deconstruction can vary. Factors that impact total project costs:

• quality and integrity of the structure• labor costs• machinery and equipment • transportation costs• disposal and processing costs• revenues from sale of materials • avoided landfill and disposal charges

Cost ComparisonsExample:2,000 square foot house

Deconstruction DemolitionStructure Removal $6,750 $2,500Foundation Removal $4,000 $4,000Tipping Fees (Foundation) $2,000 $2,000Tipping Fees (Other Materials) $1,000 $2,000

$13,750 $10,500

Potential Donation/Resale Value -$3,500 -$500

Total Project Costs $10,250 $10,000

Next Steps• Disseminate Cook County Deconstruction

Market Study• Encourage More Suburban Retail Reuse

Outlets• Train More Contractors• Implement Cook County Diversion Ordinance• Measure Impact

Contact Information

Elise Zelechowski, Managing DirectorDelta Institute35 East Wacker, Suite 1200Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 554-0900, ext 20ezelechowski@delta-institute.org