Dealing with building construction rubbish

Building rubble - a perennial problem

Never underestimate the amount of rubbish generated on a building construction project. This could be:

• Packaging of equipment and materials. This includes paper, cardboard, polystyrene, timber, plastic and strapping.
• Debris from structures that had to be demolished so that the new structure could be constructed.
• Breakages from cutting and handling. Particularly of bricks, blocks and tiles.
• Off-cuts from tiles, bricks, blocks, pipes, timber and boards.
• Left over materials, which could include, timber, concrete, mortar, sand, cement, stone, bricks, blocks, tiles, reinforcing steel, pipes, paint and adhesives.
• Debris from structures which were broken because they didn’t conform to the quality requirements.
• Wash water from concrete and mortar equipment and mixers. This often contains large quantities of cement, sand and stone and often sets hard.
• Vegetation that had to be removed from the site.
• Unsuitable ground and soil.
• Excess soil.

Case study: We purchased a new house which had a garden which consisted largely of lawn. We decided to do some more landscaping and laid out gardens for trees and plants. Everywhere we dug up the lawn to form new garden beds we struck building rubble. In all we removed at least six cubic metres (six cubic yards) of broken bricks and tiles, together with bits of concrete, glass, wood and more. We never could remove all the rubble and even several years later we were still finding rubbish in the garden. Then we noticed that a large patch of lawn about nine square metres (ninety square foot) never looked as healthy as the rest of the lawn and in hot weather it started to die. I investigated and removed a patch of this lawn, only to discover that there was what appeared to be solid concrete only centimetres (inches) below the lawn. We had to hire rock breakers to remove this, which we found to be solidified mortar (probably excess material from the bricklayers). It was as hard as rock and probably at least thirty centimetres (one foot) thick, covering an area of ten square metres (one hundred square foot). Nothing was ever going to grow properly in this area until it was removed.
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​Getting rid of building rubbish is expensive, so many contractors will try:

• Dispose of it illegally by dumping it on a vacant lot, or on state land.
• Bury rubbish on the property, which is a nuisance, causing you extra work and costs to dispose of it. It’ll also restrict the growth of trees and shrubs in your garden. Some rubbish such as glass and asbestos is hazardous.
• Throw rubbish in your rubbish bins which the city collects. Usually the local authorities object to the inclusion of building rubbish in the general waste bins and they may refuse to clear the bins.
• Throw rubble into the building foundations and under floor slabs where it means that the ground can’t be compacted properly, which could cause the ground to settle under the foundations and floor slabs.

Reducing building rubbish

​Construction waste can be reduced by:

• Shredding and chipping vegetation that’s been cleared, then storing it to use in the landscaping as compost and mulch.
• Planning the ground floor levels of the house and the landscaping so that excess ground isn’t created.
• Separating recyclable material.
• Ordering materials in lengths to avoid excessive off-cuts, and planning cutting to minimise waste.
• Handling material carefully to avoid breakages.
• Ordering the correct quantity of material.
• Ensuring that all work is done right first time, so there’s no demolition of faulty and poor quality work.
• Ensuring that good excavated material doesn’t become contaminated with rubbish. Frequently on construction sites building rubble gets moved around the site. It gets mixed in with the ground until eventually what was only a few cubic metres (yards) of rubbish has become a pile of several cubic metres (yards) because it’s been mixed in with usable soil, which now also has to be thrown away because it’s contaminated.
• Separating hazardous materials, such as asbestos, oils and paints, and ensuring these are disposed of correctly. Adding hazardous material to normal building rubbish contaminates all the material, resulting in the quantity of hazardous material being larger than it should be.
• Not letting concrete and cement mortar waste accumulate into large solidified lumps that are difficult to break up and dispose of. Break the concrete into smaller pieces when it’s fresh and hasn’t become too hard.
• Crushing clean building rubble to use for backfilling. Suitable material which is crushed into small particles may be suitable in some locations.

Conclusion - minimising waste

Construction waste if it isn't regularly cleared makes the project site look untidy and it can be a trip hazard causing injury. Uncontrolled dumping of waste on the site could lead to contamination of other materials, including the ground, resulting in a bigger problem to clean up. Stored waste, particularly foodstuffs, attract rodents. Neighbours will object when waste papers blow around the neighbourhood, unpleasant odours emanate from piles of rubbish, or when building rubble blocks sidewalks and roads. Rubble entering storm-water drains will cause blockages which could create localised flooding of the site, neighbours and the street.

Ensure your building contractors keep your project site clean. Limit waste, breakages and rework and recycle wherever possible. You will have happier neighbours, a safer project site, and inevitably lower costs.

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("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)

​This is an extract from my new book 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses: Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' ("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****) which also contains lots more valuable information to save you money and ensure that your home build or renovation project is a success. Click on the image to read a preview on Amazon. The book is available in paper or ebook form from Amazon and other online stores, or ask your local bookstore to order a copy for you. For tips on designing your new house as well as renovation ideas read Volume 2 - Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home 
​© 2019 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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