Demolition Waste Management in Spanish Legislation

Abstract

In 2008, a legal frame was established in Spain for construction and demolition waste management. The new control model, called the Alcores model, presents a waste management closed loop and was previously tested in Seville in order to demonstrate its viability. In current demolition projects, specific barriers arise which limit the frame implementation. Until recently, demolition was considered a low technical process. The contractor’s main goals were quick demolition and disposal of the debris, usually uncontrolled, into landfills. No special measures for separating different material types were taken due to their incompatibility with the work time-span required. The present work establishes a simplified procedure in order to fulfill Spain’s legal frame. This procedure determines the management of demolition waste quantities and costs following the Andalusia Construction Information Classification System. The procedure also generates the demolition waste management plan, which includes: previous work, waste quantification, hazardous waste inventory, waste prevention action plans, reuse, valorisation and disposal plan, separation plan, technical drawings, technical instructions, and budget. Finally, as an example, the procedure is applied to a school demolition project.