Construction waste modelling for residential construction projects in New Zealand to enhance design outcomes

Construction waste generation is a crucial issue in the construction industry worldwide which gives significant negative impact towards the environment, economy and society. New Zealand (NZ) is no exception with the construction industry being responsible for up to 50% of landfill waste. The quantification of construction waste generation is critically important to manage its negative impacts effectively. Due to the differences in materials, technologies and processes in the construction projects, NZ requires more specific data to quantify waste generation accurately. This study analysed waste quantities from 159 detached residential buildings to quantify waste generation rate per gross floor area (WGR). The WGR is 32. 2 kg/m² which sits mid-range compared to other international studies. A regression model for predicting waste and trend analysis were conducted to identify the highly correlated design features with waste generation. Findings of this study are useful to determine the impact of design decisions on waste generation for typical NZ builds. Although the findings primarily aimed at the NZ construction industry, the results can apply to detached timber-framed homes overseas.