A Master Plan for Construction Waste Management in Ukraine

The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has generated significant construction and demolition waste, creating challenges for effective waste management and resource recovery. This study examines the potential for recycling materials from damaged residential buildings in two heavily affected Ukrainian cities: Mariupol and Izyum. Using georeferenced data and Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, the extent of housing damage was quantified, revealing that 27% of Mariupol's and 8% of Izyum's material housing stock has turned into debris. A waste management plan was developed based on European and Swiss regulations, case studies, and expert insights, proposing a material sorting process and onsite recycling equipment. Economic analysis demonstrated that recycled concrete, substituting natural coarse aggregate with recycled gravel, could be 13% cheaper than regular concrete, reducing reconstruction costs. Additionally, regional population projections for 2041, based on socioeconomic criteria and regional destruction, indicate that future housing demand will be concentrated predominantly in central and western Ukraine. However, using recycled concrete made from gravel in the two studied cities could meet 9% of the country's projected housing demand.