This book forms the Proceedings of the Third International RILEM Symposium in Odense, Denmark in October 1993, following the previous successful events in Rotterdam in 1985 and the Tokyo in 1988. It includes reviews and reports of recent developments in the fields of demolition techniques and reuse of waste building materials, and focusses on the integration of demolition and recycling operations in construction and housing.

This book contains general recommendations for site clearing after man-made and natural disasters. It provides guidelines on the demolition of damaged structures and the reuse of demolition and construction materials. It has been prepared by an international task force originating from cooperation between RILEM and UNESCO. The book provides guidance for professionals and organizations on this increasingly important subject of disaster planning.

Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW), from the construction, maintenance, renovation and demolition of buildings and structures, represents a large proportion of the waste in industrialized societies.

Compared to other forms, such as household waste, more than 90% of CDW can be used as a resource and a substitute for construction materials, especially for primary, natural raw materials. Reuse, recovery and recycling depends on the quality and market for the materials, and the environmental impact of the processes for conversion of CDW from old structures to its...