Why deconstruction is not adequately considered in Portuguese building refurbishment

Abstract

In Portugal, the sustainability of construction has been looked into over the past few years, especially where quality, safety and natural/energetic resource-saving technologies are concerned. Now, there are studies under way whose purpose it is to lessen the quantity of debris that are by-products of the construction process. On the other hand, is known the enormous patrimony that is waiting to be rehabilitated, as many of these buildings are sorely in need of interventions. However the deconstruction process is practically unused and unknown. Deconstruction paves the way for the revaluation and reuse of construction materials and elements which would otherwise be treated as worthless debris and removed to storage spaces which are often not legally authorized to hold such materials. An interviewer opinion collected process has been carried out with a set of selected Portuguese construction process participants. Its aim was to present their view on implementation and viability of deconstruction as an innovative technique in the process of refurbishment, thereby contributing towards the economic sustainability of said process. The reasons why deconstruction benefits aren’t considered are also discussed.