A novel selective disassembly sequence planning method for adaptive reuse of buildings

The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.201 © 2018. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Adaptive reuse of buildings can be an attractive alternative to new construction in terms of sustainability and a circular economy. Achieving net benefits with adaptive reuse partly relies on efficiently planning building disassembly. The aim of this paper is to describe a new efficient single-target selective disassembly sequence planning method developed for adaptive reuse of buildings. Finding a global optimum disassembly planning solution for buildings can be time consuming and physically impractical due to the high number of possible solutions. The method developed seeks to minimize environmental impact and removal costs using rule-based recursive analyses for planning recovery of target components from multi-instance building subsystems based upon physical, environmental and economic constraints. Rule-based recursive methods have been demonstrated to be an efficient alternative to find near-optimal disassembly sequences by eliminating uncommon or unrealistic solutions. Validation is achieved through functional demonstration with case studies, where high quality, practical, realistic, and physically feasible solutions for single-target selective disassembly of buildings are found by using the new method. For adaptive reuse of buildings, the new method can be used to reduce the costs of disassembly and demolition and improve the planning process.Energy Council of Canada (ECC)Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE

Methodology for improving the net environmental impacts of new buildings through product recovery management

Buildings contribute significantly to the global environmental load caused by human activities. There has been a growing interest in improving a building's performance over all of the life-cycle stages (production, construction, operation, and End-of-Life [EoL]). Several studies have recognized the importance of the EoL stage in buildings in terms of sustainability and Circular Economy (CE). A methodology for improving the net environmental impacts of new buildings through Product Recovery Management (PRM) is presented in this thesis. It starts with a CE perspective that emphasizes the importance of adaptive reuse of buildings over new construction. Context is established with a relevant case study in the Waterloo Region. Then, product recovery planning methods that meet environmental life-cycle objectives as well as cost objectives are presented that enhance the attractiveness of adaptive reuse as an alternative. Validation of the proposed methods is achieved through functional demonstration with case studies. Together, these methods form a rational approach to improve the net environmental impact of buildings in our economy. The overall proposed framework in this thesis have demonstrated to be effective to improve sustainability in the construction industry by providing a better understanding of the net environmental impacts and economic potential benefits of buildings' adaptive reuse. Finally, this thesis marks a reference for the development of innovative user-friendly methods and tools for reducing inefficiencies in the process of adaptive reuse through PRM

Virtual mechanical product disassembly sequences based on disassembly order graphs and time measurement units

Recently, the approach that defines the total life cycle assessment (LCA) and the end of life (EoL) in the early design phases is becoming even more promising. Literature evidences many advantages in terms of the saving of costs and time and in the fluent organization of the whole design process. Design for disassembly (DfD) offers the possibility of reducing the time and cost of disassembling a product and accounts for the reusing of parts and of the dismantling of parts, joints, and materials. The sequence of disassembly is the ordered way to extract parts from an assembly and is a focal item in DfD because it can deeply influence times and operations. In this paper, some disassembly sequences are evaluated, and among them, two methods for defining an optimal sequence are provided and tested on a case study of a mechanical assembly. A further sequence of disassembly is provided by the authors based on experience and personal knowledge. All three are analyzed by the disassembly order graph (DOG) approach and compared. The operations evaluated have been converted in time using time measurement units (TMUs). As result, the best sequence has been highlighted in order to define a structured and efficient disassembly

Strategic operations framework for disassembly in remanufacturing

Studies on disassembly for remanufacturing using strategic perspectives have been overlooked in current studies. This research uses a strategic approach to examine how product, process and organisational designs affect disassembly strategies for different remanufacturer types. Three companies consisting of two automotive and one jet engine remanufacturer were selected as subjects. A case study approach using qualitative data was adopted to examine how remanufacturers design their disassembly strategies. The analysis revealed that the two major factors influencing disassembly strategies are product complexity and the stability of core supply. It also determined and grouped the factors that affect disassembly within remanufacturing

Modeling and Optimization of Disassembly Systems with a High Variety of End of Life States.

Remanufacturing is a promising product recovery method that brings new life to cores that otherwise would be discarded thus losing all value. Disassembly is a sub-process of remanufacturing where components and modules are removed from the core, sorted and graded, and directly reused, refurbished, recycled, or disposed of. Disassembly is the backbone of the remanufacturing process because this is where the reuse value of components and modules is realized. Disassembly is a process that is also very difficult in most instances because it is a mostly manual process creating stochastic removal times of components. There is a high variety of EOL states a core can be in when disassembled and an economic downside due to not all components having reuse potential. This thesis focuses on addressing these difficulties of disassembly in the areas of sequence generation, line balancing, and throughput modeling. In Chapter 2, we develop a series of sequence generation models that considers the material properties, partial disassembly, and sequence dependent task times to determine the optimal order of disassembly in the presence of a high variety of EOL states. In Chapter 3, we develop a joint precedence graph method for disassembly that models all possible EOL states a core can be in that can be used with a wide variety of line balancing algorithms. We also develop a stochastic joint precedence graph method in the situation where some removal times of components are normal random variables. In Chapter 4, we further advance the analytical modeling framework to analyze transfer lines that perform routing logics that result from a high variety of EOL states, such as a restrictive split routing logic and the possibility that disassembly and split operations can be performed at the same workstation.PhDIndustrial and Operations EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111570/1/robriggs_1.pd