The Case for Sustainable Concrete Waste Management in Qatar

The construction industry is a major generator of waste. There are many challenges associated with implementing sustainable methods to manage construction waste. While the construction industry in the State of Qatar has been adopting plenty of progressive practices, waste management, especially of concrete waste, has not advanced notably. In addition to the limited supply of limestone suitable for use as natural aggregate for concrete production in Qatar, the ability to recycle and reuse concrete waste is critical to reducing environmental impacts to meet national, regional and global environmental goals. Therefore, this research aims to identify the current status of concrete waste management practices in construction projects in Qatar exemplified by a local case-study project. Concrete waste was particularly monitored over the span of the construction stage of a large research and development facility in Qatar, benchmarking trends and practices on a certified “green” building. In response, this study addresses key challenges to concrete waste recycling and reuse to then recommend opportunities of advancements in local concrete waste management and reuse

How circular design can contribute to social sustainability and legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™? The case of innovative shipping container stadium

The circular economy proposes a paradigm shift from the ‘take-make-waste’ type of economic system and aims to foster innovation, resource efficiency, and waste prevention. Mega sporting events can be considered great opportunities to promote sustainable cities and communities and leave a lasting positive legacy after the post-game stage. Qatar will organize the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2022 and Ras Abu Aboud (RAA) is designed as a fully reusable and modular shipping container stadium, which will be dismantled, relocated, and reused after the tournament. This study aims to present the first comprehensive analysis on the social sustainability and legacy aspects of a circular and sharing economy application for the FIFA World Cup organization. The research analyzes the entire life cycle phases of the RAA stadium including the raw material production, construction, operations, and end-of-life. The Ecoinvent v.3.7.1 is used to quantify the midpoint environmental and endpoint human health impacts. For its operation phase assessment, two operation scenarios are comparatively analyzed: one-year temporary operation (Scenario 1) and 50 years of permanent operation (Scenario 2). Later, a simulation-based sensitivity analysis is conducted. Finally, we discussed how circular and modular design thinking can bring long-lasting legacy post-event, through reuse and recycling from a socio-economic perspective. An important finding shows that circular design under Scenario 1 can save up to 60% of human health impacts and significantly reduce the material footprint and dependence on imported construction materials. This research will enhance future awareness for sustainability benefits of circular and sharing economy application adopted by mega sporting events concerning the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and FIFA's post-game legacy and sustainability strategies