Modeling effective construction waste management through causal loop diagrams

Abstract

Previous studies failed to investigate construction waste management system from a holistic perspective. To fill the research gap, this study examines the relationship of three measures of performance (economic, environmental, and social) that underlie the key variables of construction waste management practice through causal loop diagrams. The key variables involved in the causal loop diagrams are identified by a thorough review of existing literature. The interrelationships underlying all the variables are analyzed in detail to formulate a series of causal loop diagrams. The causal loop diagrams are efficient in depicting the interactions between these variables. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by formulating major variables affecting the effectiveness of construction waste management in a construction site from a holistic point of view. The underlying interrelationships among these variables can be well unveiled through a detailed analysis of the causal loop diagrams. The causal model comprising the causal loop diagrams provides a vehicle based on which quantitative model to assess effects of management measures on effective construction waste management can be developed. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.