A Contactless Multi-Modal Sensing Approach for Material Assessment and Recovery in Building Deconstruction
Name
sustainability-17-00585.pdf
Size
3.95 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
b1375916d7eeb9e8b19a7774c73b92e3
Author(s)
Cabral, Sophia
Klimenka, Mikita
Bademosi, Fopefoluwa
Lau, Damon
Pender, Stefanie
Villaggi, Lorenzo
Stoddart, James
Donnelly, James
Storey, Peter
Benjamin, David
Date Issued
January 14, 2025
Journal
Sustainability
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Citation
Cabral, S.; Klimenka, M.; Bademosi, F.; Lau, D.; Pender, S.; Villaggi, L.; Stoddart, J.; Donnelly, J.; Storey, P.; Benjamin, D. A Contactless Multi-Modal Sensing Approach for Material Assessment and Recovery in Building Deconstruction. Sustainability 2025, 17, 585.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
As material scarcity and environmental concerns grow, material reuse and waste reduction are gaining attention based on their potential to reduce carbon emissions and promote net-zero buildings. This study develops an innovative approach that combines multi-modal sensing technologies with machine learning to enable contactless assessment of in situ building materials for reuse potential. By integrating thermal imaging, red, green, and blue (RGB) cameras, as well as depth sensors, the system analyzes material conditions and reveals hidden geometries within existing buildings. This approach enhances material understanding by analyzing existing materials, including their compositions, histories, and assemblies. A case study on drywall deconstruction demonstrates that these technologies can effectively guide the deconstruction process, potentially reducing material costs and carbon emissions significantly. The findings highlight feasible scenarios for drywall reuse and offer insights into improving existing deconstruction techniques through automated feedback and visualization of cut lines and fastener positions. This research indicates that contactless assessment and automated deconstruction methods are technically viable, economically advantageous, and environmentally beneficial. Serving as an initial step toward novel methods to view and classify existing building materials, this study lays a foundation for future research, promoting sustainable construction practices that optimize material reuse and reduce negative environmental impact.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. School of Architecture and Planning
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020585
