Applying "Design for Disassembly" to connection design in steel structures

Abstract

Design for Disassembly (DfD), also known as Design for Deconstruction, is an emerging initiative of sustainable construction that favors disassembly over demolition, considering a building's full life cycle during the design phase to maximize the materials that can eventually be salvaged for reuse and thereby closing the materials loop. The author focuses on steel-frame buildings, which are among the best candidates for reuse because of the versatility and durability of individual steel members. An outline of the major principles of DfD singles out successful connection design as one of the most important factors in making a building, particularly a steel- frame building, easy to disassemble. Connection design under traditional construction methods may be optimized for disassembly through tactics such as careful allocation of bolts and welds, proper orientation of moment connections when required, and avoidance of connection details that demand coping of members. Structural engineers should also advance DfD by exploring innovations in connection design, such as standardized systems of components and clamped friction connections.