Reducing construction and demolition waste through lean production: Observations from Tel-Aviv, Israel

The growth and complexity of construction projects have motivated the construction industry to implement cuttingedge technologies and new approaches in design and construction, including advanced computer-based design and project management methods like building information modeling (BIM) and lean construction. This paper evaluates multiple construction projects in the Tel-Aviv area of Israel and compares the effects of implementing the lean construction method to reduce construction waste over time. The authors focus on the lean concept of 5S (sort, set in order, sustain, standardize and shine), which is a systematic method for organizing the work environment, and justin-time (JIT) delivery. In the case study reviewed, a centralized mixing operation that adheres to 5S principles and just-in-Time (JIT) delivery was implemented for supplying cement mortar, plaster, and glue to multiple finishing operations in a high-rise residential construction project. The research is divided into two stages. The first stage is qualitative analysis for the centralized mixing station, while the second stage is quantitative analysis, collecting data from the company to quantify the environmental and economical improvements that occur due to the centralized mixing implementation. This paper presents the first stage of the research. Results show that centralized mixing reduces the material and the operation waste. It keeps the construction site clean and organized. It improves the quality of the material mixing by satisfying the standard ratios. Also, it improves the safety of the construction site.