Reclamation pathway of waste piles: A case study in Shanghai.

Reclaiming waste driven piles to use as the foundations of new buildings is an innovative and effective approach to manage waste driven piles for cleaner construction. A reclamation pathway for waste driven piles is proposed based on a renewal project in Shanghai. A detailed evaluation of the durability and bearing capacity of the waste driven piles is performed. Post-construction settlement in a normal building and a building with a foundation constructed with a combination of new and waste piles is compared to evaluate the performance of the waste piles. Technical suggestions are summarized to improve the reclamation pathway based on the findings of the renewal project. The results show that both the durability and bearing capacity of the waste piles meet the requirements of engineering applications. Reuse of waste piles reduced average settlement but increased the uneven settlement of the new buildings. Economic analysis indicates that reuse of waste driven piles in foundations of new buildings can save approximately $573,672 in construction costs and 1017.6 m3 in concrete for a project the size of the renewal project. Both technical and economic assessments corroborate the reclamation pathway for waste driven pile is necessary and appropriate for Shanghai. The proposed reclamation pathway benefits the management of waste piles and facilitates the cleaner production of construction industry. • Reuse of waste piles was realized in practice and a reclamation pathway was proposed. • Durability and bearing capacity evaluation show waste piles can be reused. • Waste piles application reduced average settlement but increased uneven settlement. • Economic performance approved the reclamation pathway was a sustainable approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]