Pre-demolition audit tool

Audit tool to create an accurate, collaborative register of materials to transfer to storage, or exchange.
Solutions Reuse

Problem Addressed

The construction and demolition sector accounts for around 60% of total UK waste by weight. Whilst a large portion of this material is diverted from landfill, only a small proportion of building materials are directly reused, with estimates typically ranging from Increasing the recovery and reuse of materials ensures they are kept in use at their highest possible value, rather than being downcycled, and can provide low-carbon resources for new developments. However, one challenge is understanding which materials are available to be reused in a building due to the complexity of materials used.

Solution Overview

Material Index (MI) greatly increases the reuse rate through its fast, collaborative digital pre-demolition audit tool. The digital audit tool meets BREEAM, GLA, Westminster and City of London compliance, and critically creates an accurate, collaborative register of materials to transfer to storage, or exchange. Assets are captured on-site using the MI app, which records data at a component level. Each asset is categorised by BCIS building layer and Uniclass, with supporting fields including name, condition, manufacturer, material (mapped to EWC), dimensions, and additional metadata. AI Audit functionality now accelerates the capture process further. All members of the project team can log-in, contribute, and review the data and decisions being made. Data from MI’s tool connected to a marketplace exchange platform to connect contractors and developers to over 300 businesses to enable reuse of materials.

Company name

Material Index

UK availability

Yes

Solution launch date

2022

Links

Learn more here

Case Study

Material Index was instructed by Gardnier and Theobald to perform a Pre-Deconstruction Audit (PDA) for the redevelopment of the 38-70 Baker Street site in London, as part of Derwent London’s portfolio. Material Index completed the site-survey using the platform, supplementing site visits with a detailed review of existing site documentation. Particular attention was given to understanding the existing brickwork on-site, taking into account age, demand and mortar type to provide estimated reclamation rates to support the planning process.  The interactive pathways page allowed the project team to login and review reuse targets throughout the project – which was particularly important due to specific project planning conditions around reuse in Westminster. The goal was to identify opportunities for material reuse across five existing buildings (33,000m2) ahead of their planned demolition.

The audit, conducted in line with BREEAM and GLA Circular Economy Guidance, identified a total of 28,100 tonnes of material, with an estimated embodied carbon value of 20,643 tCO₂e. A target for the project is to achieve a 29% on-site reuse rate by volume, primarily through the innovative reuse of concrete slabs and bricks.

The report identified that while some materials, like MEP equipment and windows, have limited reuse potential, others like raised access flooring, timber, and certain sanitaryware could be successfully reused off-site. Overall, the project is targeting a total material diversion from landfill of up to 98% through a combination of on-site reuse and recycling.

This PDA serves as a crucial case study, demonstrating how detailed audits can inform early-stage project decisions, set ambitious sustainability targets, and provide the data needed to track a project’s environmental performance.

Facts and figures

200+

sites across London and the UK audited in the Material Index platform

10x

Material Index’s material reuse rate compared to the industry average

Learn more about Material Index

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