At present most buildings are destructively demolished with only minimal concern for extracting components for reuse. This is for reasons of perceived lower cost, time constraints, regulatory issues and a perceived lack of demand for reclaimed components. As the demand for reclaimed components and recycled materials grows and their value increases, there is more interest in deconstruction as an alternative approach to removing old, no longer wanted buildings.

Deconstruction is the process of taking a building apart into its components in such a way that they can be more readily reused or recycled. It focuses on minimising the destructive aspects of the process of removing buildings, preserving components and materials, not wasting them. Partial deconstruction occurs with some steel buildings when structural steel components such as wide flange beams are removed undamaged from one building and used in a new project. Some steel buildings such as industrial sheds are often completely deconstructed and rebuilt elsewhere. Steel components such as cladding and staircases sometimes find new uses if extracted undamaged.

Benefits of deconstruction can include:

• Cost reduction
• Job creation
• Waste reduction
• Increased recycling and reuse
• Reduced environmental impact of primary material manufacture

Deconstruction is directly related to the hierarchy of resource management which focuses on reducing resource use and reusing components wherever possible

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