Waste management in the restoration works of the “puerta de alcalá”: challenges and sustainable solutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20868/ade.2024.5459Keywords:
waste management, heritage, lead, in-situ reuseAbstract
The restoration of heritage sites presents unique challenges in waste management, as these differ significantly from conventional construction waste. This study analyzes sustainable waste management in the restoration of the Puerta de Alcalá, an emblematic monument in Madrid and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the lack of specific literature on waste management in heritage restoration, it is valuable to share the strategies used for future cultural heritage restorations. During the restoration process, inspections and sampling were conducted to characterize the waste and assess its potential for recycling or disposal. This data was compared with the waste management plan, enabling an analysis of the challenges and opportunities encountered. An attempt was made to reuse lead from the roofing—melted and purified on-site successfully—as well as projected aluminum silicate, which was ultimately discarded due to technical issues.
The original iron in the sculptural structures was restored due to its high quality, with additional iron sourced from other restorations when needed. This approach, along with collaboration with companies specializing in historical materials, proved essential for waste reduction. The experience demonstrates that practices such as source separation, reuse, and the valorization of historical materials are crucial for waste minimization, though some methods need adjustments to improve their effectiveness. Adopting sustainable practices not only preserves cultural heritage but also promotes sustainability and circular economy principles within the construction sector
Downloads
References
1. Martín del Río, J. J., & León Muñoz, M. Á. (2011). La gestión del plomo en las obras de restauración, rehabilitación y demolición. Cercha: Revista de los Aparejadores y Arquitectos Técnicos, 110, 72-77.
2. Meryman, H. (2005). Structural materials in historic restoration: Environmental issues and greener strategies. APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, 36(4), 31-38.
3. Pericot, N. G., Sáez, P. V., Merino, M. D. R., & Carrasco, O. L. (2014). Production patterns of packaging waste categories generated at typical Mediterranean residential building worksites. Waste Management, 34(11), 1932-1938.
4. Salem, S. I., Hegazi, Y. S., & Dessouky, S. K. (2021). A framework for managing building waste from the restoration of historic Cairo. Civil Engineeering and Architecture, 9(7), 2362-2380.
5. Sayin, B., Akçay, C., Yıldızlar, B., Bilir, T., & Bozkurt, T. S. (2016, August). Restoration approach to improve sustainability and longevity in existing historical structures. In SCMT4: 4th International Conference in Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (pp. 7-11).
6. Sezer, A. A., & Bosch-Sijtsema, P. (2022). Actor-to-actor tensions influencing waste management in building refurbishment projects: A service ecosystem perspective. International Journal of Construction Management, 22(9), 1690-1699.
7. Villoria Sáez, P., Del Río Merino, M., Porras-Amores, C., Santa Cruz Astorqui, J., & González Pericot, N. (2019).Analysis of best practices to prevent and manage the waste generated in building rehabilitation works. Sustainability, 11(10), 2796.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Autor / BY-NC
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Anales de Edificación does not charge authors for processing or publishing an article and provides immediate Open Access to its content. All content is available free of charge to the user or his institution. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search or link to the full text of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without prior permission from the publisher or author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
- Authors retain the copyright and grant to the journal the right to a Creative Commons attribution / Non-Commercial / Non-Derivative 4.0 International (CC BY NC ND) License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of authorship and non-commercial use.
- Authors may separately establish additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (for example, placing it in an institutional repository or publishing it in a book).
Unless otherwise indicated, all contents of the electronic edition are distributed under a Creative Commons license.
