Assessment of ICT Tools for Construction Material Management in the Stockholm Region

Ditte Juhl KTH

The aim of the master’s thesis is to assess potential for implementing ICT tools to support smarter regional management of secondary construction materials. It is estimated that about 4.8-15.4 million tons of secondary construction material is generated in Stockholm every year. However the management of the material is not optimal. The methods chosen to complete the aim were based on systems analysis tools for an overview of the environmental effects from the system and a method focusing on interviews of salient stakeholders.

Two new management scenarios were proposed and studied. Both scenarios included an ICT tool, where buyers and sellers can exchange secondary material via a website, call center or application. One scenario also included a medium term storage solution to store material before being allocated. The results from the systems’ analysis were mostly positive, showing a significant potential reduction in GHG emissions. Also a high potential economic profit was estimated. Most stakeholders responded positively to the proposed scenarios. However, the stakeholders also pointed out some challenges with the system. Such as the unwillingness of companies to corporate together and that planning is very sensitive to changes. Due to the major potential gain, it is recommended to continue the development of such a project with a key client as owner and large contractors as strategic business partners.