To what extent can demountable partition wall systems become economically competitive compared to conventional wall systems when evaluated through a Life Cycle Costing approach?

Details

Supervisors

Hermans, Julie

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThe construction sector generates significant amounts of waste, making circular construction and the reuse of building components increasingly important. Among building elements, interior partition walls offer considerable reuse potential due to their frequent replacement during a building's lifetime. This thesis evaluates the economic competitiveness of demountable partition wall systems compared with conventional alternatives through a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) approach. Developed in collaboration with Buildwise, the study compares six partition wall systems representing three levels of demountability and two finishing materials, plaster and wood. A simulation model was developed over a 60-year study period under three refurbishment scenarios representing different levels of building adaptability. Semi-structured interviews with construction professionals were also conducted to assess the practical relevance of the model. The results demonstrate that demountable partition wall systems can become economically competitive when assessed through a Life Cycle Costing approach. However, this competitiveness is not guaranteed and depends on several interacting factors, including the level of demountability, the compatibility of the selected finishing materials with Design for Disassembly principles, the complexity of the wall assembly and the labour requirements associated with refurbishment and end-of-life operations. The findings also highlight that material selection should not rely solely on initial construction costs but rather on the long-term economic performance of partition wall systems over their entire life cycle. More broadly, the study suggests that the wider adoption of reusable partition wall systems will depend not only on their technical and economic performance but also on the evolution of market conditions, regulatory frameworks and professional practices.