Material Recovery and Reuse in Post-disaster Housing Reconstruction: Lessons From Global Disaster Contexts

Abstract

The recovery and reuse of construction materials following disasters has emerged as an important strategy for reducing construction waste, improving resource efficiency, and enhancing the resilience of post-disaster housing reconstruction. However, existing studies remain fragmented across different disaster contexts and material categories, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the engineering, environmental, and institutional factors influencing material recovery decisions. This systematic literature review synthesises current evidence on the recovery and reuse of construction materials in post-disaster housing reconstruction. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic search of the Scopus and EBSCO databases identified 303 records published between 2015 and 2026, of which 69 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Of these, 20 studies directly examined post-disaster contexts, while the remaining 49 addressed broader construction material recovery and reuse and were included as transferable engineering evidence relevant to post-disaster reconstruction. The review synthesised evidence from both disaster-specific studies and broader research on construction material reuse to provide a comprehensive understanding of material recovery practices applicable to post-disaster housing reconstruction. The review demonstrates that both structural and non-structural construction materials have varying potential for recovery and reuse following disasters. The findings further indicate that reuse suitability is governed not only by material type but also by the interactions among disaster characteristics, residual material condition, structural integrity, contamination, durability, regulatory compliance, and intended reuse applications. Recovery pathways were found to depend on condition-based engineering assessment, while successful implementation is further influenced by economic feasibility, institutional capacity, stakeholder coordination, and recovery infrastructure. This review advances existing knowledge by synthesising disaster characteristics, engineering assessment requirements, recovery pathways, and implementation considerations into an evidence-derived condition-based perspective for construction material recovery. The proposed conceptual framework provides an evidence-informed reference for engineers, emergency management agencies, policymakers, local authorities, and construction practitioners seeking to integrate reusable construction materials into resilient and resource-efficient post-disaster housing reconstruction.