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arXiv cs.AI
7/10

SalvageAudit

A pre-demolition audit assistant for demolition contractors and circular-economy auditors that combines a building-materials knowledge graph with explainable AI to flag recoverable assets (steel, copper, fixtures, hazardous materials) with regulator-ready evidence trails.

Target user

Pre-demolition auditors and demolition contractors handling circular-economy compliance

Features
  • Building knowledge graph populated from blueprints, BIM files, and walkthrough photos to estimate recoverable material quantities
  • Per-finding explanation panel citing the regulation, sensor reading, or building-record source so auditors can defend the call
  • Hazardous-materials checklist (asbestos, PCBs, fire doors) with W3C Linked Building Data references
  • PDF export formatted for jurisdictional pre-demolition audit submission
Why now

EU and UK regulations now mandate pre-demolition audits and material passports; auditors still rely on spreadsheets and PDF photos, and recent research shows KG+XAI pairings are uniquely defensible in regulatory review.

Signals · overall 7/10
Demand
8/10

EU CDW Protocol updated August 2024 formally mandates pre-demolition/pre-renovation audits; UK London Plan SI7, BREEAM Wst01 and GLA Circular Economy Statements require them, with Material Index noting 'increasingly required rather than optional' across London boroughs.EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol (2024 Update)Pre-demolition Audits | AI-Powered Material Surveys | Material Index

Whitespace
5/10

Direct AI-powered competitor Material Index already ships pre-demolition audits with on-site cataloguing and a resale marketplace; BIM-SD (TU Delft) is research-grade. The KG+XAI-for-regulator-evidence angle appears differentiated but the core audit surface is contested.Pre-demolition Audits | AI-Powered Material Surveys | Material IndexKnowledge Graphs and Explainable AI as Complementary Resources for Urban Mining

Monetization
6/10

B2B willingness to pay is structurally anchored by regulation, but pricing in the category is project-by-project custom quotes (Material Index scopes per building), implying fragmented SaaS monetization and limited recurring-revenue proof points today.Pre-demolition Audits | AI-Powered Material Surveys | Material IndexEU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol

Longevity
9/10

Hard policy infrastructure: 2024 EU CDW Protocol, London Plan policies SI2/SI7, BREEAM credits, GLA Circular Economy Statements — multi-jurisdictional regulatory tailwind unlikely to reverse.The EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol (2024 Update)EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol

Feasibility
5/10

Material Index demonstrates the core audit pipeline (photo capture, classification, codes, evidence report) is buildable today, but adding a curated building-materials knowledge graph plus explainable-AI provenance layer is non-trivial domain engineering.Pre-demolition Audits | AI-Powered Material Surveys | Material IndexKnowledge Graphs and Explainable AI as Complementary Resources for Urban Mining

Knowledge Graphs and Explainable AI as Complementary Resources for Urban MiningarXiv cs.AI · 2026-07-13 (12d ago)
SalvageAudit — TrendWatcher