Circular economy applications in the construction industry: A global scan of trends and opportunities

Guerra, Beatriz C.; Shahi, Sheida; Mollaei, Aida; Skaf, Nathalie; Weber, Olaf; Leite, Fernanda; Haas, Carl T.

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129125

Cited by 83 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Involves the process of collecting materials at the end-of-life stage and then disassembling, sorting, and cleaning for use Joshi et al (2006) Remanufacture Involves the re-processing of already used components for restoration to their original state or a like-new form through the reuse of as many parts as possible without loss of functionality Jawahir and Bradley (2016) Redesign Involves manufacturing or remanufacturing next-generation components using materials recovered from the previous life cycle or previous generation of components Zhang et al (2013b); Jawahir and Bradley ( 2016) Planning, designing, procurement, construction, and demolition Shen et al (2007) Inception, design, construction, operation, and demolition Benachio et al (2020) Project design, material manufacture, construction, operation, and end of life López Ruiz et al (2020) Pre-construction, construction, and building renovation, collection and distribution, end of life, and material recovery and production Guerra et al (2021) Design, construction, and end of life decision-making process (Kuo et al 2008;Song et al 2017).…”

Section: Recovermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite CE practice implementation across the whole life cycle of buildings drawing much interest in recent times (Lei et al 2021 ), studies that propose a unified approach in the C&D industry of emerging economies are rare (López Ruiz et al 2020 ; Benachio et al 2020 ). Only a few studies such as Benachio et al ( 2020 ) and Guerra et al ( 2021 ) proposed a unified approach to guide CE practice implementation across the whole life cycle of buildings. However, the authors did not provide a hierarchical analysis of the identified CE practices to facilitate the strategic implementation in the C&D industry especially for emerging economies where firms lack sufficient resources (Agyemang et al 2020 ; Faibil et al 2021 ; Asante et al 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Life cycle stage practices and strategies for circular economy: assessment in construction and demolition industry of an emerging economy

Asante

Faibil

Agyemang

et al. 2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The strategic implementation of circular economy (CE) practices in the construction and demolition (C&D) industry is critical for achieving environmental sustainability goals. Understanding CE practices based on reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, remanufacture, and redesign (6R) principles from the perspective of the whole life cycle can promote the implementation of CE practices in the C&D industry. However, studies that shed light on this subject especially in emerging economies are generally lacking. This study contributes to filling this gap by using a three-phase methodology consisting of a literature review and a hybrid best–worst method and grey relational analysis to give insights into practices and strategies to prioritize CE practice implementation. Specifically, the paper focuses on identifying CE practices based on 6R principles, the significance of the identified CE practices, and understanding how to prioritize the implementation of the significant CE practices. The study’s findings established that implementing CE practices based on reduce and recover principles at the design stage contributes significantly to environmental sustainability. Additionally, the study highlights the relevance of both bottom-up and top-down approaches in the implementation of CE practices.

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Section: Recovermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle stage practices and strategies for circular economy: assessment in construction and demolition industry of an emerging economy

Asante

Faibil

Agyemang

et al. 2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although this is a technical type of work, the construction process begins with the planning, financing and design of the project, it continues with physical works, until the respective object is built and ready to be used. The construction also covers repair and maintenance activities, extension works, modernization, demolition, dismantling and decommissioning; thus, construction, renovation and demolition are key sectors of the industry related to the built environment (Guerra et al, 2021).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Issues concerning the dynamics of labor productivity at the level of the companies in Constanta County operating in the "Construction" sector before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Stan

2021

TSSJ

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The construction industry sector plays an important role in the national and local economy, and its activities are vital for achieving the objectives of economic and social development which lead to increasing the citizens' quality of life. In the construction sector, the COVID-19 crisis has led to a reduction in site productivity, which has led to an increase in compliance costs, delayed projects and increased the exposure of construction workers to risk and infection. Given that many companies have experienced substantial declines in turnover and high turnover uncertainty during this pandemic, a continuous analysis of the economic climate, respectively of the main indicators of the companies active on the market is a very important element in terms of outlining an overall view of the current situation, as well as the trends in the construction sector. This study provides an empirical analysis as to before and after the COVID-19 pandemic level of labor productivity of economic agents operating in the construction sector in Constanta County. Starting from assessments of the average turnover and the evolution of the workforce of the companies in the construction sector located on the territory of Constanta County, the objective of the research was the dynamical analysis of the level of labor productivity and the way it was influenced by the emergence of this unexpected event. The obtained results confirmed the research hypothesis, namely that the level of labor productivity is influenced by the level of investment and it registers a moderate increase, yet on a noticeable increasing trend, the probable reason being the construction projects for public investment carried out in the area.

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“…However, the activities of the construction industry are well documented as negatively impacting human development and environmental stability [4]. The construction industry is the 3rd-largest consumer of fossil fuels [5], and the largest consumer of raw materials [6], accounting for circa 40% of energy consumption and energy-related CO 2 emissions [7] and circa 75% of global environmental degradation [8]. Furthermore, with the activities of the construction industry and, therefore, their impact expected to significantly increase due to population growth [9,10], there is a persistent drive to curb its activities, particularly given the global climate crisis [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Diffusion in Commercial Buildings in Nigeria: A Grounded Theory Approach

2022

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The adoption and integration of renewable energy technologies (RETs) into buildings is key to making the necessary transition to low-carbon and resilient built environments. However, such technologies have struggled to gain a firm foothold in countries within the sub-Saharan African (SSA) region. This is particularly the case in Nigeria, which suffers from severe energy poverty, despite its significant RE and conventional energy potential. In Nigeria, a significant proportion of the energy demand for offices is provided by self-powered off-grid fossil-fuel generators. The country is also one of the primary settings for increased construction activity. This, combined with its susceptibility to the effects of climate change, presents significant concerns relating to the resilience of its built environment. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive empirical study addressing this, as previous studies have been limited in their insight and perspectives. This study adopted a grounded theory method (GTM) aligned with Charmaz’s approach, to gain in-depth participant-driven insights into factors influencing sustainable energy use in commercial buildings, focusing on solar photovoltaics (PVs). This led to the development of a theory of the sustainability transition process of construction professionals (CPs). It provides relevant, reliable, and relatable points of reference that would be beneficial to policymakers in developing plans for actionable interventions for PV and broader sustainable measures toward green energy transition. Furthermore, it highlights the value of employing GTMs in construction management research beyond the developing context. This paper contributes theoretically, empirically, and methodologically to facilitate a better understanding of the situations (context) grounded in empirical data.

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Circular economy applications in the construction industry: A global scan of trends and opportunities

Cited by 83 publications

References 67 publications

Life cycle stage practices and strategies for circular economy: assessment in construction and demolition industry of an emerging economy

Life cycle stage practices and strategies for circular economy: assessment in construction and demolition industry of an emerging economy

Issues concerning the dynamics of labor productivity at the level of the companies in Constanta County operating in the "Construction" sector before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Diffusion in Commercial Buildings in Nigeria: A Grounded Theory Approach

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