Facilitating Circular Economy Strategies Using Digital Construction Tools: Framework Development

Abstract

The construction sector has undergone several transformations to address adverse environmental, economic, and social impacts. The concept of the circular economy (CE) has transcended into this domain to solve the needs of construction amid resource constraints. Furthermore, advanced digital tools are being implemented across industries owing to the boost given by the fourth industrial revolution. This paper aims to develop a framework that investigates the effect of digital tools on CE implementation in the construction sector. The study is based on a three-step approach, where first, an initial framework design based on a systematic literature review was conducted. This is followed by framework optimization using semistructured interviews with experts and validation through a case study. This study resulted in the development of a new framework, which aims to investigate how advanced digital tools can be used in the construction sector to enhance CE implementation. The contribution of the present study is two-fold: (1) the integration (addressing existing research gap) of CE and digitalization concepts in the construction sector; (2) an investigation into the critical barriers, offering insights for construction practitioners.

Barriers to Adopting Digital Technologies to Implement Circular Economy Practices in the Construction Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The construction industry practices are highly resource-intensive; they deplete vast amounts of natural resources; and they produce massive amounts of waste. They are also incredibly energy-intensive, causing significant environmental effects by raising carbon emissions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. The industry's status quo further exacerbates ecological problems and compromises the environment's capacity for sustaining future generations [8].…”

“…The industry's status quo further exacerbates ecological problems and compromises the environment's capacity for sustaining future generations [8]. Thus, addressing these concerns has become imperative in the construction industry to achieve the goals related to sustainability [1,4]. Researchers have highlighted that to ensure the sustainable use of resources and energy, the linear economic model must be rethought in terms of the circular economy (CE) [4,6,13,14].…”

“…Thus, addressing these concerns has become imperative in the construction industry to achieve the goals related to sustainability [1,4]. Researchers have highlighted that to ensure the sustainable use of resources and energy, the linear economic model must be rethought in terms of the circular economy (CE) [4,6,13,14]. Similarly, ref.…”

“…The concept of the circular economy (CE) has transcended into this domain to solve construction needs amid resource constraints [4]. The concept of the CE provides an op-portunity to enhance the value of resources by slowing, reducing, and closing production and consumption cycles [15].…”

“…The concept of the CE provides an op-portunity to enhance the value of resources by slowing, reducing, and closing production and consumption cycles [15]. Moreover, CE enhances resource lifespan and durability by incorporating them into the loop for as long as feasible [4]. Similarly, the fundamental objective of systemic circularity in construction entails making sure that the product system for buildings is well planned, circularly designed, and has the essential reverse cycles, system conditions, and business models to ensure the seamless reusability of building materials at the end of life [6].…”