Improving Circularity in Construction Through a BIM-Based Waste Management Framework

Abstract

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, known for its significant resource consumption and waste production, requires a shift to a Circular Economy (CE) to address environmental challenges, focusing on reducing, recycling, and reusing materials to narrow, slow, and close material loops. The impact of CE in the AEC industry is directly associated with the existing buildings’ potential to be a source of raw materials for future construction projects. The waste management process necessitates detailed information on material composition, connections, availability, future uses, and quality. Urban Mining, facilitated by digital technologies and Industry 4.0 solutions, aims to provide answers to the abovementioned questions. This study, focusing on the Italian building sector, utilizes BIM and IFC platforms to establish a standardized procedure aligned with Italian regulations. The procedure encompasses data acquisition, transmission, integration, and application, resulting in practical and trackable measures stored in IFC files. Notably, this procedure is scalable globally. The results of this study are important from a managerial point of view to have a comprehensive and standardized procedure, improving waste management and decreasing the environmental impacts of the construction sector. Moreover, it contributes to enhancing the cost-benefit efficiency of the industry through enhancing circularity.