scholarly journals Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in the Construction Sector of Kazakhstan

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 501
Author(s):  
Beibut Torgautov ◽  
Asset Zhanabayev ◽  
Aidana Tleuken ◽  
Ali Turkyilmaz ◽  
Mohammad Mustafa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Local Construction ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
Feasible Solutions ◽  
Common Barriers

The circular economy in the construction sector in emerging economies is one of the most promising concepts that aims to keep the value of the construction materials and structures as long as possible. The construction industry is rapidly developing in Kazakhstan with a yearly increase in projects. This research paper investigates the construction sector in Kazakhstan in terms of the potential application of circular economy principles by local stakeholders—clients, contractors, designers, and manufacturers. As limited research has been conducted on the circularity within the construction environment, including construction parties, this paper aims to fill this research gap. It seeks to identify the construction trends and perform a barrier and opportunity analysis to develop circular economy principles in the construction sector. As a research method, PEST is used for the study of local construction trends. At the same time, stakeholders are interviewed using semi-structured surveys organized according to the ReSOLVE framework (regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize, and exchange) to identify the barriers and opportunities for circular economy in the construction sector. As an outcome of this study, the most common barriers and opportunities were associated with the economic benefit factor, as this was the main motivation for the stakeholders to save construction materials for reuse or to refuse more eco-friendly technologies. Additionally, policy recommendations for companies involved in the construction ecosystem were provided according to the assessment of found barriers and opportunities in the context of the ReSOLVE framework. This analysis has shown that for most stakeholders of the Kazakhstani construction sector, virtualization is of the highest priority; therefore, opportunities for its development are recommended. Future research could focus on the development of economically feasible solutions for the circular economy in construction with the inclusion of virtualization technologies.

scholarly journals Inflows and Outflows from Material Stocks of Buildings and Networks and their Space-Differentiated Drivers: The Case Study of the Paris Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1376
Author(s):  
Vincent Augiseau ◽  
Eunhye Kim
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central City ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Flow Analysis ◽  
Paris Region ◽  
Context Specific

Urbanization causes massive flows of construction materials and waste, which generates environmental impacts and land-use conflicts. Circular economy strategies at a local scale and in coordination with urban planning could respond to those issues. Implementing these strategies raises challenges as it requires a better knowledge of flows and their space-differentiated drivers. This article focuses on the case of the Paris region (Ile-de-France) in 2013. Construction materials inflows and outflows to and from anthropogenic stocks of buildings and networks are estimated and located though a bottom-up approach based on the collection and processing of geolocalized data. Flow analysis focuses on the relationship between urbanization and flows with a view to establishing context-specific circular economy strategies. Results show that regional inflows of construction materials to stocks in 2013 reach between 1.8 and 2.1 t/capita while outflows are between 1.0 and 1.5 t/capita. Both inflows and outflows are mainly driven by building construction and demolition as well as by road renewal. The region is composed of three sub-urban areas and flows per capita in the dense central city of Paris are significantly lower than in the low-density outskirt area of Grande Couronne (GC). Road renewal accounts for a larger share of flows in GC. Future research will address methodological limits.

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTATION STAGE FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE DANISH BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Detritus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Lisbeth M. Ottosen ◽  
Lotte B. Jensen ◽  
Thomas Astrup ◽  
Tim C. McAloone ◽  
Morten Ryberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Technical Documentation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Common Definition ◽  
Scaling Methods ◽  
Framework Conditions

The building and construction sector is selected by the European Commission as a key product value chain in the transition towards circular economy (CE) due to the major resource consumption, waste generation and GHG emissions from this sector. This paper reports the result from qualitative and semi-structured interviews with 30 Danish stakeholders from the sector on the current stage of implementation of CE and the research/innovation needs to scale circular construction from niche to mainstream. The interviews showed a large variety in the stakeholder’s stage of transition from hardly knowing the term to having CE as a major driver in their business. Some meant that scaling of CE is close to impossible and that material reuse will never develop to more than a niche, whereas others already offer full-scale circular solutions to clients. The interviews pointed at a need for a common definition and terminology for CE, methods for documenting the gains from the circular solutions (economic and environmental), methods for technical documentation of the quality of reused materials, processes which enables scaling, methods to implement CE in various systems such as digitalization and building passports, new value chains and framework conditions in support of circularity. Regardless these needs, demonstration projects of major importance to gain general knowledge have been built or are planned in Denmark. These demonstrations have different approaches: using todays waste from different industries as construction materials; reusing construction materials (the basic building, elements or processed materials); and designing new buildings for disassembly to enable future reuse.

scholarly journals Decarbonization and Circular Economy in the Sustainable Development and Renovation of Buildings and Neighbourhoods

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Mercader-Moyano ◽  
Paula M. Esquivias
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Greenhouse Emissions ◽  
Efficient Construction ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

In recent years, the building sector has been turning towards intervening in the existing city building stock. In fact, it is generally accepted that the refurbishment of buildings and the urban regeneration based on sustainability must form the axis of reformulation of the building sector. Nowadays, achieving sustainable urban development inevitably involves improving existing buildings, thereby preventing the need for city growth, and for the emptying of established neighbourhoods. Furthermore, considering the whole life cycle, it is well known the great amount of greenhouse emissions derived from the construction sector, so in order to reach a decarbonized society it is important to provide eco-efficient construction materials and solutions, adding the principles of circular economy and resource efficiency. The articles of this special issue show different aspects to be considered in order to reach a decarbonized and circular building stock.

Materials passport's review: challenges and opportunities toward a circular economy building sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara Regina Munaro ◽  
Sergio Fernando Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Knowledge Domain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

PurposeReuse and recycling building materials depend on an efficient set of information and tracking, which can be obtained by the materials passport (MP) tool. Although MP introduces principles of circular economy (CE) and brings environmental, social and economic benefits, it is little-explored in the construction sector. The purpose of this study is to explore the adoption of the MP in the sector to raise awareness about this tool. This analysis leads to the conception of a model and identifies the main challenges and opportunities to increase MP implementation in the sector.Design/methodology/approachThrough a systematic literature review, based on the descriptive and thematic analysis, articles were selected, and analyzed to (1) review the MP state-of-the-art in the construction sector; (2) propose a materials passport model and (3) list the main challenges and opportunities to MP adoption.FindingsThe studies about MP were concentrated on strategies to implement general concepts and business opportunities. The MP model was proposed to overcome the lack of studies and understanding showed in the review. The model aimed to improve the recovery and reuse of materials across a building's life cycle. Challenges and opportunities were raised to direct decision-makers and support the development of this tool. A systematic regulation in the construction value chain and policy systems is crucial for creating digital platforms for data management of buildings' material.Originality/valueThis study developed an MP model to enable the management of building materials at different stages of the building's life cycle and contributes to future developments of the studies on this knowledge domain.

scholarly journals BIM Integrated LCA for Promoting Circular Economy towards Sustainable Construction: An Analytical Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1310
Author(s):  
Kai Xue ◽  
Md. Uzzal Hossain ◽  
Meng Liu ◽  
Mingjun Ma ◽  
Yizhi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Scientometric Analysis ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Critical Issues

Sustainable construction is widely regarded as one of the best decisions to reduce the environmental impact of the buildings. Numerous scientific efforts have been devoted to promoting sustainability by adopting different techniques such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and building information modeling (BIM). The recent circular economy (CE) agenda is prioritizing in different sectors including construction due to increasing concern on the materials efficiency and resources consumption. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the implications, considerations, contributions and challenges of BIM integrated LCA and the CE adoption in the industry by critically analyzing the recent literature. A scientometric analysis was applied to the selected studies to show the knowledge among BIM, LCA and CE relationships. With a comprehensive analysis of major challenges and opportunities of LCA and BIM for construction sustainability, key drivers for sustainable building design were identified and analyzed. A prospective integrated framework for CE adoption into BIM-based LCA of buildings and an evaluation method are proposed by analyzing the contemporary issues. It is believed that the analyzed critical issues, identified future research direction and proposed frameworks and this methodology should contribute to effective implementation of CE into the building for promoting sustainable construction.

Challenges and Opportunities for Neuroimaging in Young Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: a Coordinated Effort towards Advancing Discovery from the ENIGMA Pediatric Moderate/Severe TBI Group

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Dennis ◽  
Karen Caeyenberghs ◽  
Robert F. Asarnow ◽  
Talin Babikian ◽  
Brenda Bartnik-Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Developmental Issues ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Severe Tbi ◽  
Advance Research

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children in both developed and developing nations. Children and adolescents suffer from TBI at a higher rate than the general population; however, research in this population lags behind research in adults. This may be due, in part, to the smaller number of investigators engaged in research with this population and may also be related to changes in safety laws and clinical practice that have altered length of hospital stays, treatment, and access to this population. Specific developmental issues also warrant attention in studies of children, and the ever-changing context of childhood and adolescence may require larger sample sizes than are commonly available to adequately address remaining questions related to TBI. The ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Pediatric Moderate-Severe TBI (msTBI) group aims to advance research in this area through global collaborative meta-analysis. In this paper we discuss important challenges in pediatric TBI research and opportunities that we believe the ENIGMA Pediatric msTBI group can provide to address them. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this field of study.

A Circular Business Model for Cloud Computing Services Providers

10.31355/33 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Hamed Motaghi ◽  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Thabit Qasem Atobishi
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Computing Services ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Cloud Computing Service

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE INFORMING SCIENCE INSTITUTE. Aim/Purpose................................................................................................................................................................................................. The main objective of the current study is to develop a business model for service providers of cloud computing which is designed based on circular economy principles and can ensure the sustainable consumption. Background Even though the demand for cloud computing technology is increasing day by day in all over the world, the current the linear economy principles are incapable to ensure society development needs. To consider the benefit of the society and the vendors at the same time, the principles of circular economy can address this issue. Methodology................................................................................................................................................................................................. An extensive literature review on consumption, sustainable consumption, circular economic, business model, and cloud computing were conducted. the proposed model of Osterwalder, Pigneur and Tucci (2005) is admitted designing the circular business model. Contribution................................................................................................................................................................................................. The proposed model of the study is the contribution of this study where provides the guidelines for the cloud computing service providers to achieve both their economic profits and the society’ needs. Findings Finding reveals that if the cloud computing service providers design their business model based on the “access” principle of circular economy, they can meet their economic profits and the society’ needs at a same time. Recommendations for Practitioners.............................................................................................................................................................. It is recommended to the startup and the existing businesses to utilize the proposed model of this study to reach a sustainable development. Recommendation for Researchers................................................................................................................................................................ It proposes a new circular business model and its linkages with community building. Impact on Society............................................................................................................................................................................................ The proposed model of the study provides guidelines to the cloud computing service providers to design a business model which is able not only to meet their economic profit, but also to meet the society’s and customers’ benefits. Future Research............................................................................................................................................................................................... Future researches can build on this research model which proposed in this study to examine the limitations of this model by using empirical researches.

Convective Storms and the Insurance Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten D. Orwig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Property Values ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
The United States ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Insured Loss

Convective storms affect countries worldwide, with billions in losses and dozens of fatalities every year. They are now the key insured loss driver in the United States, even after considering the losses sustained by tropical cyclones in 2017. Since 2008, total insured losses from convective storms have exceeded $10 billion per year. Additionally, these losses continue to increase year over year. Key loss drivers include increased population, buildings, vehicles, and property values. However, other loss drivers relate to construction materials and practices, as well as building code adoption and enforcement. The increasing loss trends pose a number of challenges for the insurance industry and broader society. These challenges are discussed, and some recommendations are presented.

scholarly journals Review on the Use of Artificial Intelligence to Predict Fire Performance of Construction Materials and Their Flame Retardancy

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1022
Author(s):  
Hoang T. Nguyen ◽  
Kate T. Q. Nguyen ◽  
Tu C. Le ◽  
Guomin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Flame Retardancy ◽  
Material Science ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Engineering Problem ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fire Performance ◽  
Structural Components ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Fire Engineering

The evaluation and interpretation of the behavior of construction materials under fire conditions have been complicated. Over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a reliable method to tackle this engineering problem. This review summarizes existing studies that applied AI to predict the fire performance of different construction materials (e.g., concrete, steel, timber, and composites). The prediction of the flame retardancy of some structural components such as beams, columns, slabs, and connections by utilizing AI-based models is also discussed. The end of this review offers insights on the advantages, existing challenges, and recommendations for the development of AI techniques used to evaluate the fire performance of construction materials and their flame retardancy. This review offers a comprehensive overview to researchers in the fields of fire engineering and material science, and it encourages them to explore and consider the use of AI in future research projects.

scholarly journals Circular economy in the construction sector: advancing environmental performance through systemic and holistic thinking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Sparrevik ◽  
Luitzen de Boer ◽  
Ottar Michelsen ◽  
Christofer Skaar ◽  
Haley Knudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Recursive Structure ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Environmental Effectiveness ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Management Schemes ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractThe construction sector is progressively becoming more circular by reducing waste, re-using building materials and adopting regenerative solutions for energy production and biodiversity protection. The implications of circularity on construction activities are complex and require the careful evaluation of impacts to select the appropriate path forward. Evaluations of circular solutions and their environmental effectiveness are often performed based on various types of life cycle-based impact assessments. This paper uses systemic thinking to map and evaluate different impact assessment methodologies and their implications for a shift to more circular solutions. The following systemic levels are used to group the methodologies: product (material life cycle declarations and building assessments), organisation (certification and management schemes) and system (policies, standards and regulations). The results confirm that circular economy is integrated at all levels. However, development and structure are not coordinated or governed unidirectionally, but rather occur simultaneously at different levels. This recursive structure is positive if the methods are applied in the correct context, thus providing both autonomy and cohesion in decision making. Methods at lower systemic levels may then improve production processes and stimulate the market to create circular and innovative building solutions, whereas methods at higher systemic levels can be used, for example, by real estate builders, trade organisations and governments to create incentives for circular development and innovation in a broader perspective. Use of the performance methods correctly within an actor network is therefore crucial for successful and effective implementation of circular economy in the construction sector.

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