scholarly journals Selection Criteria for Building Materials and Components in Line with the Circular Economy Principles in the Built Environment—A Review of Current Trends

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Kamel Mohamed Rahla ◽  
Ricardo Mateus ◽  
Luís Bragança
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Technical Aspect ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Industry Waste ◽  
Current Trends

A growing concern is given to the environmental impacts caused by the construction industry. Waste generation, resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are the main drawbacks of the rapid urbanization that the world is witnessing. As a response to these pressing issues, policymakers and academia are exploring the concept of Circular Economy (CE) to manage resources better and achieve resource efficiency while eliminating waste. One of the strategies to implement CE in the built environment is to select the appropriate building materials and components from the early stages to carry out the concept's principles along the value chain and create a closed-loop system. Therefore, this study aims at identifying selection criteria for building elements according to CE principles through a review of the latest research. Results have shown that little has been concretely achieved in terms of a paradigm shift to CE since the main focus of the literature is still the use of recycled products and the recyclability of building materials and components at their end-of-life. Although the present study is solely focused on the technical aspect of building materials and components, it outlines current adopted criteria to bring about a circular built environment and highlights the need for a more innovative approach to attain higher circularity levels.

scholarly journals Circularity in the New Gravity—Re-Thinking Vernacular Architecture and Circularity

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 328
Author(s):  
Marwa Dabaieh ◽  
Dalya Maguid ◽  
Deena El-Mahdy
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
New Policies ◽  
Private Investors

The mounting climate change crisis and the rapid urbanization of cities have pressured many practitioners, policymakers, and even private investors to develop new policies, processes, and methods for achieving more sustainable construction methods. Buildings are considered to be among the main contributors to harmful environmental impacts, resource consumption, and waste generation. The concept of a circular economy (CE), also referred to as “circularity”, has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years. CE, in the context of the building industry, is based on the concept of sustainable construction, which calls for reducing negative environmental impacts while providing a healthier indoor environment and closing material loops. Both vernacular architecture design strategies and circular economy principles share many of the same core concepts. This paper aims at investigating circular economy principles in relation to vernacular architecture principles in the built environment. The study demonstrates how circular principles can be achieved through the use of vernacular construction techniques and using local building materials. This paper will focus on Egypt as one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a wide vernacular heritage, exploring how circularity is rooted in old vernacular settlements and how it can inspire contemporary circular practices.

scholarly journals Circular economy in built environment and real estate industry

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis Zvirgzdins ◽  
Kaspars Plotka ◽  
Sanda Geipele
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Real Estate Industry ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Materials Research ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

The concept of circular economy have gained a popularity in the scientific areas for the past decades due to raising influence of climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, resource depletion, urbanization, pollution and other global issues. Real estate is crucial aspect for every human being, because majority of people spend majority of their lifetime in buildings which are mainly located in cities. Purpose of the study is to reflect how built environment and real estate industry can benefit from the features of circular economy concept while promoting the practices of sustainable development. Authors have carried out a study based on the methodology of literature review and state of the art review to show how features of circular economy can support practices of sustainable construction. Results show that the construction processes can be supported by features of circular economy throughout the whole life cycle of construction project including logistics, supply chains, design, manufacturing process, exploitation and maintenance of real estate and reusing the building materials. Research indicates that urban circular economy contributes to the development of sustainable societies. Additionally, efficient implementation of circular construction requires profitability for majority of stakeholders.

scholarly journals Multi-Criteria Ranking of Green Materials According to the Goals of Sustainable Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirhossein Balali ◽  
Alireza Valipour ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Zenonas Turskis
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Green Building ◽  
The Body ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Green Materials

Modern, well-educated and experienced policy-makers support and promote the use of environmentally friendly materials and resources. The use of green resources is an exceptional and inevitable strategy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing Earth population. The growing population raises the need for new housing construction and urban infrastructure development. Such substances in construction refer to green building materials (GBMs). The environmental impact is lower if GBMs replace non-GBMs. Here, ranking among GBMs can facilitate and support the selection process. This study aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge to introduce a method for identifying and prioritizing GBMs in the construction industry to use in green building. The required data were collected using existing literature, interviews and questionnaires. Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the first criteria for assessing GBM selection criteria. Critical weighted GBM selection criteria are the second criteria for prioritizing GBMs. The results show that “Natural, Plentiful and Renewable”, “Affordability from cradle to gate” and “Affordability during operation” are the top three GBM selection criteria. The real case study helped select “Stramit Strawboard”, “Aluminium Composite Panels (ACPs)” and “Solar Roof Tiles” as the most suitable GBMs for use in the context of the study. The model and results presented in this study will help actors of the construction industry to select and use GBMs more quickly and thus achieve a better level of construction sustainability, as well as environmental friendliness, than before.

scholarly journals Drivers of adopting Circular Economy in Oman built environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibtisam Sulaiman Alhosni ◽  
Omar Amoudi
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Government Funding ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Clear Vision ◽  
Survey Responses

Circular Economy is a sustainable transition from the current linear thinking to a circular approach. The construction industry is criticized as the first responsible of waste generation and resources consumption, thus, it will be the sector which has potential of adopting the Circular economy approach. Oman construction industry is not an exception, it also negatively suffers from high waste and therefore adopting CE approach will be crucial to enhance the industry reputation and sustainability aspects. According to previous research, the critical challenges facing the adoption of circular economy concept in Oman built environment were introduced firstly with absence of clear vision and legislation supporting CE, as well as, lack of government funding of research, innovation, and investment as governmental barriers, followed by a technical barrier which is absence of qualified professionals in CE in construction industry. The aim of this study is to explore the drivers supporting the adoption CE in Oman Built Environment. An exploratory study was conducted to explore the main drivers of CE in Oman built environment through 10 interviews of the built environment professionals and 80 questionnaire survey responses of built environment stakeholders. The results revealed that the key findings of the critical drivers of adopting CE in Oman built environment are: governmental responsibility through establishment of a clear vision and regulations of CE, upgrade public awareness, being a role model of CE implementation, as well as, establishing of supportive infrastructure for recovery process through collaboration with the private sector. Finally, gaining momentum in CE in Oman built environment shall be initiated by governmental effort to benefit economically, socially and environmentally.      

scholarly journals Enhancing the circular economy with nature-based solutions in the built urban environment: green building materials, systems and sites

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pearlmutter ◽  
Dimitra Theochari ◽  
Thomas Nehls ◽  
Pedro Pinho ◽  
Patrizia Piro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Green Building Materials ◽  
Water Sensitive Urban Design ◽  
Negative Impacts

Abstract The objective of this review paper is to survey the state of the art on nature-based solutions (NBS) in the built environment, which can contribute to a circular economy (CE) and counter the negative impacts of urbanization through the provision of ecosystem services. NBS are discussed here at three different levels: (i) green building materials, including biocomposites with plant-based aggregates; (ii) green building systems, employed for the greening of buildings by incorporating vegetation in their envelope; and (iii) green building sites, emphasizing the value of vegetated open spaces and water-sensitive urban design. After introducing the central concepts of NBS and CE as they are manifested in the built environment, we examine the impacts of urban development and the historical use of materials, systems and sites which can offer solutions to these problems. In the central section of the paper we present a series of case studies illustrating the development and implementation of such solutions in recent years. Finally, in a brief critical analysis we look at the ecosystem services and disservices provided by NBS in the built environment, and examine the policy instruments which can be leveraged to promote them in the most effective manner – facilitating the future transition to fully circular cities.

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 Developments to come to a circular construction economy; experiences in facilitating a local soil and sand depot

2021 ◽  
Vol 855 (1) ◽  
pp. 012005
Author(s):  
A G Entrop
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Material Flows ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Material Usage ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
To Come

Abstract In the construction industry the ambition to come to a circular economy will, with its vast material usage, be a hard nut to crack. This paper describes a research project part of the H2020 Cityloops project, in which it was expected that soil and sand depots could be an interesting subject to study. Already for many years and in multiple municipalities, these depots help to overcome mismatches regarding quality and quantity in demand and request of soil and sand. With the ambition to close material loops the construction industry might experience these kinds of mismatches also for an increasing number of other resources in the nearby future. Having positive experiences with her soil and sand depot, the municipality of Apeldoorn was open to give insights in the flows at her open-air soil and sand depot. The conducted research helped making processes transparent and valuable insights were gained. However, considering the great variety in building materials, products and components, it currently seems possible to handle only a small number of other material flows in the same way soil and sand are being handled and stored at a depot.

scholarly journals SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY-ISSUE RELATED TO COMPARATIVE COST BENEFITS

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Bala ◽  
Samuel P.O ◽  
Iyang Enin O. Ata
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
National Level ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Local Economies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Cost Benefits ◽  
Comparative Cost

The purpose of this research is to analyze the socio-economic and environmental impact of circular economy in the construction industry with focus on the issues related to the comparative cost benefits. Three objectives and research questions were raised to solve this research problem. The research method adopted is a qualitative technique with the use of empirical analysis to elicit the findings. Finding also revealed that these processes have significant potential to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits. Since some industries are particularly important for national and local economies, it is important to provide clarity about the expected net impact on employment across different sectors. This would also help policy-makers design well-targeted transitional policy measures to manage the negative impacts in some sectors as well as in national and local economies. There is also a need to understand the indirect effects on the economy (e.g., impacts on the value chain and/or changes in consumption spending patterns) in order to estimate the overall impacts at the national level. Additionally, some findings provide information on the employment potential of the circular economy in terms of the number of jobs it might create; much less emphasis has been placed in the literature on other social and employment impacts such as gender, skills, occupational and welfare effects, poverty and inequalities. This indicates that there is a need for more research that would address these aspects and also help policy-makers anticipate effects in different social groups.

Current Trends in the Training and Utilization of Paraprofessionals in Speech and Language Programs

1991 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy L. Coufal ◽  
Allen L. Steckelberg ◽  
Stanley F. Vasa
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Job Descriptions ◽  
Paraprofessional Training ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Training And Supervision ◽  
Communicative Disorders ◽  
Supervision Practices ◽  
A Current

Administrators of programs for children with communicative disorders in 11 midwestern states were surveyed to assess trends in the training and utilization of paraprofessionals. Topics included: (a) current trends in employment, (b) paraprofessional training, (c) use of ASHA and state guidelines, and (d) district policies for supervision. Selection criteria, use of job descriptions, training programs, and supervision practices and policies were examined. Results indicate that paraprofessionals are used but that standards for training and supervision are not consistently applied across all programs. Program administrators report minimal training for supervising professionals.

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