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Modular construction and operation significantly impact building lifecycle management, with various stakeholders playing key roles. Digital twin technology emerges as a cutting-edge tool for information exchange, management, and forecasting in the construction sector, offering comprehensive services for diverse stakeholders. However, research primarily explores potential applications and practical solutions, with limited focus on application strategies considering all stakeholders' interests. This gap hinders the transition of digital twin technology from theoretical to practical use. Addressing this, the paper employs game theory to develop models that analyze key stakeholder decisions during the modular construction and operational phases. It creatively introduces mathematical models for complex conditions in the operation phase and conducts numerical simulations. Findings show that the diffusion rate of digital twin technology significantly affects decision-making by main stakeholders in the construction industries in two stages. The diffusion rate in other industries influences the decision of facility management contractors from different backgrounds, yet its implementation ultimately depends on their status and profitability during the operation process. These diffusion rates are influenced by various factors like government subsidies, development costs, and revenues. To enhance the application rate of digital twin technology, the paper suggests initiating pilot projects, creating project pools, expanding industry-university-research collaborations, and implementing subsidies and incentive programs. • We utilized game theory to analyze the decisions during the modular construction and operation phases • Mathematical models were developed under complex conditions to facilitate numerical simulations of modular construction and operation • We found that the diffusion rate of digital twin technology could impact owners' decisions • Measures were proposed to enhance the application rate of the digital twin technology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling and reuse of textile waste is a proficient solution in preventing waste going into landfill and causing pollution. This paper reports the use of microdust generated from fibers in textile spinning mills to fabricate composites using compression molding for prospective applications in the building sector. Ten composite samples of 6 mm and 10 mm were developed by changing the microdust-resin blend proportions ranging resin content of 30%–10%. The tensile, flexural and compression properties, fire retardancy, water absorption and the insulation properties of the composites were determined. The results showed that the 6 mm thick composite board with 70% microdust had the most desired mechanical properties with tensile strength of 6.41 MPa, compressive strength of 3.6 MPa, and flexural strength of 10.2 MPa. These properties are superior compared to commercially available false ceiling board made of gypsum material of similar density and thickness. The thermal insulation value was 0.117 m2 K/W which is equivalent to the commercial sample (0.102 m2 K/W) used in similar applications in the building industry. The sample with 80% microdust (10 mm thick) achieved the highest thermal resistance (0.1879 m2 K/W) which is about 50 % higher than a commercial sample of the same thickness. This study shows that the composite panels overall are comparable to the commercially available panel used in the building industry and provides cost effective and sustainable alternatives for thermal barrier panels while overcoming the issue of landing filling of microdust from the spinning mills. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building operations use 45% of the total energy in Australia, and Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) are instrumental in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. However, research reveals that various factors hinder NZEB adoption in Australia, and it is imperative to contextualise the barriers, thereby highlighting clear gaps that can be addressed to enhance the implementation of NZEB in Australia. This study presents a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis to examine the barriers that hinder the implementation of NZEB contextualised within the Australian building industry. The paper's novelty resides in its contextualisation of barriers to NZEB thereby highlighting clear gaps that can be addressed to enhance the implementation of NZEB in Australia. Emergent results reveal the most impactful barriers experienced and the inter-relatedness between barriers and their effects on each other. These identified barriers are also compared with comparable countries, including the UK, China, Italy and the US. New insight and knowledge acquired provide a basis for assessing potential solutions to the main barriers. Findings show that a lack of knowledge, climate issues, and cost issues, in addition to government policy factors, are considered primary barriers encountered by the industry, hindering the achievement of NZEBs. It is imperative that future studies and initiatives counteract these impacts to realise a better implementation of NZEB in the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is responsible for significant environmental impact. Mounting ecological and societal concerns are driving construction to 'go green'. Green supply chain management offers the potential of a systemic approach to facilitate transformation of the sector. Research on green supply chain management in construction has been growing in recent times but to date has not been systematically brought together. A systematic literature review (SLR) is presented, applying the high standards of rigour and transparency required by the methodology. From an initial search result of 207 papers, 44 were included in the detailed analysis. The papers are described in terms of publication outlet, date of publication, geographic setting, methods used, tools and techniques, conceptual definition, the role of stakeholders and practical implications. The findings are synthesized to propose a categorization of approach and a comprehensive definition of green supply chain management in construction. An agenda for future research is outlined which emphasizes the need for an end-to-end perspective, engagement with the unique characteristics of the industry, a focus on the ultimate goals of environmental sustainability, and on gaps in practical guidance, use of insights from relevant theoretical perspectives, and expansion to include critical stances. Image 1 • Supply chain management offers a systemic approach to 'greening' the industry. • Literature can be categorized as holistic v functional, & generic v domain specific. • A comprehensive definition of green supply chain management is offered. • Unique characteristics of construction yet to be addressed. • Future work to address end goal; end-to-end & critical stances; practical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyses the barriers to the adoption of the triple-bottom line of sustainability of the construction sector within the developing country of Malaysia. Barriers pertaining to sustainable construction (SC) were identified through a thorough review of the literature on the process of SC, which were then contextually customized via a pilot study and presented in the form of a hypothesized model. Primary data was collected via administration of questionnaire surveys to 122 construction stakeholders in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to statistically validate the final model of the barriers to SC. This paper fills the gap in the knowledge by focusing on the quantified contribution of the most significant barriers to the adoption of SC principles throughout the process of SC in the context of Malaysia. Findings of this paper uncover the most significant factors constraining the SC in Malaysia related to government, cost, knowledge and information, workforce, and client and market. The findings revealed that clear and effective legislative process is crucial for the enforcement of the integration of SC materials and practices as well as economics incentives which will ultimately lead to effective implementation of SC initiatives; hence, sustainable economic growth and efficient resource (energy, water and material) utilization. It is hoped that the findings provide guidelines for the government authorities so that they invest their efforts and allocate resources in more efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The construction industry is a large contributor to global emissions, though it is becoming more aligned with sustainability practices. Historically, the industry has focused on cost, production and time, but now adds emissions to this list. Industry attitudes to emissions have been the subject of a number of surveys, but these necessarily only give qualitative information. This paper takes a quite different tack and establishes, for the first time, quantitative measures of industry attitude. Both the qualitative and quantitative approaches have a perception basis. The paper's approach is through the medium of utility and utility functions. The paper takes a number of industry scenarios and establishes the attitude of industry personnel to lower-emissions production. Generally, it is found that construction personnel are risk aversive to emissions, but to differing degrees. Here, risk is used in the sense of the magnitude and likelihood of an outcome involving emissions. The implications of this are demonstrated through an earthmoving operation, where the emissions-production results for differing degrees of risk aversion are highlighted. The paper is original in terms of offering a different view of emissions, and unique in its approach. By analysing the utility functions obtained, industry's attitude toward carbon emissions can be better understood. And flowing from this, more effective and efficient methods for reducing carbon emissions can be created. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Utility is advanced as a measure of attitudes to cleaner production. • Construction personnel are found to be risk averse to emissions. • The paper gives an original and unique view of attitudes to cleaner production. • A utility measure provides understanding of industry emissions attitudes. • Effective and efficient methods for reducing emissions can follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fulfil the hunger for sustainable development, Australian construction sector seems to contemplate toward green design. Green-Star environmental rating system, one of the active building rating systems in Australia, has also been employed in New Zealand, and South Africa. To help engineers and designers obtain comprehensive visualisation on sustainable projects, this paper develops a model to evaluate energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions based on typical Australian commercial building alternatives. From that, this paper explains how to achieve points for “Energy” and “Life-cycle impacts” categories of this rating system. The model uses GaBi 8.1 platforms and shows relationships between building's energy consumption, and greenhouse-gas emissions released during the building lifetime. This paper provides insight into life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions assessment for several typical commercial building fabrics in Australia. The developed model can also be conveniently modified to automate calculations for other credits under the Green-Star environmental rating system, and other environmental rating systems around the world. The study suggests that designers should consider the inverse relationship between building envelopes' total R-value with energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. Another finding shows that materials used for building envelopes play a significant role to manage energy consumption as well as greenhouse-gas emissions amount during the building's life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a widely embraced social phenomenon and has attracted increasing research interests in the construction industry recent years. However, their coverage of the issues pertaining to CSR in the construction industry are isolated and less comprehensive, failing to encompass the multifaceted nature of the construction industry. This study aimed to reveal and conceptualise the CSR's state of art in the construction industry. Following a systematic selection of 68 papers published in different journals between 2000 and 2017, the inductive and deductive content analysis of these papers reveal four research themes of current CSR research in the construction industry, comprising CSR perception, CSR dimensions, CSR implementation and CSR performance. A conceptual framework was developed accordingly to reflect the CSR research sate of art in the construction industry. Furthermore, given the nexus between CSR and sustainable development, insights for enhancing CSR contribution to sustainable development, and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the construction industry were proposed, including changing the traditional procurement practices, improving legislation for environmental responsibility, integrating CSR dimensions and increasing CSR implementation in small to medium enterprises (SME). The findings of this study will deepen the understanding of CSR in the construction industry, and provide practical implications for different stakeholders in the construction industry to contribute more effectively to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an extensive number of factors that influence the success and failure of projects, however, literature lacks an inclusive categorization of them especially in construction. This paper aims to identify critical success factors (CSFs) of project management and categorize them into five criteria groups: (1) project, (2) project management, (3) organization, (4) external environment and (5) sustainability. To determine the interdependence and weight of the CSFs, data was gathered from 26 Australian project managers from the construction industry. The contribution of the paper is in identifying cause and effect criteria of CSFs and in identifying their weights. Using the fuzzy decision making and evaluation laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL) method it is shown that the organization, external environment and sustainability are “cause” criteria, while project and project management are identified as “effects”. The fuzzy analytic network process (fuzzy ANP) is used to weigh the sub-criteria by considering the interdependence of the main criteria. The findings revealed that the highest weights are assigned to top management and sponsor support ( s ), stakeholder expectations ( w 45 = 0.050 ) and end users imposed restrictions ( w 41 = 0.039 ), respectively. Project managers can significantly improve project success by focusing on more important critical success factors rather than paying equal attention to all of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review systematically introduces the current status and development trend of inorganic industrial solid waste (IISW)-based materials. IISWs have the characteristics of wide sources, large land occupation, low utilization rate, and high environmental risk. In this paper, IISWs from different sources are introduced firstly, including coal (coal fly ash, coal gangue, flue gas desulfurization gypsum), metallurgy (steel slag, blast furnace slag, electrolytic manganese residue, red mud, etc.), chemistry (phosphogypsum, lithium slag), construction (waste glass, ceramic waste), mining (tailings) and other industries. Then the main research progress of IISWs in building material preparation (cement, aggregate, glass, ceramic, road, brick), water/air treatment (catalyst and adsorbent), and soil improvement (fertilizer and remediation agent) is discussed in detail. At the same time, the role of IISWs in material systems and the solidification/stabilization (S/S) mechanisms of heavy metals in IISW-based materials are emphasized. Finally, the challenges of IISWs material utilization are discussed, and prospects for the development of this field are proposed. Overall, the construction industry is expected to achieve large-scale and comprehensive utilization of IISWs, while the research in other fields requires more value-oriented and industrialized exploration. More importantly, the migration and transformation of heavy metals in IISWs during material utilization need full attention. [Display omitted] • Recycling of IISW in material preparation is comprehensively introduced. • Characteristics of IISW and the role IISW played in derived material are summarized. • S/S mechanisms of heavy metals in IISW are emphasized. • Challenges and prospects of IISW-based materials are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from linear to circular economy is still far from being completed, particularly in the building industry. Indeed, its specific characteristics – such as the fragmentation of its business ecosystem – hinder the implementation of circular economy practices, and, particularly, circular product design and servitization practices. This paper analyses the collaborations among the companies involved in the design and servitization of one of the major elements of a building, the building façade, and it leverages on an action research methodology based on the "Envelope for Service" research project. The role of companies involved in the design and servitization of the circular building façade has been investigated. A novel research framework has been developed to match the circular practices implemented by the ecosystem of involved companies along the useful life phases of the building façade. The research framework highlights the paramount importance of collaborations within the business ecosystem of the building façade and shows how the interactions among companies take place and facilitate circular product design and servitization. We argue and provide evidence that the engagement of the whole business ecosystem is needed in fragmented industries, like the building industry, to implement circular product design and servitization practices. Finally, a hint of the relevance of digital technologies in enabling the implementation of circular practices in such industry is provided. • Building industry's fragmentation hinders the transition towards Circular Economy. • Circular practices have to be implemented by the whole building business ecosystem. • The research framework shows the importance of collaboration within the ecosystem. • The interactions among companies to design a circular product are analyzed. • Action research on a project aimed to building façade's servitization is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To move towards sustainability, finding sustainable ways of using rice husk ash for a large rice producing country like Thailand is essential. This review seeks to find sustainability characteristics of the uses of rice husk ash from power plants. It also reviews how rice husk ash is produced from different power generation technologies. Characteristics of rice husk ash are affected by different factors such as sources, preparation methods and combustion technologies. Different forms of rice husk ash, amorphous and crystalline, suit different applications. Ash from moving grate technology is suggested for use as adsorbent while that from fluidized bed is suggested for use as filler in polymeric composites and in the synthesis of innovative ceramic compounds. The ash from suspension fired technology is suggested for use in the construction industry and zeolite production. In addition to technical viability, using rice husk ash to substitute conventional products helps gain both environmental and economic benefits. Despite claiming sustainable applications of rice husk ash, many research papers report only technical performances of the products. This paper draws out sustainability characteristics of different rice husk ash applications using the “triple bottom line” framework. Potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, cost saving and employment generation of rice husk ash use options have been investigated. Results from the review suggest that using the ash to replace charcoal is the most sustainable option when comparing with other alternatives such as Portland cement, commercial silica and lime. This option could help to reduce GHG up to 1005 kg CO 2eq /t product, to save cost up to 8000 THB/t product, as well as to help generate employment for about 5 person-years/M THB spent in the sector. However, to make the sustainability assessment more comprehensive, other sustainability indicators such as fossil fuel depletion, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, particulate matter formation, total net profit (TNP), total value added (TVA), and incomes of workers are also needed to be considered in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing practices are forcing accelerated demand for natural resources and flow-on effects contribute to severe environmental consequences. Transition to a Circular Economy (CE) offers some respite from this mounting pressure. To date, however, efforts to implement a CE have primarily focused on addressing the technical challenges associated with the long lifespan and complexity of buildings, overlooking the domain of housing. Research suggests that new business models should be developed as a precursor to embracing circularity. The Product-Service System (PSS) is one such promising business model. Yet, it is not well understood from the perspective of circular housing, with the existing literature scattered across several research streams. Using an integrative review approach, this paper investigates the concept of PSS and CE within the context of housing to describe their interrelationships and inform an integrated understanding of PSS as it applies to housing in a CE. A conceptual framework is proposed that discusses the PSS as a potentially viable life cycle approach to promote efficiency, longevity, and sufficiency for creating a CE in housing in three levels of energy, material, and space use. This paper further discusses renewed economic and social value proposition of PSS and how a transition to PSS practices may impact the housing industry's organisational arrangement. Finally, this paper critiques the state of the literature on this phenomenon, reveals gaps, and points to directions for future research, practice, and policy development. • An integrated review of 45 articles from the combined domains of CE and PSS in the context of housing is conducted. • The PSS is identified as a potentially viable life cycle approach for creating a CE in housing. • Industrialisation and digitalisation could facilitate a transition from traditional housing models to PSS. • Systemic and sociotechnical research is recommended to further develop the concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular construction has been recognized as one of the primary methods for sustainable off-site construction in the recent past. However, in a given building project, the process of selecting a suitable construction method among different options is still made based on anecdotal evidence. Thus, it is imperative to evaluate the life cycle sustainability of different construction methods. The sustainability evaluation criteria (SEC) comprise the triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability categories, i.e., environmental, economic, and social, in which each category includes numerous sustainability performance indicators (SPI) associated with different life cycle phases of a building. The most significant step for comparative assessment of the life cycle sustainability of buildings is to develop suitable SPIs. In this paper, a methodology is used to identify and select the appropriate SPIs for life cycle sustainability evaluation of modular and conventional construction. Through a comprehensive literature review, 33 TBL SPIs were identified to address the life cycle sustainability performance of buildings. In order to investigate the applicability (importance) of the identified sustainability indicators when comparing the sustainability of modular and conventional buildings, a survey was designed and conducted. Subsequently, the construction professionals' perceptions of the applicability of these sustainability indicators were captured on a 5-point Likert scale. The reliability of questionnaire was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha measure. Then, all the SPIs were ranked based on their severity index (SI) values ranging between 20 and 100% correspond to a severity scale from “very low” to “extremely high” importance levels. All the SPIs were ranked under the overall TBL SPIs as well as within their associated sustainability categories. The analyses showed that 33% of the environmental SPIs, 67% of the economic SPIs, and 42% of the social SPIs were rated equal to or greater than “high” on severity scale (i.e., Severity Index ≥75%). The economic dimension of sustainability is still the governing concern of the construction industry practitioners. Moreover, the results revealed that attention to the social dimension of sustainability is increasing compared to the environmental dimension. This paper contributes to the current body of knowledge by highlighting the most applicable indicators for comparing and contrasting the sustainability of modular and conventional construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of Industry 4.0 and the development of science and technology, industries have seen the advantages of digital twin (DT) implementations and concepts. Although the construction industry is still in the early stage of DT development and implementation, it is urgent for the industry to have a DT agenda. This paper identifies 1158 related bibliographic records from the Web of Science and 745 records from the Derwent Patent Database and quantitatively analyzed them to describe patterns of publications. Two knowledge mapping tools were selected to visualize and analyze the literature in the relevant scientific domain. Then, we integrated clustering, knowledge mapping, and network analysis methods to show the current foci and future directions of DT-MT derived from the data of time distribution, journal areas, and subject distribution. The results indicate that DT is a cross-disciplinary information technology with great development potential, and its development in the construction industry is scattered with the leading advancement in the manufacturing of construction materials and components. The derived knowledge map shows three stages of construction DT, including (1) data collection and creation of DT framework and database; (2) implementation of planning and design modules in detail and control of construction sites; and (3) carrying out asset management and fault prediction in the operation and maintenance phase of projects. The novelty of this paper is the specific analysis of DT in the construction industry. This study adds value to the architecture, engineering, and construction industries by shedding light on the focus of DT practical applications and the formation of a development path of construction DT. • This paper seeks to improve the understanding of Digital Twins in the construction industry. • Helps relevant industries to develop a well-structured development path. • Smart engineering, manufacturing, and construction affect industrial performance and the quality of construction projects. • Integration of clustering, knowledge mapping, and network analysis methods to identify the current foci and future directions. • Prediction of the technology influences and its clean production to enhance domain-general strategy knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accompanying by the rapid urbanization process of China, unprecedented amounts of cement have been poured into urban construction over the last decade. Since research is still scarce on the factors underlying the cement consumption, the motivation of this paper is to provide insight into cement-based socioeconomic metabolism and to improve understanding of the linkage between human activities and cement consumption. To explore the key impact factors of cement consumption, an extended STIRPAT model is exploited in this paper to examine the effect of population, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, cement consumption intensity, fixed investment and urbanization level with regional panel data of China from 2005 to 2013. The empirical results indicate that fixed investment and GDP per capita are the decisive driving factors of cement consumption. The unbalanced investment between infrastructure and people's livelihood reflects bias urbanization policy in China. Inverted-U shaped nexus between cement consumption and urbanization, as well as GDP per capita, are observed in the empirical results. Moreover, regional heterogeneities are taken into account in the model estimation. On the ground of the empirical findings, several policy recommendations are provided for policy makers. It is suggested that policy makers should take account of the regional discrepancy and implement a sustainable urbanization strategy to curtail cement consumption. Only when excessive fixed investment is curbed does the enthusiasm of cement consumption calm down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry has been criticised for consuming high amounts of materials and generating high volumes of waste while creating several environmental problems. Material circularity refers to the systemic approach of retaining, recovering and reusing materials to minimise waste and reduce the consumption of resources, thereby promoting a sustainable economy. However, there is a notable gap in understanding and research regarding the necessary criteria to evaluate material circularity in building construction. This paper addresses this gap by developing a framework for evaluating material circularity in building construction. This was achieved by identifying the 15 sub-criteria used to evaluate material circularity and their respective significance levels. The material circularity criteria were identified through a literature review and expert interviews. Then, the finalised criteria were used to create a questionnaire survey in which respondents were asked to rate the criteria through pairwise comparisons. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was employed to prioritise these criteria. Subsequently, the material circularity evaluation framework for building construction (M-CEF BC) was developed, revealing that adherence to design for disassembly and adaptability principles and avoidance of hazardous materials are the most significant criteria, accounting for a weightage of 10.4% and 9.2%, respectively. M-CEF BC also links material circularity criteria with the actions described in the ReSOLVE framework. Overall, M-CEF BC aids in selecting appropriate construction materials, methods, and technologies. Further, it helps to increase material circularity while achieving emissions reduction targets, financial benefits, and meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in building construction projects. Additionally, it provides valuable guidance for developing policies that enhance material circularity. [Display omitted] • Develops a framework for evaluating material circularity in building construction. • The three main criteria for evaluating material circularity are identified. • The fifteen sub-criteria are identified under three main criteria. • The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is employed to prioritise the criteria. • The framework aids in elevating the degree of material circularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China faces a challenge to balance its future urbanization process with resource conservation and environmental protection. Promoting sustainable construction is identified by the Chinese government as an important strategy to tackle such challenges. To promote sustainable construction, the Chinese government has released a large number of laws, policies and regulations. This paper investigates the policy system in China which aims to facilitate the transition to sustainable construction. The related laws, policies and regulations are analyzed and three main functions are identified, namely regulation and control, economic incentives and supporting activities. The results show that the behaviours of various participants in the construction industry, including the government, developers, builders, suppliers, and designers, are regulated and controlled by these laws and regulations. Subsidy policies, award policies and economic innovation policies are adopted by the government to promote renewable energy applications in buildings and infrastructure construction. The key supporting activities for sustainable construction include strengthening technology innovation, improving standards and evaluation, establishing demonstration projects, and publicity. Two emerging challenges of the current policy system are also identified. They are: a lack of considering social and economic dimensions of sustainable construction, and the ineffectiveness of some key policies such as the environmental impact assessment policy. This paper provides a useful reference for construction corporations and policy makers in China to facilitate sustainable construction in future urbanization process. Similarly, policy makers in other emerging economies can understand how sustainable construction is promoted in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adequate response to global climate change and low carbon economy development has become a worldwide concerned subject. As one of the energetically most intensive industries, construction industry is a key area to promote decarbonization, which is an important path to realize national strategic goals on carbon reduction in China. This paper focuses on low carbon technology integration management, and analyzes the existing research status of green building or low carbon buildings on the related evaluation indexes, then proposes an evaluation system framework for the low carbon technology integration innovation from the perspective of the system management. It points out, that t he evaluation of low carbon technology innovation should be conducted by a smarter managing of system resource input, the process control and the system comprehensive performance as an output . Furthermore, based on the questionnaire survey and the exploratory factor analysis result on the selected indexes, this paper implements a rough set method to identify the weight of all the indexes and found that:(1) managers focus more on the affordable input of the beginning stage and the management control in the middle period of the innovation, instead on the output performance in the later stage . This indicates, that the management control during the front stages is more essential than this during the later ones; (2) the constructed evaluation framework, from the system perspective, can properly reflect the integrity, multi-level stakeholder structure and technology integration in low carbon projects , which could support the decision-maker into considering the complexity of construction and evaluation of the technology innovation performance from multi-level perspective; (3) the combined methods, adopted with exploratory factor analysis and rough set evaluation to determine the evaluation index and its weights, could well reflect the overall performance of low carbon project evaluation, the selected indicators have certain scientific and practical effectiveness , which could provide references for enterprise on LCT innovation management. as an industry with a multi-level technologies integration, the single Technological adoption or innovation cannot satisfy the economic transformation requirements of the modern construction industry development. An integration innovation management evaluation model is needed for the sustainability evaluation in the construction practice. Its development is the main scientific objective of this study, by taking into consideration the entire life cycle assessment and various other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive growth in pavement life cycle assessment studies is noticed in recent years. Current literature in pavement life cycle assessment demonstrates a wide range of implications on environmental burdens associated with the pavements. However, immature parts still remain, needing further research, in the next years, in different stages of pavement life cycle assessment. Most of these papers focused on the implementation of new technologies on pavements construction, the use of recycled materials, and the investigation of various phases of the pavement life cycle rather than improving the applicability and the adequacy of life cycle assessment methodology to the pavement problems. These stages are based on ISO 14040 and 14044 frameworks: the goal and scope definition, the inventory analysis, the life cycle impact assessment and interpretation. In this paper, a comprehensive review (i.e. a critical review and research gaps investigation) of life cycle assessment studies on pavements was conducted. The presentation comprises (not an extensive list) inventory analysis such as surface roughness, noise, lighting, albedo, carbonation, and earthwork in addition to locally applicable data collection, consequential and temporal consideration of pavement life cycle, and sensitivity analysis. Addressing these inadequacies will permit enhanced pavement life cycle assessment studies. This will then be useful for policy makers, project managers, construction engineers, and other stakeholders in identifying prospective in sustainable development of the pavement sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of shifting the built environment to a circular economy, this paper first provides a meta-synthesis of the literature that clarifies the strategies related to the asset lifecycle in the circular economy (CE) context. The definitions of forty-two approaches, classified into seven categories (A to G) were analysed to identify their differences and similarities using a text mining method. Based on the definitions, approaches', their needs and requirements, and their benefits and impacts have been listed. Four variables have been identified: the asset phases (V1), the sustainable approaches (V2), the benefits and impacts (V3) and the needs and requirements (V4). As the main contribution to knowledge, two diagrams have been drawn to picture the relationships between, first, V1, V2 and V3 and secondly V1, V2 and V4. An additional contribution is semantic information captured and drawn in a Force Directed Graph (FDG) to clarify the diversity of existing approaches and their relationships. More than a hundred approaches/concepts are staged in a diagram and their links are identified. Particularly the importance of the design phase and its related approaches are developed. The FDG illustrates the complexity of the building projects involving multiple stakeholders. The paper also provides the limitations of the variety of approaches that should be overcome to achieve CE. In particular, the limitations of reuse (components cannot be reused indefinitely) and limitations of design-only approaches (like prefabrication where deconstruction is not prepared). Further research is recommended about the Product Service Systems associated with Extended Producer Responsibility that appears to be key enablers for the CE. Work is also needed to define the circularity of buildings and the associated circularity assessment tools. The outputs could be used to rationalise policies to foster these approaches to enable the construction sector to develop strategies to overcome the current obstacles to the transition to a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon reduction has become one of the most significant challenges for economic growth. This paper presents the preliminary analysis of undesirable output reduction targets and emission schedules in temporal–spatial comparisons based on Data Envelopment Analysis. The reduction targets of undesirable outputs are investigated, including the maximum, input, technical and ideal reduction targets. Four Data Envelopment Analysis models that are based on a sequential benchmark technology and variable returns to scale are introduced to measure these reduction percentages. In order to formulate the optimal emission schedule of undesirable outputs, an optimal model is provided without inflation. Data from the Australian construction industry from 2000 to 2010 are employed to develop the models. The results of the analysis indicate that the Australian Government could achieve its promised carbon reduction targets in the construction industry. Most Australian regions' construction industries possess carbon mitigation potential and some of them could increase their desirable outputs if carbon were decreased. This paper suggests that policymakers can benefit from formulating various suitable undesirable output reduction objectives and schedules through the models developed. The research method can be replicated for other sectors and regions focussing on undesirable output reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector has adopted green public procurement to improve its environmental performance. Green public procurement is a process whereby contracting authorities aim to procure services and products that meet environmental requirements. In recent years, green public procurement has extended to sustainable public procurement, which involves the incorporation of both environmental and social considerations in the procurement of goods and services. Previous studies have suggested the relevance of contractor engagement strategies and the need for appropriate models to promote dialogue in sustainable public procurement. This paper illustrates one such model called the competitive dialogue procedure. This newly introduced procurement procedure allows the contracting authority to hold discussions with shortlisted contractors regarding the authority's requirements. The paper uses the practical case of the Kvarnholmen link project in Sweden. The Kvarnholmen link is an infrastructure project that includes the construction of a bridge, tunnel, underpass and pedestrian and bike path. Action research was conducted to examine the competitive dialogue procedure. This paper has strengthened the conceptualisation that the procedure can facilitate sustainable public procurement with the aid of its key elements, such as provisionally preferred solution and dialogue sessions. In addition, the paper analyses the consequences of the weight used for environmental considerations in the bid evaluation process. This paper recommends that contracting authorities implementing competitive dialogue procedure must use provisionally preferred solution to identify sustainable public procurement preferences. Dialogue sessions with contractors should involve discussions regarding sustainable public procurement to ensure consistency between the weight for environmental considerations and respective preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since Environmental Sound and Sustainable Development announced in 1992, low carbon and/or green economy has been gradually expanded in the world. South Korea government announced low carbon green growth as a nation strategy on August 15, 2008 in line with the expansion of climate change discussion in the world. Various Korean industries have integrated environmental issues into their corporate strategies in response to external business atmosphere such as the gradual expansion of new Environmental Sound and Sustainable Development paradigms, climate change issues, and the introduction of the nation''s low carbon green growth vision. The Korean construction industry has also tried to introduce and drive strategic environment management. The paper strives to analyze strategic environmental management types within the Korean construction industry, evaluating the strategic stages of Korean construction Industries based on Hunt and Auster''s model. Its scope is limited to 99 Korean construction sectors that have a high sensitivity to the environment. To categorize the stage of environmental management, this paper carried out a full content analysis. Then, cluster analysis was utilized to understand the strategy type of environmental management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, off-site construction has been significantly hyped as a viable solution for improving the sustainability of the construction industry. There is yet an approach to be developed that can utilise project-specific parameters to quantify the improvement in adopting off-site methods as opposed to conventional construction. This paper focuses specifically on modular construction as an off-site production system, where a decision support tool is proposed for contrasting conventional and modular construction methods based on selected sustainability criteria. The framework relies on quantifying certain measures of: i) social factors, including safety and noise pollution; ii) environmental factors, such as energy consumption, U-value of the building envelope and embodied energy; and iii) economic factors including time and cost of construction. Fuzzy logic, equivalent noise summation and algorithmic mapping are utilised to quantify the sustainable measures adopted. The indices utilised to showcase the possible comparison that can be made between construction methods, are up to the decision maker to decide upon. Realistic case studies, involving the construction of a granny flat and a school are used to demonstrate the applicability of the developed framework. The modular construction method was found to perform on average 21%, 52% and 60% better in terms of the measures adopted for social, environmental and economic costs in contrast with the conventional approach, for the cases considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coordinating the dilemma of economic development and reducing carbon emissions is of great significance to reaching China's energy-saving and emission-reduction targets. This paper investigates the decoupling relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions from the construction industry of China's 30 provinces, and uses the standard deviational ellipse method to explore the spatial evolution of carbon emissions and the economy. The results indicate that the economic development levels of most provinces were positively correlated with carbon emissions. The spatial differences in the decoupling state of provincial construction industry are significant, and the decoupling states of the same type exhibited a certain spatial aggregation phenomenon. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the output value and carbon emissions exhibited a northeast-southwest pattern. The weighted mean centers of both were located in the east and moved towards the northwestern region. These results may provide a basis for assessing regional construction carbon emissions and formulating strategies for the coordinated development of low carbon emissions in the construction industry. Highlights • The standard deviational ellipse method is employed. • It studies the spatial pattern of economic growth and carbon emissions. • It demonstrates the dynamic evolving trend of the decoupling relationship. • It can further promote carbon emission reduction at the provincial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The lack of adequate consideration of the underlying factors affecting the methods of building assembly often results in inefficiencies in the uses of building materials, equipment and manpower. These inefficiencies are further compounded by the nature of the construction industry, which traditionally involves complex processes that result in wastages during production. To address this problem, this study integrates the principles of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) and Lean Construction to develop a design assessment and optimization system to assist designers in the selection of alternative building design elements and materials in a building information model. This assessment and optimization system rely on metrics derived from production data associated with the ease of assembling, ease of handling, the speed of assembling and the wastage during assembly or construction of a building element or material. This paper presents the development of BIM-OfA assessment logic and its application for assessment and optimal selection of building envelop through the extension of Building Information Modelling (BIM). The system demonstrates its adequacy as an indicator of construction and material efficiency, its integration with BIM further enhances the practicality of using production data such weight of components, number of on-site workers and number of parts, for buildability assessment to improve efficiency and reduce waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper is a multi-case study of three oil and gas projects in Brazil that investigates the tacit knowledge on how to best manage energy use during the construction phase. Twenty-two in-depth interviews form the primary evidence of the case studies. The methodology incorporates network analysis of concepts that influence energy use to formalize the case studies and collect additional knowledge. The framework comprises thirteen construction activities and twenty-one systems and factors related to design, resources and site characteristics, specific to the construction domain. This set of concepts can influence the energy consumption during the construction phase. Although these concepts are present in nearly every project, their dynamics and their inter-relations with project-specific systems change, depending on the context of the project. The proposed method, which employs network analysis, help identify their interrelationships and relative importance of these concepts. In addition to the opportunities and lessons learned that can guide future energy assessments and improve energy use in construction projects, the results show how promising network analytics is to obtain knowledge usually difficult to perceive in traditional knowledge processes. Besides, this work highlights the importance of supporting collaboration between project team members to study and decide on the plans to manage/reduce energy consumption during the construction phase in oil and gas facilities. While the energy savings are smaller than the upstream and operation phases, it has received much less attention. It is also a phase with much more subjective and contextualized knowledge – making the use of case-based analyses more suitable. Highlights • Supports collaboration in studying and planning energy use during the construction phase of O&G projects. • Three case studies are conducted supported by in-depth interviews. • Network analysis is used to represent construction activities, factors and systems. • The approach represents a meaningful way to formalize the knowledge in the cases. • Can help formalize the knowledge contained in a text case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The construction industry is characterized by high-energy consumption and intensive-carbon emissions. With the promotion of energy-saving technologies in buildings combined with concerns for global-warming, there has been a gradual shift in energy conservation requirements from the operation stage to the construction stage. This shift is primarily delivered through the use of improved materials and technologies implemented during the building construction stage. Building industrialization is an innovative construction approach that has experienced rapid up-take in China. The use of prefabricated components in building construction is now a key feature of the building industrialization process, and thus warrants greater attention in terms of its energy consumption and carbon emission. This paper utilizes a process-based method to assess carbon emissions during the prefabrication manufacturing process in offsite factories. A life cycle assessment is applied to a case study concerning a prefabricated concrete interior wall board. Carbon sources during the manufacturing process is identified and the carbon emissions are quantified using a factor method. The results show that carbon emissions from the interior prefabricated concrete wallboard of volume 0.609 m3 is 427 kg, with the vast majority of the emissions originating from building materials, at 96.2%. The carbon emissions from electricity consumption constitutes 3.65%, and that from workers make up only 0.16%. The findings of this study offer a carbon emission benchmark for building industrialization, which in turn serve as a solid data foundation for carbon assessment of prefabricated buildings in China. Highlights • Building industrialization is an innovative construction approach. • A process-based method is developed to assess carbon emissions of pre-components. • A life cycle assessment is applied to a case study. • Carbon sources during the manufacturing process is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper provides a comprehensive review of literature on the properties of sugar industry waste, their varied uses in energy and construction sector, performance and limitations. An efficient upcycling of sugar industry waste in energy production would help the energy sector to reduce its dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels. Literature demonstrates that in the recent years there has been an increased research interest in thermochemical conversion of sugarcane bagasse to produce cleaner energy, rather than its landfilling or combustion. On the other hand, utilisation of secondary by-products from sugar industry in the production of cement, bricks, paver blocks, activated binder and other construction products helps to cut down the carbon footprint of the construction industry, while improving the properties of the final products. From the perspective of the sugar industry, such an arrangement eliminates disposal problems and creates additional revenue. Although independent research studies investigating the use of sugar industry by-products exist, few studies consider these valorisation options together to minimise waste and to create an efficient material flow chain. This study identifies various material and energy recovery pathways from published literature and connects the materials and processes to form a continuous material supply chain with minimum wastage. From the findings, a symbiotic framework has been developed with primary and secondary by-products from the sugar industry serving as source materials for energy production and sustainable construction products. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Utilisation of sugar industry by-products in various construction products is discussed. • Methods of cleaner energy production from sugar mill by-products are reviewed. • The symbiotic relationship between sugar, construction and energy industries is described. • A circular framework is proposed for sustainable valorisation of sugar industry waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Amid the prolific studies on urban metabolism is the relatively sparse research focusing on a specific industrial ecosystem. A general urban metabolism framework disconnected from specific industrial background is at the risk to misunderstand the key drivers of metabolic process, thereby failing to propose applicable measures for improving its sustainability. This paper aims to develop an industrial ecosystem level metabolism framework. This was conducted by following the major analytical tools such as material and energy flow analysis (MEFA) with a focus on the construction ecosystem, which plays a pivotal role in materializing the urban meanwhile generating negative by-products such as greenhouse-gas (GHG), pollutants, and construction waste. The framework was further applied to the construction ecosystem in Shanghai for confirming the major components it includes. Using the data in Shanghai, it was also discovered that the construction industry is generally less efficient in terms of metabolism. It is indicated that population , urbanization rate , concrete input , real estate investment , and the housing demolished and newly built are principal determinants explaining massive construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation in Shanghai. The framework can facilitate the understanding of construction ecosystem metabolic process, investigation of C&D waste generation and its main drivers, and evaluating and improving urban sustainability at an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The construction industry is one of the largest energy consumers and CO 2 emitters in China. This paper primarily aimed to explore the driving forces of energy-related CO 2 emissions (ECE) from the construction industry. Adopting a comprehensive decomposition approach, this study decomposes the changes in ECE into eight factors. The main results provide the following findings. (1) Industrial activity was the largest factor pushing the growth of CO 2 emissions, driving up CO 2 emissions in all years and contributing to a 174.65 Mt CO 2 emissions increase in total. (2) In contrast, advances in industrial output technology represented the dominant factor inhibiting CO 2 emissions, cumulatively reducing CO 2 emissions by 99 Mt. (3) The effects of potential energy intensity changes and industrial output technical efficiency fluctuated in different years but exerted positive effects on CO 2 emissions over the entire period. (4) Additionally, changes in spatial structure, energy-saving technology, and energy consumption structure as well as energy usage efficiency all contributed to emissions reductions to varying degrees. The CO 2 emissions of the construction industry increased in all provinces, while emissions changes and their factor effects varied distinctly across provinces. Highlights • Direct and indirect CO 2 emissions in China's construction industry are calculated. • Impacts of driving factors are quantified by combining the PDA and IDA methods. • Industrial activity is mainly responsible for CO 2 emissions increase. • Industrial output technology change is the dominant curbing factor. • Factor effects of China's construction industry vary distinctly across provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the Turkish green building industry, firms need to do an industrial analysis as this market has an emerging nature and potentially unstable business environment. By performing such a strategic analysis, they may determine their own holistic sustainability approaches and thereby become long-lasting enterprises. Therefore, this paper presents a fuzzy model of the macro-environmental assessment (FMMA) in the green building industry in Turkey through PESTLE (political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental) framework. To achieve this objective, fuzzy synthetic evaluation was used in quantifying macro-environmental conditions (MECs). The required data for this analysis were obtained from professionals working in the national industry. To illustrate how FMMA works, the current case of the industry was presented. As a result, FMMA offers a comprehensive and practical tool. Given empirical findings, the effect of MECs on the industry was found to be medium-to-high. Also, technological factors were identified as the most effective group, followed by environmental, economic, legal, political, and social factors, respectively. Subsequent researches may examine other regions and industries by modifying the existing criteria and weights. Similarly, the green building industry may be investigated from the viewpoint of other parties in the market. Consequently, this study is first to offer a structured PESTLE quantification model and to evaluate MECs in this emerging industry. Highlights • This research presents a structured novel model for macro-environmental assessment. • To quantify the assessment, PESTLE and fuzzy synthetic evaluation were integrated. • As a case, macro-environmental conditions of green building industry were examined. • The effect of these conditions on the industry was calculated as medium-to-high. • Technological and environmental factors were found to be the most effective groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the impact of environmental regulation on industrial efficiency has been widely investigated in various industries, it remains largely unknown in the construction industry. Using 2011–2015 panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China, this paper aims to reveal whether environmental regulation has an impact on regional construction efficiency. A 3-Stage DEA Model is used to measure the technical efficiency of regional construction industries influenced by environmental regulations. Then Hansen's (Hansen, 1999) threshold regression model is used to analyse the threshold effect of environment regulation on the efficiency of regional construction industry. A single threshold value of 0.014 is identified to be used to group China's 30 provinces into high-regulation and low-regulation regions. The results show that environmental regulation has a significant impact on the efficiency of China's construction industry. Scale efficiency is the most affected. The technical efficiency of highly regulated provinces is less affected by environmental regulations. The findings provide a reference frame and analytical method for the analysis of construction efficiency of other developing countries, and provide practical implications for the implementation of environmental regulation policies and future policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emissions contribute substantially to climate change. Many researchers believe that the construction industry can contribute significantly to carbon dioxide reduction through cleaner and more sustainable building production and construction, e.g. low energy building design and the use of low carbon materials. Nonetheless, the environmental impacts associated with construction process should not be underestimated. Despite that, as construction process is complex and involves many participants, the calculation of carbon emissions during the construction process is never an easy task. Divergence and limitation are found in both the system boundary and carbon sourcing method. This research aims to resolve the problem and facilitate construction managers to identify carbon emissions so as to optimize them through better construction arrangement. In this paper, the system boundary of the construction stage is first defined and the related activities being included in the construction process are identified. A methodology of establishing the sources of carbon emissions during the construction process based on a quota-based method of China is proposed. The calculation model for carbon emissions is established according to the traditional emission factor approach with some modifications. The carbon emitted during the construction process of a case teaching building is calculated using the proposed quota-based carbon tracing (QCT) model. The QCT model not only provides a systematic framework for the tracing of carbon emissions, it could also help construction managers identify low carbon construction methods and logistics schedule in order to maximize the carbon reduction opportunity during the construction stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts Social impacts have become increasingly important for urban development in China. In addition, unlike general construction projects, construction projects in high-density urban areas have high levels of complexity and uncertainty. Thus, from a network perspective, an improved social risk analysis theory and a method for these projects were generated in this paper. A case study involving 66 cases of social conflicts in construction projects in China was performed, and 16 social risk factors were summarized. Eight stakeholders related to these social risk factors were then identified based on a literature review and the case database. A theoretical model for social risk network analysis considering the interrelationships between stakeholders and risks was developed by using NetMiner, a social network analysis (SNA) tool. A 2-mode network and two 1-mode networks were used to analyze the relationships among the identified 16 social risk factors and 8 stakeholders. In terms of three-level challenges such as complex environments, the unreasonable behavior of individuals or organizations, and diversified interaction between behaviors and environments, the most important social risks of construction projects in high-density urban areas were explored to help the government implement effective social risk management measures. In addition, multiple, complicated relationships among residents, contractors, governmental authorities, and owners represented a major factor leading to social risk; therefore, more attention should be focused on this topic. The proposed social risk analysis method can increase the attention paid by project managers, governmental authorities, and project owners to social risk factors in high-density areas and provide a structured framework to analyze such social risks, as well as put forth possible solutions to reduce the social impacts on construction projects in high-density urban areas. Highlights • 16 social risks for construction projects in high-density urban areas are identified. • A model for social risk and interrelationships network analysis is developed. • Social risks is highly related to complex environments and unreasonable behavior. • Multiple and complicated relationships among stakeholders lead to social risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Subway construction in China has experienced a surge during the past decade. Though subway is often viewed as a clean commute mode, the construction of its stations and tunnel sections requires large quantities of energy consumption, generating multiple pollutants, among which the Green-house gas (GHG) emissions would be a major issue in the context of a worldwide plea for carbon reduction, and it has to be quantified for the interest of a comprehensive assessment with regard to the GHG emissions of subway system. This paper proposed a GHG emissions quantification model for the construction of the subway stations based on a quota. A quota-based GHG emissions quantification model is able to estimate GHG emissions during the planning stage of subway projects, providing designers with the environmental consciousness on their design choices, as well as a reference for reduction potential of GHG emissions within or among schemes. Specifically, GHG emissions in the construction of subway stations are attributed to the contribution of each sub-project, a database for the GHG emissions of those sub projects is established through their construction quota. Case study for an open-excavation station shows 69% of the GHG emissions come from the construction of main structures. In terms of emission sources, embodied emissions account for 90.72% of the totality, of which concrete and steel components are the two major contributors. Besides, parameter on the buried depth of top slab shows that GHG emissions from each sub-projects increase with buried depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries in China, which contributes to high carbon emissions and hinders efforts to reduce the emissions. The high energy consumption and emission have seriously constrained the growth of low carbon economy in China's construction industry. And reducing the carbon emission from construction industry (CECI) has become the key to sustainable development and the achievement of "double carbon target". The paper firstly decomposes the main influencing factors and calculates their effects by LMDI model. Then, the Tapio decoupling index is used to explore the decoupling relationship between carbon emissions and economic output. Finally, the spatial-temporal evolution of carbon emissions is analyzed through spatial autocorrelation theory. The results show that the carbon emissions from construction industry are highly increased by the construction employment rate (EM), and may be reduced by the energy intensity (EI) and carbon emission efficiency (CI). And the regions with better decoupling status are the eastern and central regions, which have relatively developed construction industry. Moreover, the spatial-temporal characteristic of carbon emissions is "high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north," showing obviously regional differences. [Display omitted] • Factors about production technology are taken into account, reflecting the characteristics of the construction industry. • Developed regions have better decoupling potential and more responsibility for CO 2. • The spatial distribution is "high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north". • The provinces in a region have similar decoupling status and carbon emission distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat of climate change and global resource scarcity has prompted changes in the way that goods are produced and consumed in the construction industry. An important way for the industry to contribute to the green transition is to substitute conventional building materials with biogenic materials that require less energy to produce and bind atmospheric carbon in their growth, thus effectively capturing and storing carbon inside the building stock. An increased use of biogenic materials not only necessitates new technical development but also major changes in existing production and consumption practices. While extant research has investigated barriers in relation to the uptake of low-carbon building materials, less attention has been placed on investigating the measures that support the transition to increased use of biogenic materials. Drawing on insights from socio-technical transition analysis, the paper explores barriers and drivers that influence the uptake and diffusion of biogenic materials in the Danish construction industry. Sixty distinct barriers are identified including cultural, infrastructural, technological, market, political, techno-scientific, and industrial network barriers. The study also identifies measures, which could contribute to an increased use of biogenic materials. These findings are combined in a roadmap for a transition towards an increased use of biogenic materials in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comprehensively reviews the factors influencing the autogenous shrinkage and drying shrinkage of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Compared with natural aggregate concrete (NAC), RAC has a lower autogenous shrinkage because of the internal curing effect of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). However, the internal curing efficiency of RCA is less than that of the lightweight aggregate because of its lower porosity and different pore structure. The drying shrinkage of RAC is larger than that of NAC, which is mainly caused by the mortar attached to the original virgin aggregate (OVA). Therefore, the methods of strengthening adhered or removing adhered mortar can reduce the drying shrinkage of RCA effectively. Some methods of strengthening adhered mortar are more environmentally friendly than removing adhered mortar. Finally, the existing autogenous shrinkage and drying shrinkage prediction models of RAC are discussed. The models obtained by seeing RCA as the two-phase composite has a higher degree of accuracy. This paper can support a better and more comprehensive understanding of the autogenous and drying shrinkages of RAC and how to reduce the cracking risk of RAC, which provides a theoretical base for future research and applications of RAC in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widely reported benefits of zero carbon buildings (ZCBs), the actual uptake of the ZCB approach is low in market. Building firms need to innovate their business models (BMs) to overcome market barriers. However, there is scarce research into business strategies for ZCBs. This paper aims to develop a typology of BM innovations for delivering ZCBs from the perspective of developers and clients. This typology reflects the common features of BM innovations and can be used to help assess the performance of innovative BMs. The research was conducted through theoretical analysis of BM innovation and exploratory case studies of five real-life ZCB projects selected from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK. The eight components of BMs at ZCB project level were found to be distinct from, or largely to extend, those at organizational level. The developed typology integrates three theoretical dimensions: value offering and associated project process, stakeholder network, and institutional boundary. The findings should help characterize and evaluate business solutions for delivering ZCB projects successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry has a major social, cultural, environmental and economic impact on the environment in which it operates. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) research in construction is growing, it is highly UK-centric and there has been no comparative research of construction industry CSR practices between different countries. Addressing the need for such research in an increasingly globalised construction industry, and adopting a cultural relativist perspective which recognises the contextuality of CSR practices, this paper presents a comparative study of CSR practices in the construction supply chains of the Singapore, Australia and New Zealand construction industries. Analysis of CSR data collected via an on-line survey of 137 firms in the construction supply chains of these countries using the Kruskal Wallis H-test and Relative Prevalence Indexing results indicate a compliance-based approach to CSR in all three countries and a common focus on environmental and safety issues. The social dimension of CSR is yet to mature, particularly in the areas of community interaction, disability, wellness, childcare and ageing. There is also significant reluctance to interfere with supply chains to achieve CSR objectives. Outside these similarities, numerous differences in CSR practices are found between these countries adding to our understanding of the influence of differing regulatory imperatives, institutional factors, workforce structures and demographics and cultural factors. The findings also add to our understanding of the interactions between formal and informal CSR policies and practices in different cultural contexts and the potential value of New Institutionalist Theory as a new conceptual lens to explore this issue further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry in Hong Kong has been exposed to serious housing production issues such as insufficient manpower, safety, environmental concerns and inefficient housing supply. Prefabrication housing production has shown as efficient construction model which enables to overcome these issues and it is applied in construction industry in Hong Kong. In this paper, hybrid modeling techniques that combine system dynamics and discrete event simulation are used to analyze the interrelationships of schedule risks within the six-day cycle assembly of prefabrication housing production. Moreover, a hybrid dynamic model is developed to simulate and evaluate the impact of schedule risks on the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of PHP via the Anylogic software package. The resulting model is validated by data which is collected from a PHP project in Hong Kong. Based on the simulation results, the first most influential level contains five schedule risks, namely, inefficient verification of precast components because of ambiguous labels, misplacement on the storage site because of carelessness, owner crane breakdown and maintenance, slow quality inspection procedures, and inefficient design data transition that cause average schedule delays of more than 300 min. The second most influential level includes delay of the delivery of precast element to site, design information gap between designer and manufacturer, installation error of precast elements, and logistics information inconsistency because of human errors, with average schedule delays less than 300 min and greater than 200 min. Design change, low information interoperability between different enterprise resource planning systems, and inefficiency of design approval belong to the third level that imposes the least influence on the schedule delay of the assembly. This research contributes to the current knowledge of the management of prefabrication construction by developing an effective model that offers an in-depth understanding of how schedule performance of PHP is dynamically influenced by interrelationships of various risk variables. Also, it provides an experimental platform for simulating and analyzing schedule risks that significantly affect the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of prefabrication housing production. Such critical schedule risks could be identified and managed prior to the implement of prefabrication housing production projects. Compared with traditional techniques, the hybrid dynamic model simultaneously considers macro and micro levels, thereby enabling project managers to gain a deeper insight into schedule management and acquire a multidimensional understanding of schedule delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment is critical to insuring the success of waste-to-energy (WTE) projects under public–private partnership (PPP) model as risks are accompanied with the life-cycle of the projects. Uncertainty composed of fuzziness and randomness is an important issue in the risk assessment under increasingly complex environments. The 2-dimension linguistic information is a powerful tool to express the fuzziness of information, and meanwhile, the cloud model perfectly depicts the randomness of information with three numerical characteristics. Combining them together, this paper puts forward a risk assessment framework of PPP WTE incineration projects. Firstly, an evaluation index system for risk assessment of China's PPP WTE incineration projects is constructed, which includes 14 criteria involved in four dimensions of construction and operation risk, macro-economic risk, legal and socio-political risk, and government risk; secondly, a conversion model between 2-dimension linguistic variables and clouds is developed; thirdly, the cloud Choquet integral (CCI) operator is utilized to handle the correlations among risk factors; fourthly, a risk assessment framework is established to assess the overall risk level of several China's PPP WTE incineration projects. From the empirical demonstration and comparison analysis, the proposed framework can effectively deal with such a complicated problem and lead to an outstanding result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Building production” technology, i.e. construction automation and robotics (CAR), is on a worldwide level increasingly recognized as stating a key element of the future of construction, although CAR up to date has never experienced large-scale real-world implementation. However, the recent significantly growing demand for sustainability has the potential to serve as the necessitated trigger for CAR's large-scale deployment. In that context, systematic guidance for the construction industry is however missing, and there have been limited attempts to thoroughly investigate the impacts of utilizing CAR with regard to the sustainability performance of construction and buildings. The research presented in this paper makes a first step to fill this research gap by reviewing and investigating the available CAR strategies and technologies and developing for the first time a consistent framework of indicators for assessing the sustainability performance of utilizing CAR for buildings. The overall goal of the research is to develop, through this framework, a robust and reliable assessment method that can be used in the industrial context to assess the sustainability of building construction projects that consider using CAR. Beyond the development of the indicator framework, the research plan adopting the V-Model approach foresees to translate the framework into an assessment method which will then in several iteration cycles be verified and validated in real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have been conducted on the fields of Building Information Modeling, Lean construction and Sustainability not only individually but also pairwise. Despite that, there are currently no researches that integrate these concepts collectively. The aim of this paper is to combine these technologies, methods and concepts to fill this gap targeting the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry by proposing a way in which concepts could coexist and complement each other. To that end, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand how synergies between these fields have recently been explored by researchers. Results indicate synergies mainly on the construction stages but also on the project process specially during conceptual design decision making. The presented integration provides significant opportunities to reduce economic and environmental impacts and in the future may be responsible for a great leap in efficiency to one of the least efficient industries worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable construction projects affect various stakeholders with different social, environmental and economic interests. It is essential that the decision makers maintain effective communication with relevant groups to avoid project failures. Although citizen participation offers a means of better addressing and meeting stakeholder concerns and expectations, the decision/evaluations of contemporary sustainable projects are becoming ever more complicated, with an increasing number of stakeholders involved to actively defend their own interests. In response, this paper provides a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the stakeholders of sustainable construction in China and quantifies their influence in decision/evaluations by semi-structured interviews (in research stage I) and a three-round Delphi survey (in research stage II). Follow-up interviews (in research stage III) are carried out to collect more in-depth views concerning the characteristics and the respective importance of each stakeholder group involved. The findings indicate that the government is the most influential entity and the extent to which its intervention is needed in balancing the interests of other stakeholders presents a major challenge. The high potential influence of end-users is also identified, suggesting the need for a more transparent and inclusive participatory decision/evaluation process in the country. An enhanced future role for NGOs is further identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precast in-situ construction is gaining popularity among construction practitioners in China for its efficient system and its ability to reduce construction waste. However, there has been little to no empirical evidence that elucidates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this method. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, this paper establishes a systems boundary for the measurement of GHG emissions for precast in-situ construction. Employing a quantitative model, the GHG emissions of precast in-situ is determined and compared with conventional construction method. Results show that the precast in-situ construction produces less GHG emissions than the conventional method. Embodied GHG of building materials is found to be the main GHG emitter in both precast in-situ and conventional construction methods. Furthermore, four factors are identified that positively contributes towards reduced emissions: (i) embodied GHG emissions of building materials, (ii) transportation of building materials, (iii) resource consumption of equipment and techniques and (iv) transportation of waste and soil. Conversely, the transportation of on-site manufacturing equipment is identified as a negative factor on reduced emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial park recycling transformation (IPRT) was one of the major circular economy construction demonstration programs in the 12th Five-Year Plan issued by the China State Council in 2012. It comprised of 7 major tasks to transform traditionally high resource and energy intensive production into high efficiency and low pollutant production. By 2017, 129 industrial parks had been approved for IPRT by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). This paper presents a thorough review on IPRT content, policies, and practices, with some lessons and suggestions for further development. Six types of projects were supported by national funds, which included industrial chain extension and complementary projects; water conversion and recycling projects; energy saving projects; pollution prevention projects; platform construction projects; and infrastructure construction sharing projects. Case studies show success for each case. However, deficiencies in industrial development, management, policy-making, and information sharing also emerged. Two suggestions were put forward. First, investment should be diverted from traditional industries to new industries. Past cases have shown that traditional industries have a greater risk of obsolescence. Failure in one park has already created a cascading effect on other enterprises in the park. Secondly, the government-led model should be transformed into a government and market co-led model. The government could establish more effective incentive and restraint mechanisms to attract participation from enterprises and/or social capital. Information sharing platforms, for example, benefit enterprises by increasing awareness for circular economy projects to both private and public actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]