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Buildings
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A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management
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A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 7220

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhikang Bao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Interests: construction waste management; low-carbon solutions for the construction industry; sustainable built environment; digital solutions for circular construction
Dr. Prince Antwi-Afari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Interests: circular digital design; construction waste management; sustainable circular cities; design for circularity; application of artificial intelligence for construction waste minimization
Dr. Timothy Olawumi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH10 4DT, UK
Interests: sustainable construction; building information modelling; circular economy; smart cities; building performance; construction project management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the large-scale implementation of urbanization and urban renewal, escalating construction, renovation and demolition activities have been initiated in recent years on a global scale, which has resulted in the production of a high volume of construction waste. Being faced with elevated pressure to pursue sustainability, how to manage construction waste is a problem that has long plagued a wide range of governments. Recent years have seen the circular economy paradigm for construction waste management (CWM) embraced by many, evidenced by the agendas and blueprints established by a number of governments, such as the Netherlands’ Circular Dutch Plan by 2050, Belgium’s Let’s make the economy work by developing the circular economy in Belgium and Italy’s Towards a Model of Circular Economy for Italy. However, global progress in advancing a circular economy for CWM is still far from sufficient, necessitating more research efforts to deepen our understanding in this field.

In this Special Issue, we are looking for innovative research on advancing a circular economy paradigm for CWM, involving various life-cycle stages, such as design, construction, transportation, renovation and maintenance, demolition, recycling and disposal. We invite the submission of works on innovative theories and practices for integrating a circular economy paradigm into CWM to this Special Issue. Some potential topics may include, but are not limited to, innovative design strategies for CWM, life-cycle assessments of environmental and economic implications for CWM, barriers and challenges to CWM in different contexts, decarbonization through CWM, low-waste construction technologies, and innovative business models of CWM enterprises. High-quality research papers and original review papers are equally welcome. Through this Special Issue, we aim to deepen understandings and provide insight for academics and industry practitioners on how to better integrate a circular economy paradigm into CWM.

Dr. Zhikang Bao
Dr. Prince Antwi-Afari
Dr. Timothy Olawumi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • construction waste management
  • circular economy
  • construction industry
  • waste management
  • C and D waste
  • construction and demolition waste
  • circular construction
  • sustainable built environment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 1463 KiB  
Article
Towards Circular Buildings in Hong Kong: A New Integrated Technology–Material–Design (TMD) Circularity Assessment Framework
by Ericson K. S. Lau, Daniel W. M. Chan, Benjamin I. Oluleye and Timothy O. Olawumi
Buildings 2025, 15(5), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050814 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1258
Abstract
As Hong Kong faces increasing pressure on resources and environmental sustainability, there is a growing need to shift towards circular building practices. The ever-increasing demand for sustainable urban development necessitates innovative approaches towards greener and more sustainable building design and construction. This paper [...] Read more.
As Hong Kong faces increasing pressure on resources and environmental sustainability, there is a growing need to shift towards circular building practices. The ever-increasing demand for sustainable urban development necessitates innovative approaches towards greener and more sustainable building design and construction. This paper introduces a new integrated Technology–Material–Design (TMD) Circularity Assessment Framework, a three-dimensional and comprehensive tool designed to evaluate and enhance the circularity level of buildings in Hong Kong. Through an extensive literature review, the research study identifies a new perspective with key metrics and best practices that inform the new assessment framework, enabling various key stakeholders to pinpoint effective strategies for overcoming profound challenges and seizing timely opportunities to foster a more sustainable and resilient built environment. This paper successfully categorises all circularity assessment frameworks into three perspectives, i.e., material-based, technology-oriented, and design-supported. Future research could apply BIM technology to automate and circularise the new assessment framework. Another significant contribution of this paper is the derivation of a new formula for the Building Circularity Index (BCI) for Hong Kong, which quantifies building circularity levels using a set of defined measurement metrics. By providing a robust assessment method, the TMD Circularity Assessment Framework facilitates informed decision making for architects, engineers, governments, developers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in a new horizon. The review findings underscore the potential of the TMD Framework to guide the transition towards more circular buildings, ultimately contributing to the broader goals of environmental sustainability and resource efficiency in Hong Kong’s construction and real estate sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management)
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18 pages, 236 KiB  
Article
Promoting Effective Management of Cultural Diversity in Multinational Construction Project Teams
by Alex Kojo Eyiah, Francis Kwesi Bondinuba, Lucy Adu-Gyamfi and Murendeni Liphadzi
Buildings 2025, 15(5), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050659 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 2745
Abstract
This study investigates the management of cultural diversity and its implications for the success of infrastructure projects. It was conducted qualitatively at a multinational organisation, involving twelve semi-structured interviews with participants from Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Content analysis identifies relevant units and [...] Read more.
This study investigates the management of cultural diversity and its implications for the success of infrastructure projects. It was conducted qualitatively at a multinational organisation, involving twelve semi-structured interviews with participants from Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Content analysis identifies relevant units and categories based on theory and empirical data. A positive work environment promotes flexibility in decision-making through effective communication, problem-solving, and distinctive familial characteristics. Key success factors include effective communication, team building, strong relationships, language barriers, diverse perspectives, mutual respect, hygiene, safety, welfare facilities, and technical challenges. Successful construction firms integrate changes in cross-cultural team selection, joint decision-making, communication, teamwork, effective people selection, and project selection, enabling consistent high-performance levels across various organisational levels in project teams. Project managers can enhance team dynamics, productivity, and project success by promoting cultural diversity through training in interpersonal skills, language proficiency, and cultural intelligence, encouraging collaboration, clear goals, and inclusive decision-making processes. The paper explores Ghana’s multicultural diversity through interviews and case studies, highlighting its underexplored and understudied topic in gas-to-power projects. This paper has generalizability limitations based on one case study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management)
18 pages, 3887 KiB  
Article
Challenges and Opportunities of Aging Houses and Construction and Demolition Waste in Taiwan
by Chi-Feng Chen, Cheng-Ting Wu and Jen-Yang Lin
Buildings 2025, 15(4), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040595 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 864
Abstract
Sustainable construction and demolition waste (CDW) management have been widely discussed. For a city seeking urban renewal or transformation, aging houses are remodeled, which creates a large amount of CDW. Taiwan is located in an earthquake-prone area with many aging houses. Sustainable CDW [...] Read more.
Sustainable construction and demolition waste (CDW) management have been widely discussed. For a city seeking urban renewal or transformation, aging houses are remodeled, which creates a large amount of CDW. Taiwan is located in an earthquake-prone area with many aging houses. Sustainable CDW management is extremely urgent for such cities or countries. This study presented the current CDW state in Taiwan and suggested possible management strategies. Material flow analysis was conducted to understand the use and distribution of the construction materials. This shows that 100% of the raw material of concrete is imported, whereas 100% of the raw material of brick is domestic. Half of recycled steel is used as a raw material in steel products. The predicted CDW from aging houses was calculated and could be a sustainable source for these materials. However, waste concrete and brick are currently mostly used as subgrade filling materials but are not recycled to produce new construction materials. There are three obvious challenges in CDW management: the lack of cost-effective recycling technology, the increasing quantity of CDW, and the limits of refilled land and landfill volume. However, three opportunities have also emerged: the high potential for reducing carbon emissions from CDW, improved recycling technology, and increasing awareness of the circular economy. This study concludes that reducing the amount of CDW, increasing the lifespan of buildings, increasing the use of reuse or recycled CDW, and proper management of final waste disposal help reduce waste and build a nearly zero-carbon-emission construction industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management)
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28 pages, 1684 KiB  
Systematic Review
Measuring Circularity of Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review
by Joana dos Santos Gonçalves, Steven Claes and Michiel Ritzen
Buildings 2025, 15(4), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040548 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1321
Abstract
The transition to a circular economy in the construction sector is crucial for reducing environmental impacts and resource depletion. However, a lack of harmonized methodologies and standardized indicators for measuring circularity remains a major challenge, hindering informed decision-making in the built environment. This [...] Read more.
The transition to a circular economy in the construction sector is crucial for reducing environmental impacts and resource depletion. However, a lack of harmonized methodologies and standardized indicators for measuring circularity remains a major challenge, hindering informed decision-making in the built environment. This study addresses this gap by systematically reviewing existing circularity assessment frameworks for buildings. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing 948 records from major databases. The findings reveal gaps in current frameworks, particularly the fragmentation of indicators and an overemphasis on material flows, often neglecting adaptability, repairability, and maintainability. By mapping commonalities between indicator frameworks, data requirements, and aggregation methods, this study contributes to the harmonization of circularity assessment approaches, integrating multi-cycle considerations for buildings and construction products. The results in this research contribute to the development of comprehensive and practical assessment frameworks, facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable and circular built environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Circular Economy Paradigm for Construction Waste Management)
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