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Innovative Risk Management and Sustainable Practices in Construction

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026 | Viewed by 2992

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02 776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: construction project management; costs; scheduling; BIM; technology of construction works
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02 776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: civil engineering; geotechnical engineering; computational modeling; sustainable construction materials

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159 St, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: geosynthetics; geotextile structures; geotextile applications; filters; drainage systems; geotextile filter design; clogging; soil/geotextile system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The realization of a low-carbon economy and the attainment of global targets in reducing the impact of climate change necessitate the consideration of sustainability risks within the risk management framework. Companies across various industries are currently challenged to align their business operations with sustainability requirements due to pressures stemming from regulatory bodies, market forces, and consumer demands. This issue also has implications for one of the largest sectors, the construction industry.

The construction industry is embracing advanced risk management techniques and sustainable practices to enhance project outcomes and reduce environmental impact. This industry can effectively manage risks and contribute to a more sustainable future by integrating state-of-the-art technologies, innovative contracting models, and sustainable materials. This comprehensive approach ensures the safety and efficiency of construction projects while supporting broader environmental and social goals. It encompasses various study areas, including quality management systems, innovative contracting models, environmental design, environmental construction, construction innovation, advanced sustainable materials, waste management, monitoring, and maintenance, in the processes of planning, design, construction, and maintenance to achieve the highest level of sustainability in the smart built environment.

The objective of this Special Issue is to emphasize the importance of innovative risk management along with sustainable practices for the future of the construction industry.

We invite submissions of original research and reviews focused on various topics, such as the ones outlined below:

  • Risk assessment and management;
  • Innovative contracting models;
  • Advanced and sustainable materials;
  • Green building certifications/sustainability assessments;
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) and/or life cycle costing (LCC);
  • Renewable energy integration;
  • Waste management;
  • Water conservation;
  • Technological integration;
  • Innovative contracting models;
  • Data-driven decision making;
  • Green infrastructure and construction;
  • Risk management and innovative approaches;
  • Reducing the weight of sustainable practices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Marzena Lendo-Siwicka
Dr. Katarzyna Pawluk
Dr. Anna Markiewicz
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • risk management
  • sustainable construction
  • construction works
  • construction technology
  • environmental construction
  • advanced and sustainable materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1256 KB  
Article
Increase in the Cost of Renovating Historic Buildings Due to Incorrectly Selected Locations for Mycological and Technical Testing
by Marzena Lendo-Siwicka, Katarzyna Pawluk, Anna Markiewicz, Jan Kowalski and Ada Żochowska
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010186 - 24 Dec 2025
Viewed by 100
Abstract
A mycological assessment evaluates the technical condition of a building by identifying damage from biological corrosion, which is particularly susceptible to fungal growth and insect attack. Such assessments are crucial for brick and wooden monuments. Accurate mycological assessments provide essential documentation for builders, [...] Read more.
A mycological assessment evaluates the technical condition of a building by identifying damage from biological corrosion, which is particularly susceptible to fungal growth and insect attack. Such assessments are crucial for brick and wooden monuments. Accurate mycological assessments provide essential documentation for builders, designers, and cost estimators, indicating both locations of damage and the risks associated with weakened structures. The proper selection of testing locations during tender documentation preparation for historic buildings is critical, as it significantly impacts renovation and modernization costs. This article reviews building defects and testing protocols used in mycological expert opinions for buildings constructed between 1899 and 1900. It lists additional tests necessary during modernization and details costs resulting from incorrect assessments. The findings offer valuable guidance for specialists evaluating mycological hazards. The research revealed that 48% of structural elements in the examined buildings were incorrectly assessed solely through visual inspection, with the majority of errors occurring in lintels and cornices. Repairing these elements proved to be significantly more costly than the initial testing, with lintel repair exceeding excavation costs by over 60 times and cornice repairs by more than 130 times. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Risk Management and Sustainable Practices in Construction)
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21 pages, 956 KB  
Article
Ranking the Barriers to the Energy Upgrading of Buildings Using the Best-Worst Method
by Fani Antoniou and Theofilos Mageiropoulos
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 10143; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210143 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2026
Abstract
The global need to reduce energy demand has led European governments to accelerate their endeavors to achieve their targets regarding nearly zero-energy buildings. Despite the implementation of funding initiatives for the energy upgrading of buildings in EU member states and other European countries, [...] Read more.
The global need to reduce energy demand has led European governments to accelerate their endeavors to achieve their targets regarding nearly zero-energy buildings. Despite the implementation of funding initiatives for the energy upgrading of buildings in EU member states and other European countries, research has shown that the absorption rates of the offered funds remain low. This research aims to assess the significance of the barriers to improving the energy efficiency of Greece’s building stock. This is achieved by ranking the identified barriers using the best-worst method (BWM). The innovation provided by this study is that the data obtained are based on the experience of three categories of stakeholders, including professionals in the field, i.e., engineers and skilled workers, and homeowners. The results show that all three groups are discouraged from performing the energy upgrading of buildings due to economic barriers but also technological barriers related to a lack of training in the use of and slow development of related new technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Risk Management and Sustainable Practices in Construction)
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