Implementing Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Evaluating CE Strategies by Developing a Framework

Authors

  • Zahra Hosseini NSERC Industrial Research Chair on Eco-responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB), Laval University, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, 2425 De La Terrasse Street, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
  • Bertrand Laratte Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, INRAE, I2M Bordeaux, F-33400 Talence, France
  • Pierre Blanchet NSERC Industrial Research Chair on Eco-responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB), Laval University, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, 2425 De La Terrasse Street, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada

Keywords:

Circular economy, Construction sector, Framework, End-of-life, Strategies, Life cycle assessment

Abstract

Among various industries, the construction sector has one of the greatest impacts on the environment. Minimizing the resource use and the waste outputs in this sector could be fulfilled by applying circular economy (CE) strategies. Although research on CE in the construction sector has increased in recent years, there have not been remarkable adjustments by applying these strategies to the construction industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of using CE strategies in the construction sector. A framework was adapted to guide the application of different CE strategies at the end-of-life of buildings. The framework was assessed by a case study of a residential building in mass timber. This study evaluated the application of CE strategies from the environmental aspect with the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The results confirmed that circular strategies can deliver lower environmental impacts.

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Published

2023-05-18

Issue

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication