研究回顾和反思建筑材料管理的关键流程，以加强建筑行业的循环经济
Study Reviews and Rethinking the Key Processes for Managing Building Materials to Enhance the Circular Economy in the AEC Industry
Harrison Huang 1,2,* and Lu Li 1,3,*
1 College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
2 Center for Balance Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
3 Architectural Design & Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11941; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911941
Received: 12 August 2022 / Revised: 13 September 2022 / Accepted: 16 September 2022 / Published: 22 September 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Practices and Environmental Policies: A Strategic Move to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals)
Abstract
The rapidly accelerating economic development of newly industrialised countries (NICs) has created far-reaching environmental problems. The new construction of numerous infrastructures and buildings, particularly in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, has led to an exponential increase in the demand for raw materials and energy, which is leading to the depletion of natural resources. The approach to treating these buildings at the end of life has also raised concerns worldwide. Transforming the current linear development model into a circular economy is considered an effective solution. This paper reviews a broad range of relevant literature, extracting four key factors influencing building circularity (BC) from past studies. These factors are interpreted as four key processes dealing with building materials: pre-treatment, composition, decomposition, and post-treatment. We demonstrate how materials are treated throughout the building lifecycle to illustrate the interrelationships among these processes and to exemplify the potential of the key processes for effecting BC. Additionally, two examples are used to support the theoretical framework. This study intends to make contributions to circular economy theories and to provide references for policymakers and practitioners.
Keywords: building circularity; material management; waste reduction; building lifecycle; AEC industry
