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PurposeReuse and recycling building materials depend on an efficient set of information and tracking, which can be obtained by the materials passport (MP) tool. Although MP introduces principles of circular economy (CE) and brings environmental, social and economic benefits, it is little-explored in the construction sector. The purpose of this study is to explore the adoption of the MP in the sector to raise awareness about this tool. This analysis leads to the conception of a model and identifies the main challenges and opportunities to increase MP implementation in the sector.Design/methodology/approachThrough a systematic literature review, based on the descriptive and thematic analysis, articles were selected, and analyzed to (1) review the MP state-of-the-art in the construction sector; (2) propose a materials passport model and (3) list the main challenges and opportunities to MP adoption.FindingsThe studies about MP were concentrated on strategies to implement general concepts and business opportunities. The MP model was proposed to overcome the lack of studies and understanding showed in the review. The model aimed to improve the recovery and reuse of materials across a building's life cycle. Challenges and opportunities were raised to direct decision-makers and support the development of this tool. A systematic regulation in the construction value chain and policy systems is crucial for creating digital platforms for data management of buildings' material.Originality/valueThis study developed an MP model to enable the management of building materials at different stages of the building's life cycle and contributes to future developments of the studies on this knowledge domain.

The construction sector is responsible for about 50% of all extracted raw material and for over 35% of the EU’s total waste generation. To transition to a circular construction model, reliable and standardized information on the material composition of buildings is required. A Circular Material Passport (CMP) can organize and store such information. It provides an identity for a certain product and assigns value to it, enabling the recovery of materials by providing information for maintenance, recovery, reuse and recycling. A set of various CMPs can also be turned into a Building Materials Passport. This paper proposes a new structure for a CMP. The new CMP distinguishes itself from previous efforts to define material passports since it is aligned with the EU Level(s) framework of core sustainability indicators for office and residential buildings. This paper, firstly, reviews the relevant indicators from the Level(s) framework. Secondly, analyzes the current barriers in the development and use of material passports and proposes mitigation measure. Thirdly, identifies parameters to provide relevant information to promote circularity in the built environment. Fourthly, summarizes the findings and proposes a new structure for a lean CMP. The proposed CMP structure can be divided into three sections: 1) general data, 2) product context use and location, and 3) circularity potential. It can be concluded that indicators provided by the CMP could have the potential to be used for public procurement, as well as to define building permit criteria and assessment. Moreover, CMPs should be integrated with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and as a support tool for pre-demolition audits for identifying reusable and recyclable construction products and materials. The importance of policy development for the promotion of a standardized and regulated use of this tool needs to be highlighted.

Background. Laws that enable a circular economy (CE) are being enacted globally, but reliable standardized and digitized CE data about products is scarce, and many CE platforms have differing exclusive formats. In response to these challenges, the Ministry of The Economy of Luxembourg launched the Circularity Dataset Standardization Initiative to develop a globalized open-source industry standard to allow the exchange of standardized data throughout the supply cycle, based on these objectives: (a) Provide basic product circularity data about products. (b) Improve circularity data sharing efficiency. (c) Encourage improved product circularity performance. A policy objective was to have the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted to create a working group. Methods. A state-of-play analysis was performed concurrently with consultations with industry, auditors, data experts, and data aggregation platforms. Results. Problem statements were generated. Based on those, a solution called Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS) was formulated. A proof of concept (POC) template and guidance were developed and piloted with manufacturers and platforms, thus fulfilling objective (a). For objective (b), IT ecosystem requirements were developed, and aspects are being piloted in third party aggregation platforms. Objective (c) awaits implementation of the IT ecosystem. The policy objective related to the ISO was met. Conclusions and future research. In order to fully test the PCDS, it is necessary to: conduct more pilots, define governance, and establish auditing and authentication procedures.

The circular economy (CE) has become a trend because concern has arisen regarding the end of life of several products and the reduction of CO2 emissions in many processes. Since the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is one of the biggest generators of environmental impacts, there is a need to apply the CE concept to the industry in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the role of different tools that are used to integrate CE strategies to reduce GHG emissions by the AEC industry is still unknown in the scientific literature. The purpose of this paper is to carry out a systematic literature review on the theme and analyze the following seven tools: (1) life cycle assessment—LCA; (2) building information modeling—BIM; (3) building environmental certifications—BEC; (4) building materials passports—BMP; (5) waste management plan—WMP; (6) augmented reality—AR; and (7) virtual reality—VR. A total of 30 papers were reviewed, and it was observed that, in terms of CE strategies and climate change mitigation, the vast majority can be classified as closing loops and are mainly related to recycling and reuse at the end of life and the use of recycled materials. Considering the building’s stakeholders, constructors, researchers, and designers can be the main users and, consequently, those that most benefit from the use of the evaluated tools. The integration between LCA, BIM, and BMP was also observed. Finally, as one of the main contributions of this research, other types of integration among the analyzed tools are proposed. These proposals seek to improve and update the tools and also address the need to reduce GHG emissions.

Wood is one of the most fully renewable building materials, so wood instead of non-renewable materials produced from organic energy sources significantly reduces the environmental impact. Construction products can be replenished at the end of their working life and their elements and components deconstructed in a closed-loop manner to act as a material for potential construction. Materials passports (MPs) are instruments for incorporating circular economy principles (CEP) into structures. Material passports (MPs) consider all the building’s life cycle (BLC) steps to ensure that it can be reused and transformed several times. The number of reuse times and the operating life of the commodity greatly influence the environmental effects incorporated. For a new generation of buildings, the developing of an elegant kinetic wooden façade has become a necessity. It represents a multidisciplinary region with different climatic, fiscal, constructional materials, equipment, and programs, and ecology-influencing design processes and decisions. Based on an overview of the material’s environmental profile (MEP) and material passport (MP) definition in the design phase, this article attempts to establish and formulate an analytical analysis of the wood selection process used to produce a kinetic façade. The paper will analyze the importance of environmentally sustainable construction and a harmonious architectural environment to reduce harmful human intervention on the environment. It will examine the use of wooden panels on buildings’ façades as one solution to building impact on the environment. It will show the features of the formation of the wooden exterior of the building. It will also examine modern architecture that enters into a dialogue with the environment, giving unique flexibility to adapt a building. The study finds that new buildings can be easily created today. The concept of building materials passport and the environmental selection of the kinetic wooden façade can be incorporated into the building design process. This will improve the economic and environmental impact of the building on human life.

The pressing concern of climate change and the imperative to mitigate CO2 emissions have significantly influenced the selection of outdoor plant species. Consequently, evaluating CO2’s environmental effects on plants has become integral to the decision-making process. Notably, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings is significant in tackling the consequences of climate change and addressing energy deficiencies. This article presents a novel approach by introducing plant panels as an integral component in future building designs, epitomizing the next generation of sustainable structures and offering a new and sustainable building solution. The integration of environmentally friendly building materials enhances buildings’ indoor environments. Consequently, it becomes crucial to analyze manufacturing processes in order to reduce energy consumption, minimize waste generation, and incorporate green technologies. In this context, experimentation was conducted on six distinct plant species, revealing that the energy-saving potential of different plant types on buildings varies significantly. This finding contributes to the economy’s improvement and fosters enhanced health-related and environmental responsibility. The proposed plant panels harmonize various building components and embody a strategic approach to promote health and well-being through bio-innovation. Furthermore, this innovative solution seeks to provide a sustainable alternative by addressing the challenges of unsustainable practices, outdated standards, limited implementation of new technologies, and excessive administrative barriers in the construction industry. The obtained outcomes will provide stakeholders within the building sector with pertinent data concerning performance and durability. Furthermore, these results will enable producers to acquire essential information, facilitating product improvement.

Purpose This paper aims to conduct a qualitative assessment of synergies between information flows of a multifamily product platform used for industrialized housing and materials passports that can promote a circular economy in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Using a single case study method, the research assesses the availability and accessibility of materials passport-relevant information generated by a leading Swedish industrialized housing construction firm. Data is collected using semistructured interviews, document analysis and an extended research visit. Findings The research findings identify the functional layers of the product platform, map the information flow using a process diagram, assess the availability and accessibility of material passport relevant information by lifecycle stage and actor, and summarize the key points using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. Research limitations/implications The three main implications are: the technical and process platforms used in industrialized construction allow for generating standardized, digital and reusable information; the vertical integration of trades and long-term relationships with suppliers improve transparency and reduce fragmentation in information flows; and the design-build-operate business model strategy incentivizes actors to manage information flows in the use phase. Practical implications Industrialized construction firms can use this paper as an approach to understand and map their information flows to identify suitable approaches to generate and manage materials passports. Originality/value The specific characteristics of product platforms and industrialized construction provide a unique opportunity for circular information flow across the building lifecycle, which can support material passport adoption to a degree not often found in the traditional construction industry.

Circular Economy (CE) has proved its contribution to addressing environmental impacts in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. Building Circularity (BC) assessment methods have been developed to measure the circularity of building projects. However, there still exists ambiguity and inconsistency in these methods. Based on the reviewed literature, this study proposes a new framework for BC assessment, including a material flow model, a Material Passport (MP), and a BC calculation method. The material flow model redefines the concept of BC assessment, containing three circularity cycles and five indicators. The BC MP defines the data needed for the assessment, and the BC calculation method provides the equations for building circularity scoring. The proposed framework offers a comprehensive basis to support a coherent and consistent implementation of CE in the AEC industry.

Implementing practices for a circular economy transforms the way companies do business. Obtaining and processing systematized and optimized information facilitates decision making in order to innovate, create value and adopt measures to promote energy efficiency and sustainability in construction. Building Materials Passports (BMPs) are tools for inserting circular economy in buildings. They can be crucial in managing and providing information to stakeholders in industry value chains, with the aim of promoting the construction of more sustainable and resilient cities, where materials are identified in a database, removed and reused in order to maintain, recover or even increase value and useful life. This paper presents a proposal of a BMP applied to the wood frame system in Brazil, introducing the following guidelines: general information, safety, sustainability, use and operation, assembling directions, reuse and product service history. A case study was developed in a Brazilian company in order to test the application feasibility of the tool to the system. There were some barriers found in the development of the BMP regarding LCA data, as well as the end of life information of the material. This attempt to implement the BMP encourages practices of circular economy in the construction industry and, associated with the expanding use of wood frame in Brazil, contributes to flexible and renewable buildings. In addition, the main challenges for the introduction of BMP are discussed, emphasizing the need for joint action based on political initiatives and regulations that allow and facilitate circular practices in construction.

The growth in the adoption of circular economy principles in the construction industry has given rise to material passports as a critical implementation tool. Given the existing problems of high resource use and high waste generation in the construction industry, there is a pressing need to adopt novel strategies and tools to mitigate the adverse impacts of the built environment. However, research on the application of material passports in the context of construction waste management remains limited. The aim of this paper is to identify the contextual uses, stakeholders, requirements, and challenges in the application of material passports for managing waste generated from building construction and demolition processes through a systematic review approach. Comprehensive searches in Scopus and the Web of Science databases are used to identify relevant papers and reduce the risk of selection bias. Thirty-five (35) papers are identified and included in the review. The identified key contexts of use included buildings and cities as material banks, waste management and trading, and integrated digital technologies. Asset owners, waste management operators, construction and deconstruction teams, technology providers, and regulatory and sustainability teams are identified as key stakeholders. Data requirements related to material, components, building stock data, lifecycle, environmental impact data, and deconstruction and handling data are critical. Moreover, the key infrastructure requirements include modeling and analytical tools, collaborative information exchange systems, sensory tracking tools, and digital and physical storage hubs. However, challenges with data management, costs, process standardization, technology, stakeholder collaboration, market demand, and supply chain logistics still limit the implementation. Therefore, it is recommended that future research be directed towards certification and standardization protocols, automation, artificial intelligence tools, economic viability, market trading, and innovative end-use products.