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Construction Supply Chain Management for Circular Economy
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Construction Supply Chain Management for Circular Economy

A special issue of Resources (ISSN 2079-9276).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 11192

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ruben Vrijhoef

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: construction supply chain management; circular building economy; construction logistics; sustainable building

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Of all industrial sectors, the building and construction sector has been deemed to consume the most natural resources and raw materials. Construction material manufacture and construction works contribute largely to greenhouse gas emissions and waste. The circular economy (CE) aims to improve resource efficiency and reduce raw material consumption across sectors. In building and construction, much work has been done in research and practice to apply CE to the sector. However, major obstacles are linked to the unstable nature of construction works and the supply chain, including temporary project organizations, disjointed supply chains, and disconnected flows of materials and waste. Solutions lie in novel approaches to managing supply chains, including but not limited to closed-loop supply chains, applying circular design principles, circular procurement and sourcing, and reverse logistics. These approaches can both reduce amounts of raw materials used in construction materials and projects and increase the potential of the extended life cycle use of materials and the reuse of waste as well. This Special Issue is aimed at theoretical and empirical research contributions developing and studying novel approaches to supply chain management in building and construction that support the aims and effects of the circular economy.

Dr. Ruben Vrijhoef
Guest Editor

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. Resources is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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

  • sustainable building
  • construction supply chain management
  • circular building economy
  • closed-loop supply chain
  • material efficiency

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 2197 KiB  
Article
Recycling Thermal Insulation Materials: A Case Study on More Circular Management of Expanded Polystyrene and Stonewool in Switzerland and Research Agenda
by Valeria Superti, Tim V. Forman and Cynthia Houmani
Resources 2021, 10(10), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources10100104 - 13 Oct 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6061
Abstract
The limits to linear models of production based on material extraction, manufacture, use, and disposal are becoming increasingly apparent across the global economy. The Circular Economy (CE) describes an alternative to this problematic “take-make-waste” linear model that is concerned with resource efficiency and [...] Read more.
The limits to linear models of production based on material extraction, manufacture, use, and disposal are becoming increasingly apparent across the global economy. The Circular Economy (CE) describes an alternative to this problematic “take-make-waste” linear model that is concerned with resource efficiency and waste minimization. The construction and demolition sector represents an important focus for a CE transition due to its significant environmental impact. The use of thermal insulation to reduce energy demand associated with heating and cooling in buildings is vital for reducing the sector’s high environmental impact; however, there are significant challenges to recycling thermal insulation materials (IM). This study examines these challenges in the context of Switzerland and evaluates the potential for more circular management of expanded polystyrene and stonewool IM. The research provides an original analysis of the Swiss IM value chain in the context of the CE agenda based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and a workshop. Research gaps are highlighted based on scientific literature. The roles and agency of actors involved in the Swiss IM value chain are examined. Enablers of and barriers to wider IM recycling as reported by workshop participants are outlined. Interventions for tackling the current challenges faced for the recycling of thermal IM are suggested. Finally, an agenda for future research is proposed. Throughout the discussion, the importance of the involvement, commitment, and collaboration of stakeholders across the entire IM value chain for an effective and expedient transition to a CE is highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction Supply Chain Management for Circular Economy)
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18 pages, 462 KiB  
Article
Building Exploitation Routines in the Circular Supply Chain to Obtain Radical Innovations
by Sara Alonso-Muñoz, Rocío González-Sánchez, Cristina Siligardi and Fernando Enrique García-Muiña
Resources 2021, 10(3), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources10030022 - 4 Mar 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4087
Abstract
The adaptation of the supply chain makes it an effective tool in the management of a circular economy, as it allows aspects of sustainability and regeneration to be incorporated into production. However, empirical evidence is still insufficient. In addition, the use of absorptive [...] Read more.
The adaptation of the supply chain makes it an effective tool in the management of a circular economy, as it allows aspects of sustainability and regeneration to be incorporated into production. However, empirical evidence is still insufficient. In addition, the use of absorptive capacity theory provides a convenient context model that is adapted to the knowledge management required for the application of circularity principles. To study in depth the functioning of the circular supply chain, we use the dimension of exploitation of absorptive capacity, distinguishing between routines that allow adaptation to new production needs (technological knowledge) and new commercial needs (market knowledge). The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 9612 companies, divided into three levels of technology intensity manufacturing, from the PITEC panel using multivariate models. The results show that the operating routines associated with the use of production and logistics technologies developed in a circular fashion favor the development of new products. Similarly, a bidirectional knowledge flow is necessary. The first flow is toward the company with practices that allow a better understanding of the customer and their needs in the framework of the circular economy. The second flow would be toward customers, who need to be informed and educated through various marketing and communication activities to adapt their behavior to the principles of circularity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction Supply Chain Management for Circular Economy)
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