Facilitating circularity through sharing economy practices in the construction industry: potential shareable resources

Enabling Building Information Modeling (BIM) Practices in the Canadian Construction Industry: A case for an academic programIn today’s construction industry, we are seeing a growing number of complex and high qualityconstruction projects all around the world using the BIM process. In order to get the most benefitout of BIM, there is a dire need for standards and efficient educational programs and courses totrain skilled professionals to support the implementation of BIM in the construction industry.Based on a preliminary environmental scan, there is a huge gap between industry BIM needs andavailable training/educational programs to facilitate effective implementation of BIM.Construction education needs to fill the gaps in BIM training for industry to remain current,responsive and relevant. Although an increasing number of educational institutions offeringarchitecture, engineering and construction programs have initiated to offer BIM related courses,there is no comprehensive curriculum developed by local academia to address the BIM relatedtraining needs of the construction industry in Alberta. Several researches and case studiesadvocate that industry stakeholders can use BIM technologies to save time and cost, whileimproving building quality. Integrating BIM collaboratively among stakeholders will also boostcompetitiveness and productivity in the building industry.BIM enables team collaboration, assisting project managers to more reliably communicateproject’s intent to all stakeholders in a timely fashion. It is therefore important for industry andacademic institutions to work collaboratively in order to understand the level and skillsetrequired for effective implementation of BIM practices in the industry.The paper aims to review the current state of BIM training programs; consult and solicitfeedback with various stakeholders with respect to training; and recommend appropriate trainingprograms that provides industry professionals with the fundamental skills and knowledge ofprinciples, terminologies, tools, and techniques related to BIM practices. The research utilizes aqualitative methodology to capture stakeholder’s experiences and understanding differentperspectives on BIM practices in the industry. The study suggests that a BIM certificate will helptraining our professionals better to address the needs of BIM practices in the constructionindustry. There is a dire need for a certificate program that provides the required skillset toproduce career ready professionals for enabling BIM practices in the construction industry. Thestudy findings would be of interest to BIM experts, construction professionals, and facultyinvolved with BIM education.

The sharing economy (SE) is a nascent phenomenon representing a socio-economic process to optimise underutilised resources through digital platforms. This process facilitates the shared consumption of resources to maximise resource utilisation while supporting the circularity of resources. However, the successful operation of SE practices is hindered by the lack of identification of effective strategies for enhancing the SE implications, which are essential to comprehending SE practices and developing more sophisticated applications. Therefore, this research aims to provide the first insights into the strategies that enhance SE practices across diverse industries and identify knowledge gaps and future research directions. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted by selecting articles published in the 2014–2023 period in Scopus and Web of Science databases. Selected articles were subjected to descriptive and NVivo 14-supported thematic analyses. The descriptive analysis showed that, despite considering articles published in the last 10 years, all relevant articles were published in the last 5 years. Developed and developing countries showed almost equal contributions, while China was recognised as the country with the highest number of publications. Accommodation and transportation sectors were reported as the sectors with the highest number of publications. A cross-analysis was conducted to recognise the varying utilisation of different strategies across diverse industries and sectors. Ten different categories were identified through the thematic analysis that enhance SE practices: economic; environmental; geographic; governance; health, safety, and security; marketing; people; product/services; research, training, education; and technology-related strategies. Each category was discussed along with its relevant strategies, resulting in identifying a total of 84 strategies. These strategies were then presented alongside the responsible parties tasked with their implementation. The study contributes to the SE literature by providing an SLR for contemporary strategies utilised to enhance SE practices, specifically focusing on elucidating the most appropriate categorisation of these strategies. Moreover, this comprehensive SLR provides the first insights into the effective strategies that enhance SE practices across diverse industries.

Research background: Sharing economy is driven by a number of factors, such as intensified application of internet and smartphones, shift towards circular economy and sustainability, and globalization. An impact of globalization processes on consumer society is expressed not only in growth of international trade or development of transnational corporations, but also in change of cultural and communication patterns, specifically regarding change in attitudes towards ownership. Purpose of the article: The goal of the research is to evaluate consumers’ perception of a sharing economy. The current research continues the previous studies conducted by the authors but focuses on reasons for consumers’ negative attitude towards sharing economy. Methods: The study is conducted on the basis of survey results, which include 876 valid questionnaires. To understand the relationship between personal characteristics and lack of activity in sharing economy, the study implemented moderation statistical analysis. The choice of moderators was based on theoretical ground that estimates age, gender and education to influence person's choice on sharing economy; in this study those predictions are testing by means of moderation analysis. Findings & Value added: The authors tested the moderation effect of age, gender, and education on withdrawal from the sharing economy practices in relation to key sharing economy sectors (respondent was involved as service receiver/provider). Besides, the moderation effect of respondent's involvement into sharing economy as provider and receiver on withdrawal from the sharing economy practices in relation to key personal characteristics of the respondent was tested.

improvemnet: a. Research Objectives: Consider explicitly stating the specific research objectives in the abstract.This will provide readers with a more detailed understanding of what the study aims to achieve.b.Methodological : While the abstract mentions theoretical perspectives, adding a brief sentence about the methodology employed would enhance clarity.This could include the data collection methods and analytical approaches used in the study.c.Context: Given the dynamic nature of the business environment, consider adding a brief mention of the temporal scope of the study (e.g., the years covered) to provide context for readers.d.Impact Statement: Conclude the abstract with a sentence highlighting the broader implications of the study or its potential contribution to the field of business, entrepreneurship, or related disciplines.e. Avoid Redundancy: The abstract contains some repetition, such as the mention of "sharing economy practices" and "disruptors."Consider rephrasing to maintain conciseness while avoiding redundancy.lastly, the abstract effectively communicates the core elements of the article but could benefit from a bit more detail regarding research objectives and methodology.Adding a concluding sentence about the broader impact would enhance the abstract's completeness.

The construction industry is responsible for 32% of the world’s consumption of natural resources, causing 850 million tons of construction waste in the European Union alone. The construction and manufacturing industries mostly apply a linear economy model, where resources are used once and then disposed of. As a response, the concept of a circular economy (CE) was introduced with the aim of keeping materials within a closed loop and regaining their value in the end-of-life phase. This paper aims to investigate the different CE strategies in the construction industry and the related manufacturing industry and how these strategies can be supported by digital technology. The 11Rs framework has been used as a reference within the concept of CE through a scoping literature review, in which 117 articles were reviewed. The analysis focused on the frequency of the various Rs in papers, as well as their applications and possible implementation. Seven interviews were conducted with Swedish experts to obtain industry perspectives and thereby specify a potential research gap related to CE. According to the study, existing research for the application of CE by construction companies has not been fully explored. There is also a lack of knowledge about CE and its benefits, as well as poor collaboration between different stakeholders, both in information sharing and processes. Findings suggest that all stakeholders in the industries need to make efforts to change their strategies if the transition to CE is to occur.

Purpose A paradigm in circular economy (CE) is that suppliers retain ownership of their products and materials, and that the users “only” pay for services. In many legal systems, however, elements incorporated in a building are considered to be fixtures, and therefore legally part of the building. This means that ensuring multi-cyclic behaviour of individual building elements (e.g. the facade or a window) is not so evident. This paper explores, from the perspective of Dutch law, how to secure the ownership of the supplier or to find alternatives within the existing system of property law. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a literature review of both CE and (Dutch) property law. The results of these reviews are discussed and illustrated by legal case studies. Findings The options principally advocated within CE to retain ownership of building parts leave legal uncertainties and do not offer a solid basis for the development of circular business models, especially considering immovables and fixtures. For these categories, buy-back and take-back contracts, and models for reuse and recycling seem more promising. Research limitations/implications The research is limited to a literature review. Although the legal principles discussed in this paper are valid for both civil and common law systems, and similar findings might, therefore, be expected internationally, this study focused on the specific Dutch legal context. Comparative legal research and research of best practices in the building industry is needed to test the applicability of the findings in an international context. Practical implications Following the findings, CE initiatives within real estate and the construction industry should focus on alternative implementations of the operational lease concept, taking into account CE’s ambitions to reduce the extraction of raw materials. Originality/value At the moment the challenges that property law poses CE, real estate and operational lease are hardly discussed within the literature. This paper explores this gap.

Moving from a linear to a circular economy supports sustainable material use through recycling and other measures. However, information gaps act as a barrier to effective waste and recycling implementation. This chapter examines different information gaps and their impact on circular economy practices in the construction industry, with a focus on plastic roof membranes. This study employs the design science research methodology. To identify barriers, seven interviews and a workshop were conducted at an international roof system company headquartered in Switzerland. This chapter uses theories on information gaps to analyze barriers to recycling and the significant challenges associated with their practical implementation. It explores how different information gaps hinder collaboration between different stakeholders in the construction industry. The study identifies various information gaps in the three interrelated areas: material composition, process flows, and stakeholders. It also categorizes key stakeholders into three relevant groups: manufacturing and production, construction and demolition, and waste management and recycling. A key finding is that the existing literature lacks details on the concrete challenges and problems that stakeholders face in practice. A detailed understanding of information gaps highlights the complexity of the recycling process and encourages recycling implementation. By addressing these gaps, businesses can better align sustainability goals with practical challenges. The study bridges the gap between business challenges and sustainability goals. Closing information gaps in material composition helps identify diverse types of waste, enabling tailored disposal or recycling strategies. Improved process flows reveal inefficiencies and enable targeted improvements. Stakeholder engagement ensures collaboration, which is essential for waste management efforts. While the findings focus on the construction industry, the approach can inspire similar efforts in other industries, driving the transition to a circular economy.

The construction industry is a complex and demanding commercial area. As in other disciplines, ethical practices in the construction industry are crucial. The quality of the project, customers' trust, and investors' confidence in the construction business are all negatively impacted by unethical acts and the practices themselves. Hence, the goal of this study is to identify the most prevalent types of unethical practices among professionals in the construction industry and to evaluate the obstacles that prevent them from upholding the code of ethics. A quantitative approach was used to collect empirical data by sending the questionnaire survey amongst professionals in the construction industry, such as contractors, consultants, and project managers. The collected data was analysed using a descriptive version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows Version (SPSS) 29 software, such as mean score, percentage, and frequency. The study found that unethical practises like rate overpricing, bid cutting, delay, and short payments; bribes for projects; nepotism; use of lower-grade materials than specified; tender manipulation; and contractors' personnel failing to dispose of waste in an appropriate, safe, and environmentally acceptable manner are still common and persistent. This is true even though the majority of organisations have their own standards of conduct and professional bodies that encourage good ethics. The main obstacles to eliminating the unethical conduct mentioned above are greed, acceptance as standard procedure, ignorance of laws and regulations, lack of authorization for the compliance department, cognitive biases and psychological tendencies, and insufficient support from the government. It is hoped that the study's findings will significantly help regulatory agencies and legislators recognize and prevent unethical practices, and the study also suggests that there may be fewer unethical practices in the construction industry if there are adequate punishments for unethical practices at different stages of a project's life cycle and more people know about the ideals of ethical practices at different stages.

This study examines the role of reusing construction materials in promoting sustainability within the construction industry. The research utilizes psychometric analysis to assess the reliability and construct validity of data collected through a survey of 147 participants from construction firms. The results indicate that the data collection instrument demonstrates strong reliability (Cronbach α-values of 0.763 for reuse and 0.712 for sustainability), and construct validity is confirmed through Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity. Descriptive statistics reveal that construction firms show strong agreement with sustainable practices, including the reuse of secondary materials, extending product life cycles, and eliminating waste across supply chains. Regression analysis further establishes a significant positive relationship between reusing materials and sustainability in construction supply chains, explaining 20.2% of the variance in sustainability outcomes. Hypothesis testing reveals that reusing has a statistically significant influence on sustainability, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The findings underscore the importance of reusing practices in promoting environmental sustainability and offer recommendations for construction firms, including enhancing supplier selection criteria, fostering education on sustainability, and improving waste management strategies. Areas for future research include examining sector-specific impacts, barriers to reuse implementation, and the long-term effects of reusing materials on sustainability. This study provides valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers aiming to enhance sustainability practices in the construction industry

Adopting Circular Economy practices in the construction industry can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, many barriers exist to adoption, and current perceptions of and willingness to pay for circularity have yet to be quantified. This study seeks to understand the various perceptions of circularity in the construction industry, characterize uncertainties and risks, and identify economic incentives and opportunities that could accelerate circular adoption via an industry survey of three stakeholder groups. 58 stakeholders filled out part of the survey, and 42 stakeholders completed the majority of questions. Real estate developers are willing to pay an average premium of 10% for construction costs if there’s a minimum embodied carbon reduction of 53%. Design and construction professionals and material suppliers were also surveyed. Reasons for adopting circular practices were primarily driven by client, design team, and net zero goals. The results of this survey begin to characterize the economic landscape of what is needed for a circular transition in the built environment.

The prevailing patterns of consumption and production are not sustainable because they are based on increasing extraction of non-renewable resources (such as fossil fuels or scarce metals) from the Earth’s crust and overuse of life-sustaining ecosystem services (such as CO2 assimilation or the water cycle). One strategy to direct consumption to a sustainable pathway is the circular economy. The goal of the circular economy is to slow down the flow of material resources through the anthroposphere and to return them back to nature in a form that is as compatible as possible with the ecosystem processes. We focus on the first aspect, which means that each unit of material resource that enters the economic system should satisfy as much human needs as possible until it is considered waste. We ask the question if and how the emerging “sharing economy” can contribute to this specific goal. We see the phenomenon of sharing economy as a transformation of sharing practices with means of digital Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The resulting Digital Sharing Economy (DSE) can therefore be considered an important special case of ICT impact on sustainable development. We open up an argument on how sharing in the DSE can be either supportive or counter-productive with regard to the circular economy goals. We present a first framework that provides a guideline for the qualitative assessment of new sharing practices with regard to their potential contribution to a circular economy.

A graduating Senior Construction Management Student at Georgia Southern University, Dylan John is an active student leader within multiple student organizations. His research interests include Building Information Modelling (BIM), Sustainable Construction, Productivity and Efficiency in the Construction Industry. He is mentored by Dr.Marcel Maghiar and Dr.Clint Martin of the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management at Georgia Southern University

Circular Economy: A Product Life Cycle Perspective on Engineering and Manufacturing Practices

Leveraging on Work Integrated Learning to Enhance Sustainable Design Practices in the Construction Industry

Purpose This study aims to explore stakeholder communication strategies for facilitating the adoption of circular economy (CE) practices in the Nigerian construction industry. It addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by focusing on communication dynamics within a developing economy, where sociocultural and infrastructural challenges significantly influence the adoption of CE. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was employed, using a purposive sampling technique to select 25 stakeholders across 3 major groups: industry professionals, government officials and academics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed thematically to identify key communication strategies for fostering stakeholder collaboration and overcoming communication barriers in promoting CE in the Nigerian construction industry. Findings Five core themes emerged from the analysis: participatory approaches, formalised communication channels, integration of digital tools, capacity building and awareness creation and the role of policy and governance. The findings highlight that context-specific communication strategies are critical for aligning stakeholder interests, promoting trust and fostering CE adoption in resource-constrained environments. Research limitations/implications The study was geographically limited to North Central Nigeria, and the findings may not be generalisable to other regions with differing socioeconomic conditions. Future research could adopt mixed-methods approaches and expand the geographic scope to provide a more comprehensive understanding of stakeholder communication in CE adoption. Originality/value This study contributes to the knowledge of CE adoption by providing context-specific insights into stakeholder communication in a developing economy. It offers a novel framework for addressing communication barriers and fostering collaboration in resource-constrained environments.