An Inspection of the Life Cycle of Sustainable Construction Projects: Towards a Biomimicry-Based Road Map Integrating Circular Economy.

Kimberly Beermann,Miguel Chen Austin

doi:10.3390/biomimetics6040067

Abstract

According to the National Energy Plan in Panama, the construction sector is one of the most prosperous and impactful sectors in the economy and it is expected to expand due to population growth by almost 300% by 2050. However, this sector must work on the transition towards sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change, since its growth implies a high consumption of resources and the contribution of greenhouse gases. The need to establish practices and strategies that embrace the dimension of sustainability and a circular economy is imminent. Currently, there is little guidance in the reference framework beyond certifications in planning, management and evaluation tools for its implementation. Different studies vary in the number of phases and considerations for projects. Therefore, the present work proposes the development of a unified road map, with defined phases, practices and indicators based on principles inspired by nature, such as biomimicry (Greek words: “bio” means life and “mimesis”, imitation), and focuses on a circular economy, validated by construction professionals, where strengths, opportunities, skills and threats are identified with a high level of acceptance. This contributes to strengthening the field of sustainable construction project management and a precedent for Panama.

Highlights

The construction industry has a great economic influence and presents great opportunities, unlike other sectors, to face the challenges of climate change [1,2] and global challenges
It is essential to adopt practices based on sustainability and circular economy principles at all stages of the process, since it involves high consumption of resources and negative impacts on the environment [3]
The following section presents the analysis of the results of the biocircular model implementation in each of the life cycle phases in sustainable construction projects, along with a brief discussion regarding the acceptance of such biocircular approach by experts in the field

Summary

Introduction

The construction industry has a great economic influence and presents great opportunities, unlike other sectors, to face the challenges of climate change [1,2] and global challenges. For this reason, it is essential to adopt practices based on sustainability and circular economy principles at all stages of the process, since it involves high consumption of resources and negative impacts on the environment [3]. Studies indicate that the construction industry is responsible for about 50% of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere; further, 20–50% of its natural resource consumption and 50% of its solid waste generation cause environmental impacts [4]. It is imminent that the construction industry must act with commitment and responsibility, given its contributions to the environment, society and the economy

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion