Abstract
The circular economy, a new paradigm of technological and economic development, is of great importance in developing countries, particularly in the construction sector, one of the most relevant in Colombia. In the Latin American context, Colombia has one of the most important construction industries, contributing to the social and productive development of the country. However, this sector is also responsible for serious environmental problems and social conflicts. Therefore, it is imperative to work with all actors of the value chain to transform the construction sector from a linear economy to a circular economy model. Therefore, this article describes the circular economy model proposed for Santiago de Cali, which is mainly oriented to the analysis and efficient use of construction materials, mostly taking into account the recovery of ecosystems and the circular flow of rocky materials. This model includes an analysis of the production of construction materials, construction process, use and operation, and completion of the life cycle of buildings and infrastructure. In particular, the model proposes an innovative product portfolio for the use of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) supported in applied research (case studies). The portfolio consists of family products, such as recycled aggregates or eco-aggregates, eco-concretes and mortars, eco-prefabricated products and modules, and smart construction materials. In addition, this model describes the C&DW management system and some characteristics of the Technological and Environmental Park (TEP), the main strategy for C&DW valorization in the city.
Highlights
The rapid growth of the Colombian population and its displacement to urban centers in the last 50 years has indirectly stimulated the development of the national construction sector, which represents one of the most relevant in the economy of Valle del Cauca and Santiago de Cali, promoting a large number of jobs and energizing other subsectors of the economy of the Colombian southwest.According to the Colombian Chamber of Construction (CAMACOL), the national construction sector currently generates annual investments of 77 billion pesos (USD 19.5 million), contributes 46 billion pesos (11.7 million USD) to the economy, demands inputs for COP34 billion ( USD 8.6 million) annually and, together with real estate activities, this generates1.8 million jobs [1]
The proposed circular economy model demands a high degree of innovation for the correct formulation and implementation of concepts and technologies such as the valuation of extraction of environmental assets, the clean production, building information modeling (BIM), robotization, 3D printing, responsible consumption, architectural flexibility, transformable architecture, deconstruction, recycling, and industrial symbiosis
Coming from academia, case studies demonstrated that the Colombian southwest region has potential to research and develop new building material products made up of construction and demolition waste (C&DW)
Summary
The rapid growth of the Colombian population and its displacement to urban centers in the last 50 years has indirectly stimulated the development of the national construction sector, which represents one of the most relevant in the economy of Valle del Cauca and Santiago de Cali (approx. 3 million habitants), promoting a large number of jobs (direct and indirect) and energizing other subsectors of the economy of the Colombian southwest. Nations in 2015, SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production, the proposed model appropriates the circular economy as a production and consumption system that promotes efficiency in the use of materials, water and energy, taking into account the resilience of ecosystems and the circular use of material flows through the implementation of technological innovations, alliances and collaborations between stakeholders (e.g. raw material producers, building companies, users and final disposal actors), and the promotion of business models that respond to the fundamentals of sustainable development [4] This pioneer model takes into account the following challenges and opportunities to implement circular economy in construction:.
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