Circularity assessment tool development for construction projects in emerging economies

Abstract

Intending to close the loop of product life cycles and substitute for the linear economy, a new concept of circular economy (CE) has emerged. Although relatively novel, the concept of CE has gained significant momentum worldwide. CE can potentially help to solve the problem of resource depletion and environmental degradation. However, measuring circularity remains a question and a challenge for various stakeholders. This work aimed to propose an assessment tool to measure the circularity of construction projects. Through a systematic literature review, existing circularity measurement methods, tools, and actions associated with circularity in the construction industry were reviewed. A list of critical circularity actions was identified. Kazakhstan was selected as an emerging economy country to validate the tool. A survey was conducted among professionals in the construction industry to determine the importance of every action and the legislative readiness of local laws to support those actions. The proposed tool (CAT2022) was tailored to measure the circularity degree of construction projects in the selected emerging economy country. As part of the proposed circularity measurement tool, the study also provided several assessments to demonstrate the criteria in the evaluation and their fulfillment of the actions concerning circularity. The results show that projects perform notably differently in terms of circularity depending on methods of construction, technologies implemented, company business model, energy and material efficiency practices. In line with the common assumption that projects certified by green building rating systems are more “circular” than others, our findings indicated that LEED-certified buildings and buildings implementing modular construction methods tend to receive high circularity scores.