Exploring the relationship between lean construction and environmental sustainability: A review of existing literature to decipher broader dimensions

Abstract

Abstract Lean construction and sustainable construction are perceived to be two individual philosophies that possess distinct goals. Lean construction is oriented towards the process-related parameters of construction associated with improving flow, enhancing productivity, eliminating waste and reducing delays. Meanwhile, sustainable construction aims at reducing the harmful impacts on the environment due to construction activities along with due attention to the economic and social aspects of the project. However, both these paradigms are found to hold certain common objectives in the form of promoting resource efficiency and minimizing waste. This paper reviews the studies published in the domain of lean construction and environmental sustainability by categorizing the links between them within various dimensions of the lean philosophy such as lean principles, lean wastes, lean tools, and other associated lean tenets. The review deciphers the influence of these individual realms of lean construction on some environmental parameters such as resource use, emissions, pollution, and energy use. The review provides insights into important and distinct linkages between lean and the environment and further motivates the expansion of the boundaries of lean construction philosophy into the operation phase of a project’s life-cycle where its influence is found to be sparse. Hence, the study briefly examines the potential of considering energy waste under the ambit of lean construction philosophy and the prospects of research in this domain. The knowledge synthesized in this paper will motivate the implementation of lean construction, seeking broader benefits in terms of environmental sustainability.