Relationships between lean and sustainable construction: Positive impacts of lean practices over sustainability during construction phase

Abstract

Academicians and professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field have expressed an increasing interest in sustainability and its application in the development of construction projects, especially with its deemed relationship with lean construction, for the purpose of improving efficiency in the construction processes. Practices framed under the lean philosophy show their potential in reducing environmental, economic, and social impacts during the construction phase, with an increase in the parameters of sustainability in the development of projects. This article is a review of the extant literature, in an effort to establish the relationships and synergies between the philosophies of lean and sustainable constructions, and to determine how the lean construction practices contribute to each dimension of sustainability (i.e., environmental, economic, social) during the construction phase of a project. A matrix is presented to show the positive effects generated by lean practices on the three dimensions. Moreover, this study identifies the lean construction practices more commonly mentioned in the literature and those that bring further economic, social, and environmental benefits. The analyses and findings of this literature review offer a starting point for future research that integrate lean and sustainable construction during the construction phase.