Recycled Building Materials Research Articles

Application and performance evaluation of recycled building materials in civil engineering

The concept of renewable materials has received extensive advocacy and promotion in the ongoing development of the construction industry. Furthermore, emerging renewable building materials, such as bio-based composite materials, are continually evolving and gradually being incorporated into civil engineering applications. This paper focuses on the application and performance assessment of recycled building materials in civil engineering. As a crucial component of environmental protection and sustainable development, recycled building materials possess vast potential for application. In this article, the characteristics of common materials such as recycled concrete, recycled steel, and recycled glass are introduced, and their mechanical performance, durability, and other vital attributes are evaluated. Finally, the feasibility and challenges of recycled building materials are analyzed, along with discussions on sustainable development strategies and policy support. The comprehensive research results demonstrate the significant role of recycled building materials in promoting sustainable development in civil engineering, warranting increased support and promotion at the policy and societal levels.

Coevolution Mechanism of Remanufacturer–Construction Enterprise–Public in Construction and Demolition Waste Resource Utilization Projects under Green Value Co-Creation

The utilization of resources plays a crucial role in mitigating the environmental pollution issue that improper disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW) causes. However, the slow growth of the recycled building materials market limits the development of CDW resource utilization. Green value co-creation among remanufacturers, construction enterprises, and the public in CDW resource utilization projects is an effective way to address the issue. This study, based on the theory of value co-creation, uses the evolutionary game method to construct an evolutionary game model for CDW resource utilization projects. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) When the degree of green value co-creation is 0.1 or 0.5, the remanufacturer, the construction enterprise, and the public cannot maintain a state of green value co-creation; when the degree of green value co-creation is 0.9, the remanufacturer, the construction enterprise, and the public in the CDW resource utilization project finally reach a stable state of green value co-creation. (2) When the degree of green value co-creation is 0.5, enhancing the green value co-creation willingness of the remanufacturer or the public can lead other CDW resource utilization project stakeholders to participate in green value co-creation. This study contributes to the promotion of stakeholder cooperation in CDW resource utilization projects, thus providing implications for the promotion of CDW resources.

Recycling building materials in modern architecture

The article is devoted to the study of theoretical concepts and practical experience in the field of recycling building materials in architecture, and examples of successfully implemented projects are considered. The article formulates the basic principles of recycling building materials.

Assessing the Impact of Recycled Building Materials on Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: A Comprehensive Framework for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In this study, we critically examine the potential of recycled construction materials, focusing on how these materials can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy usage in the construction sector. By adopting an integrated approach that combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) within the circular economy framework, we thoroughly examine the lifecycle environmental performance of these materials. Our findings reveal a promising future where incorporating recycled materials in construction can significantly lower GHG emissions and conserve energy. This underscores their crucial role in advancing sustainable construction practices. Moreover, our study emphasizes the need for robust regulatory frameworks and technological innovations to enhance the adoption of environmentally responsible practices. We encourage policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the academic community to collaborate and promote the adoption of a circular economy strategy in the building sector. Our research contributes to the ongoing discussion on sustainable construction, offering evidence-based insights that can inform future policies and initiatives to improve environmental stewardship in the construction industry. This study aligns with the European Union’s objectives of achieving climate-neutral cities by 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals outlined for completion by 2030. Overall, this paper contributes to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable construction, providing a fact-driven basis for future policy and initiatives to enhance environmental stewardship in the industry.

Is the Concept of Zero Waste Possible to Implement in Construction?

The scientifically treated problem of reusing building materials appeared in the literature more than 50 years ago. This paper includes an analysis of the characteristics of recycled building materials, which is a prerequisite for rational recycling. The analysis and simulation of building stocks at different scales has led to the conclusion that the most important link in the transformation of the construction industry towards the widespread use of reused materials is the unification of the demolition, storage, and redistribution systems. System solutions based on policy studies for each of the first three phases of a building’s life cycle assessment (LCA), i.e., design, legislation, and construction, were proposed. It was also recognised that the socially widespread habit of reusing building materials requires a properly conducted educational process and legalisation at the state level. This article presents proposals for educational activities along with the definition of the individual stages of the process of recycling building materials. The expected results are the decarbonisation of the building industry and communities, the growth of sustainable systems, and lowering the environmental impacts of buildings.

Pricing Decisions in Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Supply Chains under Carbon Tax Scenarios

Pricing decisions for construction and demolition waste recycling are severely hampered by consumer uncertainty in assessing the value of recycled building materials. This paper uses a construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycling utilization model that consists of a building materials manufacturer and a building materials remanufacturer and compares both the prices and the profits under different carbon tax scenarios, i.e., consumer risk-averse and risk-neutral scenarios. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) The optimal price of traditional products is always negatively correlated with consumer risk aversion. Unlike traditional products, the optimal price of recycled building materials is negatively related to the degree of consumer risk aversion in the case of a low carbon tax; the opposite conclusion is obtained in the case of a high carbon tax. (2) When the abatement cost coefficient is below the threshold and the carbon tax is low, the profits of the building materials manufacturer and remanufacturer show a U-shaped trend with consumer risk aversion; in the case of a high carbon tax, the profits of the two enterprises are positively correlated with consumer risk aversion. In addition, when the abatement cost coefficient is above the threshold, there is an interval in which the profits of the building materials manufacturer are positively correlated with consumer risk aversion in the case in which the carbon tax satisfies this interval. In all the other cases, there is a U-shaped trend in profits and consumer risk aversion levels for both the building materials manufacturer and the remanufacturer.

Water content estimation of recycled building materials based on near-infrared spectroscopy

Recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one key component of the circular economy. Reusing construction materials opens the opportunity to preserve finite natural resources and their corresponding landscapes, and also reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.Unfortunately, recycling of CDW is challenging when the new product ought to be used on the same quality level as the demolished one and down-cycling should be avoided. Therefore, the CDW needs to be classified and impurities must be removed. The water content quantification of the recycled aggregates is important because the amount of existing water needs to be known, e.g., when calculating a mixture for recycling concrete. New developments in the classification and the sorting of CDW make use of the information from the spectral range in the visual and infrared region. Therefore, the approach of this study is to examine whether this information can be used to estimate the water content of various CDW materials. Based on reflection measurements in the near-infrared range between 1000nm and 2300nm a mathematical relationship between the spectral measurements and the water content is established. Three estimates for the water content are set up. The mean absorption, the water index, and the absorption difference are later tested on CDW material samples covering concrete, autoclaved aerated concrete, lightweight concrete, brick, roof tile, calcium silicate brick and gypsum.

The Study of Carbonyl Emissions and Ozone Removal on Green Recycled Building Materials

Green recycled building materials (GRBMs) have the potential to reduce carbon footprint but with insufficient emission information. The increasing application of GRBMs may affect human health due to potential primary and/or secondary emissions. This study centers on assessing carbonyl emissions and ozone removal on green recycled building materials under ozone exposure circumstances. Tested materials include gypsum board (GB), waterproof gypsum board (WGB), fiber cement board (FCB), and calcium silicate board (CSB). Among all the observed carbonyls, methacrolein and formaldehyde were the only two that could be found on all four recycled building materials. All carbonyl compounds had relatively high emission factors at the beginning of the experiment and decreased to a relatively lower level one month later. Carbonyl emissions were about 33.3%, 38.9%, 42.0%, and 8.0% of their original values for WGB, FCB, CSB, and GB, respectively. The ozone removal efficiencies at the beginning and one month later were 63.26±6.11% and 61.59±5.46% on CSB, 55.74±4.94% and 47.16±7.97% on FCB, 54.59±6.50% and 34.93±6.77% on GB, and 53.63±8.40% and 23.49±6.63% on WGB, respectively. CSB seems to be a healthier recycled building material compared with WGB, GB, and FCB in terms of low carbonyl emissions and high ozone removal efficiency.

Mechanical properties and flexural behaviour of green light weight concrete beams exposure to salty soils

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the mechanical properties, durability and flexural behaviour of green concrete beam when subjected to harsh environments by using recycled building materials. Concrete resistance to external aggressive environmental condition is one of the most significant characteristics to maintain the concrete durability. The fundamental goal of this study is to understanding the performance of green lightweight concrete beam of (10×10×40 cm) under two different severe saline conditions; Ground Water Condition (GWC) and Severe Saline Clay Soil Condition (SSC) that contain chlorides and sulfates at concentrations like to those existing in groundwater and soil of the southern and middle parts of Iraq. In this research, in addition to normal concrete; three basic categories of green lightweight concrete are used: structural, non-structural and moderate strength using recycled of clay bricks and themestone blocks as coarse Light Weight Concrete (LWA) by a replacement ratio of (0, 50 and 100) % volume of natural coarse aggregate. All green Light Weight Aggregate Concrete (LWAC) beams and related specimens for mechanical properties were subjected to GWC, SSC and Laboratory Air Condition (LAC) for till (3, 6 and 9 months) after twenty-eight days of curing by tap water. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and density were also studied. The results obtained offered that the GWC and SSC have impacted the performance of all concrete beam types negatively with exposure age. The decadence was more for non-structural green LWAC beam. It is found that the resistance of beams contains bricks aggregate to GWC and SSC was a better than the other types of the green LWAC, the percentage decreases in failure load were 15.47% and 13.31% at 9 months of exposure to GWC and SSC measured relative to concrete beam exposed to LAC, respectively. Under the effect of aggressive conditions till 3 months, the results clarified that the improvement rate in the mechanical properties of the green LWAC were increased with age in comparison with ordinary concrete. The percentage reduction in compressive, splitting tensile strength and density at 9 months were ranged between (8.70-17.05) %, (14.71-36.50) % and (0.11-3.98) %, respectively measured relative to the same specimens in LAC.

A Regression-Based Approach for Assessing the Buckling Coefficient of Stiffened and Unstiffened Elements

Sustainable construction begins essentially by enabling the application of renewable and recyclable building materials. Cold-formed steel sections providing long-term sustainability and having a high strength-to-weight ratio are finding extensive application in the fields of construction and engineering. The Effective Width Method (EWM) and the Direct Strength Method (DSM) are the primary available analytical methods for the design of these sections. The design procedure for the buckling strength prediction of these analytical methods is inherently dependent on the critical buckling load, which in turn is influenced by the plate buckling coefficients. The plate buckling coefficient of either a stiffened or an unstiffened element is defined for varied boundary conditions and elemental stress ratios. Evaluating the design procedure for the critical buckling load, which is taken as the minimum of the elemental strengths, it was clearly evident that the analytical method yields highly conservative solutions. This conservative prediction is inherently caused by the application of individual plate buckling coefficients that fail to account for the inter-element interaction.The present research strives to propose a regression-based method for the determination of the critical buckling load. The symbolic regression analysis with the aid of machine learning is opted for to obtain more precise and reliable mathematical solutions for the buckling coefficients. The inter-element interaction and varied loading conditions are assessed for their influence and are accounted for in the expressions of the buckling coefficient. More reliable and accurate buckling strength prediction results with a broader conceptual approach are postulated.

Converging Directions of Organic Architecture and City Planning: A Theoretical Exploration

The 'organic’ direction and energy saving are key postulates of sustainable development today. The term "organic architecture" was first formulated in the 1890s in the works of Louis Sullivan, who used this phrase to distinguish himself from prevailing eclecticism. Later, its principles were defined in the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, developed in the works of Alvar Aalto, Richard Neutra, Luigi Fiumara, and others. This paper examines this issue of organic architecture and city planning and its relevance to the modern world. It employs complex and systematic approach as a research methodology. Systematic approach was manifested in the analysis and synthesis of the main directions of organic architecture, their types and genres, which correlate with the evolution of city planning, Historical and urban planning analysis has been utilized to understand the impact of organic principles on cityscapes, and a scientifically based complex approach explores the relationships between organic architecture and a range of social, economic and environmental phenomena at the current stage. The research methodology employed in this study revolves around a comprehensive examination of the formation and evolution of organic architecture and city planning, with a focus on the integration of energy-saving and Nature-saving technologies. The paper identifies four main directions of organic architecture. The first is based on a harmonious combination of Nature, Architecture, and Man. Here, ‘organic’ means ‘subordinate to the landscape and climatic conditions of the environment.’ The founder of this idea is Frank Lloyd Wright. The period of emergence and flourishing was the 20s in the 20th century. The second stage, biomorphism, was formed in the 1950s and 1960s and was based on imitating natural forms. Oleksandr Lazarev, Santiago Kalatrava and others promoted this aspect of organic architecture. The third which appeared at the end of the 20th century, is aimed at preserving natural resources using energy-saving technologies. The fourth is the reuse of building materials and products and recycling. Receieved Reviewed Revised Published 27.07.2023 17.08.2023 25.08.2023 31.08.2023 ISVS e-journal, Vol. 10, Issue 8 August, 2023 Journal of the International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements Scopus Indexed Since 2016 224 The paper shows a gradual convergence of all directions; that is, buildings are increasingly combined with the surrounding spaces, and simultaneously, their forms are becoming more plastic, reminiscent of natural ones. Energy-saving technologies and recycling building materials and waste are becoming integral to organic architecture. Nevertheless, the most important thing is a person's connection with the environment and creating comfortable living conditions.

Using recycled aggregate and powder from high-strength mortar waste for durable cement-based materials: Microstructure and chloride transport

The large-scale application of high-strength mortar in engineering will inevitably generate a significant amount of high-strength mortar waste in future, but there has been relatively limited research to date on the reuse of high-strength mortar waste as recycled building materials. Therefore, this paper studied the microstructure and chloride transport in cement-based materials using recycled fine aggregate (HCRA) and recycled powder (HCRP) derived from high-strength mortar waste or from high-strength mortar waste separated from high-strength concrete waste recycling. HCRA had much better physical and mechanical properties than ordinary recycled aggregate. HCRP contained some active components, and mixing appropriate HCRP refined paste pore structure; besides, reducing HCRP particle size could further refine the pore diameter of HCRP doped mortar. The strength of mortar first raised and then declined with the increment of HCRA replacement, but the strength decreased as HCRP was incorporated. Incorporating HCRA slightly reduced the chloride migration in mortar, and the mortar with HCRA had better chloride resistance than the mortar with recycled fine aggregate crushed from ordinary mortar waste. Mixing appropriate HCRP could reduce the chloride diffusion coefficient and chloride concentration. Reducing HCRP particle size further declined the chloride transport in HCRP blended mortar, and the mortar with HCRP had superior chloride resistance to the mortar with ordinary recycled powder. Mixing HCRA and HCRP both raise the chloride binding capacity. Particularly, fully recycled mortar with 100% HCRA and 30% HCRP exhibited even better chloride resistance than reference mortar. Incorporating appropriate HCRA and HCRP could prepare durable cement-based materials with good chloride resistance.

Recycling of building materials: an overview

The present article aims to investigate the issue of recycling building materials. The subject area was determined with regards to building materials’ use and the related environmental costs. The research methodology comprised source materials, as well as the analyses and experiments conducted by the authors. The obtained research results present the current trends and definitions of terms related to the presented issues. Re-development potential and methods regarding the most typical building materials, as well as the main architectural trends towards using recycled materials, are presented in the article.

A Study on the Fire-Retardant and Sound-Proofing Properties of Stainless Steel EAF Oxidizing Slag Applied to the Cement Panel.

Because of incomplete recycling resource management and technology development, inorganic sludge and slag has been misused in Taiwan. The recycling of inorganic sludge and slag is a pressing crisis. Resource materials with a sustainable use value are misplaced and have a significant impact on society and the environment, which greatly reduces industrial competitiveness. To solve the dilemma of EAF oxidizing slag recycled from the steel-making process, it is important to find solutions to improve the stability of EAF oxidizing slags based on the innovative thinking of the circular economy. We can improve the value of recycling resources and solve the contradiction between economic development and environmental impact. The project team intends to investigate the development and application of reclaiming EAF oxidizing slags blended with fire-retardant materials, which will integrate R&D work from four different aspects. First, a verification mechanism is carried out to establish stainless steel furnace materials. Suppliers must be assisted in conducting quality management for EAF oxidizing slags to ensure the quality of the materials provided. Next, high-value building materials must be developed using slag stabilization technology, and fire-retardant tests must be conducted on the recycled building materials. A comprehensive evaluation and verification of the recycled building materials must be undertaken, and high-value green building materials must be produced with fire-retardant and sound-proofing characteristics. Integration with national standards and regulations can drive the market integration of high-value building materials and the industrial chain. On the other hand, the applicability of existing regulations to facilitate the legal use of EAF oxidizing slags will be explored.

Utilizing heat-mechanical synergistic treatment for separating concrete waste into high-quality recycled aggregate, active recycled powder and new concrete

Previous literatures highlighted that it is sustainable to reutilize concrete waste as recycled building materials, but a high value-added recycling approach is urgently needed. Therefore, this work investigated the feasibility of using heat-mechanical synergistic treatment at 600–800 °C for separating concrete waste into high-quality recycled aggregate (HRA) and active recycled powder (ARP). The HRA had much lower adhered mortar content and water absorption than ordinary recycled aggregate (ORA); the ARP contained active calcium silicate and calcium oxide, and 800 °C-separated ARP had greater reactivity than 600 °C-separated ARP. Incorporating HRA and intermixing ARP both decreased the compressive strength. However, the HRA blended concrete had greater compressive strength than ORA blended concrete, and the compressive strength of concrete with 100% 800 °C-separated HRA was 14.6% larger than that of concrete with 100% ORA; besides, the concrete with 800 °C-separated ARP had higher compressive strength than the concrete with 600 °C-separated ARP. Although the addition of HRA or ARP raised the transport properties of concrete, HRA blended concrete had lower transport properties than ORA blended concrete, and the concrete with 800 °C-separated ARP had lower transport properties than concrete with 600 °C-separated ARP. At 100% replacement ratio, the capillary absorption coefficient and chloride migration coefficient of concrete with 800 °C-separated HRA were 11.1% and 22.6% lower than those of concrete with 100% ORA. Higher heat temperature can induce extra damage in HRA but elevate the ARP reactivity, and the heat-mechanical synergistic treatment can be adjusted for optimization according to the actual requirement.

Comparison of resistance improvement to Aspergillus brasiliensis growth on recycled building materials by nano-metal impregnation and ozone treatment

This study explores the potential of nanometal and ozone treatment to improve the Aspergillus brasiliensis resistance of recycled building materials (RBMs). RBMs include gypsum board (GB), waterproof gypsum board (WGB), calcium silicate board (CSB), and fiber cement board (FCB). The A. brasiliensis was inoculated on each sample, and their growth was visually evaluated according to ASTM G21-09. The results show that the effect of the treatment with nano-silver of 0.015 g/L and 0.03 g/L solution by impregnation was similar to that of the treatment with 60 ppb concentration of ozone for 4 hours: rating 3 on GB, rating 1 on WGB, rating 1 on CSB, and rating 1 on FCB. The antifungal effects of different building materials treated with different types and concentrations of nanometals or ozone are different. All the tested nanometals or ozone of the selected concentrations failed to provide complete protection against fungal growth on the four tested BMs. However, it is supposedly confirmed that the higher the nanometal concentration was, the longer the lag period until fungi growth began, and fewer fungi grew on the materials.

Environmental attitudes and recycling behaviour of architects in New Zealand

The use of reclaimed and recycled building materials is considered a pro-environmental behaviour and studying the factors that influence this is a first step towards establishing such behaviour. It is therefore essential to understand how pro-environmental behaviours develop. This article investigates the relationships between the influential factors on behaviours that help reduce waste in the construction industry, focussing on New Zealand architects. The study utilizes an online questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which is made up of attitude, subjective norm, intention, and perceived behavioural control. The study reveals that the attitudes, intentions and perceived behavioural control of architects are strong predictors of pro-environmental behaviour while the subjective norm is a weak predictor. Knowledge of architects about regulations and certificates related to recycled materials will influence the pro-environmental practices. One of the obstacles in this way is the attitude of people and architects can play an important role in changing it. These findings show that architects need to be informed about related regulations and educated about different ways of integrating these materials.

Innovative Approaches to The Building of Climate Change Resistant Cities: Climate Change Management And Energy Effıcient Buildings

Kentsel alanlarda enerji kaynaklarının efektif kullanılması, kent ve çevre sorunlarının belirginleşmesinde ve azaltılmasında önemli bir faktördür. Her ne nedenle olursa olsun baskın bir şekilde ortaya çıkan kentsel sorunların çözümü kolay olmamaktadır. Özellikle her kentin kendi coğrafi şartları, kent kültürü ve mimarisi dikkate alındığında bütünleşik tasarım anlayışının sorunları önlemde önemli bir yaklaşım olacağı ortaya çıkabilir. Nitekim binalarda enerji verimliliğinin artırılmasına ilişkin projelerde örnek bina tasarımlarına vurgu yapılmaktadır. Kentsel alanlardaki artan nüfus dikkate alındığında bu çözüm yaklaşımlarının hem kent ve çevre sorunlarının önlenmesinde hem de kentsel yaşamın etkinliği açısından önemli olduğu söylenebilir. Nitekim plansız yapılaşma, fosil yakıt kullanımı, yeşil alanların azalması, betonlaşma, karbon salınımı, sanayileşmeye bağlı hava kirliliği vb. birçok sorun ve bunların sebep olduğu olumsuz etkileri gidermede birçok kurum ciddi arayışlara girişmişlerdir. Özellikle iklim değişikliği ile ortaya çıkan kent ve çevresel sorunlar ciddi boyutlara ulaşmıştır. Bilişim çağında, teknolojik alanında her geçen gün yeni gelişmeler olmasına, bireysel ve kurumsal ölçekte teknolojik beceri ve kapasitelerin artmasına rağmen iklim değişikliğinin ve etkilerinin önüne geçilememektedir. Bütün bunlar göz önünde bulundurulduğunda, iklim değişikliğine karşı dirençli kentlerin oluşmasında yenilikçi yöntemlerin belirlenerek sürdürülebilir çözümlerin üretilmesine duyulan ihtiyaç, daha fazla ortaya çıkmaktadır. İklim değişikliğinin etkilerinin azaltılmasında hemen her düzeydeki yönetim, kurum ve kuruluşun, kaynakların kullanımı noktasında mevcut durum analizlerinin yapılması, verimlilik politikalarının üretilmesi, çevre dostu uygulamaların benimsenmesi, dönüştürülebilen yapı malzemelerinin seçilmesi ve yenilebilir enerji sistemlerinin tercih edilmesi gibi birçok yaklaşımı dikkate alması gerekmektedir. Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından deklare edilen sürdürülebilir kalkınma amaçların (SKA)’da yer alan; “Erişilebilir ve Temiz Enerji”, “Sanayi, Yenilikçilik ve Altyapı”, “Sürdürülebilir Şehirler ve Topluluklar” ve “İklim Eylemi” bileşenleri bu yönde amaçları içermektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma, iklim değişikliği yönetişimiyle elde edilen mevcut durum analizi ve sürdürülebilir enerji verimli binaların dirençli kentler açısından rolünü incelemektedir.

Re-establishing traditional stilt structures in contemporary architecture–The possibilities

PurposeThe study aims to explore factors affecting stilt construction and the possibilities of using innovative materials and construction methods to re-establish the traditional stilt structures.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a qualitative research method using an in-depth interview with selected architects to document experience and insights of the architects on the challenges and possibilities of using innovative materials and construction methods to re-establish the traditional stilt structures. Purposive sampling was used to determine the respondents for the study. Architects with experience designing stilt houses in architects' architectural practice were selected to take in the study.FindingsStudy revealed that generally architects are keen on using stilt structures. Building materials and costs associated with designing and constructing stilt structures were identified as the key challenges. However, architects suggest using recycled building materials as possible solutions to encourage the construction of stilt structures in Malaysia. The architects also preferred to use hybridized recycled materials for stilt structures as hybridized materials have improved structural properties and functions. Additionally, the study identified “psychological hesitation” or “accessibility” as a factor affecting the construction of stilt buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThroughout this study, some limitations have been dealt with. The first is the limitation of sample size. Contemporary stilt architecture is not very common in Malaysia today, and not many architects have experience in designing stilt houses. Although the method of purposive sampling was used, a larger sample size could have generated a more diverse result. The second limitation is the dearth of research on contemporary stilt houses in Malaysia. As stilt construction is uncommon in Malaysia and the existing material focuses primarily on traditional Malay houses, this has been one of the major challenges. Finally, most of the literature on stilt construction is from Southeast Asia, limited or insufficient studies and literature on local stilt construction would have a greater benefit to the study.Practical implicationsThe outcomes from this study would benefit the scholars who have an interest in exploring stilts construction in contemporary architecture as well as innovative construction materials and construction methods. As the study brings forth the challenges and possibilities of restoring the traditional stilt constructions, the study can be used as a reference by designers to garner a deeper understanding of the traditional stilt construction and encourage designers to focus on possible innovations for stilt construction from the aspects of materials and methods in ensuring the traditional element is present in future design and construction.Originality/valueThe study is a response to an obvious dearth body of knowledge in stilt construction in the Malaysian context. The study identifies the key challenges and possible and practical solutions. The findings of this study represent a scholastic effort that can be used as a reference by academics and scholars.

Research on high quality development strategy of green building: A full life cycle perspective on recycled building materials

China's Green Building (GB) evaluation standard has always emphasized the use of Recycled Building Materials (RBM). However, the quality of RBM is a major obstacle to its promotion. Unlike previous studies, this study innovatively developed a four-way evolutionary game model including Local Government (LG), RBM suppliers, developers and homebuyers, and examined their strategy changes from the production of building materials to the purchase and use of homes. This paper uses MATLAB 2021b software to simulate and verify the model and uses the real market data of Wuhan city and Sanya city to analyze the influence of some key factors among 23 factors such as the price of purchasing natural building materials P2 and the basic utility obtained by purchasing a house B. The results showed the following: (1) Among the four evolutionary stable strategies in this system, the optimal strategy combination lies when LG does not plan, manufacturers perform upcycling and when developers and homebuyers choose RBM. (2) High fines can force suppliers to perform upcycling, and developers will build houses according to homebuyers' preferences. If homebuyers are in immediate demand for homes, they will more willing to purchase homes built with RBM. (3) Considering the financial pressure of LG, it should promote the system in parallel with rewards and penalties in the early stage of development, while after a period of time, LG can stop making any subsidies and only retain the regulation of suppliers. This study helps to better understand the behaviors of various stakeholders in the full life cycle of RBM, and provides some reference for the development of RBM and GB in China.