Advancing Circular Economy in the Construction Sector for Sustainability

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of the construction sector and the built environment for more sustainable development. In fact, this sector is crucial for addressing global environmental challenges, including climate change, resource depletion, and waste management, while also promoting economic growth and resilience. Besides increasing energy efficiency and taking advantage of renewable energy sources, the implementation of circular economy (CE) principles is another recent goal of policy-makers, not only in Europe but all over the world, mainly in most developed countries.

Building construction contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas emissions, raw material extraction, and waste production. Implementing Circular Economy principles in the building construction industry could significantly reduce these impacts throughout the lifecycle of the built environment. This includes using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, enhancing energy efficiency, and ensuring that structures are durable and adaptable to future needs.

The main goal of this research topic is to collect the most recent advances related to sustainable construction and circular economy, including innovative materials, construction techniques, policy frameworks, and economic models that support the transition to sustainable and circular practices within the construction sector and the built environment.

This research topic welcomes original research articles, review papers, as well as case studies covering a wide range of topics related to sustainable construction and circular economy. Specific research topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Design for Disassembly and Reuse;
• Waste Reduction Strategies;
• Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) management;
• Urban Mining;
• Sustainable Building Materials;
• Carbon Sequestration in Construction Materials;
• Water Efficiency and Management;
• Life-cycle assessment (LCA) in Construction;
• Energy Efficiency in Buildings;
• Renewable Energy Integration;
• Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Sustainability;
• Circular Business Models in Construction;
• User Behaviour and Sustainability;
• Sustainable Urban Planning;
• Adaptation and Resilience in Building Design;
• Policy and Regulation for Sustainable Construction.

The proposed research topic will be a platform for researchers, investigators, academics, scholars, scientists, stakeholders, and policy-makers to present their latest findings, share insights, and collaborate on advancing the frontier of Sustainable Construction and Circular Economy. In this context, we seek to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient built environment by promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge exchange.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Sustainable Construction, Circular Economy, Built Environment, Design for Disassembly/Reuse, Waste Reduction, Construction and Demolition Waste, Urban Mining, Sustainable Building Materials, Life-Cycle Assessment, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, BIM

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.