Nwonu, DC;
Josa, I;
Bernal, SA;
Velenturf, APM;
Hafez, H;
(2025)
CirCrete: A multi-criteria performance-based decision support framework for end-of-life management of concrete.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
, 211
, Article 115232. 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115232.
(In press).
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Abstract
In response to the need for a smooth transition from a linear economy, circularity strategies are gaining attention within the construction industry. While the circularity strategies for concrete, which is the most widely used construction material, are well known, there is a paucity of research about their practical implementation for end-of-life (EOL) management of concrete structures. In this study, a novel performance-based decision support framework named ‘CirCrete’ is proposed to facilitate a holistic approach for integrating the circular economy strategies for EOL management of whole concrete structures. The core of the framework is based on three broad circularity strategies that include: refurbishing, remanufacturing, and recycling. A set of indicators developed from a sustainability perspective are integrated in the framework to facilitate the comparative evaluation of the different circularity strategies for concrete. An Excel spreadsheet is provided to illustrate the utility of CirCrete. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated in two case studies exemplifying the three circularity strategies for EOL management of concrete. The first case study considers a hypothetical UK office building that demonstrate the application of CirCrete when adopting remanufacture or recycling/landfilling route, with the consideration of eight different scenarios. The second case study presented is based on an actual refurbishment project in the UK to demonstrate the application of CirCrete when implementing a refurbishment route. The results obtained highlighted the capabilities of CirCrete in providing optimal solution for EOL management of concrete and a classification system developed for rating circularity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | CirCrete: A multi-criteria performance-based decision support framework for end-of-life management of concrete |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115232 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115232 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Circular economy Concrete Environmental impact, Energy demand, Life cycle assessment, Multicriteria decision making, Resource efficiency, Sustainability |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203526 |
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