Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vincent Augiseau, Eunhye Kim
Summary: This article examines the spatial distribution of construction materials in the Paris region in 2013, using a GIS modeling approach to estimate and locate different types of stocks. The study found a higher proportion of underground materials in anthropogenic stocks, with higher stock density in central Paris. Data suggests that systematic assessment of construction materials stocks in French regions and cities can be conducted using statistical data and GIS modeling.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Benjamin Sprecher, Teun Johannes Verhagen, Marijn Louise Sauer, Michel Baars, John Heintz, Tomer Fishman
Summary: Re-use and recycling in the construction sector are crucial for controlling resource use, but acquiring data on the material content of buildings poses a significant challenge. Increasing the number of data points can provide a more comprehensive assessment of material stocks and the types of materials in demolition streams.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wendy Wuyts, Alessio Miatto, Kronnaphat Khumvongsa, Jing Guo, Pasi Aalto, Lizhen Huang
Summary: This paper examines the contribution of material stock studies to urban circularity, with a focus on the built environment. By conducting a critical literature review, it is found that only a portion of the studies provide relevant information for implementing circular cities, and the effectiveness varies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Teun Johannes Verhagen, Marijn Louise Sauer, Ester van der Voet, Benjamin Sprecher
Summary: The recycling of demolition waste is crucial for reducing the primary material demand in the construction sector, but in the Dutch construction industry, there are challenges in repurposing waste materials, requiring new government policies to improve processing efficiency and reuse rates.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Mercedes del Rio Merino, Carlos Gomez Moreira, Paola Villoria Saez
Summary: This research investigates the possibility of using waste from Absorbent Hygienic Products (AHP) in gypsum-based construction materials to reduce raw material consumption and promote waste recycling. Through experiments and tests, it was found that adding recycled fibers and AHP waste can improve the mechanical behavior and surface hardness of the compounds. It can be concluded that substituting part of the gypsum with AHP waste is a viable option to meet the required mechanical resistance values according to the current standard UNE-EN 13279-2.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Elodie Varennes, Denise Blanc, Antonin Azais, Jean-Marc Choubert
Summary: This article assesses the importance of recovering metals from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) from strategic, financial, and mining perspectives. The study finds a strong recovery potential for magnesium in the entire WWTP and identifies sewage sludge as the most suitable matrix to recover chromium and copper. Further investigation is required for metals like palladium, platinum, and tungsten found in incinerated sewage sludge ash. Several metals in treated wastewaters, including calcium, potassium, sodium, silicon, nickel, and zinc, show either strong financial potential or are critically important. Transforming WWTP into urban mines is an incentivized move towards a circular economy.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Luis de la Torre de Palacios, Jose Antonio Espi Rodriguez
Summary: The simplistic model of the circular economy faces challenges in the industrial use of mineral resources, and valuation tools are needed to ensure the sustainability of using old mineral residues.
Article
Environmental Studies
Huilong Li, Xinyuan Wei, Xinyu Gao
Summary: The study reveals that the primary objective of China's provincial mining CE policy has shifted from reduction to recycling, with compulsory instruments dominating while motivational instruments are increasing. However, lack of competency constructive and organizational tools may hinder CE policy in China's mining industry. The study suggests expanding policy objectives to include economy-environment-employment benefits, utilizing structured cognition for policy instruments selection, and giving more attention to organizational policy tools in emerging countries.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Rezvan Mohammadiziazi, Melissa M. Bilec
Summary: The linear system of take, make, and waste has negative environmental impacts and a circular economy approach may offer benefits. The building sector, being a major consumer of materials and contributor to environmental impacts, is an ideal sector to implement circular economy strategies. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the availability and types of materials from renovation and demolition/deconstruction in the U.S., resulting in slower implementation of circular economy strategies like reuse in buildings.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Luca Silvestri, Antonio Forcina, Cecilia Silvestri, Marzia Traverso
Summary: The study assessed the circularity potential of REEs in the vehicle batteries industry in Europe and investigated the potential of a closed-loop recycling system. Results show that current recovery technology and policies can reduce future demand for REEs, high collection and recovery rates can help counter uncertainties in REEs supply chain, and REEs recovery is crucial for ensuring economic sustainability of the recycling process.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Arvind Upadhyay, Tim Laing, Vikas Kumar, Manoj Dora
Summary: The circular economy is a widely discussed topic in the field of eco-industrial initiatives, aiming to close the resource loop through re-utilization and recycling. This model not only reduces waste of resources and money, but also increases opportunities for economic growth.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jay H. Arehart, Francesco Pomponi, Bernardino D'Amico, Wil V. Srubar
Summary: This study uses material flow analysis to estimate the material stocks and flows and associated upfront embodied carbon emissions for gravity building structural systems in the United States. The study predicts the increased floor space and structural material demands through 2100 and suggests that urban mining alone cannot meet the growing demand for structural materials, but the adoption of timber-based systems can reduce carbon emissions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Marta Rodriguez Aybar, Cesar Porras-Amores, Esther Moreno Fernandez, Alvaro Perez Raposo
Summary: Around 320 million new padel and tennis balls are used worldwide each year, producing approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste. This research evaluates the physical and mechanical properties of new recycled materials with padel-tennis waste, showing that the material complies with building standards and has increased flexural strength. The material can be used to manufacture pre-cast panels and walls, optimizing sustainability in the construction sector.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Natthanij Soonsawad, Raymundo Marcos Martinez, Heinz Schandl
Summary: The construction and maintenance of buildings in Australia have a significant environmental impact, with concrete being the largest contributor to the material footprint. The demand for building materials is projected to increase in the future, posing challenges to achieve sustainable outcomes and meet emission reduction targets.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rima Kumari, Sukha Ranjan Samadder
Summary: The study focuses on the recycling-oriented characterization of waste mobile phones (WMPs) for resource recovery. The results show that PCBs have the highest economic recovery potential among the components of WMPs, with an estimated revenue generation of more than $50,000 per ton of waste PCBs. Copper, Sn, and Ni demonstrate high recovery potential, while Au, Pd, and Ag exhibit high economic value among precious metals. The study suggests that WMPs can serve as a promising source for sustainable recovery of rare and valuable metals, aiding policymakers in designing effective e-waste management strategies.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pi-Cheng Chen, Yu-Ting Lin
Summary: This study improves the spatial interpolation of PM2.5 using data from low-cost microsensors in Taiwan, compared to traditional monitoring stations. By utilizing clustering techniques and correlations from selected air quality stations, the developed approach shows fewer estimation errors, particularly in regions with high PM2.5 spatial heterogeneities. The results indicate the potential for this approach to be applied in other areas for better exposure assessments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Vahid Asghari, Shu-Chien Hsu
Summary: This paper presents a new machine learning-based methodology to estimate optimal intervention timings and demonstrates its feasibility and efficiency through experiments. The proposed method can assist practitioners in making better decisions in asset management systems and furthering sustainability objectives.
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Clara Man Cheung, Rita Peihua Zhang, Ran Wang, Shu-Chien Hsu, Patrick Manu
Summary: Group-level safety climate is a leading indicator of safety performance in the construction industry. This study examines the collective influence of multilevel factors on group-level safety climate. The results show that organizational-level safety climate, coworker support, and supervisory safety-specific transformational leadership significantly contribute to group-level safety climate. Additionally, supervisory safety-specific transformational leadership and coworker support positively affect individual psychological capital, and psychological capital moderates the relationship between supervisory safety-specific transformational leadership and group-level safety climate.
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zhongnan Ye, Shu-Chien Hsu, Hsi-Hsien Wei
Summary: This study developed an FE-based machine learning framework for predicting structural displacement based on temperature data, with RF and GB models outperforming others in terms of predictive accuracy. The developed framework shows high potential for real-time structural response prediction during fire emergencies.
AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Valeria Alvarado, Shu-Chien Hsu, Zhuoying Wu, Huichuan Zhuang, Po-Heng Lee, Jeremy S. Guest
Summary: Biological models of anaerobic digestion have been used to test control strategies. This study developed a novel microbial individuality model that identified the importance of homoacetogenesis in anaerobic digestion.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ziyue Yuan, Shu-Chien Hsu, Clara Man Cheung, Vahid Asghari
Summary: The transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in the construction industry were studied to establish effective nonpharmaceutical interventions. The control of exposed individuals' close contacts was found to be the most effective measure, while the contribution of indirect transmission pathways at construction sites was weak. Vaccination of both construction workers and their close contacts is also recommended to reduce the total attack rate.
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Richard Wang, Zongnan Ye, Shu-Chien Hsu, Jieh-Haur Chen
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the energy demand during work-from-home arrangements by 9%, necessitating the exploration of additional energy supply for resilience. This study evaluates the potential of utilizing photovoltaic rooftops to supplement the increased energy demand and finds that a photovoltaic system could meet 6.8%-11% of the additional energy demand, mainly depending on air-conditioning operation and solar generation. These findings are crucial for ensuring energy resilience in future grid planning and operation.
ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ziyue Yuan, Salihu Sabiu Musa, Shu-Chien Hsu, Clara Man Cheung, Daihai He
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of gathering restrictions and quarantine policies based on a modified SEIHR model to study the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. The results showed that the disease cannot be eliminated even if the basic reproduction number is less than 1. The study also identified the most sensitive parameters that affect the overall dynamics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ziyue Yuan, Shi Zhao, Shu-Chien Hsu, Clara Man Cheung
Summary: This study analyzed COVID-19 case cluster data from construction sites in Hong Kong using spatiotemporal analysis and found that the transmission of COVID-19 primarily occurs in workplace and household settings, rather than spreading to the surrounding areas of infected construction sites. The study also identified that closing workplaces within two working days after a primary case is identified and encouraging household members of infected construction workers to follow quarantines can significantly reduce the number of offspring cases.
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Vahid Asghari, Ava Jahan Biglari, Shu-Chien Hsu
Summary: This paper introduces the use of reinforcement learning in infrastructure asset management and proposes a holistic framework that considers deterioration, hazards, and cost fluctuations as sources of uncertainties while incorporating managerial aspects. By constructing and training multi-agent reinforcement learning models, the framework provides flexibility in decision-making in the face of uncertainties.
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zixuan Kang, Zhongnan Ye, Shu-Chien Hsu
Summary: Vehicle electrification is transforming global road transport, but the understanding of electric vehicle's (EVs) well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 emissions is limited to annual averages, disregarding short-term variations. This study developed a framework to quantify the heterogeneity in WTW CO2 emissions of EVs based on different charging hours and multiple regions. By considering consumption-based grid CO2 emission factors, dynamic EV fuel consumption rates, and different charging levels and EV types, a three-year hourly-resolution WTW CO2 emission inventory was created for 71 regions across the contiguous United States. Results showed that EV's WTW CO2 emissions vary based on season, charging hour, region, and EV type, with a potential reduction of up to 26% by shifting the common charging time. This study provides a foundation for policymakers to develop smart charging schemes to minimize EV's WTW CO2 emissions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mudasir Hussain, Bowen Zheng, Hung -Lin Chi, Shu-Chien Hsu, Jieh-Haur Chen
Summary: BIM-LCA integration facilitates sustainability indicators in infrastructure projects, but poses interoperability and information exchange issues. This study develops a parametric-life-cycle-carbon assessment (PLCCA) model for automating data-integration, dynamic-computations, and online-visualization of carbon emissions. The model incorporates emission factors as additional design parameters in the BIM-model and uses parameterized inputs to dynamically calculate carbon emissions. Multi-objective optimization is used to optimize design parameters and facilitate early decisions, reducing carbon emissions by 32.94% and 28.40% in the production and operational phases of a tunnel in Yunnan, China.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Vahid Asghari, Mohammad Hossein Kazemi, Mohammadsadegh Shahrokhishahraki, Pingbo Tang, Amin Alvanchi, Shu-Chien Hsu
Summary: A limited assessment of the development process and various stages of machine learning (ML) based solutions for construction engineering (CE) problems are available in the literature. Sixteen areas of improvement at different stages of ML projects' development cycle are identified and discussed with examples from past studies. These areas of improvement include justifying the application of ML models, employing proper data collection strategies, using accurate data pre-processing techniques, selecting and training models correctly, and performance validation. Researchers and practitioners can utilize these findings to enhance the reliability and applicability of ML-based CE studies, bridging the gap between research and practice.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ziyue Yuan, Zhongnan Ye, Yi Zhang, Shu-Chien Hsu
Summary: The spread of airborne infectious diseases is primarily driven by superspreading events, where a single individual infects several contacts directly. To reduce the likelihood of these events, this study developed a network-based computational framework to identify potential superspreaders in construction projects. The framework was evaluated with numerical case studies, showing that up to 82.35% of infected cases can be prevented through regular rapid antigen tests and contract tracing.
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hui Zhu, Shuenn-Ren Liou, Pi-Cheng Chen
Summary: This paper explores the reuse of construction waste and proposes a framework based on material classification and reverse disassembly. The effectiveness of this method is verified through a study on an office building in Taiwan.
