University of Twente Student Theses
Barriers and Recommendations for Integrating Circularity in Construction Projects
Feitsma, D.H. (2022) Barriers and Recommendations for Integrating Circularity in Construction Projects.
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| Abstract: | The building and construction industry is notorious for consuming large amounts of natural resources where these resources are disposed after their use. This unsustainable business model is expected to change toward a circular version, which promotes the use of materials at their highest possible utility in order to decrease waste and to preserve natural resources. However, it is proven to be difficult to integrate circularity in the industry for numerous reasons. Dutch construction company Dura Vermeer also experiences these difficulties. This research aims to integrate circularity in the standard way of working at Dura Vermeer, which is called FLOW based on the standard description of project phases in the Dutch construction industry. The focus of this research is on the design phase as the decisions on circular principles such as construction methods and materialization are taken in this phase. This phase thus heavily influences the eventual circularity in the project. To this end, a list of 53 barriers to implementing circularity in the design process was compiled and categorized into five dimensions: technical, social, organizational, economical, and regulatory. The presence of these barriers was evaluated in practice through a multiple case study of four projects with a circular focus at Dura Vermeer. The data from the case studies were collected through semi-structured interviews and complemented with a document analysis. Of these 53 barriers, 24 barriers surfaced notably more in practice compared to literature. Furthermore, ten other barriers surfaced in practice that were not found in literature. Ultimately, the findings highlighted five insightful lessons learned, subsequently transformed into recommendations for Dura Vermeer. These recommendations are 1) to early formulate feasible and detailed circularity ambitions; 2) to ensure a warm handover of project phases; 3) to materialize the design early in the project; 4) to make use of standard solutions and designs; and 5) to involve partners early in the project. The application of these recommendations has been validated by conducting two focus group sessions of in total seven participants. These sessions confirmed that these five recommendations were relevant as they address barriers that are continuously experienced in projects at Dura Vermeer. Furthermore, these sessions confirm that the ambition statement in the initiative phase is leading for the course of the project as incorporating salvaged materials requires a different strategy than novel circular materials. Lastly, the focus group session helped in highlighting the project phases and responsible team members whose responsibility it is to carry these recommendations. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Programme: | Construction Management and Engineering MSc (60337) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95137 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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