Amudjie, J., Chan, A. P. C., Darko, A., Debrah, C., & Agyekum, K. (2025). CircularBIM: Future needs at the convergence of building information modelling and the circular economy. Automation in Construction, 176, 106250. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106250
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Abstract
The progressions of industrial revolutions have enabled diverse digital technologies in architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO), with Building Information Modelling (BIM) gaining notable attention. Concurrently, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a crucial strategy for addressing socio-economic issues such as waste, resource depletion, and climate change. However, limitations within BIM or CE implementations have led to these persisting socio-economic challenges. This paper presents a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on the convergence of BIM and CE (hereafter, CircularBIM), utilizing a mixed-method approach (bibliometric and systematic review techniques), analysing 89 relevant studies. Key research trends identified include life cycle assessments, deconstruction, BIM-based systems, waste management, and energy efficiency. This paper suggests future research should integrate recommender systems for CircularBIM, employ real-time performance integrated CircularBIM directory, increase expert studies and broaden parameters integration for CircularBIM. Ultimately, this paper aims to enhance CircularBIM implementation in the AECO sector, providing insights for all stakeholders.
Keywords
Building information modelling; Carbon emissions; CircularBIM; Circular economy; PRISMA; Review
Darko Amos, Weerasinghe Lichini Nikesha Kumari, Chan Albert Ping Chuen, & Wu Lingzi. (2025). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling of Challenges to Existing Residential Building Net Zero Carbon Retrofitting. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(8), 05025005. doi:10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-16471
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Abstract
Residential buildings play a significant role in global energy usage and carbon emissions. In Hong Kong, they contribute to 27% of energy usage and associated carbon emissions. Retrofitting residential buildings to net zero carbon (NZC) is an efficient way to lower carbon emissions and prevent climate change. However, the widespread adoption of NZC retrofitting in the industry has been limited by several challenges, which have rarely been addressed in research. This study intended to evaluate the linkages among various challenges while assessing their impacts on NZC retrofitting of existing residential buildings. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey with 123 residential building occupants in Hong Kong, whose perspectives are largely ignored in existing building retrofit research. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Outcomes indicated that technical and social challenges have a considerable negative effect on residential building NZC retrofitting. In addition, this study highlights the connections between challenge categories and presents a predictive model illustrating the relationships between challenges and residential building NZC retrofitting. Theoretically, the outcomes of this study provide new insights into the relationships between residential building NZC retrofitting challenges and their interactive effects, revealing that the challenges influence one another and do not exist in isolation. Practically, the findings could be useful to policymakers and practitioners seeking to promote NZC retrofitting by enabling the development of effective policies and strategies to mitigate the identified challenges.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Construction Management Dr. Amos Darko has been named to the editorial board of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management as an Assistant Specialty Editor for the Sustainable Construction area. This appointment serves as an important recognition of Dr. Darko’s expertise and research in sustainable construction. Dr. Darko will play a key role in reviewing submitted manuscripts to this area of the journal. We congratulate Dr. Darko on…
Ababio, B.K., Lu, W., Darko, A. and Agyekum, K. (2025), “A cross-economy examination of circular procurement implementation in construction: key drawbacks and strategies toward a sustainable built environment”, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-09-2024-0349
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Abstract
Purpose
Circular procurement (CP) systems have become essential in the face of resource scarcity, environmental degradation and the need for cost savings. However, its widespread adoption for construction projects has been notably slow. This study sets out to examine the barriers to CP implementation and explore potential solutions to accelerate its uptake within the global construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs a quantitative approach to examine perspectives of 132 procurement experts from a split sample of two geo-economic contexts: developed and developing economies. It determines, categorizes and evaluates the barriers and strategies associated with CP implementation using descriptive statistics, principal components and comparative agreement analysis.
Findings
The findings revealed major impediments at different system levels including inadequate leadership and commitment for circular practices, little knowledge of CP opportunities, linear construction business setup and weak policies on circularity. These drawbacks were prevalent among experts from both geo-economic contexts. However, other barriers like cultural and industry behaviors were not commonly considered significant. Some effective strategies recommended by industry professionals were centered around organizational dynamics, industry nudging and financing, skill and cultural adaptation, and innovation and development mechanisms. The cross-economy comparison highlighted varying degrees of consensus in the significance of the strategies, indicative that approaches to dealing with challenges vary across economies.
Originality/value
This study, the first of its kind in the construction sector, offers insights into CP implementation dynamics, i.e. challenges and strategies relevant to different geoeconomic contexts. The comparative approach between developed and developing economies adds a unique dimension to the understanding of the peculiarities of CP adoptions and what strategies may apply.
Keywords
Circular procurement (CP); barriers; strategies; construction sector; geoeconomic context; comparative analyses
Linyan Chen, Amos Darko, Fan Zhang, Albert P.C. Chan, Qiang Yang,Can large language models replace human experts? Effectiveness and limitations in building energy retrofit challenges assessment,Building and Environment,Volume 276,2025,112891, ISSN 0360-1323,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112891.
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Abstract
Retrofitting existing buildings is essential to improve energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality in the fight against global climate change. Large language models (LLMs) have recently attracted significant attention for their ability to process data efficiently. While LLMs have emerged as useful tools for various tasks, their potential to replace human experts in assessing building energy retrofit challenges remains unexplored. This research explores the potential of replacing human experts with LLMs by evaluating four mainstream LLM chatbots and comparing their performance against a human expert benchmark through semantic similarity and text correlation metrics. It answers the research question: can LLMs replace human experts in assessing the challenges to building energy retrofits? Prompt engineering techniques, including zero-shot and chain-of-thought (CoT) prompting, were employed to guide LLM responses. Results show that LLMs perform well in identifying challenges but are less reliable in ranking them. CoT prompting improves challenge ranking accuracy but does not enhance challenge identification. Incorporating domain-specific knowledge in prompts significantly enhances LLM performance, whereas prompts designed to simulate experts have notable limitations in improving LLM performance. Furthermore, there are no significant performance differences among LLMs, including their advanced versions. While LLMs can streamline the initial identification of building energy retrofit challenges, they cannot fully replace expert judgment in ranking challenges due to their lack of tacit knowledge. This research provides valuable insight into the capabilities and limitations of LLMs in the challenge assessment, offering practical guidance for industry practitioners seeking to integrate LLMs into their building energy efficiency practices.
Keywords
Large language model; Building energy retrofit; Challenges assessment; Prompt engineering; Generative artificial intelligence
Akerele, D. D., Aguayo, F., & Wu, L. (2025). Portland Limestone Cement in Concrete Pavement and Bridge Decks: Performance Evaluation and Future Directions. Buildings, 15(5), 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050660
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Abstract
With the rising demand for sustainable infrastructure, addressing the limitations of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is crucial, particularly for exposed structures such as pavements and bridge decks. Portland limestone cement (PLC) is a sustainable alternative that delivers environmental benefits and comparable performance. This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis with a random-effects model to evaluate PLC’s strength development, durability, and sustainability. The findings indicate that PLC generally matches or surpasses OPC in terms of compressive strength, freeze–thaw resistance, and sulfate durability. However, its setting time and early-age cracking require further optimization, especially in cold climates. Additionally, this study highlights the fire performance advantages of PLC and its enhanced chloride resistance. The analysis identified critical research gaps, including long-term field performance and regional adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of PLC’s role in sustainable construction and offer future research directions on hybrid cements and admixture compatibility.
Keywords
Portland limestone cement (PLC); type 1L cement; concrete pavement; bridge deck; sustainability; low-carbon; CO2 reduction
Fatima, S., Hsiu Lee, C., & Dannenberg, A. L. (2024). Equity issues associated with the widespread implementation of autonomous vehicles. Oxford Open Infrastructure and Health, 2. https://doi.org/10.1093/ooih/ouae002.
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Abstract
Autonomous vehicles (AVs), either shared or privately owned, are predicted to become a common transport mode used by the general population in coming decades. Policies governing the use of AVs may increase or decrease social inequities. This review synthesizes existing literature and provides policy recommendations to enhance equity as the use of AVs becomes more widespread. We identified nine areas in which AVs could impact equity: (i) assessment of community mobility needs and priorities, (ii) education and outreach, (iii) disparities in infrastructure quality, (iv) equitable distribution of customer services, (v) access to AVs by persons with low incomes, (vi) shared infrastructure services, (vii) barriers to shared AV use, (viii) access to AVs by persons with disabilities and (ix) disruption of existing transportation jobs. Recommendations for promoting equitable use of AVs include (i) policies governing how jurisdictions oversee AV implementation and (ii) policies addressing how jurisdictions issue permits to AV service providers. Oversight policies include ensuring input from disadvantaged communities, providing subsidies for low-income users, establishing ride-sharing rules to protect vulnerable populations, reviewing the equity implications of proposed AV infrastructure improvements, providing retraining opportunities for those who may lose jobs due to AV implementation and monitoring the impact of AV policies implemented. Permitting processes include ensuring equitable access to AVs for low-income, minority, and older users and persons with disabilities, ensuring equitable distribution of AV service areas and verifying that data from all communities are incorporated into the artificial intelligence algorithms used to guide AVs.
Cahen, A., Dannenberg, A. L., & Kraft, M. K. (2024). Municipal Sidewalk Inventories: A Tool to Support Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Transportation Research Record. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241281738.
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Abstract
Sidewalks are a critical but underresourced part of our transportation system. Despite their importance in promoting equity, health, and safety, sidewalk networks are often underfunded and municipalities may have little information about their condition. We conducted a document review, informant interviews, and a descriptive study of 21 selected U.S. cities to compare practices for conducting sidewalk inventories and their use for improving municipal sidewalk networks. Although diverse in geography, population size, density, and median household income, the selected cities represent a sample of convenience and not a random sample of U.S. cities. The results suggested that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a primary motivator for conducting sidewalk inventories and the cost of conducting an inventory is not prohibitive. Inventory methods included walking each sidewalk segment using handheld devices, LIDAR mounted on wheeled vehicles, and aerial photography, with data uploaded to geographic information system databases. Sidewalk inventories can be used to promote equity by increasing the percentage of city streets that have sidewalks. Areas for future study include developing better cost estimates for each type of sidewalk inventory method, examining the legal implications of sidewalk inventories, and estimating the incremental health benefits obtained for each additional investment in sidewalk construction and repair.
Akerele, D. D., & Aguayo, F. (2024). Evaluating the Impact of CO2 on Calcium SulphoAluminate (CSA) Concrete. Buildings, 14(8), 2462. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14082462
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Abstract
The construction industry is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions, primarily due to the extensive use of ordinary portland cement (OPC). In response to the urgent need for sustainable construction materials, calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement has emerged as a promising alternative. CSA cement is renowned for its low carbon footprint, high early-age strength, and superior durability, making it an attractive option for reducing the environmental impact of construction activities. While CSA cement offers benefits in carbon emissions reduction, its susceptibility to carbonation presents challenges. Although the body of literature on CSA cement is rapidly expanding, its adoption rate remains low. This disparity may be attributed to several factors including the level of scientific contribution in terms of research focus and lack of comprehensive standards for various applications. As a result, the present study sets out to track the research trajectory within the CSA cement research landscape through a systematic literature review. The study employed the Prefer Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework to conduct a literature search on three prominent databases, and a thematic analysis was conducted to identify the knowledge gap for future exploration. The study revealed that while CSA concrete demonstrates superior early-age strength and environmental resistance, its susceptibility to carbonation can compromise structural integrity over time. Key mitigation strategies identified include the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), use of corrosion inhibitors, and optimization of mix designs. The review also highlights the global distribution of research, with notable contributions from the USA, China, and Europe, emphasizing the collaborative effort in advancing CSA concrete technology. The findings are crucial for enhancing sustainability and durability in the construction sector and advancing CSA binders as a sustainable alternative to traditional cement.
Keywords
concrete; calcium sulphoaluminate cement (CSA); mechanical properties; carbonation (CO2); durability; sustainability
Tetteh, M. O., Darko, A., Boateng, E. B., & Chan, A. P. C. (2024). Energy Efficiency Retrofitting of Existing Building Stock for Net Zero. In Rethinking Pathways to a Sustainable Built Environment (pp. 142–158). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003317890-9
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Abstract
Existing buildings’ retrofits improve energy efficiency and are a crucial part of global decarbonization plan. There is a need for a better understanding of public sentiment toward energy efficiency retrofitting of existing buildings (EEREB) to effectively promote its widespread adoption through policy interventions. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that assess the general public's sentiments toward EEREB. This chapter utilizes social media data to assess the overall public's sentiments of EEREB. Sentiment analysis was used to analyze a total of 3,306 comments from the social media platform YouTube. The concerns and perceptions of the public were analyzed using a Latent Dirichlet Allocation model, which identified nine main themes. These themes include ventilation, energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, comfort and occupant behavior, cost considerations, community engagement, technology usage, implementation knowledge, and social impact. The public expressed stronger positive sentiments, with about 64% reporting favorable views of EEREB and acknowledging its benefits. In addition, interesting patterns of perceptions shaped by a combination of generic and local-specific factors were identified. This chapter enhances the understanding of the general public's needs, concerns, and views on EEREB. Additionally, it could provide valuable insights for policymakers to refine or develop more effective actions in support of EEREB.