Metrics for optimising the multi-dimensional value of resources recovered from waste in a circular economy: A critical review

© 2017 The Authors - Established assessment methods focusing on resource recovery from waste within a circular economy context consider few or even a single domain/s of value, i.e. environmental, economic, social and technical domains. This partial approach often delivers misleading messages for policy- and decision-makers. It fails to accurately represent systems complexity, and obscures impacts, trade-offs and problem shifting that resource recovery processes or systems intended to promote circular economy may cause. Here, we challenge such partial approaches by critically reviewing the existing suite of environmental, economic, social and technical metrics that have been regularly observed and used in waste management and resource recovery systems' assessment studies, upstream and downstream of the point where waste is generated. We assess the potential of those metrics to evaluate ‘complex value’ of materials, components and products, i.e., the holistic sum of their environmental, economic, social and technical benefits and impacts across the system. Findings suggest that the way resource recovery systems are assessed and evaluated require simplicity, yet must retain a suitable minimum level of detail across all domains of value, which is pivotal for enabling sound decision-making processes. Criteria for defining a suitable set of metrics for assessing resource recovery from waste require them to be simple, transparent and easy to measure, and be both system- and stakeholder-specific. Future developments must focus on providing a framework for the selection of metrics that accurately describe (or at least reliably proxy for) benefits and impacts across all domains of value, enabling effective and transparent analysis of resource recovery form waste in circular economy systems.We gratefully acknowledge support of the UK Natural Environ-ment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Economic and SocialResearch Council (ESRC) who funded this work in the context of‘Complex Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery’(CVORR)project (Grant No. NE/L014149/1)

A probabilistic model framework for holistic life-cycle design of buildings

The goal of the research described in this thesis is to develop a program that assists designers in designing highly efficient buildings. Rts is a model framework software that performs holistic life-cycle analysis and contains algorithms and data used to calculate relevant costs. Compatibility with building information models allows Rts to interface with other design software, while model interchangeability allows for the application of new relevant research. Holistic life-cycle cost assessment is useful for quantifying various outcomes of a building design, such as construction cost and environmental impact. It allows for single-objective optimization by weighing these multiple outcomes objectively. Different costs have been categorized and are calculated in different models, with the existing models reviewed in this thesis. New models for construction cost, based off costing data, and concrete maintenance, using carbonation theory, have been developed. A parametric study was performed to make preliminary observations and verify the accuracy of the models. It was found that operating costs contribute a major portion, 33%, of the total direct cost of a building, in agreement with existing literature. Furthermore, environmental impacts, particularly those resulting from emissions during operation, also contribute a large portion of total cost, at 36%. Additionally, transporting construction materials from overseas results in a dramatic increase of the environmental cost of construction, and renewable energy sources lead to a much lower total life-cycle cost. Other variables studied include the depth of concrete cover, and the influence of the discounting rate and design building life.Applied Science, Faculty ofCivil Engineering, Department ofGraduat

Productivity Improvement in Building Life Cycle: Development process, role-players, and efficiency improvement

e-Book available, please log-in on Member Area to access or contact our librarian.Buku ini membahas tentang peningkatan produktivitas dalam siklus hidup pembangunan bangunan, meliputi proses pengembangan, peran pemangku kepentingan, dan peningkatan efisiensi. Penulis, Dr. Jasper Mbachu dan Dr. Jef Seadon, menyajikan hasil penelitian yang mengkaji konsep produktivitas, pengukuran produktivitas dalam siklus hidup pembangunan bangunan, dan peran pemangku kepentingan dalam mencapai produktivitas yang optimal. Buku ini juga membahas tentang potensi peningkatan produktivitas pada berbagai tahap siklus pembangunan bangunan, sehingga dapat memberikan solusi untuk meningkatkan efisiensi dan kualitas pekerjaan dalam industri konstruksi.140 p. ; 25 cm

Procurement of non-incremental sustainable technology innovations:the case of small entrepreneurial firms supplying New Zealand construction & building industry

Motivation Traditionally, the construction industry in New Zealand and in other countries has seen a low productivity and a low track record for successful innovations (Fairweather, 2010). The industry also lags in sustainability (e.g. Nemry, 2008) when seen from a broader or lifecycle perspective. This has a negative impact on private and government spending, on quality and health/wellbeing, and on the environment. This paper posits that the construction industry needs non-incremental (disruptive or discontinuous, i.e. modular, architectural, system or radical) sustainable technology innovations to make drastic improvements in sustainability. Such innovations are often procured (acquired) and (co-) developed by small entrepreneurial firms thus introducing such innovations into the construction and building industry. However it is unclear exactly how entrepreneurial small firms procure non-incremental sustainable technology innovations. Knowledge gap from extant research Often entrepreneurial small firms from outside the industry or at the beginning of supply chains play an important role in procuring innovations (e.g. Baumol, 2002; Johnsen 2011; Gambatese, 2011, Pries, 1995, 2005). There is a wealth of literature on how large organisations procure their goods and services but it often remains unclear how small firms procure these (e.g. Hagelaar, 2014). There is Australian literature (e.g. Hardie, 2006; Hardie 2013) on small firms successfully introducing sustainable innovations in the construction industry. Likewise, there is a growing body of literature (e.g. Johnsen, 2011; Philips 2004) on how large organisations procure non-incremental innovations. There is some literature on non-incremental sustainable innovations in the construction industry (e.g. Hardie, 2013; Sheffer, 2010, 2013). There is research on innovation types in the construction industry (Slaughter, 2000, Hardie, 2006). Literature also suggests (e.g. Hardie, 2011) several barriers to adoption of innovations on a meso (industry) level and on a macro (systemic) level in the construction industry. Utterback (1994) suggested that such (infrequent) non-incremental innovations would trigger more frequent process and incremental innovations, and would hence deliver large benefits to stakeholders. Manley (2008) concluded that despite the importance of product innovation there is not much research within the construction industry. Small firms are not miniature versions of large firms (e.g. Torres & Julien, 2005) and small firm innovation and procurement processes will differ from those of larger firms. Processes are likely to be more informal, holistic, and centred round the firm owner although Meijaard (2004) suggested a wide variety of organisational structures within small firms including formal and complex structures. Entrepreneurial small firms are a small subset of small firms but realize growth and renewal (OECD, 2010). In general there is a research gap on how entrepreneurial small construction firms procure non-incremental sustainable technology innovations

How innovative New Zealand firms procure environmental innovations for the construction industry:a literature review

Construction industries in New Zealand and abroad have a low track record for successful sustainable innovations. This often has a negative impact on private and government spending, and on quality, society and the environment. This paper posits that the construction industry needs step-change (i.e. architectural, system, radical, modular) environmental technical innovations to make drastic improvements. Often entrepreneurial or small to medium-sized firms at the beginning of supply chains or from other industries will introduce such innovations. These firms will use the innovation capacity of suppliers and of their own organisations to transform and commercialise such innovations into the industry. However, after an extensive literature review it remains unclear how innovative New Zealand firms procure environmental step-change technical innovations for the construction industry. The research focuses on procurement activities within such firms who supply the New Zealand construction industry. These procurement activities interact with (internal and external) innovation activities for an optimal firm performance (in economic and environmental terms) and are affected by clusters of internal and external variables. The heart of the research consists of two rounds of case studies alternating with two rounds of collaborative focus studies. The research focus is on New Zealand although part of this study will be replicated in the Netherlands. It is part of a doctoral project

How entrepreneurial New Zealand firms procure environmental technical innovations for the construction industry

Construction industries in New Zealand and abroad have a low track record for successful sustainable innovations. This often has a negative impact on private and government spending, and on quality, society and the environment. This paper posits that the construction industry needs step-change (i.e. architectural, system, radical, modular) environmental technical innovations to make drastic improvements. Often entrepreneurial or small to medium-sized firms at the beginning of supply chains or from other industries will introduce such innovations. These firms will use the innovation capacity of suppliers and of their own organisations to transform and commercialise such innovations into the industry. However, after an extensive literature review it remains unclear how innovative New Zealand firms procure environmental step-change technical innovations for the construction industry. The research focuses on procurement activities within such firms who supply the New Zealand construction industry. These procurement activities interact with (internal and external) innovation activities for an optimal firm performance (in economic and environmental terms) and are affected by clusters of internal and external variables. The heart of the research consists of two rounds of case studies alternating with two rounds of collaborative focus studies. The research focus is on New Zealand although part of this study will be replicated in the Netherlands. It is part of a doctoral project

Procurement of non-incremental sustainable technology innovations: the case of small entrepreneurial firms supplying New Zealand construction & building industry

Traditionally, the construction industry in New Zealand and in other countries has seen a low productivity and a low track record for successful innovations (Fairweather, 2010). The industry also lags in sustainability (e.g. Nemry, 2008) when seen from a broader or lifecycle perspective. This has a negative impact on private and government spending, on quality and health/wellbeing, and on the environment. This paper posits that the construction industry needs non-incremental (disruptive or discontinuous, i.e. modular, architectural, system or radical) sustainable technology innovations to make drastic improvements in sustainability. Such innovations are often procured (acquired) and (co-) developed by small entrepreneurial firms thus introducing such innovations into the construction and building industry. However it is unclear exactly how entrepreneurial small firms procure non-incremental sustainable technology innovations