Dams, B; Maskell, D; Shea, A; Allen, S; Cascione, V and Walker, P (2023) Upscaling bio-based construction: Challenges and opportunities. Building Research & Information, 51(7), pp. 764-782. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Construction projects using emerging bio-based materials have been realized over the past ten to fifteen years within Europe. Bio-based buildings utilize properties of natural materials to regulate internal environments, particularly fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. Despite individual exemplar projects demonstrating functional performance and long-term operational cost savings, there hasn’t been a proliferation of commercial or domestic bio-based projects. With a growing shift towards circular economy construction, bio-based buildings could be readily adopted to meet this development. This study evaluates barriers faced by bio-based materials, making the upscaling of production and a breakthrough into mainstream construction challenging. Evaluation was achieved through senior professionals with experience in bio-based construction participating in semi-structured interviews based on core categories of finance, knowledge, and policy. Challenges include the upscaling of production by manufacturers of emerging materials, inconsistencies in life cycle assessment, material certification and accreditation, vested interests in the construction industry, and concerns regarding initial costs, availability, and knowledge of products. Potential solutions for upscaling bio-based construction are identified and include increased case studies, positive legislation, regional economic regeneration, the wellness agenda, long-term economic sustainability, and engagement with established construction companies. This insight has informed the procurement process, material evaluation, and adoption of policy.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bio-based materials; challenges; circular construction; opportunities; upscaling |
| Index terms: | relative humidity, construction project, regional economic, construction company, life cycle assessment, procurement process, certification, interview, manufacturer, legislation, construction industry, bio-based material, cost saving, economic sustainability, circular economy, case study, Europe |
| Subjects: | production management, sustainable design, physical geography and landforms, economics, administrative processes, industry analysis, environmental impact, materials science, practitioner, data collection methods, air quality, organization, contractual arrangements, legal systems, economic analysis |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Procurement, Roles and Professions, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Contract Administration, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here