Building construction accounts for a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions, raw material extraction, and waste production. Applying circular economy (CE) principles in the building construction industry would considerably reduce these values. However, uptake by the industry is relatively slow, which is largely attributed to sectoral barriers, including limitations in knowledge and experience. This review paper aims to assess and contribute to diminishing these obstacles by offering a comprehensive review of circular material usage principles and strategies within the construction sector. Opportunities and facilitators of change are also presented, including innovations and emerging technologies in recycling, digitization, robotic systems, novel materials, and processing. Finally, four case studies demonstrate the application of circular theory via a novel block system, recycled aggregate, modular kitchen reuse, and an energy efficiency retrofit. The conclusions show that future efforts should prioritize the development of strong regulatory frameworks, awareness initiatives, and international cooperation. In this regard, the integration of technological advancements, such as AI, robotics, and blockchain, is essential for optimizing waste management efficiency. Furthermore, education on circular practices plays a critical role. Through global collaboration, standardizing circular construction approaches can promote a more sustainable and resilient building construction industry.

The global increase in energy demand and exponential exhaustion of fossil recourses has favored the development of new systems of electricity production. Photovoltaic solar energy is undoubtedly one that has the highest application in housings, due to its simplicity and easy implementation. In this work, a new prototype of photovoltaic solar tracker with Arduino platform was developed. Feedback control system that allows carrying out solar tracking with two axes using a stepper motor and linear actuator was established through an electronic circuit based on photodiodes. Moreover, real construction of the prototype was carried out, where the effectiveness of the design and its capacity to draw a maximum benefit of an incident radiation can be observed, placing the panel perpendicularly to the received energy and improving its performance for its application in future installations in housings. Results obtained from the comparison between the developed prototype and a static panel oriented according to the latitude of the area, show about 18% energy gain.

This paper shows the characterization of a new lightened gypsum-based material for use in buildings. A plaster material has been designed with a polymeric compound based on polyvinyl acetate, bicarbonate and a boric acid solution, which reduce the density and thermal conductivity by up to 20% and 30%, respectively. In addition, tests have been carried out with the lightened plaster material reinforced with glass (GF), basalt (BF), polypropylene (PPF) and wood (WF) fibers. A significant improvement in mechanical properties was achieved. All samples obtained resistance values greater than 2 MPa in flexion and 3 MPa in compression. Physico-chemical analysis were also carried out. The study is completed with a statistical analysis, where confidence intervals have been obtained for the mean at 95% confidence for each of the physical properties studied.

The reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste is becoming an advisable choice to reduce the consumption of key raw materials and the environmental impact generated by the construction of new buildings. This study proposes the introduction of two new stages of recycled aggregate processing that allow redesigning the production process of recycled aggregates towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly system: sieving with secondary crushing and washing. Based on an experimental study, our findings show that the new stages reduce significantly the content of impurities and the water absorption of recycled aggregates, obtaining a better final product (i.e. cement mortar) for buildings. Moreover, the new final product made with treated recycled aggregates also experiences significant improvements in their physical and mechanical properties (i.e.: increased on average, 5% in flexural strength, 6% in compression strength and reduced shrinkage by 2%), in turn reducing both the costs associated with the manufacture of the new product and its environmental impact compared to other products that solely include untreated recycled aggregates. The potential economic and solid waste management implications for firms that choose to deploy the new production system depicted are also discussed.

In 2015, the United Nations set the 2030 Agenda, which established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including different areas—among them, Education—which determine the reality and the future of new generations. The data of SDG24 2021 establish that, by 2030, the reference values will be below those expressed in SDG 4. Education for sustainable development poses a series of competencies to achieve it; the challenge for teachers is to develop strategies, tools and methodologies that enable meaningful learning for the required complexity. Managing and solving sustainability problems requires people with systemic competences who are able to see the whole in the individuality, presenting a breadth of vision for a complex world. It is important that training takes place in universities so that students are equipped with a holistic understanding of systems. The aim of this research is to propose a didactic proposal for students of the double degree in Building and Business Administration and Management to acquire the competences of systems thinking, interdisciplinary work, personal and inter-collaborative relationships and tolerance to ambiguity and uncertainty using project-based learning and systems simulation. To achieve this, a classroom intervention proposal has been designed for the subjects Strategic Management and Sustainable Building in the fourth year of the double degree using the project-based learning and systems thinking. This practical proposal allows participants to develop a holistic view of the problems, enhancing the capacity for systemic and sustainable resolution in the design of more sustainable building systems, as well as promoting training in strategic decision making in environmental management in the medium and long term.

The high demand for natural resources and increased industrial activity is driving the construction sector to search for new, more environmentally friendly materials. This research aims to analyse plaster mortars with the incorporation of construction and demolition waste (CDW) to move towards a more sustainable building sector. Three types of aggregates (natural, recycled concrete and recycled from ceramic walls) and two types of insulation waste (expanded polystyrene with graphite and mineral wool) have been added to the plaster matrix to evaluate its mechanical and physical properties and its suitability in the elaboration of prefabricated materials. The results show how plaster mortars made with recycled aggregates have higher mechanical resistance than conventional plaster without incorporating sand. The incorporation of crushed mineral wool residues improves the flexural strength of plaster mortars and their application in the execution of prefabricated panels. Likewise, the expanded polystyrene residues reduce the final density of mortars, improving their behaviour against water absorption and reducing the final thermal conductivity of plaster material.