Despite the sectoral initiatives, the construction industry faces difficulties in incorporating effective environmental impact control systems in construction sites. Most of the instruments have been adopting a qualitative approach to environmental issues, with few cases of a quantitative approach. This article introduces a quantitative method for predicting environmental aspects and impacts during the construction of residential buildings, through the integration between environmental indicators and construction cost bases. The methodology was based on the analysis of the relationships among activities, aspects and environmental impacts considered in EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) for the development of the method and its mathematical representation. A case study was carried out to evaluate the method using the bill of quantities (BOQ) from two residential construction sites to measure their environmental aspects. The results suggest the usefulness of the method in the decision-making process on the allocation of control systems and, in some cases, recommending the execution of off-site services to reduce the impacts on the site’s neighborhood. Additionally, the method proved to be easy to apply to evaluate construction sites, as well as flexible to incorporate other activities, adapting to the demand of builders and municipalities to reduce the environmental impacts of construction sites.

The traditional decision-making process in construction is still driven by factors such as cost and time, not adequately addressing indicators to control their environmental impacts. So, how to improve environmental communication to incorporate sustainable building practices. The incorporation of environmental indicators may enlarge the scope of construction management tools. In the case of cost databases, widely used in the construction sector, this action can contribute to the communication and dissemination of environmental practices. This paper mapped 24 indicators from construction cost databases to assess their ability to communicate and disseminate environmental information. The research comprised: (a) a review of the use of cost bases in the environmental study, (b) identification of the most cited bases in 27 Brazilian civil engineering courses, and (c) analysis of the selected databases through of the assessment matrix, it crosses cost data versus environmental information. CYPE, TCPO, and ORSE presented performance medium, and higher results than SINAPI, BDCCM, and BCCA. The tools presented low control over environmental information, such as water and energy consumption, machine circulation and pollution generation. However, it has been observed that when adding environmental indicators, these tools can contribute significantly to disseminate good practices in its wide user base.

This article includes the proposal of a (re)layout project as a strategy to implement Cleaner Production (CP) practices, with a furniture manufacturing company in the Brazilian municipality of Palhoça (Santa Catarina, Brazil) as a case study. This work is characterized as applied research, using a multi-methodological approach, being subdivided into two different steps: literature review and case study. The (re)layout project led to an increase of the administrative area by 25.18%, having had a positive impact on the management areas, aiming towards the integration of Environmental Management, ecodesign, Production Planning and Control sectors. The project led to a decrease of the total stock area of raw materials/storage by 70.01 m², representing a reduction of 25.59% when compared to the previous area. The project resulted in an increase of the plant production capacity, increasing the production area by 33.33%, thus optimizing areas and sectors, combining those which are inter-related. The byproducts also stood out in the layout mapping, with the areas allocated to byproducts being reduced by 51.69%. Therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were fulfilled. The removal of physical waste and production losses can be achieved from a (re)layout project integrated with CP by optimizing, areas, sectors, flows and processes.

Objective: This study aims to assess the sustainability of mass timber products as structural elements, to determine whether their use contributes to sustainable building practices. Theoretical Framework: This paper was developed based on a systematic literature review of mass timber construction publications worldwide, considering works that present results based on empirical data. Method: The systematic literature review was conducted adopting the ProKnow-C method in the Web of Science database due to its extensive coverage of studies in technology and natural sciences. Only peer-reviewed journal articles were selected, while conference papers, extended abstracts, and book chapters were excluded. The research was limited to works published since 2015. At last, 29 articles were selected for discussion. Results and Discussion: The results highlight the growing interest in the sustainability of engineered wood products. Studies show a lower initial environmental impact compared to traditional materials, but few address the circularity potential, particularly recycling and reuse. The lack of standardized methodology hinders the assessment of social and economic benefits, often based on the perceptions of users and stakeholders. Research Implications: This work contributes to identifying gaps in mass timber research. Additionally, as a bibliometric survey, it provides an overview of the state of the art on the topic, serving as support for future researchers. Value: This study contributes to the dissemination and analysis of knowledge about the sustainability of mass timber structures. The significance of this work lies in the novelty of using this material globally, presenting it as a viable alternative to mitigate the environmental impacts of the construction industry.

The present article was aimed at identifying opportunities for cleaner production (CP) from the process flow analysis of a furniture manufacturing company located in the municipality of Palhoça (SC, Brazil). The company was used as an exploratory case study with a qualitative approach. The criteria used for the flow analysis and for identifying the opportunities of CP were associated to the systems and technologies employed, as well as to the process analysis and to the project layout factors (stock location, movement). With this, 107.24 m² of wasted areas were found in the production environment, of which 72.06 m² included the floor area with material to be discarded (waste) and 66.93 m of flow lines with returns and crossings. The study identified that the total flow lines of the company represented a total of 775.58 m, with the possibility of being reduced by 29.45%. This reduction is a result of optimizing the physical space and reducing waste with material handling. Twenty-five opportunities of a CP associated to the process flow analysis (layout) were listed. The analyses also indicated that the association of CP to process flows as a preventive measure leads to a new connection between process optimization and environmental performance.

O conhecimento das propriedades físicas e mecânicas da madeira é crucial para a segurança e eficácia do dimensionamento das estruturas. Além de favorecer a diversificação e abastecimento do mercado madeireiro, a determinação de tais propriedades, para diferentes espécies nativas, pode contribuir para a redução da exploração concentrada de madeiras tropicais. Entre as madeiras disponíveis para a construção civil na Região Tocantina do Maranhão encontra-se o tuturubá (Pouteria oblanceolata Pires). Neste contexto, este estudo teve como objetivo determinar as propriedades físicas e mecânicas da madeira de tuturubá, visando o seu uso em estruturas de edificações. Foram determinados: o teor de umidade, a densidade aparente, as resistências à compressão paralela e perpendicular às fibras, a resistência ao cisalhamento paralelo às fibras, a resistência à flexão e os módulos de elasticidade à compressão paralela às fibras e à flexão. Obteve-se um teor de umidade médio de 13,88%, uma densidade aparente média de 992,04 kg.m^-3, o valor médio da resistência à compressão paralela às fibras igual a 60,03 MPa e o valor característico de 56,86 MPa, sendo o módulo de elasticidade à compressão paralela às fibras de 22761 MPa. A resistência média à compressão perpendicular às fibras foi de 10,74 MPa e a resistência média ao cisalhamento paralelo às fibras foi igual a 10,47 MPa. A resistência à flexão média foi de 154,82 MPa e o valor característico igual a 128,37 MPa, enquanto o valor médio do módulo de elasticidade à flexão foi de 21026 MPa. Os resultados permitiram classificar a madeira de tuturubá como pertencente à classe de resistência mecânica D50. Comparativamente com outras espécies disponíveis no mercado madeireiro, a madeira de tuturubá apresentou propriedades mecânicas superiores às madeiras de pequiá (Caryocar villosum) e tauari (Couratari oblongifolia). Esta caracterização físico-mecânica evidencia o potencial da madeira de tuturubá para utilização em estruturas de edificações.