Nowadays, nobody can deny that climate change is a reality and that the life cycle of buildings contributes greatly to that reality. Therefore, proposals such as the circular economy must be integrated into the construction sector. This article shows part of the results of a research project whose objective is to introduce circular economy criteria in building materials, seeking new uses for construction and demolition waste from buildings. In particular, this article analyses the possibility of replacing fibres currently used to reinforce cement mortars with recycled fibres. After consulting the bibliography, we can conclude that some studies analyse the behaviour of cement mortars reinforced with different types of fibres, but none has been found that analyses the behaviour of these mortars for the application of continuous coatings. For this purpose, a two-stage experimental plan is designed to test cement mortar samples with different types of fibres, recycled fibres and commercial fibres, taking into consideration the characteristics that these mortars have to comply to be applied as continuous coatings. Moreover, a detailed study about the porosity of these mortars and its influence on how the mortars behave with regard to compression, water vapour permeability and impermeability has been conducted. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the mortars containing recycled fibres have very similar resistance, absorption and permeability values to those containing commercial fibres, so that they might be suitable for application as external coatings.

Several authors have studied construction defects, but no studies were found implementing best practices and control strategies through the implementation of continuous improvement projects. This article shows a procedure based on Continuous Improvement Projects, which can be used in building constructions, and it is structured into four phases: Plan, Do, Check, Act, following the PDCA Quality Cycle. In addition, the method developed was specified for ceramic tiling execution and was further implemented in three building projects of Spain. The results obtained concluded that the proposed Procedure can be used by construction professionals who are concerned about improving the quality of construction. In addition, the implementation of the Procedure managed to reduce around 45% the costs derived from the defects caused during the ceramic tiling execution, due to the best practices incorporated in the Procedure. A slight increase in the number of defects was also found, motivated by the thorough inspection conducted when the Procedure was applied. Therefore, the Procedure (incorporating the lessons learned) must be implemented so that by learning, gaining experience, and incorporating best practices, the goal of zero defects can be achieved.

BIM (Building Information Modeling) has come to transform the way we create and manage construction projects. Its use is increasingly widespread both nationally and internationally. However, it is a work tool that must be integrated into the overall management of the project. That is why, for a correct BIM implementation in a project, we must have a BIM execution plan adapted to the needs of the client and which in turn is integrated into the project management plan. The PMI Project Management Guide (PMBOK®) is a compendium of internationally recognized good practices. This Standard proposes the necessary processes to manage a project successfully from the beginning to the end of it. These processes and how to apply them to a specific project are developed in the project management plan (PDP). When a project is developed with BIM tools, it is necessary to generate a document that in turn plans how and at what level BIM will be implemented, the BIM execution plan (BEP). To achieve the success of a project, the BEP must be perfectly integrated into the PDP. In this study, an exhaustive review of the existing bibliography and the main BEP guides developed and disseminated nationally and internationally was carried out. The planning guide for the BIM execution, developed by the "Computer Integrated Construction" with the PMBOK® guide, has also been compared. The result of this analysis is a first proposal of a process map for project management that integrates BIM processes. As a future line of research, we intend to develop a BEP that ensures the integration of BIM tools into a project management plan aligned with the PMBOK® guide. Resumen BIM (Building Information Modeling) ha venido a transformar la forma en que creamos y gestionamos los proyectos de construcción. Su uso cada vez se encuentra más difundido tanto a nivel nacional e internacional. Sin embargo, se trata de una herramienta de trabajo que debe integrarse en la gestión global del proyecto. Es por esto que para una correcta implementación BIM en un proyecto debemos contar con un plan de ejecución BIM adecuado a las necesidades del cliente y que a su vez se integre en el plan de dirección del proyecto. La Guía para la Dirección de Proyectos (PMBOK®) de PMI, es un compendio de buenas prácticas reconocidas a nivel internacional. Esta Norma propone los procesos necesarios para gestionar un proyecto con éxito desde el inicio hasta el cierre del mismo. Estos procesos y cómo aplicarlos a un proyecto concreto se desarrollan en el plan de dirección del proyecto (PDP). Cuando un proyecto se desarrolla con herramientas BIM es preciso generar un documento que a su vez planifique cómo y a qué nivel se va a implementar BIM, el plan de ejecución BIM (BEP). Para lograr el éxito de un proyecto el BEP debe quedar perfectamente integrado en el PDP. En este estudio se ha realizado una revisión exhaustiva de la bibliografía existente y de las principales guías BEP desarrolladas y difundidas a nivel nacional e internacional. También se ha comparado la guía de planificación para la ejecución BIM, desarrollada por el “Computer Integrated Construction” con la guía del PMBOK®. Fruto de este análisis se presenta una primera propuesta de mapa de procesos para la dirección d

This article presents a series of results that emerged from the implementation of the first phase of a Continuous Improvement study applied to a particular housing construction project. As a result of the study, it was possible to determine the relationship between the most common construction defects in ceramic cladding. Of 7 statistical analysis tools, the 4 most relevant have been selected and systematically used during the present work: data collection sheet, stratification, histogram, and Pareto diagram. The results show that there are 25 main types of detected—and most recurring—incidences of defects in housing construction. From the total sum of accounted defects, 87.5% occur during the execution process, whereas almost half—47.6%—are caused by or derived from improper grout preparation or faulty application. This relation of defects can be used by professionals in the construction industry to implement Continuous Improvement projects focused on minimizing failures. It can also be used as a...

La innovación que requiere el sector de la construcción es más que simplemente implementar tecnología, es necesario digitalizar el sector y promover el trabajo colaborativo entre las partes interesadas. Muchos países de todo el mundo han incorporado herramientas para facilitar el trabajo colaborativo en sus procesos. En US en particular, son muchas las empresas que están implementando la metodología LPS y están aplicándolas en la construcción junto con las herramientas BIM. En España, sin embargo, la implementación de estas herramientas es relativamente reciente. A través de una encuesta, este artículo busca determinar el nivel de conocimiento que los interesados involucrados en el sector de la construcción español tienen sobre el modelo de trabajo colaborativo, especialmente de las herramientas BIM y LPS. Además, un grupo de expertos propone una selección de Mejores Prácticas (BP) para la aplicación de estas herramientas a un caso de estudio en Madrid (España).