De Wolf Catherine, Byers Brandon S, Raghu Deepika, Gordon Matthew, Schwarzkopf Vanessa, Triantafyllidis Eleftherios
Circular Engineering for Architecture, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Npj Mater Sustain. 2024;2(1):36. doi: 10.1038/s44296-024-00034-8. Epub 2024 Nov 1.
The intersection of digital transformation and circular construction practices presents significant potential to mitigate environmental impacts through optimised material reuse. We propose a five-step (D5) digital circular workflow that integrates these digital innovations towards reuse, validated through real-world case studies. We assessed a variety of digital tools for enhancing the reuse of construction materials, including digital product passports, material classification assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), reality capture, computational design, design inspired by generative AI, digital fabrication techniques, extended reality, and blockchain technology. Using action research through a multiple case study approach, we disassembled several buildings that were set for demolition and subsequently designed and executed construction projects using the salvaged materials. Our findings indicate that digital transformation for detection, disassembly, distribution, design, and finally deployment significantly support the application of circular economy principles. We demonstrate the potential of the proposed workflow for industry implementation and scalability.
数字转型与循环建筑实践的交叉融合，通过优化材料再利用，在减轻环境影响方面具有巨大潜力。我们提出了一个五步（D5）数字循环工作流程，该流程整合了这些数字创新以实现再利用，并通过实际案例研究进行了验证。我们评估了多种用于提高建筑材料再利用的数字工具，包括数字产品护照、人工智能（AI）辅助的材料分类、实景捕捉、计算设计、生成式AI启发的设计、数字制造技术、扩展现实和区块链技术。通过多案例研究方法进行行动研究，我们拆解了几座计划拆除的建筑，随后使用回收材料设计并实施了建筑项目。我们的研究结果表明，在检测、拆解、配送、设计以及最终部署方面的数字转型显著支持了循环经济原则的应用。我们展示了所提出的工作流程在行业实施和可扩展性方面的潜力。
