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Delve into seventeen inter-linked postdoctoral research projects, acheived with the involvement of doctoral and MSc students, and international colleagues.
Seventeen collaborative research projects were investigated by 28 investigators and 23 postdoctoral researchers from engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities at seven world-class research organizations and supported by a stakeholder network including clients, designers, contractors, suppliers, consultants, local and national government, non-governmental organisations, and other academics.
The following works were funded by UKRI grant EP/V011820/1.
Challenge 1: Stocks, Flows and Impacts
- 1Ai Bayesian material flow analysis (BaMFA) – A case study for construction aggregates in England in 2019
A novel Material Flow Analysis model was developed based on Bayesian statistical theory that added to and unified existing incomplete datasets for MCM stocks and flows. The project demonstrated the strategic value of BaMFA in a circular economy by characterising the aggregate supply-demand balance for construction aggregates in England in 2019.
Team: A.R. Mason, T. Bide, J. Wang, J. Morley, M. Arora, A. Yayla, J.A. Stegemann, R.J. Myers.
- 1Aii Circular Economy trade-offs – The case of biomass co-processing to manufacture cement
The project conducted a material flow analysis (MFA) for biomass waste used as alternative fuels (AF) in the UK cement kilns and identified the potential to improve resource efficiency. This research provided a foundation for working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to prepare a case study on alignment of biomass waste utilization with the principles of the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS).
Team: R. Venkataraman, T. Domenech, A. Borrion, J.A. Stegemann
- 1B Use Potential of mineral wastes for industrial symbiosis – A case study for UK glass
The project devised a method to assess the Use Potential of mineral wastes for industrial symbiosis. The research demonstrated the method of assessment of Use Potential of discarded glass, based on a Material Flow Analysis of glass in England.
Team: L. Tchadjie, T. Bide, R. Myers, J.A. Stegemann
- 1C Cascading of construction minerals for soil formation – Impacts on soil multifunctionality and plant growth
The project aimed to understand the impact of cascading MCMs on soil multifunctionality and provision of ecosystem services. The project informed policy through the design of a soil reuse and storage scheme was developed for clean, natural excavated soils and for treatable contaminated soils.
Team: A. Kourmouli, C. Stevens, J. Quinton
- 1D Environmental and social Life Cycle Assessment of circular construction minerals
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model of the environment and social impacts of construction materials, with emphasis on decarbonisation and Circular Economy strategies, was developed based on a review and taxonomy of impact indicators for construction sector. The environmental LCA model was applied to cement and concrete to assess impacts of cleaner technologies and social LCA was applied to rebuilding vs retrofitting case.
Team: I. Josa, A. Feiruzi, J. A. Borrion
- 1E Regional macroeconomic impacts of construction mineral circularity – A case study for the UK cement and ready-mix concrete sectors
The project developed a sub-national Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, which represents the UK economy as 12 different regions and can assess the macro-economic impacts of Circular Economy policies in 44 sectors representing the whole construction industry supply chain. The CGE model was applied to investigate resource efficiency and economic impacts of Circular Economy activities in the cement sector, including substitution by primary and secondary raw materials.
Team: M. Piskin, A. Calzadilla
Challenge 2: Technological Innovation
- 2A Design for deconstruction and reuse of lightweight exterior infill walls
The project investigated the state-of-the-art in research on design for deconstruction and reuse focusing on gypsum/steel panels. A literature review of current technologies was undertaken to facilitate disassembly and reuse of structural members in steel-framed buildings and an experimental study was done to investigate feasibility of disassembly and reuse of lightweight exterior infill walls.
Team: S. Kitayama, O. Iuorio, L. Black
- 2Bi Production of circular cements from UK mineral resources – Blending wastes for clinker-free cement
The research developed strategies to maximise use of industrial-by products in cementitious products. It supported decarbonisation of cement and concrete production by using waste metakaolin and blast furnace slag as supplementary cementitious materials for production of cement with low embodied CO2.
Team: D.A. Geddes, B. Walkley
- 2Bii IIndustrial symbiosis in cement manufacture – X-ray absorption spectroscopy for investigation of element fate in waste co-processing
In a Circular Economy, the cement industry uses raw materials recovered from waste instead of extracted from the earth. Many mineral wastes contain the Ca, Si, Al and Fe needed to make cement, but they are also contaminated by other elements, including some that are toxic. The fate of these elements when wastes are co-processed in a cement kiln is poorly understood. The aim of this project is to investigate whether and how the speciation of toxic elements is changed when industrial wastes are co-processed in the cement kiln.
Team: D.T. Chen, J.A. Stegemann, A. Roy
- 2C Circular Modern Methods of Construction – Assessment and optimisation at product level
The project created a dynamic, smart, and sustainable MMC system with higher circularity by coupling sustainability and circularity assessment into one framework for MMC products. The research undertook systematic review and questionnaires along with data analytics and drew comparisons between sustainability and circularity of MMC products.
Team: Y. Meng, S. Cavalaro
- 2D UK resource-efficient concrete for whole-life performance
Can circular concrete be low-carbon and durable? The project analysed the microstructure of RCA binders to understand the role of ITZ (Interfacial Transition Zone). The research involved preliminary work to understand interface between MCIs, carbon footprint and durability.
Team: B.Fernandes, S.B.Lopez , L.Black
- 2E Maximizing circularity of waste concrete from construction and demolition by complex system modelling
The initial aim of the project was to model dynamic material flow to optimise reuse of demolition concrete. A theoretical model was developed but it lacked available data. The project focused on data mining of concrete containing RCA to develop a model to predict performance.
Team: S. Boral, C. Velis, L. Black
Challenge 3: Systemic Enablers of Circularity
- 3A Circular Economy business models – The case of plasterboard
The project developed and implemented a plasterboard circular economy business model (P-CEBM) canvas for the UK plasterboard supply chain through a participatory research design. The research strategy shifted current business model to CEBM and was validated during the placement at Saint Gobain UK & Ireland.
Team: J. Mhlanga, M. Osmani, G. Morris, C. Chau, J. Sparkes, D. Moss
- 3B Eco-design characterisation of construction minerals in infrastructure
The project developed an understanding of eco-design principles that are applicable to different infrastructure spatial and temporal scales, and socio-technical contexts. These principles were applied to three infrastructure case studies:
1. Maritime shipping, decarbonization of cement carrier routes;
2. Underground enclosed freight delivery system; and
3. Carbon calculator for concrete road reconstruction schemes.
Team: E. Manola, L. Varga
- 3C Digital platforms to enable construction mineral circularity
The research developed an understanding of the potential of digital platforms to facilitate closed-loop value chains, and accelerate secondary construction materials (SCM) circularity. Through the project, platform-based architectural solutions for MCM SCM circularity were designed and applied, focusing on the role of different actors in digital platforms.
Team: L. Truong, J. Glass, P. Kawalek
- 3D Enabling capital investment in Circular Economy projects
The project developed an understanding of how CE principles can be embedded into organisational accounting processes/practices to facilitate investment, including development of an accounting-sustainability hybrid tool for this purpose. The accounting-sustainability hybrid tool was applied in a case study: Network Rail’s ‘Flow’ Bridge Project.
Team: L Zhao, S. Grubnic, A. Vivian
- 3E Policy-making for construction mineral circularity
The project delved into understanding the interconnections between different governance levels and how change at any point affects the overall CE landscape. It looked at devolved administrations constitutional powers and how these can shape the CE policy-making processes in different sectors in Northern Ireland, Scotland ad Wales. The research demonstrated the draft text for CE principles for the new UK Best Available Techniques (BAT) Conclusions, input into the CE (Scotland) Bill (2023) consultation and collaborated on soils, construction and law in relation to planning law in England as a leverage point for circular construction economy.
Team: F. Lesniewska
Read about all projects in detail in the ICEC-MCM Final Summary Report.
