Integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), GIS, and Circular Economy (CE) for the Construction and Deconstruction Waste Based on Construction Methods at the Conceptual Design Stage of Buildings

The AEC industry is facing constant demand for resources, excessive raw materials' consumption, and waste generation. Now, the construction industry is responsible for about 50% of the global solid waste, which negatively impacts the environment. However, construction techniques and building practices have been advanced over the years with an increased interest in sustainability, especially in energy conservation and in adopting the Industrial Production layer of Construction 4.0 (i.e., modular prefabrication, 3D concrete printing, and BIM). The concept of circular economy (CE) has also been identified as a potential solution to achieve sustainability in building construction through the design, construction, and deconstruction processes that enhance waste management based on the framework that is related to reducing, reusing, and recycling. Additionally, geospatial data complements advanced digital technologies by providing a collaborative platform that supports CE as a practical approach to sustainability. Thus, this study will provide a straightforward methodology for developing a BIM-GIS sustainable design model that integrates circular economy's concept to enhance construction sustainability in order to minimize lifecycle waste based on various construction methods (i.e., conventional, modular, and 3D printing). The proposed model integrates tools and data for the evaluation and planning of construction and deconstruction waste (CDW) management strategies at the design stage, including quantifying the wasted materials, selecting the waste handling equipment, and estimating the associated costs with the loading and hauling of waste at the various stages of a project. The proposed model will provide designers with the ability to evaluate the construction and deconstruction waste (CDW) during the design of buildings based on their different construction methods at the early stage of design using the design for deconstruction (DfD) concept; sustainable construction methods; and deconstruction process for waste management, which will lead to a suitable construction method.