An Adaptive Conceptual Framework for Smart Management of Recyclable Construction Materials by Leveraging the Salvage Value through Blockchain and Building Information Modelling-Compliant Material Banks

Arghavan Akbarieh (1) , William Carbone (2) , Markus Schäfer (1) , Danièle Waldmann (1) , Felix Norman Teferle (1)

1 University of Luxembourg [Luxembourg]
2 The Adjacent Possible

As the global economy moves towards a sustainable and circular trajectory, the immense role of the construction industry is becoming increasingly apparent as one of the most waste-intensive sectors. Urban mining and subsequent material reuse or recycling are the recommended remedies to lower resource extraction and waste generation in the upcoming decades. This article looks at the recycling practices and offers a solution to revalorise construction recyclables, regulate the isolated recycling activities and incentivise construction material manufacturers to take responsibility for recycling their own products after their lifecycle is over. Consequently, the future volumes of recyclables will become calculable and transparent, which balances the supply and demand of secondary materials. To this end, this study goes beyond manufacturing traceability and investigates manufacturer traceability. Material banks, Building Information Models, blockchain technology and smart contracts are used to conceptualise a novel business model for highly recyclable construction materials. On the one hand, the value of recyclables is captured through salvage value based on accounting methods. Smart contracts administer the physical material transfer for recycling while automating the monetary value transactions between stakeholders. On the other hand, a financial instrument is proposed to link the on-chain captured value to the off-chain financial practices through the Recycling Requirement Rights. The right holders are responsible for recycling; they could be the material manufacturers or not. The discussions on the threats and opportunities as well as weaknesses and strengths of the proposed framework together with its potential to integrate with existing solutions conclude this study.

Mots clés: Circular Economy; Recycling; Blockchain; Smart Contracts; Construction and Demolition Waste; Digital Deconstruction

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement; Informatique [cs]; Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Arghavan Akbarieh, William Carbone, Markus Schäfer, Danièle Waldmann, Felix Norman Teferle. An Adaptive Conceptual Framework for Smart Management of Recyclable Construction Materials by Leveraging the Salvage Value through Blockchain and Building Information Modelling-Compliant Material Banks. 2022. ⟨hal-03496635⟩