Circular Economy in Civil Engineering: The Role of Recycled Construction Materials in Economic and Sustainability Performance
Keywords:
Recycled materials, sustainable construction, recycled concrete aggregate, plastic waste, recycled rubber, sustainable infrastructure, life-cycle assessment, circular economy, fly ashAbstract
The construction sector plays a vital role in national economic development yet remains one of the highest contributors to resource depletion and carbon emissions. As urbanization accelerates, construction and demolition (C&D) waste presents significant financial, managerial, and environmental challenges. This study provides a comprehensive survey on the economic feasibility, sustainability accounting, strategic management, and Islamic finance perspectives of integrating recycled materials in civil engineering, particularly recycled concrete aggregates (RCA), waste plastics, recycled rubber, glass, and industrial by-products such as fly ash and GGBS. Evidence shows that the adoption of recycled materials contributes to cost efficiency, enhances resource productivity, and supports sustainability reporting through reduced embodied carbon and waste externalities. Management frameworks highlight the role of circular economy models and supply chain integration in improving operational performance. From an Islamic finance viewpoint, recycling practices align with Maqasid Al-Shariah, emphasizing environmental stewardship, avoidance of waste (israf), and promotion of socially responsible investments (SRI). Recent life-cycle assessments by Das, Rahman, and Hossain (2025) demonstrate that incorporating waste-derived materials not only minimizes carbon emissions but also enhances long-term economic value creation. Overall, this study shows that recycled-material innovations in civil engineering strengthen environmental governance, reduce lifecycle costs, and support global sustainability goals, making them highly relevant for policymakers, construction firms, and Islamic financial institutions.
References
Aïtcin, P. C. (2016). High performance concrete. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315366937
Al-Hadithi, A. I., & Hilal, N. N. (2016). The possibility of enhancing some properties of self-compacting concrete by adding waste plastic fibers. Procedia Manufacturing, 2, 305–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2016.03.044
Das, A., Rahman, N.-U., & Hossain, Z. (2025, June). Sustainability assessments of hot and warm mix asphalt paving technologies. In Proceedings of the 10th North American International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp. 1–12). IEOM Society International. https://doi.org/10.46254/NA10.20250343
Evangelista, L., & de Brito, J. (2010). Durability performance of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates. Cement and Concrete Composites, 32(1), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2009.09.005
Gupta, T., Chaudhary, S., & Sharma, R. K. (2014). Assessment of mechanical and durability properties of concrete containing waste rubber tire as fine aggregate. Construction and Building Materials, 73, 562–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.09.102
Islam, G. M. S., Rahman, M. H., & Kazi, N. (2017). Waste glass powder as partial replacement of cement for sustainable concrete practice. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 6(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsbe.2016.10.005
Juenger, M. C. G., Winnefeld, F., Provis, J. L., & Ideker, J. H. (2011). Advances in alternative cementitious binders. Cement and Concrete Research, 41(12), 1232–1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2010.11.012
Kisku, N., Joshi, H., Ansari, M., Panda, S. K., Nayak, S., & Dutta, S. C. (2017). A critical review and assessment for usage of recycled aggregate as sustainable construction material. Construction and Building Materials, 131, 721–740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.11.029
Pacheco-Torgal, F., & Jalali, S. (2011). Recycled aggregates and recycled aggregate concrete in construction: A review. Construction and Building Materials, 25(9), 4006–4014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.04.038
Rahman, N.-U., Das, A., & Hossain, Z. (2025, June). Evaluating the use of steel slag and rice husk ash as replacements of aggregate in concrete: A sustainable next-gen concrete. In Proceedings of the 10th North American International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp. 1–12). IEOM Society International. https://doi.org/10.46254/NA10.20250345
Shaikh, F. U. A., Supit, S. W. M., & Sarker, P. K. (2014). A study on the durability properties of high-volume fly ash concrete incorporating nano-silica. Cement and Concrete Composites, 55, 232–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2014.07.009
Sharma, R., & Bansal, P. P. (2016). Use of waste plastic in construction of flexible pavements. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 35, 386–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.097
Shayan, A., & Xu, A. (2004). Value-added utilization of waste glass in concrete. Cement and Concrete Research, 34(1), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(03)00251-5
Silva, R. V., De Brito, J., & Dhir, R. K. (2014). Properties and composition of recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste suitable for concrete production. Construction and Building Materials, 65, 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.04.117
Sukontasukkul, P., & Chaikaew, C. (2006). Properties of concrete pedestrian block mixed with crumb rubber. Construction and Building Materials, 20(7), 450–457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2005.01.040
Tam, V. W. Y., Soomro, M., & Evangelista, A. C. J. (2018). A review of recycled aggregate in concrete applications (2000–2017). Construction and Building Materials, 172, 272–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.240
Thomas, B. S., & Gupta, R. C. (2016). Recycled tire rubber as partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete and its impact on strength and durability: An experimental investigation. Construction and Building Materials, 124, 709–716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.153
Thomas, M. D. A. (2013). Supplementary cementing materials in concrete. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15377
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2020). 2020 Global status report for buildings and construction: Towards a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector. UNEP. https://globalabc.org/resources/publications/2020-global-status-report-buildings-and-construction
Vieira, C. S., & Calmon, J. L. (2016). Sustainability of construction materials using recycling of waste and by-products. Materials Research, 19(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-MR-2015-0053
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Shirin Saiyed (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
