Models of sustainable management of construction materials considering carbon footprint and circular economy principles in urban projects

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development and testing of an integrated model for sustainable management of construction materials in urban projects, taking into account the carbon footprint and circular economy principles. The aim of the study is to create a decision-support tool that makes it possible to minimize total greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of buildings and structures while maintaining structural reliability and economic feasibility. The methodology is based on a multifactor optimization model that includes a materials database(carbon footprint, durability, cost, recycling potential), a cradle-to-gate LCA module, and a linear programming optimization block supplemented by statistical processing of results and sensitivity analysis of key parameters. Empirical verification was carried out using a case of renovation of a large industrial area, for which three scenarios were modeled: traditional, carbon-optimized, and circular. It is shown that the transition to the optimized scenario reduces the total carbon footprint by more than half due to the introduction of low-carbon materials(CLT, green concrete), while the circular scenario ensures a reduction of more than 65% along with a significant increase in the share of secondary resources and the circularity index, though accompanied by higher project costs. The decomposition of the carbon footprint demonstrates the dominant role of the material production stage even under maximum closure of material flows, indicating the limits of managerial decisions within existing technologies. Sensitivity analysis reveals the critical influence of the carbon intensity of the regional energy system and the share of CLT used to replace concrete, extending the conclusions to the level of energy and industrial policy. The conclusion substantiates the need to combine design solutions that promote circular models with technological innovations in material production and energy decarbonization, and outlines prospects for integrating socio-economic indicators into further development of the model.