Work

Synergising circularity and temporal dynamics into life cycle sustainability assessment of prefabricated buildings: A system dynamics-based assessment with static–dynamic comparison

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The rapid growth of the building sector, alongside its significant contribution to the climate crisis, has heightened the need for technologies that improve sustainability. Prefabricated buildings (PBs) offer a major solution, whose benefits can be evaluated through Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments (LCSA) to support informed decision-making. However, conventional LCSA approaches often overlook circularity (disassembly and reuse potential) and temporal dynamics (time-dependent changes), leading to incomplete evaluations. This study addresses this gap by integrating circularity and temporal dynamics into the life cycle sustainability of PBs, through two main contributions: (1) evaluating sustainability via a system dynamics-based LCSA framework under circularity and dynamism-informed design scenarios, and (2) performing a comparative static–dynamic analysis to quantify the impact of temporal variations on sustainability. Applied to a disassemblable prefabricated building in Western Australia, ambitious end-of-life strategies that prioritise reuse and recycling increased circularity by nearly 20%, though higher circularity did not always guarantee environmental gains (e.g., an 11% increase in circularity accompanied a 1% reduction in carbon footprint, while a 14.2% increase led to a 1.3% rise in embodied energy), highlighting the need for multi-objective optimisation. Comparative static versus dynamic assessments showed that static approaches overestimate impacts, with discrepancies up to 14% for a 20-year service life, whereas dynamic simulations captured long-term benefits, including up to 80% reductions in operational emissions under decarbonisation scenarios. The framework is proposed to be integrated into design-stage decision-making, enabling stakeholders (designers, engineers, construction managers, policymakers, and clients) to minimise long-term financial risks.

Source: Building and Environment

DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114795

Authors: Megha Sindhu Pradeep, Behzad Rismanchi, André Stephan, Tuan Ngo

Institution: The University of Melbourne

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,280