Towards Sustainable Built Environments: Scientometric Insights on Global Barriers to Circular Construction

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

The construction sector is a key driver of economic growth and environmental sustainability; however, it remains one of the largest consumers of natural resources and a significant contributor to waste generation. As urbanization accelerates, resource depletion and environmental concerns highlight the urgent need for sustainable solutions. Circular construction (CC) offers a promising approach by promoting resource efficiency, waste reduction, and material reuse. Despite its potential, the transition to CC faces persistent challenges, including entrenched project-based practices, fragmented supply chains, regulatory barriers, and stakeholder resistance. This study systematically investigates these barriers and outlines future directions for overcoming challenges to CC (C2CC). By analyzing global contributions, it identifies influential countries, key journals, leading scholars, and emerging keyword trends within C2CC literature. Using a scientometric approach, this research assesses existing knowledge on C2CC, drawing from the Web of Science (WoS) database, which provides extensive coverage of relevant academic studies. A bibliometric analysis of 199 articles published between 2000 and 2024 was conducted using VOSviewer software to visualize research trends and thematic clusters. Findings reveal six major C2CC themes, emphasizing the critical role of government policies, industry collaboration, innovative material use, circular design principles, digital technologies, and financial incentives. Addressing these challenges requires integrated efforts from policymakers, industry professionals, and researchers. This study contributes to the academic and practical discourse on CC by mapping research trends and highlighting areas for further exploration. The results offer valuable insights for fostering a more sustainable and resource-efficient construction sector.