Information-Driven Processes for Circular Material Reuse in Construction: Digital Technologies and Challenges

This study explores the under-researched area of material reuse after buildings’ EoL in the construction industry, emphasizing the crucial role of information in the material reuse process. In particular, little attention has been given to how digital technologies (DTs) can support the EoL process to support material reuse. Based on a review of 58 identified papers, this study contributes a framework that reveals DTs’ use cases proposed by scholars in a reuse process, from identifying and harvesting to distributing materials. It shows that various DTs play key roles in specific uses within reuse processes. Furthermore, the study highlights significant research gaps, particularly the lack of an integral reuse process and the predominantly technology-focused nature of current research. It advocates for future research to bridge these gaps, enhancing the integration of DTs in a reuse process and practical implementation to facilitate material reuse. Regarding limitations, this review may exclude some relevant studies due to the search strategy, which focuses only on the Scopus database, specific subfields of DTs and exclusion criteria. Another limitation of this research is its primarily theoretical focus. Future research should therefore examine the practical application of different DTs and the challenges faced by practitioners in real-world scenarios.