Uncovering barriers to circular construction: A global scientometric review and future research agenda

Abstract

The construction industry is critical to economic growth and environmental sustainability. However, its substantial resource consumption and waste generation highlight the urgent need for a transition toward circular construction (CC) practices. This study uses scientometric and content analyses of 199 articles published between 2017 and 2024 to uncover the barriers to adopting CC principles. This study aims to identify these barriers, map key research trends, and propose future directions for addressing obstacles to CC adoption. This research focuses on global contributions to CC, highlighting influential nations, journals, and scholars and analyzing keyword trends over time. Additionally, it examines the recurring themes and patterns to provide a holistic understanding of the systemic challenges faced by the construction industry in embracing CC principles. By presenting the first comprehensive overview of barriers to CC, this study fills a critical research gap and offers insights for researchers and policymakers. The findings reveal that 12% of the total publications in the field originate from Australia and China, leading in contributions, while journals such as Sustainability and the Journal of Cleaner Production account for 31.5% of the articles. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies "management", "barriers", and "waste management" as prevailing themes. The annual growth rate of CC-related publications is 44.78%, underscoring its rising importance. Furthermore, 41 barriers to CC were revealed with content analysis. These insights offer a foundational understanding for policymakers and researchers, emphasizing collaboration, government intervention, and innovation in materials and technology to overcome barriers and transition to a circular, resource-efficient construction model.