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Cited by 2Sustainable Supply Chain ManagementBIM and Construction IntegrationRecycled Aggregate Concrete Performance

Enabling reuse of construction and demolition waste with data spaces: Potentials and limitations in the transition to circularity

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van Zandwijk, Krista, Donkers, Alex, Alkemade, Floor, Petrova, Ekaterina, Pauwels, Pieter·2026·Technology in Society
DOI 10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103496
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Abstract

In 2022, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry generated 39.8 million tons of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). Despite the growing interest in circularity, the direct reuse of CDW remains limited due to technical, economic, regulatory, and organizational barriers. A major challenge is the lack of accessible information. Data spaces offer a promising framework to address this issue, but they have not yet been applied to CDW reuse in the AECO industry, leaving their potential to overcome these challenges unclear. This paper assesses the potential of data spaces by identifying practical use cases where they could support CDW reuse, while also highlighting their limitations and the need for complementary societal and institutional actions. Drawing on the multi-level perspective, the study situates technological innovation within the context of a broader socio-technical transition to circularity. A mixed-method approach was adopted, including stakeholder interviews, prototype development, use case identification, and a participatory workshop with industry experts. Findings indicate that data spaces can enhance access to life-cycle information, improve interoperability, and foster trust. However, challenges related to market dynamics, regulatory misalignments, and organisational incentives persist, underscoring the limitations of technology alone. The study concludes that data spaces can contribute to the transition toward circularity but must be embedded within broader socio-technical strategies. Future research should investigate how socio-economic and regulatory challenges can be addressed in conjunction with technological innovation to unlock the full potential of data spaces for the circularity transition.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Belova, A., Gallina, V., Revenko, A., & Ahmeti, A. (2025). Digital Product Passport: Initial System Architecture with Knowledge Graphs and Data Spaces. In Knowledge graphs for sustainability 2025: Vol. 4002, (pp. 60–66). Slovenia: https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-4002/short10.pdf.
  2. Werbrouck, J., Pauwels, P., Beetz, J., & van Berlo, L. (2019). Towards a Decentralised Common Data Environment Using Linked Building Data and the Solid Ecosystem. In Proceedings of the 36th CIB w78 conference on information technology in construction (pp. 113–123).

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Authors
van Zandwijk, K., Donkers, A., Alkemade, F., Petrova, E., & Pauwels, P.
Affiliations
Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
ORCID
Venue
Technology in Society
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2026-12
Volume
89
Pages
103496
ISSN
0160-791X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103496
OpenAlex
W4414789034
Semantic Scholar
678a18b2dcb7722ee0541068a461c715156f962d
Cited by
2
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1
FWCI
6.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Technology in Society (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
  • TU/e Research Portal (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › BIM and Construction Integration
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Recycled Aggregate Concrete Performance
Keywords
construction and demolition waste, data spaces, circular economy, circularity transition, AECO industry, waste reuse, interoperability, trust, socio-technical transitions, multi-level perspective, regulatory challenges, organisational incentives, market dynamics

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