Synergising Circular Economy Principles in Industrialised Construction: Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation of Key Constructs of Design for Circular Manufacturing and Assembly (DfCMA)

Rapid urbanisation and population growth call for more Industrialised Construction (IC) as a swifter, safer, higher-quality and affordable means of delivering housing and infrastructure. Meanwhile, rising global temperatures and extreme weather patterns call for immediate action to combat environmental degradation. The Building Construction Industry (BCI) is a leading contributor to global resource extraction and waste generation, posing a significant threat to our environment and planet. Design for Circular Manufacturing and Assembly (DfCMA) is an overarching design framework that synergises circularity (Design for Circularity (DfC)) and modularity (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA)) by enhancing their shared values. This study explores the functional apparatus of DfCMA by identifying 21 DfMA constructs and 20 DfC constructs in the BCI through a rigorous literature review, first analysed descriptively, followed by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE) of the initial findings from a suitably focused questionnaire survey. The study findings confirm the significance of applying the 41 constructs above in advancing the concept of DfCMA in the BCI. This study thus adds value to research and practice, exploring the underlying mechanism of this novel DfCMA concept, which synergises two imperatives, promoting a Circular Economy (CE) and DfMA principles and practices in IC.