Steffen Lehmann

Barriers to implementing reverse logistics in South Australian construction organisations

Purpose – This paper aims to present a survey of the perceptions of the barriers to implementing reverse logistics (RL) practices in South Australian (SA) construction organisations. Despite the extensive research on forward logistics and RL, there is a paucity of studies that examine the barriers to implementing RL particularly within the Australian construction industry. This study builds on the ongoing research being undertaken by the authors, entitled “Designing for reverse logistics (DfRL) within the building life cycle: practices, drivers and barriers”, which is examining the best practices and drivers that could be used as a “road map” for developing appropriate solutions for the successful implementation of RL. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by utilising a triangulated data collection approach, a literature review and 49 questionnaires. The review of the literature identified 16 barriers to implementing RL. The quantitative survey data were subjected to descriptive and inferenti...

Reverse logistics in the construction industry

Reverse logistics in construction refers to the movement of products and materials from salvaged buildings to a new construction site. While there is a plethora of studies looking at various aspects of the reverse logistics chain, there is no systematic review of literature on this important subject as applied to the construction industry. Therefore, the objective of this study is to integrate the fragmented body of knowledge on reverse logistics in construction, with the aim of promoting the concept among industry stakeholders and the wider construction community. Through a qualitative meta-analysis, the study synthesises the findings of previous studies and presents some actions needed by industry stakeholders to promote this concept within the real-life context. First, the trend of research and terminology related with reverse logistics is introduced. Second, it unearths the main advantages and barriers of reverse logistics in construction while providing some suggestions to harness the advantages and mitigate these barriers. Finally, it provides a future research direction based on the review.

A qualitative examination of major barriers in implementation of reverse logistics within the South Australian construction sector

Despite extensive research on the benefits of reverse logistics (RL), it has yet to become commonplace in the construction industry. Furthermore, the uptake and number of studies on RL remains very limited within the Australian context and particularly related to the construction industry. This paper is aimed at filling that knowledge gap by employing an exploratory approach to examine the critical barriers faced by South Australian construction organizations in implementing RL practices. Semi-structured interviews and a ranking approach facilitated the treatment of qualitative data through quantitative coding using cloud-based applications. The research identified 12 barriers to RL implementation, four of them very significant according to the responses of the interviewees: the regulatory environment, additional costs involved, lack of recognition in the construction supply chain, and extra effort required. The study also explored their inter-relationships through the Co-occurrence Index. The study proposes some remedial measures for RL implementation in South Australia based on the barriers identified.

Analysis of reverse logistics implementation practices by South Australian construction organisations

Purpose – A large number of benefits have been reported when reverse logistics (RL) is fully implemented in the construction industry. However, RL is yet to become common place in the construction sector, particularly in Australia. The particular sub-sector in which RL operates is small and weak and the remainder of the sector must embrace and accommodate it comfortably. Research is lacking on how to promoting RL in the construction industry. Very little has been done to identify the current practices that have the potential to promote RL industry-wide. The purpose of this paper is to identify the practices that work well in the sector, a strategy could be mapped out to promote RL to all stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – In order to fill the above gap, the present study used a mixed method approach to gather and evaluate current practices and their potential to promote RL in South Australia’s construction industry. Practices that were identified using a comprehensive literature review were evalu...

Integration of design for reverse logistics and harvesting of information: a research agenda

The literature is replete with treatises advocating the immense benefits of reverse logistics (RL) systems for organisations in terms of alleviating environmental concerns and enhancing the level of productivity. Nevertheless, implementing RL in organisations is fraught with complications with its success largely riding on fulfilling the requirements prescribed by the critical success factors (CSFs) of RL. Despite the voluminous body of knowledge on RL in the extant literature, operational aspects of RL have overshadowed some central strategic prerequisites for the success of RL systems. Drawing upon an integrative literature review, this paper provides an insight into different aspects of the implementation of RL practices. The central role of the integration of design for reverse logistics (DfRL) and harvesting of information (HoI) in the effective implementation of RL systems is then established and clarified through developing a conceptual framework. The paper concludes by putting forward an agenda for research.

Development of demand forecasting tool for natural resources recouping from municipal solid waste

Sustainable waste management requires an integrated planning and design strategy for reliable forecasting of waste generation, collection, recycling, treatment and disposal for the successful development of future residential precincts. The success of the future development and management of waste relies to a high extent on the accuracy of the prediction and on a comprehensive understanding of the overall waste management systems. This study defies the traditional concepts of waste, in which waste was considered as the last phase of production and services, by putting forward the new concept of waste as an intermediate phase of production and services. The study aims to develop a demand forecasting tool called ‘zero waste index’ (ZWI) for measuring the natural resources recouped from municipal solid waste. The ZWI (ZWI demand forecasting tool) quantifies the amount of virgin materials recovered from solid waste and subsequently reduces extraction of natural resources. In addition, the tool estimates the potential amount of energy, water and emissions avoided or saved by the improved waste management system. The ZWI is tested in a case study of waste management systems in two developed cities: Adelaide (Australia) and Stockholm (Sweden). The ZWI of waste management systems in Adelaide and Stockholm is 0.33 and 0.17 respectively. The study also enumerates per capita energy savings of 2.9 GJ and 2.83 GJ, greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 0.39 tonnes (CO2e) and 0.33 tonnes (CO2e), as well as water savings of 2.8 kL and 0.92 kL in Adelaide and Stockholm respectively.

Green Urbanism: Holistic Pathways to the Rejuvenation of Mature Housing Estates in Singapore

Cities play a crucial role in the way out of the environmental crisis. This chapter argues that our fast growing cities need to develop as more compact, polycentric mixed-use urban clusters, strongly inter-connected by public transport and highly mixed-use, towards sustainable “network city” models (Castells, The rise of the network society. Oxford: Blackwell, 1996). Cities are systems already under stress; cities are resource-intensive, and can sometimes be messy and chaotic. Not everything in cities can always be planned to last more than 25 or 30 years; mature components, such as housing estates, have to be re-engineered and retrofitted. Today, many mature housing estates, which play such a significant role of Singapore’s urban fabric, are over 3 decades old and in need of urgent rejuvenation and retrofitting. Some of them are relatively energy-inefficient and highly air-conditioning dependent – but what could be the most appropriate model for such rejuvenation? It is timely to rethink and re-conceptualize these aged estates and districts of Singapore, in order to future-proof them for a fast approaching low-to-no-carbon society. Eco-city planning and the retrofitting of existing inefficient housing estates involves the introduction of mixed-use programmes and smart densification of the urban form. These concepts go far beyond environmental aspects; they include systems’ integration and holistic thinking, rather than piecemeal approach or single-minded “techno-fix” approaches. System-integration and holistic conceptual approaches are necessary to ensure that these rejuvenated estates become part of a larger sustainable ecosystem, in regard to their management of waste, energy, water, public transport, materials and food supply. What is needed is a practical strategy for re-energising tired housing, to undergo radical modernization, to meet the changing aspirations and lifestyles of contemporary Singaporeans. It also requires new typologies for both public and private housing, appropriate to the tropical climate, with terraced gardens, courtyards, and environment friendly solutions. This study explores the typology and findings of a German case study: the city of Freiburg, where two recently completed eco-districts are analysed, as they could inform urban developments in Singapore. This case study shows that cities need to always find local solutions appropriate to their particular circumstances, and that government is key in driving the outcome. The argument is that good urban governance and governmental leadership is crucial to eco-development. In connection with this, the paper also examines a study conducted by the author at the National University of Singapore: an architecture master class, which was looking at careful neighbourhood re-configuration and the integration of the existing estates, avoiding the negative impact of demolition of these estates, to maintain the social community networks.

Keeping the existing: Lina Bo Bardi’s upcycling and urban renewal strategies

One of the most remarkable Brazilian architects in the 20th Century, Italian emigre Lina Bo Bardi (Rome 1914—Sao Paulo 1992) has recently been “rediscovered” and her heterogeneous and unusually diverse oeuvre been celebrated. Born in Italy and arriving in Brazil in 1946, multi-talented Bo Bardi was, as well as an architect, a furniture designer, urbanist, political activist, editor and writer and a curator of exhibitions.

Conceptualizing the Urban Nexus framework for a circular economy: linking energy, water, food and waste (EWFW) in Southeast-Asian cities

Abstract The global challenges of rapid urbanization, particularly dominant in fast-expanding cities in the Southeast-Asian region, include urban sprawl, inefficient infrastructure systems with energy black-outs, increased waste generation and air pollution. The “Urban Nexus” is here defined as an interrelated complex in which energy, water, food, and material flows/waste treatment systems intersect (EWFW, or, short, the “Nexus”). The Southeast-Asian Urban Nexus project, initiated by three significant organizations (including UN ESCAP), commenced in 2013 and is currently in its second phase. It aims to integrate resource management processes that increase the efficiency of natural resource use and infrastructural systems, transform planning practice, and reduce CO 2 emissions and waste generation. The approach is based on the untapped inter-dependencies between the sectors, therefore looking holistically at the energy system as part of a multi-dimensional network and urban system that requires transformation, rather than understanding urban energy in an isolated single-purpose, single-sector linear way. One way to reduce energy consumption is to apply the principles of a Circular Economy. The Circular Economy model seeks to base economic development on environmental and resources protection. Hence, the Circular Economy and the Nexus are closely linked. The objective of the EWFW Nexus project is to provide an informed framework for determining trade-offs and synergies to meet future demand, while increasing urban resilience, resource efficiency, and green growth, without compromising safeguards for the environmental protection. This chapter presents progress to date, discusses three Nexus case studies, and informs readers about future Nexus work planned in four European cities.

Sustainable Lina: an introduction

Foreseen to be one of the biggest events to happen in Brazilian history, the fervour of the approaching Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro must address its recent environmental and ecological crises.