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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2024) | Viewed by 31139

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lingkun Chen

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Guest Editor

College of Architectural Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
Interests: accelerated construction and design; building information modeling (BIM) technology; prefabrication building; modular construction; emergency management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Nan Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: assembly building; industrial chain; rapid damage assessment; infrastructure maintenance and repair; system dynamics

Prof. Dr. Qinghua Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
Interests: rapid bridge replacement technology; high-performance bridges; damage performance transmutation mechanism; intelligent fatigue damage monitoring; whole life bridge performance; deterioration; post-deterioration performance enhancement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of accelerating urbanization, the construction industry plays an essential role in the development of the national economy. Still, the environmental hazards brought forth by the construction industry and the limitations of its own development are problems that cannot be ignored. In the case of increasing tension of natural resources, the construction industry is contrary to sustainable construction because of its colossal energy consumption and the pollution force caused by the production process. The essence is to realize the energy saving, material saving, water saving, land saving, and environmental protection of the project from the perspective of the whole life cycle of the project.

Based on a sustainable construction perspective, this Special Issue will focus on the sustainable development of construction projects, growth management, and interactions. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not be limited to) the following:

Accelerated design and construction;
Green and renewal design of industrial buildings;
Modular construction;
Assembled construction;
Low carbon buildings;
Whole life cycle theory;
Emergency management;
Big data, artificial intelligence, and intelligent building;
Living preservation of historic buildings.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Lingkun Chen
Prof. Dr. Nan Zhang
Prof. Dr. Qinghua Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 7501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Energy Saving and Economy of Old Buildings Based on Parametric Design: A Case Study of a Hospital in Linyi City, Shandong Province

by Shengyuan Guo, Wanjiang Wang and Yihuan Zhou

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16681; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142416681 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1368

Abstract

With the need for a green economy and the introduction of low-carbon policies, more and more old buildings are being transformed to improve the thermal performance of buildings and reduce energy consumption. However, people ignore the village buildings and the old public buildings. Based on the investigation of a typical health center in Linyi City, this paper proposed improvement measures using EnergyPlus simulation software and JePlus parameter chemical tools. The various factors analyze the various parts of the enclosure, and the energy-saving effect of the roof is better than that of the exterior wall: When the thickness of the insulation layer gradually increases from 0 cm to 30 cm, the unit energy consumption of the building gradually decreases from 57 kW·h/m² to 42.8 kW·h/m², while that of the roof is gradually reduced to 24.41 kW·h/m². Double exterior windows effectively reduce the energy consumption of the building in all renovation schemes. The optimal scheme is selected through the parameterized design of all the overall enclosure reconstruction schemes and the initial investments. The results showed that the investment recovery of the selected scheme was between 1.36–5.28 years. Plan 5 (12 cm XPS is used as insulation material for the exterior wall and roof, and the exterior window is replaced with 6 mm medium transmittance Low-e + 12 mm air + 6 mm clear) had the highest energy efficiency (91.11%). Plan 2 (6 cm XPS is used as insulation material for the exterior wall and roof, and the exterior window is replaced with 12 mm single medium transmittance heat-reflecting glass) had the shortest investment recovery period (2.04 years). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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17 pages, 5496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on Low Carbonization of Green Building Based on New Membrane Structure Solar Sustainable Heat Collection

by Jianhao Sheng, Dianwei Qi, Hongchao Yan, Wanjiang Wang and Tao Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16629; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142416629 - 12 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1220

Abstract

In recent years, energy consumption has continuously been increasing, and the energy consumption proportion in buildings has risen yearly. In order to promote the carbon-neutral goal of carbon peaking, the building sector realizes green and low-carbon transformation. This paper proposes a new type of solar flat plate collector with an additional transparent cover made by the ETFE film, which is tested for thermal performance under different environmental and operational parameters. The Ansys Fluent software was used to build a three-dimensional steady-state model of the collector, which can simulate the collector components’ temperature and the mass outlet temperature under the test conditions. The collector’s instantaneous heat collection efficiency curve fitted by comparing and analyzing the theoretical, experimental, and simulated data. The instantaneous efficiency intercept was 0.72, and the heat loss coefficient was 3.94 W/(m²·K). The results show that the collector efficiency of the ETFE film structure collector is 18.6% higher, and the heat loss coefficient is 27.3% lower than that of an ordinary collector under standard mass flow conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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14 pages, 2801 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on Flexural Behaviour of Prestressed Specified Density Concrete Composite Beams

by Xingyu Song, Yan Liu, Xiaodong Fu, Hongwei Ma and Xiaolun Hu

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14727; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142214727 - 8 Nov 2022

Viewed by 939

Abstract

To solve the problem of poor seismic resistance due to the disadvantages of traditional concrete composite beams, such as heavy self-weight in prefabricated buildings, prestressed specified-density concrete composite beams are proposed herein. First, a mix ratio test of specified-density concrete was performed. Second, five prestressed specified-density composite beams, a prestressed ordinary concrete composite beam, and a prestressed semi lightweight concrete cast-in-situ beam were tested. The influence of the precast concrete height, reinforcement ratio, and concrete materials on the failure mechanism, flexural bearing capacity, and short-term stiffness of the composite beams were analysed. From the results, the specified-density concrete composite beams and the ordinary composite beam had similar ultimate bearing capacities, but the average distance between crack spacings of the former was smaller. The precast concrete height affected the bending performance of the prestressed specified density concrete composite beam insignificantly, but the maximum ultimate bearing capacity of the composite beam could be increased by 35.6% by increasing the reinforcement ratio. The composite beam and the cast-in-place beam exhibited similar load-carrying capabilities and deformation properties. The average crack spacing, cracking load, and ultimate load value of the specified density concrete composite beams calculated according to the China national standard “Code for design of concrete structures” were consistent with the measured values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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20 pages, 9900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modular Structure Construction Progress Scenario: A Case Study of an Emergency Hospital to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Lingkun Chen, Chencheng Zhai, Lu Wang, Xiaolun Hu and Xiaoming Huang

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811243 - 8 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2920

Abstract

Recently, emergency structures have been in the spotlight because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This research examines the use of modular integrated construction (MiC) in developing an emergency hospital for individuals with novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia (NCIP). The whole process of building is based on the modular design and assembly idea. The primary structure was constructed using the modular steel buildings (MSBs) concept to suit emergency structures’ functional qualities and quick construction needs. An intelligent operation and maintenance management platform was built utilizing 5G, AI, IoT (IoT), cloud, big data, an d other technologies. A BIM model was created to evaluate and compare the construction plan, develop the combined section and connection node plan, and complete the detailed design of assembled steel structures. On-site modularization of fundamental structural components and accessories is utilized in a flowing operating mode, where the housing and supporting installation are closely coordinated. The research results show that information and data interaction is the key to speedy building design and construction, with digital simulation in one stage and on-site assembly in a crammed way. The study findings may be used to build comparable structures faster, utilizing modular building techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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15 pages, 5098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Investigation on Bending Behavior of Innovative Poplar LVL Floor Diaphragms

by Xufeng Sun, Changyuan Wang, Yan Liu, Hongwei Ma and Shukai Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10481; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710481 - 23 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1235

Abstract

Poplar laminated veneer lumber (poplar LVL) is made of fast-growing poplar veneer and structural adhesive, which owns the advantages of sustainability and stable quality. Here an innovative poplar LVL floor diaphragm is presented, mainly made up of orthogonal rib beams fitted together using L-shape steel connectors. The paper mainly deals with an experimental study on the bending behavior of the floor under transverse uniform load. Full-scale testing on eight 3.6 m × 4.8 m specimens shows that the damage phenomena of the floor mainly exhibited as the separation between the rib beams and pulling out from the rib beam for the tapping screw. Though some local damage phenomena appeared before the preset maximum loading level, the load-deflection curves basically kept linear for most of the specimens. Under the service load level of 2.5 kN/m², the distribution of deflection and strain for the full-length rib beam substantially exhibited the characteristic of a two-way slab. In contrast, for the segmented rib beam, the situation was much more complex. Due to the parametric design of the specimens, testing results illustrated that the rib beam height played the most important role in floor stiffness. Next was the sheathing panel, while the role of segmented rib beam spacing was relatively unremarkable. At last, a revised pseudo-plate method was proposed to evaluate the maximum deflection of the novel floor, which considered the composite action by rigidity factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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18 pages, 6976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Advanced Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Framework of Bridge Maintenance Policy Formulation

by Qi-Neng Zhou, Ye Yuan, Dong Yang and Jing Zhang

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10050; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141610050 - 13 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1649

Abstract

In its long service life, bridge structure will inevitably deteriorate due to coupling effects; thus, bridge maintenance has become a research hotspot. The existing algorithms are mostly based on linear programming and dynamic programming, which have low efficiency and high economic cost and cannot meet the actual needs of maintenance. In this paper, a multi-agent reinforcement learning framework was proposed to predict the deterioration process reasonably and achieve the optimal maintenance policy. Using the regression-based optimization method, the Markov transition matrix can better describe the uncertain transition process of bridge components in the maintenance year and the real-time updating of the matrix can be realized by monitoring and evaluating the performance deterioration of components. Aiming at bridges with a large number of components, the maintenance decision-making framework of multi-agent reinforcement learning can adjust the maintenance policy according to the updated Markov matrix in time, which can better adapt to the dynamic change of bridge performance in service life. Finally, the effectiveness of the framework was verified by taking the simulation data of a simply supported beam bridge and a cable-stayed bridge as examples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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26 pages, 3216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Fuzzy-Based Sustainability Framework for Post-Secondary Educational Buildings: A User-Perspective Approach

by Ghasan Alfalah, Abobakr Al-Sakkaf, Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader and Tarek Zayed

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 9955; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14169955 - 11 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1297

Abstract

Decreasing the impact of educational buildings on the environment is a primary concern of the sustainable building movement. However, limited research has centered on improving educational building sustainability from users’ perspectives. This study aims to determine an overall user perspective satisfaction scale (OUPS) for post-secondary educational buildings, determine the factors and sub-factors that affect users’ perspectives, and create a building sustainability platform for evaluating user satisfaction. The main goal of the developed model is to offer facility managers the current users’ perspectives on post-secondary educational buildings to improve sustainability from users’ perspectives. The results revealed a significant influence of thermal comfort (40%) and aesthetics (22%) on users’ perspectives. The developed model was validated by experts working in the facility management field and they acknowledged it as having good potential. This work first utilized the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) modelling technique to determine weights for each factor and sub-factor and then employed the fuzzy expert system to develop an OUPS. Questionnaire responses and interviews with facility managers and users were used to develop these models for a case study of the M.B. building at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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17 pages, 2800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Carbon Emission Scenario Prediction Using STIRPAT and GA-BP Neural Network Model

by Sensen Zhang, Zhenggang Huo and Chencheng Zhai

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14159369 - 30 Jul 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2623

Abstract

As a major province of energy consumption and carbon emission, Jiangsu Province is also a major province of the construction industry, which is a key region and potential area for carbon emission reduction in China. The research and prediction of carbon emission in the construction industry is of great significance for the development of low-carbon policies in the construction industry of other cities. The purpose of this paper is to study the influencing factors of the whole life cycle carbon emissions of buildings in Jiangsu Province, and to predict the carbon emissions of buildings in Jiangsu Province based on the main influencing factors. This paper uses the energy balance sheet splitting method, STIRPAT model, gray correlation method and GA-BP neural network model to study and predict the carbon emissions of construction industry in Jiangsu Province. The research results show that the resident population, urbanization rate, steel production, average distance of road transportation, and labor productivity of construction enterprises have a catalytic effect on construction carbon emissions; GDP per capita and added value of tertiary industry have a suppressive effect; construction carbon emissions reached the historical peak in 2012; the prediction results show that the future construction carbon emissions in Jiangsu province generally show a decreasing trend. The research results of this paper provide a possibility to refine the study of construction carbon emission, and also provide a basis and guidance for subsequent research on construction carbon emission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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19 pages, 3795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensory Perception Mechanism for Preparing the Combinations of Stimuli Operation in the Architectural Experience

by Xing Chen, Yi Liu, Shengcai Li and Wanghu Sun

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7885; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137885 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2204

Abstract

Sensory stimuli in an architectural space play an important role in the human perception of the indoor environment, no matter whether they are static or dynamic, isolated, or combined. By enhancing some perceptions in the sensory stimuli, the overall perceptions of an architectural space can be improved, especially for an intelligent architectural space. As yet, there are few studies reported about the sensory perception mechanism for the sensory stimuli operation in the architectural experience. In this research, a wooden micro building was prepared for the study of the sensitivity level of participants to various sensory stimuli in the same and in different sensory domains. Participants’ visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and kinaesthesia perceptions were discussed statistically in terms of the sensitivity level. Based on the study, the effect of a single dynamic sensory stimulus (a dynamically coloured light) on the participants’ perception was studied in a paper architectural model from two aspects including preference and emotion. The dynamically coloured light was discussed statistically in terms of the level of preference. The study showed that there are significant differences among participants’ levels of sensitivity to the different sensory domains and to the different sensory stimuli. In particular, the sensitivity level to the stimulus that is the colour of a space is the highest of all stimuli. As a single changing sensory stimulus, a dynamically coloured light can lead to significant mood fluctuations and changes in the preference level. In particular, yellow is the favourite colour of light. The object of this study is expected to provide a theoretical foundation that is related to sensory choice, sensory perception enhancement and the combination forms of sensory perceptions. Based on the theoretical foundation, the perception design of overlapped multi-sensory stimuli and a single dynamic stimulus can be conducted to improve the quality of the indoor environment of normal and intelligent multi-sensory architecture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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11 pages, 713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occupants’ Satisfaction of Indoor Environment Quality in Non-Linear Minimum Buildings in Winter Based on the Role of Different Kinds of Perceptions

by Yi Liu, Wei Luo and Xing Chen

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4983; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14094983 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1300

Abstract

Non-Linear Minimum Building (NLMB) is a sort of low-carbon building designed to meet the needs of the growing urban population around the world. This study investigates the perceptions of indoor environments among students whilst staying in NLMBs. The students were asked to participate in the subjective survey in order to gather their indoor environmental satisfaction votes. The objectives of this study are to know the importance of six human sensations inside NLMBs relative to indoor environmental satisfaction. The main findings indicated the great function of the humidity sensation in NLMBs, followed by the thermal sensation, the noise sensation, the visual sensation, the air freshness sensation and the draft sensation. Although the subjects were not very satisfied with the humidity sensation, the overall indoor environmental satisfaction was quite high under the relatively cold conditions in winter. Moreover, the studies, through in-depth interviews, showed that the majority of people felt comfortable, and some of them experienced good feelings or experiences when they stayed in NLMBs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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16 pages, 1403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Energy Consumption Constitution and Energy Efficiency Strategies of Residential Buildings in China Based on Carbon Neutral Demand

by Wanghu Sun, Yuning Sun, Li Xu, Xing Chen and Debin Zai

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2741; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052741 - 25 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2264

Abstract

To assist in the implementation of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in China, due to the contradiction between the increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in China and the higher energy efficiency goals, this paper illustrates that the energy consumption constitution of residential buildings in the whole life cycle and then puts forward comprehensive energy efficiency strategies. With literature and statistical data, the main part of building energy consumption lies in the materialization and use phases, which both will be continually increasing, and divided into energy utilization and waste. By inducing the energy consumption in the use phase, the energy consumption of residential buildings can be further classified into the energy consumption of indoor environments, residential behavior, and public facilities, where the internal factor of continuous increase are all elaborated. Via the analysis of energy waste causes, this paper constructs a model of energy consumption in residential buildings, reveals that the key to energy efficiency in residential buildings lies in scientific decision-making, lifestyle improvement, and appropriate energy efficiency technologies and measures adoption, and points out that promoting building energy efficiency through the whole life cycle of buildings and building activities is needed to achieve carbon compliance and carbon neutrality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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Review

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29 pages, 1656 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Systematic Review of Green Building Development in China: Advantages, Challenges and Future Directions

by Yu Cao, Cong Xu, Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman and Nur Mardhiyah Aziz

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912293 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8542

Abstract

In the 21st century, traditional construction activities exert a severe negative influence on the environment and ecology. To mitigate the negative influence of construction, green buildings have received increasing attention worldwide. Compared with conventional buildings, green buildings have significant advantages for environmental conservation and public health. Although green buildings bring excellent benefits, the development status of green buildings in China is still unsatisfactory. To enhance the understanding of green buildings and promote green building development in China, this study was undertaken to conduct a systematic review of green building development in China. The PRISMA protocol was used as the primary procedure for article screening and selection. This review was conducted between March 2022 and May 2022. In this study, 186 articles were reviewed, and the definition, development trends, evaluation standards, importance, and hindrances of green buildings in China were summarized and discussed through the systematic review. Moreover, the benefits, challenges, and future directions of green building promotion and development in China were discussed and analyzed. This study can promote public familiarity with the current situation of green buildings in China to boost their development. In addition, this study can also provide practical advice to green building stakeholders on the future direction of green building development in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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Other

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21 pages, 3451 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Sustainability Performance in On-Site Construction Processes: A Systematic Literature Review

by Luz Mery Díaz Caselles and Jose Guevara

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16031047 - 25 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1589

Abstract

One of the most important challenges in the construction industry is to develop projects covering all three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. However, the construction project management literature lacks clarity regarding the fundamental principles and effective strategies for implementing sustainability for on-site construction processes. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability dimensions in the construction sector, highlighting sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) for on-site practices. The analysis stems from a systematic literature review sourced from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The search identified 17 environmental, 20 social, and 15 economic indicators, with the most relevant being those associated with key terms such as cost, profit, labor, customer satisfaction, community impact, resource utilization, and contaminant management. The theoretical implications of this study contribute a critical framework for integrating the sustainability dimensions into construction practices, advancing the industry’s sustainability. For practitioners, the findings offer a prioritized guide to enhance on-site construction processes (O-SCP) sustainability and provide measurable KPIs for tracking progress toward sustainable development goals. This study not only sheds light on the current application of sustainability in O-SCP but also paves the way for future research to further this field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Construction Engineering)

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