NAVIGATING THE TWIN TRANSITION: DATA REQUIREMENTS AND ACCURACY IN CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES

Kyra van den Muyzenberg; Pedro Mêda

doi:10.24840/978-972-752-358-0

NAVIGATING THE TWIN TRANSITION: DATA REQUIREMENTS AND ACCURACY IN CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES

Autores

Kyra van den Muyzenberg

Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0602-815X

Pedro Mêda

Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4380-5530

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24840/978-972-752-358-0_117

Sinopse

The present research is an exploratory study on how lifecycle data for construction products can be structured and quantified to progress on sustainable and circular building practices within Europe's twin transition. Focusing on two envelope products—aluminium double-glazed windows and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS)—the research maps product-level data requirements across the construction process lifecycle phases. Grounded in a building refurbishment case in Porto, Portugal, the work employs a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative stakeholder role-playing with data extraction from technical specifications, Bills of Quantities, and BIM models. The analysis assumed 12 essential product characteristics, highlighting how phase-specific data needs diverge by product type and cannot be captured by universal templates. Windows exhibit relatively linear data progression with straightforward reuse or recycling pathways, whereas ETICS presents complex, layer-based quantification and greater end-of-life uncertainty due to adhesive layers and mixed waste streams. A central finding is that inaccuracies in units and quantities—driven by design simplifications, over-ordering, and on-site modifications—constrain circular forecasts. The paper advocates for Design for Disassembly and lifecycle data carriers (Digital Product Passports) integrated with BIM to enable real-time, end-to-end traceability and robust circularity forecasting, while outlining a roadmap for catalogue expansion and standardised data-entry practices.