2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Many modern buildings are designed and constructed without considering proper methods of disassembly, reuse, recycling, or disposal after the end of their service life. Consequently, a significant amount of waste produced from building demolition is disposed of in a landfill. Although time and cost are essential factors while designing a built environment, it is also critical to ensure the implementation of circular economy practices through the systematic reuse or recycling of building materials at the later stage of its lifecycle. One of the most effective ways of increasing awareness of the circular economy principle in construction education is by educating the future construction workforce about design for disassembly and deconstruction strategies. These methods ensure easy recovery of products, parts, and materials of a building to maximize economic value and minimize environmental impact at the later stages of its lifecycle. However, such novel concepts are seldom integrated into the construction management curriculum which limits students’ ability to understand the importance of designing and constructing buildings for easy disassembly. Therefore, this study aims to improve construction management (CM) students’ systems thinking ability in circular economy and conceptualize their ideas about design for disassembly. To achieve this goal, the study integrated a combination learning model through a flexible combination of problem-based learning (PBL) and concept map development (CMD) activity in three CM courses including Principles of Construction, Sustainable Construction, and Sustainable Approach to Construction. Overall, 73 students participated in the pre-and post-course survey and a Wilcoxon-signed rank test is utilized to analyze the obtained data. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that students significantly improved their systems thinking ability, technical communication, and interdisciplinary communication skills. Additionally, PBL and CMD activity enhanced students’ ability to conceptualize systems thinking by focusing on how the concepts and patterns in one system influence other systems and circular economy outcomes dynamically. The findings of the study contribute to the architectural, engineering, and sustainable construction body of knowledge by educating the future construction workforce about novel concepts of circular economy, design for disassembly, and deconstruction as well as developing soft skills to communicate their technical knowledge effectively.