SUBSTAINABILITY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LITERATURE.

Аннотация

The construction industry has faced criticism for its negative environmental impacts. To mitigate these effects, the industry has been striving to implement sustainable practices across its entire production chain. This study aims to conduct a quantitative bibliometric analysis using meta-analysis methodology and, subsequently, evaluate the selected articles through qualitative methods in the field of sustainability in civil construction. For this purpose, a search was performed on the Web of Science, utilizing a set of keywords followed by a filtering process, ultimately resulting ina review of433articles published over 18 years. The VOSviewer software was employed for the quantitative analysis of the collected documents. The findings highlighted a scarcity of quantitative methodologies for assessing sustainability in the construction sector. This research outlines the evolution of studies, key focus areas, prominent environmental certifications, widely used assessment methodologies, and the distribution of work stages covered in the literature. The primary contributions identified include the main research areas— materials, project management, sustainability assessment, and energy. The most frequently used methodology was Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), while Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) emerged as the most referenced certification. It was observed that environmental aspects are more frequently studied than social and economic sustainability pillars. Additionally, most articles focus on the planning and execution stages of construction, whereas studies on the operation and maintenance phases remain limited. These insights provide a valuable reference forfuture research in thefield. Keywords: Sustainability, civil construction, bibliometric analysis, meta-analysis, quantitative methods, environmental impact, life cycle assessment (LCA), LEED certification, project management, energy efficiency, sustainable materials, planning, execution, operation, maintenance. The construction industry plays a significant role in the global economy, contributing approximately 13% to the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1,2]. However, it is also a major consumer of energy, accounting for 36% of global energy usage and 39% of energy- related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions [3]. Given its substantial environmental footprint, sustainability in construction has become a central concern for governments, industry professionals, and researchers alike. Yet, true sustainability in construction goes beyond just environmental considerations—it also encompasses economic factors (such as costs, competition, and project timelines), social aspects (including worker safety and community impact), and technical sustainability, which focuses on a structure’s quality, durability, and performance over time [4]. Like the legs of a sturdy stool, these three pillars—environmental, economic, and social—must work together to create a well-balanced and truly sustainable construction industry. Additionally, effective evaluation mechanisms are necessary to assess whether sustainability goals are being met in construction projects [5]. The construction industry consists of interconnected firms and organizations involved in https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi volume 4,issue3,2025 334 building infrastructure, real estate, and facilities [6]. Interest in sustainability within the industry gained traction following the First International Conference on Sustainable Construction in Tampa, Florida, in 1994. From a technical standpoint, sustainable construction aims to counteract negative environmental effects such as global warming, resource depletion, and habitat degradation [7]. Applying sustainable principles in construction leads to the development of high-performance, eco-friendly buildings—commonly known as “green buildings” [8]. Research on sustainability in construction has evolvedover time, covering a wide range oftopics. Some studies focus on specific sustainability aspects [9,10], while others attempt to integrate all threesustainability domains[11–13]. A fundamental idea in sustainable construction is that projects serve as the primary means of delivering sustainability outcomes. Research in this field spans topics such as value management in sustainable construction [14], assessing sustainability performance [15–19], incorporating social sustainability in design and planning [20], and examining the influence of policies on infrastructure projects [21]. Social network analysis, as well as sustainability and equity theories, have been employed to evaluate social sustainability in construction projects, emphasizing that meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders is crucial for success [22]. Furthermore, information and communications technology (ICT) has been identified as a tool for improving sustainability through process optimization, digital communication, and enhanced project control, particularly incountries such as Iran [2