Main Article Content
This review presents an integrated examination of recent advances in sustainable engineering, linking circular economy strategies, renewable energy applications, and water reuse technologies within a unified framework of resource efficiency. Unlike existing literature that discusses these areas separately, this study synthesises their interrelationships and identifies how combined implementation can accelerate sustainability outcomes. The review assesses current practices in sustainable construction, life cycle assessment, renewable energy deployment, and industrial and municipal water reuse, drawing on case studies from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and China. Trends, challenges, and research gaps are critically assessed, highlighting the need for large-scale validation, standardised assessment metrics, and supportive regulatory mechanisms. The paper presents a conceptual framework that connects materials, energy, and water efficiency and outlines actionable directions for engineers and researchers to scale sustainable engineering solutions.
Article Details
Ahn, N., Dodoo, A., Riggio, M., Muszynski, L., Schimleck, L. & Puettmann, M. (2022). Circular Economy in Mass Timber Construction: State-of-the-Art, Gaps and Pressing Research Needs. Journal of Building Engineering, 53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104562 (Crossref)
Al-Hamrani, A., Kim, D., Kucukvar, M. & Cihat Onat, N. (2021). Circular Economy Application for a Green Stadium Construction towards Sustainable FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106543 (Crossref)
Al Martini, S., Sabouni, R., Khartabil, A., Wakjira, T. G. & Alam, M. S. (2023). Development and Strength Prediction of Sustainable Concrete Having Binary and Ternary Cementitious Blends and Incorporating Recycled Aggregates from Demolished UAE Buildings: Experimental and Machine Learning-Based Studies. Construction and Building Materials, 380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131278 (Crossref)
Amaral, A. L., Martins, R. & Dias, L. C. (2023). Operational Drivers of Water Reuse Efficiency in Portuguese Wastewater Service Providers. Utilities Policy, 83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2023.101591 (Crossref)
Abu-Hijleh, B. & Jaheen, N. (2019). Energy and Economic Impact of the New Dubai Municipality Green Building Regulations and Potential Upgrades of the Regulations. Energy Strategy Reviews, 24, 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.01.004 (Crossref)
Chen, S. (2024). Renewable Energy Technology Innovation and Urbanization: Insights from China. Sustainable Cities and Society, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105241 (Crossref)
Dsilva, J., Zarmukhambetova, S. & Locke, J. (2023). Assessment of Building Materials in the Construction Sector: A Case Study Using Life Cycle Assessment Approach to Achieve the Circular Economy. Heliyon, 9 (10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20404 (Crossref)
Duckett, D., Troldborg, M., Hendry, S. & Cousin, H. (2024). Making Waves: Promoting Municipal Water Reuse without a Prevailing Scarcity Driver. Water Research, 249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120965 (Crossref)
Guleria, T., Broeke, J. van den, Platteau, I., Rijnaarts, T., Alhadidi, A., Gutierrez, L. & Cornelissen, E. (2024). Water Reuse and Resource Recovery from Greenhouse Wastewater by Capacitive Electrodialysis at Pilot Scale. Desalination, 583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.117669 (Crossref)
Hafdhi, S. & Euchi, J. (2023). Designing of New Proposed Technique for the Multi-Attribute Choice Problems: Application to the Selection of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Society Case Study. Energy Reports, 9 (1), 143–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.10.340 (Crossref)
Harasztiné, H. R., Sebestyén, V. & Somogyi, V. (2024). Potential Water Reuse Pathways from a Life Cycle Analysis Perspective in the Poultry Industry. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.105577 (Crossref)
Hassan, A. A. & El-Rayes, K. (2024). Optimal Use of Renewable Energy Technologies during Building Schematic Design Phase. Applied Energy, 353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.122006 (Crossref)
Lanter, A. M., Svetanoff, R., Chitturi, L., Chirchir, A., Moses Nyo Tonglo Arowo, M. N. T., Ringera, H. & Warsinger, D. M. (2024). Maximizing Water Recovery from Reverse Osmosis for Agricultural Brine Reuse in Kenya. Agricultural Water Management, 298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108855 (Crossref)
Li, J., Sun, W., Song, H., Li, R. & Hao, J. (2021). Toward the Construction of a Circular Economy Eco-City: An Emergy-Based Sustainability Evaluation of Rizhao City in China. Sustainable Cities and Society, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102956 (Crossref)
Maqbool, R., Arul, T. & Ashfaq, S. (2023). A Mixed-Methods Study of Sustainable Construction Practices in the UK. Journal of Cleaner Production, 430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139087 (Crossref)
Mariyam, S., Cochrane, L., Al-Ansari, T. & McKay, G. (2024). A Framework to Support Localized Solid Waste Management Decision Making: Evidence from Qatar. Environmental Development, 50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.100986 (Crossref)
Obaideen, K., AlMallahi, M. N., Alami, A. H., Ramadan, M., Abdelkareem, M. A., Shehata, N. & Olabi, A. G. (2021). On the Contribution of Solar Energy to Sustainable Developments Goals: Case Study on Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. International Journal of Thermofluids, 12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2021.100123 (Crossref)
Papadakis, D. M., Savvides, A., Aimilios, M. & Michopoulos, A. (2024). Advancing Sustainable Urban Mobility: Insights from Best Practices and Case Studies. Fuel Communications, 20, 100125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfueco.2024.100125 (Crossref)
Pujadas-Gispert, E., Alsailani, Dijk (Koen), K.C.A. van, Rozema (Annine), A. D. K., Hoope (Puck), J. P. ten, Korevaar (Carmen), C. C. & Moonen (Faas), S. P. G. (2020). Design, Construction, and Thermal Performance Evaluation of an Innovative Bio-Based Ventilated Façade. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 9 (3), 681–696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2020.02.003 (Crossref)
Rodríguez-Castillo, M., Balsebre, N., Bolivar-Paypay, V., Poganietz, W-R. & Prieto, A. L. (2024). Sustainability Assessment of a Sequential Anaerobic-Algal Membrane Bioreactor for Wastewater Reuse. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 49, 104–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.06.017 (Crossref)
Thomassen, G., Peeters, E., Van Hee, N., Noëth, E., Du Bois, E., Boone, L. & Compernolle, T. (2024). The Environmental Impacts of Reusable Rice Packaging: An Extended Comparative Life Cycle Assessment. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 45, 333–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.01.014 (Crossref)
Torgautov, B., Zhanabayev, A., Tleuken, A., Turkyilmaz, A., Borucki, C. & Karaca, F. (2022). Performance Assessment of Construction Companies for the Circular Economy: A Balanced Scorecard Approach. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 33, 991–1004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.08.021 (Crossref)
Tushar, Z. N., Mainul Bari, A. B. M. & Khan, M. A. (2022). Circular Supplier Selection in the Construction Industry: A Sustainability Perspective for the Emerging Economies. Sustainable Manufacturing and Service Economics, 1, 100005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smse.2022.100005 (Crossref)
Vignisdottir, H. R., Barrera-Cardenas, R. & Pascual-Muñoz, P. (2023). Estimation of Environmental Impacts from Renewable Energy Technologies for Application in a Multi-Criteria Decision Model. In Transportation Research Procedia, 72, 2253–2260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.714 (Crossref)
Wuni, I. Y. & Shen, G. Q. (2022). Developing Critical Success Factors for Integrating Circular Economy into Modular Construction Projects in Hong Kong. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 29, 574–587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.11.010 (Crossref)
Yu, H., Zahidi, I., Chow, M. F., Liang, D. & Øivind Madsen, D. (2024). Reimagining Resources Policy: Synergizing Mining Waste Utilization for Sustainable Construction Practices. Journal of Cleaner Production, 464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142795 (Crossref)
Downloads
- Sanjay Kumar, Dhanasingh Sivalinga Vijayan, Parthiban Devarajan, Arvindan Sivasuriyan, Eugeniusz Koda, Wiktor Sitek, Łukasz Wodzyński, Development of advanced solar panel technologies in buildings – A review , Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Architectura: Vol. 23 (2024)
- Parthiban Devarajan, Alicja Kozarzewska, Dhanasingh Sivalinga Vijayan, Sanjay Kumar, Arvindan Sivasuriyan, Wiktor Sitek, Transformational green sustainable concepts in the field of infrastructure , Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Architectura: Vol. 23 (2024)
- Wiktor Sitek, Filip Kozłowski, Agnieszka Kiersnowska, Marek Dohojda, The application of hexagonal geogrid as a reinforcement element of the base of a road embankment , Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Architectura: Vol. 22 (2023)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.