Construction Material Flows

The production, consumption and end-of-life of building materials will be reviewed using various tools, including Material Flow Analysis (MFA). Key points of intervention will be identified where changes to policy and regulation, design, typical construction processes and waste management can shift the industry into the circular economy. Understanding where construction materials come from, and their path from use through to disposal will identify the current barriers to circularity, and how these barriers can be dismantled. This course complements the Design for Disassembly and Deconstruction courses.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Explain how materials flow through the building industry, from extraction and manufacture to installation, use, and finally disposal/recycling/reuse
• Determine how to influence this flow to enable the highest and best use of these materials
• Describe the design and construction process and where and how intervention will facilitate closing the loop in the building industry
• Influence and/or write policy and regulations that more effectively moves the industry towards circularity
• Explain construction material metabolism in terms of embodied carbon, material life span, and waste
• Use system approaches for solving complex problems
• Determine which materials are sourced globally and regionally and interpret the consequences​

Construction Material Flows prepares design and construction professionals to enter the field of sustainability. This microcredential explores ways the building industry can cut carbon emissions, and contribute to the commitments of Canada’s 2025 net zero carbon targets.