Mapping the scientific research of the life cycle assessment in the construction industry: A scientometric analysis

Abstract

The interest toward the life cycle assessment studies in the construction industry has been increasing in the last decades. However, there is no existing study that focuses on mapping the scientific research of the LCAs in the construction industry with a comprehensive understanding. Hence, an expansive and macro level study of the LCAs within the subject domain is necessary to fulfill this gap in the literature. The research objective of this study is to reveal the status quo, hot topics and keywords, and emerging areas of the LCA research in the construction industry. For this purpose, systematic bibliometric and scientometric analyses were conducted by referring 2885 bibliometric records published between 1997 and 2021 (end of February). The analyses indicated China, USA, and Spain as the most productive countries in the field. Additionally, hot keywords in the domain revealed as ‘energy’, ‘environmental impact’, ‘sustainability’, ‘performance’, ‘emission’, ‘building’, ‘system’, ‘design’, and ‘concrete’. ‘Circular economy’, ‘mechanical property’, and ‘footprint’ are found as the emerging areas of this field. Document co-citation clusters showed the hot research themes of the domain as building information modeling (BIM), energy performance, construction and demolition waste, carbonation, water supply, bridge design, optimization, pavement management, ventilation, and design assessment. The results of this research make a significant contribution to the scientific community and industry practitioners by providing an inclusive understanding of the recent status, hot keywords and topics, and emerging areas of the life cycle assessment in the construction industry. Further, this study would be a useful and valuable reference and guideline for the researchers interested in this field.