RFId for Construction Sector. Technological Innovation in Circular Economy Perspective

The transition towards the Circular Economy (CE) sets new challenges in the construction sector. In addition to reduction of resource consumption and “closing the loop” concept, CE requires the dematerialization of services and products. Building processes and products need to be rethought to ensure sustainable and circular management of the asset. In this context, the progress in the field of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFId), promises interesting scenarios in fostering circular transition. Indeed, information technologies can assume a critical role in achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12. For about fifteen years, RFIds are used by several industries to automate process, optimize cost, and manage asset information through data-driven approach. This paper aims to investigate the feature of RFId technologies and its application in construction sector. In the perspective of promoting CE principles, such technologies can play an enabling role. Thorough the analysis of scientific literature review and experiences in the market, 20 of the most innovative case studies are presented. A clustering analysis of the case studied presented clarifies the most investigated fields and those where research should focus in the future.