Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Sustainable Engineering Applications and Technological Developments, cilt.9, sa.1, ss.236-256, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
Post-earthquake permanent housing should not be understood merely as the rapid provision of shelter, but as a multi-stage reconstruction process that must address resilience, adaptability, resource efficiency, and long-term environmental performance. Although the circular economy offers a strong conceptual framework for this field, the literature has not yet systematically explained how circular principles can be integrated into the different decision stages of permanent housing delivery. Addressing this gap, the present study examines circular economy principles in the context of post-earthquake permanent housing and proposes a process-oriented conceptual model based on modular building systems and structured through the stages of the RIBA Plan of Work.
The research is based on a systematic literature review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches across Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and DergiPark yielded 663 studies. After duplicate removal, 442 studies were screened at title and abstract level, 220 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 85 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. The data were analysed through a combination of thematic analysis and life-cycle reasoning.
The findings show that circularity in post-disaster permanent housing cannot be reduced to the use of recycled materials alone. Rather, it requires a systemic approach encompassing design decisions, production logic, logistics organisation, in-use adaptability, and end-of-use disassembly and reuse scenarios. In particular, modular building systems were found to offer a stronger circular potential in terms of disassembly, standardisation, flexibility, reuse, and material recovery. The originality of the study lies in reconceptualising circular economy within the specific context of post-earthquake permanent housing and in presenting it as a stage-based decision model rather than a general sustainability principle.