34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0308

Exploring the potential of lean sustainable construction 4.0: a reflexive analysis

Gonzalo Garcés1 & Eric Forcael2

1Ph.D. Student, Department of Construction Engineering and Civil Engineering Projects, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia 46022, Spain; [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-1359-4835
2Professor, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile; [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-3036-4329

Abstract

The construction industry faces a fundamental crisis due to historically low productivity and its significant contribution to carbon emissions and waste. To address these critical issues across environmental, economic, and social dimensions, this research utilizes a reflexive analysis and philosophical synthesis of the intersection of Lean Construction (LC), Construction 4.0, and Sustainable Construction, resulting in the emerging framework “Lean Sustainable Construction 4.0” (LSC4.0). The aim is to clarify the conceptual and philosophical feasibility of this integration. The main contribution demonstrates that Lean Construction and Sustainable Construction are not opposing domains but are instead mutually enhanced by the intelligence of Construction 4.0, which acts as the epistemological tool for quantifying and predicting value and ecological impact. The discussion emphasizes conceptual synergy, the ontological and epistemological implications (redefining the built object as a cyber-physical system), the challenges in establishing LSC4.0, and the future research directions (maturity models and ethical frameworks) to support the comprehensive transformation of the sector.

Keywords

Lean construction, sustainable construction, construction 4.0, construction industry.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Garcés, G. & Forcael, E.. (2026). Exploring the potential of lean sustainable construction 4.0: a reflexive analysis. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 569–581). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0308

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Garcés, G. & Forcael, E.. (2026). Exploring the potential of lean sustainable construction 4.0: a reflexive analysis. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0308

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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