306 documents found, page 1 of 31
Introductory perspectives on masonry bricks and blocks: innovative solutions fo...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.; Chindaprasirt, PrinyaThis chapter opens by emphasizing the urgent climate crisis, underscored by rising emissions, record-breaking disasters, and the critical challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. It introduces recent legislative measures, such as the EU’s 2023 updates to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), aimed at promoting low-carbon materials in construction. Addressing a notable gap in existing liter...
The rise of AI-enabled startups in creating a low-carbon built environment
Pacheco-Torgal, F.The accelerating climate emergency places the built environment under increasing pressure as both a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and a system highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Buildings contribute substantially to global operational energy use and embodied carbon, while much of the existing stock remains poorly adapted to changing climatic conditions. This paper examines the role of artificial i...
Productivity without merit: The hidden costs of academic inbreeding
Pacheco-Torgal, F.This letter responds to Victoria Slepykh’s study on academic inbreeding and early-career productivity, acknowledging its empirical rigor while questioning its central methodological premise: the use of publication counts as the primary proxy for scientific productivity. Although such metrics are appealing for their clarity and comparability, they risk conflating quantity with quality and scientific impact, ther...
Bio-based construction materials in the context of the EU bioeconomy: overcomin...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.The construction sector faces a dual challenge: meeting growing global demand while achieving deep decarbonisation in line with the European Green Deal and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. Bio-based construction materials offer significant potential to reconcile these objectives through carbon sequestration, reduced embodied emissions, improved indoor environmental quality, and compatibility with circular economy pr...
Circular economy in EU construction and demolition waste: persistent barriers, ...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.; Ding, Yining; Zhao, Xin-YuConstruction and demolition waste (CDW) is the largest single waste stream in the European Union by weight (~39% of all EU waste), yet the EU’s circular material use rate stood at only 12.2% in 2024 — less than half its 2030 target. Despite two decades of legislative ambition, the 70% recovery target under Directive 2008/98/EC has not been genuinely achieved: apparent compliance by most Member States conceals w...
Methodological bias in the Clarivate highly cited researchers list: internation...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.The annual list of Highly Cited Researchers (HCR), published by Clarivate Analytics, is widely used as an indicator of scientific excellence and institutional prestige. However, growing evidence suggests that the methodology underlying this ranking contains significant structural limitations that may distort the measurement of research influence. This paper critically examines the methodological foundations of ...
Carbon dioxide sequestration through innovative cementitious construction mater...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.The ongoing energy crisis triggered by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the economics of the global construction sector. Rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions are increasing production costs for conventional building materials such as cement, steel, and plastics, all of which are highly energy-intensive. This context intensifies the strategic relevance of materials capable of sequ...
Comments on the ideological and philosophical foundations of bibliometrics by G...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.Juan Gorraiz’s (2025) paper presents a metaphorical and conceptually rich examination of the ideological and philosophical foundations of bibliometrics, emphasizing their symbolic, heuristic, and interpretive roles in scholarly communication. While aligned with responsible research assessment initiatives such as DORA and the Leiden Manifesto, the paper lacks practical guidance, operational frameworks, and empir...
Introduction to cost-effective energy-efficient methods for refurbishment and r...
Pacheco-Torgal, F.This chapter explores the pivotal role of energy efficiency in addressing climate change, with a specific focus on building refurbishment and retrofitting. It underscores the European Union’s ambitious targets for greenhouse gas reduction and enhanced energy efficiency, aligning with its aim to be the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The evolution of energy efficiency policies and the potential ...
An introductory overview of bio-based construction materials
Pacheco-Torgal, F.In a world facing limited resources and the pressures of a growing population, shifting towards sustainable production and consumption is crucial. The construction industry is poised for significant growth, driven by a global population expected to reach 11 billion by 2100. Amidst this expansion, biobased construction materials are essential for reducing environmental impact. Though historically outperformed by...