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JOURNAL OF MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION

ISSN: 2734-9438

Website: www.jomc.vn

Managing embodied carbon emissions during building construction: A literature review, research gaps and future directions

Tuong Minh Hong

Abstract

Managing embodied carbon during construction requires activity data to be linked to implementation decisions and assessed within consistent system boundaries. This paper presents a structured literature review of 25 references concerning transport to site and construction and installation activities within modules A4–A5. Content analysis, comparison and thematic synthesis are used to examine research scope, assessment boundaries, data sources, methods, findings and decision-support value. The review synthesises 21 scientific publications and compares 12 quantitative studies in greater depth. Results distinguish three forms of evidence: emission inventories that identify sources and establish baselines; models that compare alternatives under stated assumptions; and post-intervention evaluations that examine implemented management measures. The paper proposes a literature-derived conceptual matrix linking emission sources, required activity data, construction management decisions and assessment conditions. The matrix has not been validated using project-level data. The synthesis indicates that direct comparison of reported results requires alignment of functional outputs, included activities and allocation rules, together with explicit consideration of data provenance. Priorities for application in Vietnam are consistent A4–A5 boundaries, traceable site records, sensitivity analysis and project-level validation of management measures under comparable construction conditions.

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