Designing for Circularity: Life Cycle Thinking in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The live presentation of this event has already taken place.

Please view the PDF slides here or watch the video recording below:

Webinar details

This webinar explores how life cycle thinking can be embedded in civil and environmental engineering projects to promote circularity and long-term sustainability. Participants will gain insight into strategies for integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations at every stage of the project life cycle, from material selection to design, construction, and operation. The session will draw on practical case studies to illustrate how circular design principles can reduce waste, optimise resources, and create more resilient built environments.

By connecting theory with practice, the webinar will also highlight the role of advanced digital tools, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Digital Twins, in supporting decision-making for circular projects. Attendees will leave with actionable knowledge on how to apply life cycle approaches in their own professional contexts to drive sustainable innovation in engineering.

• The webinar will be recorded and will be sent out to registered attendees afterwards.
• A certificate of attendance will be provided to attendees who request one near the end of the live webinar session.
• Please note: the time stated on this event is in UTC. You will need to convert this to your own time zone.

Key takeaways from this webinar

• Understand the principles of life cycle thinking and how they contribute to circularity in civil and environmental engineering.
• Learn how digital tools can be applied to support sustainable design and decision-making.
• Gain practical insights into strategies for minimising environmental impacts and enhancing resource efficiency across engineering projects.

Related courses

This webinar/topic relates to our school of Civil Engineering and is particularly found in the following courses:

• Professional Certificate of Competency in Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Professional Certificate of Competency in Digital Twins and Simulation Monitoring
• 52873WA Advanced Diploma of Civil and Structural Engineering
• Online – Bachelor of Science (Civil and Structural Engineering)
• Graduate Certificate in Civil Engineering: (Structural Performance, Monitoring and Management)
• Online – Master of Engineering (Civil: Structural)

About the presenter

Dr. Karoline Figueiredo, EIT Lecturer and Civil Engineer

Dr. Karoline Figueiredo is a civil and environmental engineer specialising in sustainable construction and the integration of digital technologies into the built environment. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (Concentration: Built Environment) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where her research focused on optimising construction material selection to reduce environmental, social, and economic impacts through the use of Digital Twins and Blockchain. She also earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from UFRJ. Her academic experience includes research stays at Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain) and Western Sydney University (Australia), as well as teaching at Universidad de Santiago de Chile (Chile). She is also the author of a published book based on her Ph.D. research, further consolidating her contributions to sustainable construction.

Alongside her academic career, Dr. Figueiredo works as a civil engineer in Brazil, applying her expertise to real-world projects in structural design and sustainable construction. She lectures in postgraduate programs at UFRJ, where she coordinates a unit on Building Information Modelling (BIM), and serves as a contracted lecturer at the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), Australia, teaching both Higher Education and VET courses. Her expertise spans BIM, Digital Twins, and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), with a strong commitment to advancing sustainable practices in engineering and construction.