Unlocking 3R-driven value engineering potential in sustainable construction: an empirical analysis of drivers, challenges, benefits, tools and techniques

Purpose This study aims to examine how value engineering (VE) can be aligned with the 3R principles – reduce, reuse and recycle – to advance sustainable construction practices. It empirically investigates the key drivers, challenges, benefits and enabling tools and techniques influencing the adoption of 3R-driven VE across different stages of the construction project lifecycle, thereby bridging the gap between conceptual frameworks and practical implementation. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods strategy was adopted, combining a systematic literature review, a structured questionnaire survey of 200 construction professionals from 14 countries and 30 semi-structured expert interviews. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to prioritize influencing factors, while thematic analysis of interview data was used to validate, enrich and contextualize the quantitative findings. Findings The findings reveal that supportive government policies, early integration of VE during project planning and structured functional analysis are the most influential drivers of 3R-driven VE adoption. Major challenges include limited awareness of economic and sustainability benefits, shortage of skilled professionals and lack of standardized tools for sustainable material management. Key benefits include reduced construction waste, improved alignment between lean construction and sustainability objectives and enhanced lifecycle performance. Building information modeling-based material tracking and life cycle assessment emerged as the most critical enabling tools. Practical implications The paper offers an environment for practitioners and policymakers to integrate 3R methods into VE, facilitated by digital technologies and incentive-based contracts, thus promoting cost-effective, waste-reducing and resilient building methodologies. Originality/value This study contributes to sustainable construction research by providing a comprehensive empirical assessment of VE implementation grounded in the 3R principles. It advances practical understanding of circular economy integration by synthesizing drivers, challenges, benefits and enabling tools and techniques within a unified, phase-based framework spanning the construction project lifecycle.