Materials Selection for Sustainability in the Built Environment

Environmental, Social and Economic Aspects

1st Edition - February 13, 2024
Editors: Assed N. Haddad, Ahmed W.A. Hammad, Karoline Figueiredo
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 5 1 2 2 - 7
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 5 1 2 3 - 4

Materials Selection for Sustainability in the Built Environment: Environmental, Social and Economic Aspects presents the current state-of-the-art when it comes to the decision-… Read more

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Materials Selection for Sustainability in the Built Environment: Environmental, Social and Economic Aspects presents the current state-of-the-art when it comes to the decision-making process for choosing construction materials to deliver sustainable construction projects. Aspects covered include the science of enhanced decision-making via operational research and machine learning techniques and how this can be implemented in various disciplines such as architecture, engineering and construction. To this end, the book discusses environmental, economic and social aspects in assessing construction materials and presents different tools and methods that can benefit and facilitate this process.

Finally, the book reviews previous publications on construction material selection and presents essential discussions on the role professionals, researchers, contractors and governments play in making more sustainable decisions on the built environment.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
Preface
1. Introduction
Abstract
1.1 The concept of sustainability and the challenges associated with it
1.2 Creating a sustainable built environment
1.3 The importance of material selection in achieving sustainability in construction
1.4 The purpose of the book
1.5 The structure of the book
1.6 Section 1: principles, approaches, and standards regarding sustainable construction
1.7 Section 2: commonly used construction materials and their impacts
1.8 Section 3: tools and methods to benefit sustainable material choice
1.9 Section 4: practical application of a sustainable material selection
1.10 Section 5: future efforts required to enhance the sustainability of construction material choice
Acknowledgment
References
Section 1: Principles, approaches, and standards regarding sustainable construction
2. Life cycle thinking and its application to the built environment
Abstract
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Life cycle assessment (environmental performance)
2.3 Life cycle costing (economic performance)
2.4 Social life cycle assessment (social performance)
2.5 Life cycle sustainability assessment (aggregation of life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and social life cycle assessment)
2.6 Conclusions
References
3. Importance of material selection to achieve sustainable construction
Abstract
3.1 Introduction
3.2 What is sustainable construction?
3.3 Benefits of sustainable construction
3.4 Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of various phases of building life cycle
3.5 Sustainable material classifications
3.6 The characteristics of sustainable materials
3.7 The role of various stakeholders in sustainable material selection
3.8 Challenges involved in selecting sustainable materials for construction and sustainable material selection framework
3.9 Conclusion
References
4. Importance of decision-making in building materials selection
Abstract
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Literature review
4.3 Pairwise comparisons in the multi-criteria decision making approach and its consistency
4.4 Illustrative example
4.5 Discussion
4.6 Conclusions
References
5. Employing circular economy principles to enhance sustainability in the built environment
Abstract
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Circular economy in the built environment
5.3 Circular economy practices
5.4 Final remarks
References
6. Standards and legal regulations regarding sustainable construction
Abstract
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Green building rating systems
6.3 Exploring new approaches and indicators to be considered in building certification systems
6.4 Discussion
6.5 Concluding remarks
Acknowledgment
References
Section 2: Commonly used construction materials and their impacts
7. Introductory overview
Abstract
Reference
8. Assessment of concrete and cementitious materials
Abstract
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Properties and utilization in construction
8.3 Potential environmental impacts
8.4 Potential economic impacts
8.5 Potential social impacts
8.6 Concluding remarks
References
9. Assessment of wood
Abstract
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Wood at different length scales
9.3 Wood’s mechanical properties
9.4 Wood physical properties
9.5 Mass timber construction
9.6 Environmental and socioeconomic impacts
9.7 Concluding remarks
Acknowledgments
References
10. Assessment of glass
Abstract
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Properties and utilization in construction
10.3 Potential environmental impacts
10.4 Potential economic impacts
10.5 Potential social impacts
10.6 Conclusion
References
11. Concluding overview: advancements in building materials technology
Abstract
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Material-based computational design
11.3 Additive manufacturing
11.4 Multi-material 4D printing
11.5 The use of bioplastics
11.6 Conclusion
Acknowledgment
References
Section 3: Tools and methods to benefit sustainable material choice
12. Life cycle sustainability assessment applied in the built environment
Abstract
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Background
12.3 The harmonization process of the three methodologies
12.4 Key aspects to consider during a building life cycle sustainability assessment practice
12.5 Final remarks
Acknowledgment
References
13. Simulation tools to assist material choice
Abstract
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Relevant properties
13.3 The design process
13.4 Databases and tools available in the market
13.5 Systematic material selection for buildings
13.6 Case of study: thermal insulation materials for buildings
13.7 Discussion
13.8 Conclusions
References
14. Multicriteria decision-making methods
Abstract
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Multiple criteria decision-making methods
14.3 MCDM applied to material selection
14.4 Conclusion
References
15. Machine learning decision-making tools - eco friendly materials
Abstract
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Machine learning applied to construction materials evaluation
15.3 Case study—recycled aggregate concrete
15.4 Machine learning applied for materials selection
15.5 Concluding remarks
References
Section 4: Practical application of a sustainable material selection
16. Case study I: Development of laminated wood products from Eucalyptus nitens in the Chilean context
Abstract
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Problem presentation
16.3 Chilean forestry
16.4 Processes and manufacturing
16.5 Methodology
16.6 Results
16.7 Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References
17. Case study II: Application of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in BIM in early design stages for the selection of the structural system of a residential building in Spain
Abstract
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Case study presentation
17.3 Results and discussion
17.4 Conclusions
Funding
Acknowledgment
References
18. Case study III: Designing sustainable timber–concrete composite floor system
Abstract
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Literature review
18.3 Case study
18.4 The methods and results
18.5 Discussion
18.6 Conclusions
References
19. Case study IV: thermal and environmental performance assessment of opaque facade systems in the early design stage: an integrated approach
Abstract
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Thermal performance in the design process
19.3 Life cycle assessment integration into the design process
19.4 Integrated assessment in the design process
19.5 Methods
19.6 Results
19.7 Application in the design process
19.8 Final remarks
References
20. Case study V: Mollusk shells to replace conventional aggregates in concrete
Abstract
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Life cycle and environmental impacts
20.3 Materials and methods
20.4 Results and discussion
20.5 Conclusion
References
21. Case study VI: Insulation materials choice in building retrofitting: the influence of social determinants in the Spanish context
Abstract
21.1 Introduction
21.2 Methodology
21.3 Results
21.4 Conclusions
Acknowledgment
References
Section 5: Future efforts required to enhance the sustainability of construction material choice
22. Sustainable material choice in construction projects via mathematical programming
Abstract
22.1 Introduction
22.2 Literature review
22.3 Proposed framework
22.4 Formulation definition
22.5 Case study
22.6 Results
22.7 Discussion
22.8 Possible extensions
22.9 Conclusion
References
23. Concluding remarks: future directions and emerging trends in sustainable material selection for the built environment
Abstract
23.1 Introduction
23.2 Evolving materials and technologies
23.3 Circular economy and resource efficiency
23.4 Design for deconstruction and the importance of material selection
23.5 Integrated design and collaboration
23.6 Data-driven decision-making
23.7 Social and cultural considerations
23.8 Final remarks
Acknowledgment
References
Index

Assed N. Haddad

Assed N. Haddad is a Full Professor and Head of the Construction Engineering Department at the Universidade Federal of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has experience in civil, environmental and production Engineering. He has been guest editor for the International Journal of Construction Management, the Infrastructures Journal, and the Sustainability Journal. Prof Haddad is author of more than 250 papers in journals and peer-reviewed conferences. He has also published numerous book chapters and edited books. As a Professional Engineer, he is registered as a Civil and Safety Engineer in Brazil and has performed works in both Brazil and the USA.

Affiliations and expertise

Full Professor, Escola Politécnica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ahmed W.A. Hammad

Ahmed WA Hammad is coordinator for the Master’s in Construction Project Management at the Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW Sydney. His research focuses on the use of technology, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) and machine-learning-based operational research (OR) methods for enhancing decision-making in construction. His past work has included novel approaches to solving OR problems in construction, including the site layout planning problem, facility location problem, the network design problem, vehicle routing problem (VRP), building and interior space layout planning, and urban planning. Dr Hammad’s expertise lies in developing Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) Models, and Bi-level Programming Models, together with accompanying exact solution approaches for large scale instances. He has an extensive industry background in digital engineering, road design, construction engineering and interior design.

Affiliations and expertise

Senior Lecturer, UNSW Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Karoline Figueiredo

Karoline Figueiredo holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, both from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. She was a Visiting Researcher at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain, in 2017 and at Western Sydney University, Australia, in 2018, and in both situations, she developed research in the life cycle assessment of construction materials. She is currently a doctoral student, and her research focuses on improving the selection of construction materials to generate less environmental, social, and economic impacts. She has expertise in Sustainable Construction and has developed projects based on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA).

Affiliations and expertise

Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Materials Selection for Sustainability in the Built Environment

Environmental, Social and Economic Aspects

Purchase options

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Assed N. Haddad

Ahmed W.A. Hammad

Karoline Figueiredo