Sustainability in construction is often misunderstood as a purely environment goal, neglecting the vital social and economic dimensions of a project.
This research addresses this gap by proposing a decision-making framework that allows construction professionals to evaluate material choices through a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). By integrating this assessment with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), the framework provides a scientifically rigorous way to choose materials that perform well across the entire triple bottom line.
The study explicitly utilizes The Fuzzy Analitic Hierarchy Process to manage the inherent subjectivity and uncertainty involved in weighing different sustainability goals. Validated through a residential building case study, the frameworks tracks impacts from the initial construction phase through to the end-of-life.
For the modern developer, this paper offers a practical methodology to move beyond “greenwashing” and ensure that material selection is grounded in holistic, data-driven sustainability.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107805
Reference
Figueiredo, K., Pierott, R., Hammad, A. W. A., & Haddad, A. (2021). Sustainable material choice for construction projects: A Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework based on BIM and Fuzzy-AHP. Building and Environment, 196, 107805