Construction sector views of sustainable building materials

Abstract

2This paper examines building materials used in construction in Nigeria and asks whether local and conventional building materials are perceived by construction stakeholders to be more environmentally sustainable than innovative building materials. The reason for the investigation stems from a lack of clarity about which of these building material classifications is more environmentally sustainable. The study also aimed to establish whether stakeholders accept the claims made by manufacturers about the environmental sustainability of their building products. The environmental sustainability of the selected building materials was measured using indicators and metrics developed from the literature. The study established that there are no significant differences in the level of environmental impact among the four classes of building materials considered (local, conventional, recycled-content and innovative). In general terms, the cohort of innovative building materials/products is perceived to be 'greener' than local innovative building materials, which are considered to be environmentally better than conventional building materials. Based on the findings, this paper concludes that construction industry stakeholders do not acknowledge claims made by manufacturers about the environmental sustainability of their building materials.

Effects of waste plastics as partial fine-aggregate replacement for reinforced low-carbon concrete pavements

“…Instead, the concept of waste should be looked at as a 'resource'. As a result of the typical lifecycle for plastics, the manufacture, use, wastage and disposal of materials are becoming an essential consideration in the sustainability of the built environment (Windapo and Ogunsanmi 2014). Nonconventional materials such as plastic are gaining traction as a solution to these problems, and their introduction into the construction industry is becoming a widely considered trend to pursue sustainable development (Zhang and Canning 2011).…”

Causality between challenges, availability, and extent of use of local building materials

“…The environmental performance regarding low embodied emissions was based on previous findings that air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are released as a result of the production and transportation of building materials. 16 LBMs are expected to have low embodied emissions because the products do not undergo secondary manufacturing and need no transportation, as materials are sourced locally. The extent of use of LBMs was conceptualised as present and future use of LBMs on projects.…”

“…14 This development aimed to improve the environmental or sustainability performance of building materials, through reduced water usage, greater energy efficiency, improved indoor quality and minimisation of construction waste. 15,16 The benefits attributed to the availability of LBMs contribute to the competitiveness of building contractors, optimise building performance, and make buildings' use more predictable for an extended period. Darko et al 17 noted that the availability of LBMs has led to unique building products that have good marketing opportunities in Ghana.…”

Decision making under uncertainty in climate change mitigation: introducing multiple actor motivations, agency and influence

“…The uptake of alternative materials and construction methods also requires the acceptance of the building or structure's end users. While research has explored industry attitudes to alternative materials and products (Giesekam et al, 2016b;Jones, Stegemann, Sykes, & Winslow, 2016;Windapo & Ogunsanmi, 2014), there is little comparable work exploring end user perceptions. In the absence of evidence, assumptions about the conservative preferences of end users may restrict innovation or result in solutions that are unacceptable to them (Hamilton-MacLaren, Loveday, & Mourshed, 2013;NHBC Foundation, 2012).…”