Multi-criteria evaluation model for the selection of sustainable materials for building projects

Sustainable material selection represents an important strategy in building design. Current building materials selection methods fail to provide adequate solutions for two major issues: assessment based on sustainability principles, and the process of prioritizing and assigning weights to relevant assessment criteria. This paper proposes a building material selection model based on the fuzzy extended analytical hierarchy process (FEAHP) techniques, with a view to providing solutions for these two issues. Assessment criteria are identified based on sustainable triple bottom line (TBL) approach and the need of building stakeholders. A questionnaire survey of building experts is conducted to assess the relative importance of the criteria and aggregate them into six independent assessment factors. The FEAHP is used to prioritize and assign important weightings for the identified criteria. A numerical example, illustrating the implementation of the model is given. The proposed model provides guidance to building designers in selecting sustainable building materials.

[1]  Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas,et al.  Maintenance strategy selection using AHP and COPRAS under fuzzy environment , 2012 .

[2]  Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas,et al.  SELECTION OF THE EFFECTIVE DWELLING HOUSE WALLS BY APPLYING ATTRIBUTES VALUES DETERMINED AT INTERVALS , 2008 .

[3]  Khaled Nassar,et al.  A procedure for multi-criteria selection of building assemblies , 2003 .

[4]  Paul Joseph,et al.  Sustainable Non-Metallic Building Materials , 2010 .

[5]  Michael F. Ashby,et al.  Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design , 2002 .

[6]  A. K. Dikshit,et al.  Development of composite sustainability performance index for steel industry , 2007 .

[7]  Nazirah Zainul Abidin,et al.  Investigating the awareness and application of sustainable construction concept by Malaysian developers , 2010 .

[8]  Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas,et al.  Dwelling selection by applying fuzzy game theory , 2011 .

[9]  L. Green,et al.  Integrated delivery systems for sustainable construction , 1999 .

[10]  Ana Nieto-Morote,et al.  A fuzzy multi-criteria decision making model for construction contractor prequalification , 2012 .

[11]  Heng Li,et al.  Application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in multi-criteria analysis of the selection of intelligent building systems , 2008 .

[12]  F. Chan,et al.  Global supplier development considering risk factors using fuzzy extended AHP-based approach , 2007 .

[13]  Nashwan Dawood,et al.  Improving the energy performance of the built environment: The potential of virtual collaborative life cycle tools , 2011 .

[14]  Mohan M. Kumaraswamy,et al.  Sustainability appraisal in infrastructure projects (SUSAIP) , 2005, Automation in Construction.

[15]  Zelda B. Zabinsky,et al.  A multicriteria decision making model for reverse logistics using analytical hierarchy process , 2011 .

[16]  Rehan Sadiq,et al.  Sustainability assessment of flooring systems in the city of Tehran: An AHP-based life cycle analysis , 2011 .

[17]  Halil Zafer Alibaba,et al.  A building elements selection system for architects , 2004 .

[18]  C K Kwong,et al.  Determining the Importance Weights for the Customer Requirements in QFD Using a Fuzzy AHP with an Extent Analysis Approach , 2003 .

[19]  Paul. Olomolaiye,et al.  Quantification of Construction Clients' Needs through Paired Comparisons , 1998 .

[20]  T. Buchholz,et al.  Sustainability criteria for bioenergy systems: results from an expert survey , 2009 .

[21]  David E. Shiers,et al.  The Green Guide to Specification: An Environmental Profiling System for Building Materials and Components , 2002 .

[22]  H. Kaiser.  An index of factorial simplicity , 1974 .

[23]  Paul. Olomolaiye,et al.  Problems influencing craftsmen's productivity in Nigeria , 1987 .

[24]  Ross Spiegel,et al.  Green building materials : a guide to product selection and specification , 1999 .

[25]  Stephen Emmitt,et al.  Specifying Buildings: A design management perspective , 2001 .

[26]  T. Saaty,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1985 .

[27]  Jia Liu,et al.  Measurement indicators and an evaluation approach for assessing Strategic Environmental Assessment effectiveness , 2012 .

[28]  D. Chang.  Applications of the extent analysis method on fuzzy AHP , 1996 .

[29]  Oluwole Peter Akadiri.  Development of a multi-criteria approach for the selection of sustainable materials for building projects , 2011 .

[30]  Derek Clements-Croome,et al.  Sustainable building solutions: a review of lessons from the natural world , 2005 .

[31]  Siuming Lo,et al.  A simulation model for studying the implementation of performance-based fire safety design in buildings , 2008 .

[32]  Jurgita Antucheviciene,et al.  Multiple criteria evaluation of rural building's regeneration alternatives , 2007 .

[33]  Andrew D.F. Price,et al.  Assessing the recycling potential of glass fibre reinforced plastic waste in concrete and cement composites , 2009 .

[34]  R Otterpohl,et al.  Developing a model based decision support tool for the identification of sustainable treatment options for domestic wastewater. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[35]  Sławomir Biruk,et al.  Assessing contractor selection criteria weights with fuzzy AHP method application in group decision environment , 2010 .

[36]  Charles J. Kibert,et al.  Sustainable Construction : Green Building Design and Delivery , 2005 .

[37]  David R. Riley,et al.  Sustainable performance criteria for construction method selection in concrete buildings , 2010 .

[38]  O Ortiz,et al.  Environmental performance of construction waste: Comparing three scenarios from a case study in Catalonia, Spain. , 2010, Waste management.

[39]  R. Ashley,et al.  Sustainability Criteria for Decision Support in the UK Water Industry , 2002 .

[40]  Gregor P. Henze,et al.  Survey of Sustainable Building Design Practices in North America, Europe, and Asia , 2006 .

[41]  S. Beder.  Environmental principles and policies: an interdisciplinary approach , 2006 .

[42]  Nang-Fei Pan,et al.  FUZZY AHP APPROACH FOR SELECTING THE SUITABLE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION METHOD , 2008 .

[43]  T. Saaty.  Relative measurement and its generalization in decision making why pairwise comparisons are central in mathematics for the measurement of intangible factors the analytic hierarchy/network process , 2008 .

[44]  Geoffrey T. Parks,et al.  Multi-criteria material selection in engineering design , 2004 .

[45]  Xiao-Bing Hu,et al.  Multi-objective optimization of material selection for sustainable products: Artificial neural networks and genetic algorithm approach , 2009 .

[46]  Drury B. Crawley,et al.  Building environmental assessment methods: applications and development trends , 1999 .

[47]  Jamie Goggins,et al.  The assessment of embodied energy in typical reinforced concrete building structures in Ireland , 2010 .

[48]  Lawrence C. Bank,et al.  Decision-making tools for evaluating the impact of materials selection on the carbon footprint of buildings , 2011 .

[49]  Johnny Wong,et al.  Evaluating the system intelligence of the intelligent building systems : Part 1 : Development of key intelligent indicators and conceptual analytical framework , 2008 .

[50]  Issaka Ndekugri,et al.  Consultants’ Perceptions on Construction Delay Analysis Methodologies , 2009 .

[51]  Meg Calkins,et al.  Materials for Sustainable Sites: A Complete Guide to the Evaluation, Selection, and Use of Sustainable Construction Materials , 2008 .

[52]  Paul Olomolaiye,et al.  Development of sustainable assessment criteria for building materials selection , 2012 .

[53]  Fatemeh Zahedi,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process—A Survey of the Method and its Applications , 1986 .

[54]  Maria Sinou,et al.  Present and future of building performance assessment tools , 2006 .

[55]  Zhongsheng Hua,et al.  On the extent analysis method for fuzzy AHP and its applications , 2008, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[56]  Hong Yao,et al.  Simulating the impacts of policy scenarios on the sustainability performance of infrastructure projects , 2011 .

[57]  Thomas L. Saaty,et al.  An innovative orders-of-magnitude approach to AHP-based mutli-criteria decision making: Prioritizing divergent intangible humane acts , 2011, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[58]  Aviad Shapira,et al.  AHP-Based Equipment Selection Model for Construction Projects , 2005 .

[59]  Heli Koukkari,et al.  Assessment of building sustainability , 2007 .

[60]  Thomas L. Saaty,et al.  An innovative orders-of-magnitude approach to AHP-based mutli-criteria decision making: Prioritizing divergent intangible humane acts , 2011 .

[61]  Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas,et al.  Selection of construction enterprises management strategy based on the SWOT and multi-criteria analysis , 2011 .