Barriers to the use of sustainable materials in Australian building projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheetal Gounder ◽  
Abid Hasan ◽  
Asheem Shrestha ◽  
Abbas Elmualim
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Materials ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
Economic Considerations ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

PurposeAlthough the adverse effects of construction activities on the environment and the need for sustainable construction practices are recognised in both research and practice, any significant shift in the selection and use of construction materials from the sustainability perspective has not taken place in many building projects. Still, conventional construction materials are widely used in building projects in both developed and developing countries. This study attempts to identify the main barriers to the use of sustainable materials in building projects in an advanced economy such as Australia.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a questionnaire survey approach to examine the main reasons behind the low usage of sustainable materials in building projects. Based on the relative importance index, exploratory factor analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis, the study examined the main barrier measures and barrier factors to the use of sustainable materials in building projects.FindingsThe findings reveal that critical barriers to the use of sustainable materials are related to cost and profit considerations, the unwillingness of the key stakeholders to incorporate these materials into building projects, lack of incentives and government policies. The factor analysis reduced the critical barrier measures into three factors: techno-economic considerations, cost and delay concerns and resistance to use. Furthermore, multinomial regression analysis based on the extracted factors identified techno-economic considerations as the main barrier factor to the use of sustainable materials in building projects.Practical implicationsThe empirical results of this research can inform construction practitioners, organisations and policymakers on how to increase the use of sustainable building materials in the construction industry.Originality/valueIdentification of barriers to the use of sustainable building materials is a prerequisite to improve their uptake and use in the construction industry. The study fills a gap in the existing research on the use of sustainable materials in building projects in Australia.

scholarly journals Sustainable Material Awareness, Belief and Readiness in Housing Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Kim Dung Thi Vu ◽  
Bao Ngoc Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Sustainable Materials ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

The construction industry is one of the industries accounting for a large proportion of Vietnam's overall GDP. It is also one of the least sustainable industries with extensive use of non-renewable resources. A study on the current situation of occupational awareness of sustainable building materials, identifying factors that prevent the diffusion of sustainable building materials is critical. The present study raised the theoretical basis of using sustainable building materials for the construction industry. Questionnaire data from 130 valid responses were used to carry out statistical analysis and make interpretation of results. The results indicate no significant difference between the two groups of respondents in awareness, belief, and readiness towards sustainable materials. The awareness and readiness levels are higher among construction practitioners who have experience. The present findings might suggest several courses of action to solve the problem of sustainable materials being overlooked. Our research suggests that it is essential for policymakers to encourage stakeholders to consider sustainability more seriously. The research findings have profound managerial implications that experienced practitioners might significantly impact the decision-making process in the realm of sustainable orientation. Future work should concentrate on integrating sustainable building materials into innovative and transformative practices in the construction industry. Keywords: sustainable materials; awareness; belief; readiness; Vietnam; construction industry

scholarly journals Measuring perception about sustainability of building materials in Kosovo

Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 436-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Visar Hoxha ◽  
Tore Haugen ◽  
Svein Bjorberg
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Materials Selection ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Energy Consumption ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop the empirically tested framework about the knowledge and perception about sustainability of building materials in Prishtina, Kosovo from the perspective of users, construction industry and facility managers. Design/methodology/approachA survey of representative sections of the population was designed and carried out in the capital city of Kosovo to determine the knowledge and perception of the population about the sustainability of building materials and to determine the main criteria of selection of sustainable building materials. The study may be used as guidelines for sustainable real estate developers in Prishtina during the materials selection process. Qualitative interviews were conducted with architects, consulting engineering companies, construction companies and facility managers from the region of Prishtina with open-ended questions also being used. FindingsResults of quantitative research find that embodied energy, durability and low energy consumption are used as key criteria that influence the materials selection process on the part of users. The results of the cross-case analysis of qualitative measure the perceptions of construction industry and facility managers, according to which durability to a large degree is the main criterion for selection of sustainable building materials followed by embodied energy and low energy consumption. Research limitations/implicationsThe study of measurement of level of knowledge and perception about sustainability of building materials in Kosovo focuses only on one pilot city; hence, further research is needed throughout Kosovo to validate the empirically tested tool within other geographical settings in Kosovo. Originality/valueThis survey represents the first quantification of knowledge and perception regarding the sustainability of building materials among users, construction sector and facility managers.

Effective Factors on Eco Labeling Building-Construction, Materials and Components

2011 ◽  
Vol 374-377 ◽  
pp. 1254-1257
Author(s):  
Nima Amani ◽  
Seyedmohsen Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Suitable Material ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Consistent Basis ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

There is need to assess the potential of the construction materials for the green building future generation. Research is necessary for complete assessment of construction materials for present and future generation of green building. This paper provides a consistent basis and specific factors for construction materials based on eco-labeling sciences. Within the methodological framework, three categories of sustainable building materials’ implementation are discussed: economical implementation; environment implementation; and social implementation. The paper shows that green building improvements can be achieved with help of the choice materials based on existing factors of eco-labeling construction. Construction eco-labeling can help to select a suitable material for creating a better outdoor environment and indoor environment of building.

Low Embodied Energy Sustainable Building Materials and Technologies

2015 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
P.S. Chani ◽  
Rajesh Deoliya
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Energy Materials ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
The World ◽  
New Buildings ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

Construction industry is one of the largest consumers of the natural resources and responsible for substantial amount of CO2emission in the world. The purpose of this paper is to carry out comprehensive literature review on the low embodied energy materials and techniques used in the existing and / or new buildings in India. The paper also compares the conventional building materials and techniques, with alternative ones to assess their superiority. An investigation into the energy consumed by the building materials and techniques is computed to find out the embodied energy requirements to prove superiority of innovative construction techniques over traditional materials.

scholarly journals SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND INNOVATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
И. Ш. Баснукаев ◽  
А. З. Абуханов ◽  
С. А. Алиев
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
Environment And Public Health ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Innovative Technologies ◽  
Fixed Assets ◽  
Minimal Damage ◽  
Sustainable Materials ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

Строительство - отрасль материального производства, в которой создаются основные фонды производственного и непроизводственного назначения: готовые к эксплуатации здания, строительные конструкции, сооружения и их комплексы. В данной статье исследуются инновационные технологии и устойчивые строительные материалы, производство которых подразумевает минимальный ущерб экологии и здоровью населения. Construction is a branch of material production in which fixed assets of industrial and non-industrial purposes are created: ready-to-use buildings, building structures, structures and their complexes. This article examines innovative technologies and sustainable building materials, the production of which implies minimal damage to the environment and public health.

scholarly journals Magnesium Oxybromides MOB-318 and MOB-518: Brominated Analogues of Magnesium Oxychlorides

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4032
Author(s):  
Anna-Marie Lauermannová ◽  
Michal Lojka ◽  
Filip Antončík ◽  
David Sedmidubský ◽  
Milena Pavlíková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Simultaneous Thermal Analysis ◽  
Heating Process ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Magnesium Oxychloride ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

The search for environmentally sustainable building materials is currently experiencing significant expansion. It is increasingly important to find new materials or reintroduce those that have been set aside to find a good replacement for Portland cement, which is widely used despite being environmentally insufficient and energy-intensive. Magnesium oxybromides, analogues to well-known magnesium oxychloride cements, fit both categories of new and reintroduced materials. In this contribution, two magnesium oxybromide phases were prepared and thoroughly analyzed. The stoichiometries of the prepared phases were 5Mg(OH)2∙MgBr2∙8H2O and 3Mg(OH)2∙MgBr2∙8H2O. The phase analysis was determined using X-ray diffraction. The morphology was analyzed with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical composition was studied using X-ray fluorescence and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was also used. The thermal stability and the mechanism of the release of gasses linked to the heating process, such as water and hydrobromic acid evaporation, were analyzed using simultaneous thermal analysis combined with mass spectroscopy. The obtained results were compared with the data available for magnesium oxychlorides.

A benchmarking approach to the progress of green materials and systems’ use in the UAE construction industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly Elgayar ◽  
Salwa Mamoun Beheiry ◽  
Alaa Jabbar ◽  
Hamad Al Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Green Materials ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines

Purpose Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs. Design/methodology/approach The work involved reviewing internationally popular green materials and systems for construction, developing a questionnaire based on the literature review, surveying professionals in the seven UAE emirates, and ranking the findings based on the relative importance index. Findings Findings found the top used green materials and system in the UAE’s construction industry. As well as identified that there is a communication gap between the design and implementation phases that is possibly hindering the use of more green materials and systems. Originality/value This study sets a baseline to measure the UAE’s progress over the coming years in terms of integrating more green construction materials, systems, methodologies, and trends.

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