A Decision Support System for Construction Materials Selection using Sustainability as a Criterion

Traditionally, materials selection for the design and construction of facilities has been based on economic and technological considerations, given the desired life span of a facility and the program of requirements and codes it must meet. In design environments where ecological, health, and ethical impacts are increasingly important, often the only way to choose from many different material alternatives is by relying on unquantified professional judgment or past experience. A new method is needed for evaluating the tradeoffs between material alternatives within the context of specific projects. The method should allow comparison of not only the technical performance and costs of materials, but also the immediate and long-term impacts their use has on the finite supply of natural resources and the ongoing needs for those resources by society. Together, these impacts comprise a measure of the sustainability of materials and should be given consideration during materials specification. In this paper, a definition of sustainability with respect to construction materials is developed, a methodology for evaluating construction materials based on sustainability is presented, and a conceptual framework for a decision support system to assist the materials selection and specification process is described. The new method will facilitate the approval and integration of more sustainable materials into future facility designs by helping designers quantify how they compare to materials already permitted under existing codes. As the tradeoffs between novel and currently-accepted materials are made explicit, better material selections can be made which will enhance overall project sustainability.