APPLYING SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES IN THE SELECTION OF BUILDING MATERIALS FOR BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The research's main object was to determine factors that affect the selection of building materials according to sustainability principles. The research objective was achieved through two stages; the first stage included a theoretical study about sustainable building materials and their characteristics, while the second stage included a practical study to determine the relative importance of the factors that affect the selection of building materials. The results of the practical study showed that environmental criteria got high importance after economic criteria among the identified factors while social criteria got the last priority in the selection of building materials. Deepening on the results of the practical study a methodology for applying sustainability principles in the selection of building materials was proposed. The proposed methodology included the use of multi-criteria decision-making methods like goal achievement matrix and analytical hierarchy process in the selection of building materials.