The Dynamics of Sustainable Material Selection for Green-Certified Projects

Abstract

Material selection is a challenging process in which several parameters should be considered for green-certified projects. Hence, this study investigates the dynamics of sustainable material selection (SMS) across the project life cycle using system thinking. A dynamic model was developed based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design where relevant environmental categories and credits were represented, and their dependency coefficients (DCs) were computed. This pinpointed the effect of SMS on the point-accrual pattern across project phases, showing that the high leverage points were demonstrated for the operation phase. The result showed that SMS extended beyond the efficient use of materials, which indicated a DC of 100% in the Materials and Resources category to affect other sustainable categories, i.e., the indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability of the project site comprised 68.8%, 57.6%, and 50% of DCs, respectively. Thus, optimal SMS could earn the project 48% of the total possible points, putting it in the ‘Certified’ level. Accordingly, the proposed model can be used to evaluate the level of certification as well as the building performance therein.

Keywords

• building materials
• energy efficiency
• green-certified projects
• indoor air quality
• LEED
• sustainable sites