Ecologic Impact Analysis of Construction Materials

Abstract

This research’s purpose is to assess the ecological effect produced by the building materials, by means of the ecological impact analysis implementation. The study aims to investigate the ecological impact of the main construction materials based on various criteria exist in the literature. The effect of eight different fundamental construction materials (glass, shingles, ceramics, iron-steel, wood, concrete, copper, aluminum) on the environment is of big concern and environmentally conscious designed constructions are essentially demanded. By considering the construction materials’ nine different environmental impacts (photochemical oxidation, terrestrial eco-toxicity, freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity, human toxicity, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, water demand, global warming potential, primary energy demand) and two other physical properties (density, thermal conductivity), a comparison between the alternatives is presented based on the mentioned criteria. Finally, the eco-friendliest construction material based on the criteria is determined.