Materials selection based on environmental criteria

The rapid pace of development over the last two centuries has had dramatic effects on the environment. A novel methodology looks to reverse this trend by applying environmental criteria to the selection of building materials.

Climate Change and Environment

Engineers have long established standards for the selection of design and construction materials. The EU's Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD) programme funded research to adapt existing methods to environmental criteria. In the framework of the ORMA project, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) concept was applied to materials selection, taking into consideration the entire lifecycle of a product. Environmental parameters, such as consumption of raw materials and energy, emission of airborne and waterborne pollutants and generation of waste are all addressed. The aim of LCA is to prevent or at least limit these environmental impacts. The ORMA partners built upon existing knowledge and tools developed at Cambridge University, UK. Databases were enhanced with the inclusion of environmental factors, which were given equal weighting with other materials selection factors, like performance and cost. Complementary software tools and a book on eco-design complete the package. The list of potential users includes architects, city planners, construction companies, and civil engineers. The software is flexible and can be tailored to fit the needs of individual organisations or integrated into other software packages. The tools could also be used as teaching aids in the academic community. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of environmental parameters in the construction industry.