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.