Modeling Sustainable Building Materials in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than non-renewable, resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because the impacts of the product are considered over its life cycle. Depending upon project-specific goals, an assessment of green materials may involve an evaluation of one or more of the following criteria: resource efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water conservation, and affordability. Product selection can begin after the establishment of project-specific environmental goals. The main objective of this research is to develop a framework that uses BIM to select optimum sustainable building materials in Saudi Arabia. To this end, a cost model will be developed to take into account initial costs, such as construction costs, and all life cycle costs including the operating costs and energy consumption of a building. The framework integrates the expanded features of BIM technology with an especially designed green building rating system for Saudi Arabia.