Author(s)

B. Metin, A. Tavil

Abstract

Environmental impacts start to arise during the construction process initially. Despite the large amount of construction activities in Turkey, environmental performance of the construction process is not a familiar issue for the construction industry. The conventional structure of the construction sector and the lack of quantitative data for environmental impacts also makes it difficult to analyse the construction process with environmental considerations. This paper presents a model, which provides an environmental assessment of the building construction process during architectural detailing. The model is developed based on the argument that the inputs of the construction process have a direct relationship with the environmental impacts of the process. Therefore, the relationships between construction technologies, which are the main inputs of the process, and environmental performance parameters form the basis of the model. The model proposes a construction technology classification and a decision hierarchy for the environmental parameters related with the construction process. Integrated multi criteria decision-making methods are used for the assessment. Decision makers define the weights of the parameters by using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) and sort design alternatives by using the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) methods. In the context of the paper, different floor alternatives of an office building project are assessed to demonstrate the use of the model and to identify advantages and limitations of the assessment process.

Keywords

architectural detailing, construction process, construction technology, environmental performance