Selection of green materials toward construction of affordable and low cost building in Nigeria

Abstract

Selection of materials for building construction is one of the greatest tasks, because the successful completion and sustainability of the building highly depends on the types and qualities of the materials used during construction activities. There are lots of green materials that can be obtained locally for building construction in Nigeria at affordable price. The study was conducted by reviewed relevant literature and survey questionnaires for collections of data from the North Central Nigeria on the key factors and criteria that would assist the building professionals in the selection of green materials and components for sustainable low-cost building constructions. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed, out of which three hundred and five were retrieved. Structural equation model (SEM) statistical tools were used to analysed the data. The results revealed that eco-friendly, ozone friendly, availability of technical skill labour, reusability and recyclability, energy efficiency, low cost of materials, materials embodied, and compatibility with cultural tradition are main factors that are extremely required in order to select sustainable green materials for low cost building constructions.