Decision-Support Framework for Sustainable Material Selection in Construction

About this opportunity

Applicants for this opportunity must be eligible for Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation funding.

The building and construction industry contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 37% of global emissions. As operational energy efficiency improves, embodied carbon from construction materials is becoming increasingly important, particularly during early design and procurement. This emphasises the urgent need for the industry to reduce embodied carbon, including through a lower-carbon or more sustainable material selection.

However, selecting more sustainable materials is not solely an environmental decision. Project teams must also consider cost, availability, durability, technical performance, compliance, and constructability. These factors are not always assessed together, and one criterion may be prioritised at the expense of others. Without clear guidance, sustainable material selection can be perceived as a burden, potentially slowing progress towards industry sustainability goals.

This PhD project aims to develop a decision-support framework for more sustainable material selection in construction to address the gaps and challenges associated with achieving net-zero goals in the building and construction industry. By integrating life cycle assessment with multi-criteria decision-making, the framework will support more transparent and practical material selection by allowing environmental, economic, technical criteria, and context-specific factors to be assessed together.

Location

The University of Waikato, Hamilton campus, New Zealand.

Applicants should have a background in civil engineering, construction management, construction engineering, digital construction, or a related field.

Experience or strong interest in digital twins, BIM, construction monitoring, LCA, and sustainable construction.

Skills in digital modelling, BIM and LCA tools, construction data management, and data analysis would be an advantage.

Eligible for Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation funding.

Applicants must be eligible to enrol in a PhD programme at the University of Waikato.