Construction & Materials

Instructions

Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use
correct English spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response
should be four (4) pages in length; refer to the “Assignment Format” page for specific format
requirements.

Requirements 

For this assignment, you’ll investigate the sustainability potential for each of the primary building
material systems we’ve covered so far in this course: wood, steel, concrete, and masonry.
Create a list and rank your materials in order of the highest ranked material first and the lowest
ranked material last.

Following each material, write a short explanation of why you assigned the rank to each material and provide at least one link to a recent online article (no older than four years) that validates
your ranking.
When selecting the link to support your ranking, select publications and organizations that will
not have a bias or financial interest for a given material. For example, select an analysis by the
National Association of Home Builders instead of the American Wood Council when evaluating
wood sustainability.
The following are several elements of sustainability you should evaluate as you make your
ranking:
Energy efficiency of the material over the life of the structure
The overall carbon footprint of the material
Transportation costs
Weather resistance and long-term maintenance and repair costs
Material expansion and contraction and acoustic properties
Labor availability and overall labor costs