Home / Current Issue / Paper 1712240
Quantitative Evaluation of Locally Sourced Building Materials for Sustainable Low-Income Housing Projects
Subject area: Physical Sciences and Environment · Area of research: Sustainable Building Materials
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV3I4-1712240
Abstract
The escalating housing deficit in developing nations such as Nigeria underscores the urgent need for affordable, sustainable construction alternatives. Conventional building materials?such as cement, steel, and imported finishes?contribute significantly to rising housing costs, energy use, and carbon emissions. This presents a quantitative evaluation of locally sourced building materials as viable substitutes for sustainable low-income housing projects. It investigates the structural, thermal, and economic performance of indigenous materials, including laterite blocks, stabilized earth bricks, bamboo, timber, and recycled composites, with the aim of determining their suitability for large-scale housing delivery. This employed an experimental and analytical approach, integrating laboratory testing with lifecycle cost and environmental impact assessments. Key performance indicators measured included compressive strength, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, embodied energy, and lifecycle cost differentials compared to conventional materials. Findings reveal that stabilized laterite and compressed earth blocks exhibit compressive strengths within acceptable structural limits while offering superior thermal insulation properties suited to tropical climates. Bamboo and timber, when properly treated, demonstrated favorable tensile strength-to-weight ratios and low embodied energy. The results further indicate that locally sourced materials can reduce total construction costs by up to 30% and carbon emissions by approximately 40%, reinforcing their potential for climate-resilient and economically accessible housing. This concludes that the integration of local materials into national housing frameworks can promote sustainability, economic inclusion, and environmental stewardship. It recommends the establishment of performance-based material standards, government incentives for local production, and the inclusion of sustainability metrics in housing policy. Ultimately, optimizing local materials through quantitative evaluation enhances not only affordability but also the ecological and social integrity of low-income housing systems in developing contexts.
Keywords
Locally Sourced Materials, Sustainable Housing, Low-Income Housing, Thermal Performance, Lifecycle Analysis, Embodied Energy, Tropical Architecture, Material Optimization, Affordability, Circular Economy.
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How to cite this paper
@article{1712240,
author = {Mike Ikemefuna Nwafor, Daniel Obokhai Uduokhai, Gil-Ozoudeh Ifechukwu Desmond Stephen, Adepeju Nafisat Aransi},
title = {Quantitative Evaluation of Locally Sourced Building Materials for Sustainable Low-Income Housing Projects},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2019},
volume = {3},
number = {4},
pages = {568-582},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1712240.pdf},
abstract = {The escalating housing deficit in developing nations such as Nigeria underscores the urgent need for affordable, sustainable construction alternatives. Conventional building materials?such as cement, steel, and imported finishes?contribute significantly to rising housing costs, energy use, and carbon emissions. This presents a quantitative evaluation of locally sourced building materials as viable substitutes for sustainable low-income housing projects. It investigates the structural, thermal, and economic performance of indigenous materials, including laterite blocks, stabilized earth bricks, bamboo, timber, and recycled composites, with the aim of determining their suitability for large-scale housing delivery. This employed an experimental and analytical approach, integrating laboratory testing with lifecycle cost and environmental impact assessments. Key performance indicators measured included compressive strength, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, embodied energy, and lifecycle cost differentials compared to conventional materials. Findings reveal that stabilized laterite and compressed earth blocks exhibit compressive strengths within acceptable structural limits while offering superior thermal insulation properties suited to tropical climates. Bamboo and timber, when properly treated, demonstrated favorable tensile strength-to-weight ratios and low embodied energy. The results further indicate that locally sourced materials can reduce total construction costs by up to 30% and carbon emissions by approximately 40%, reinforcing their potential for climate-resilient and economically accessible housing. This concludes that the integration of local materials into national housing frameworks can promote sustainability, economic inclusion, and environmental stewardship. It recommends the establishment of performance-based material standards, government incentives for local production, and the inclusion of sustainability metrics in housing policy. Ultimately, optimizing local materials through quantitative evaluation enhances not only affordability but also the ecological and social integrity of low-income housing systems in developing contexts.},
keywords = {Locally Sourced Materials, Sustainable Housing, Low-Income Housing, Thermal Performance, Lifecycle Analysis, Embodied Energy, Tropical Architecture, Material Optimization, Affordability, Circular Economy.},
month = {October},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV3I4-1712240}
}