A Comprehensive Review on Challenges in the Adoption of Sustainable Materials in Construction

Based on the findings of the literature review and related gaps, the following strategic steps must be taken to increase the responsible adoption of sustainable construction materials. First, it is important to make sustainable materials competitive and economically viable through increased production efficiency and using local resources. As such, there should be further development and implementation of affordable geopolymer binders, strengthening the bio-based supply chain, and proving lifecycle cost effectiveness to promote sustainable construction materials [9], [24]. Another strategic step concerns the introduction of strong regulatory measures, such as mandatory carbon reporting, standardization of EPD, green procurement policies, and subsidies in the form of tax breaks and loans for supporting sustainable construction [8], [19]. International cooperation and targeted aid for developing countries in the areas of capacity building and climate finance should also be considered. Further technological innovation based on artificial intelligence (AI), Building Information Modeling (BIM), IoT and digital twins, can provide significant opportunities for improving the process of selecting construction materials, monitoring their performance, and material life cycle management [1], [3]. Besides, implementing circular economy principles in terms of designing buildings for disassembly, reuse of existing materials, and recycling is an area of promising opportunities [17], [18]. Improvements in education and workforce training programs to equip construction specialists with necessary skills and competencies related to sustainable construction materials are another step that needs to be taken [12], [6]. In addition, establishing standardized LCA approaches and carbon accounting will increase transparency, facilitate more accurate comparisons, and promote better decisions regarding material choice [20], [15]. To summarize, the importance of sustainable construction materials cannot be overstated because they are vital for mitigating the negative environmental effects and meeting the global climate change goals. However, there are many obstacles that limit the adoption of sustainable construction materials in practice. Based on the findings of the literature review, economic, technical, regulatory, and social barriers to increasing sustainable materials usage must be addressed simultaneously. The main strategic steps in this case include promoting practical applications of research, enforcing the current regulatory framework, improving supply chains, increasing stakeholders' awareness, and bridging the regional gap.

[1]  L. Prasittisopin, "Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) in sustainable concrete construction: Review, trend and gap analyses," Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 2025, doi: 10.1080/13467581.2025.2574571. [2]  International Finance Corporation (IFC), Building Green: Sustainable Construction in Emerging Markets, World Bank Group, Washington D.C., Oct. 2023. [3]  W. Lu, J. Lou, B. K. Ababio, R. Y. Zhong, Z. Bao, X. Li, and F. Xue, "Digital technologies for construction sustainability: Status quo, challenges, and future prospects," npj Materials Sustainability, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s44296-024-00010-2. [4]  M. T. Tiza, S. Imoni, E. O. Akande, O. Mogbo, V. H. Jiya, and C. Onuzulike, "Revolutionizing infrastructure development: Exploring cutting-edge advances in civil engineering materials," Recent Progress in Materials, vol. 6, no. 3, 2024, doi: 10.21926/rpm.2403023. [5]  A. U. R. Bajwa, C. Siriwardana, W. Shahzad, and M. A. Naeem, "Material selection in the construction industry: A systematic literature review on multi-criteria decision making," Environment Systems and Decisions, vol. 45, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s10669-025-10001-w. [6]  O. O. A. Davies and I. O. E. Davies, "Barriers to implementation of sustainable construction techniques," International Journal of Construction Management, 2023. [7]  J. Cramer, "Challenges in implementing sustainable construction: The Dutch Building Agreement Steel as an example," Steel Construction, Wiley, 2023, doi: 10.1002/stco.202300021. [8]  M. Karamoozian and H. Zhang, "Obstacles to green building accreditation during operating phases: Identifying challenges and solutions for sustainable development," Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 350–366, 2025, doi: 10.1080/13467581.2023.2280697. [9]  E. C. Eze, O. Sofolahan, and O. G. Omoboye, "Assessment of barriers to the adoption of sustainable building materials in the construction industry of a developing country," Frontiers in Engineering and Built Environment, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 153–166, 2023, doi: 10.1108/FEBE-07-2022-0029. [10]  B. Dams, D. Maskell, A. Shea, S. Allen, V. Cascione, and P. Walker, "Upscaling bio-based construction: Challenges and opportunities," Building Research & Information, vol. 51, no. 7, pp. 764–782, 2023, doi: 10.1080/09613218.2023.2204414.