Becoming greener in construction: Overcoming challenges and developing strategies

Considering the significant impacts of the construction industry on global warming, consuming natural resources, and nonrenewable energy, as well as the generation of pollution and waste, plus its impact on the productivity and health of communities, this industry has a major role in moving towards sustainable development. Despite the growing trend of adapting more sustainable practices in construction, this paradigm-shift is confronting serious challenges for further improvement. The paper first discusses the current trend of sustainable construction and green buildings in the United States. This is followed by presenting the results of a research in which the challenges for further improvement of sustainable construction were investigated. The paper presents these results in four main categories of strategies to overcome the issues driven from: (1) construction management methods and practices, (2) cost-constraints, (3) regulations, and (4) public collaboration. In each category, the recommended policies are presented. The information that the paper provides is a result of extensive research, literature review, and case studies and can be used by the decision makers, construction stakeholders, owners, contractors, and project managers to provide fundamental guidelines, policies, and instructions for modifying and adjusting the existing practices in the construction industry.