Integrated Evaluation of the Impediments to the Adoption of Coconut Palm Wood as a Sustainable Material for Building Construction

Abstract

Coconut palm wood is commonly regarded as a sustainable building material. Nonetheless, its adoption as a green building material by the construction industry is limited, particularly in West Africa. This paper analyses the impediments to the effective adoption of coconut palm wood in residential building construction. The research data was collected from literature reviews, expert-based surveys, and semi-structured interviews with specialists from the construction sector, African Timber Organization, governmental institutions related to forestry and construction, university professors, and researchers in the areas of sustainable building materials and construction. Thirteen crucial impediments were identified and an integrated evaluation of the impediments was conducted using the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) technique to examine the hierarchical structure of the relations between the impediments. A further technique, Cross-impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC), was used to categorize the impediments from a driving to driven perspective. This categorization provides a unique profile for the impediments, which is different from that of conventional evaluation techniques for evaluating impediments. The findings of this paper offer useful guide to practitioners and policy makers in formulating effective policies, regulations, and standards that will promote the development and wide adoption of coconut palm wood in the construction industry.