Integrated sustainability assessment method applied to structural concrete columns

This research paper presents a general model for integral sustainability analysis of columns. This assessment tool has been obtained by using MIVES, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model which considers the sustainability main plans (economic, environmental and social) and incorporates a value function concept in order to homogenize the indicators and consider the degree of satisfaction. This tool is general and could be applied to assess other structural components within the building sector after introducing minor changes. Nevertheless, for this research project, it has been designed to assess reinforced concrete columns in buildings in situ. Therefore, the influence of determining variables such as concrete compressive strength, cross-section geometry and building process have been studied based on this defined model. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.