Professional Awareness and Adoption of Sustainable Construction Materials in Building Projects in Bauchi State, Nigeria (Published)
The transition towards sustainable construction requires construction professionals to understand, specify and implement materials that reduce environmental impacts while maintaining technical and economic performance. This study investigates professional awareness, material adoption patterns, barriers and sustainability-related determinants of sustainable construction material adoption in building projects in Bauchi State, Nigeria. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed. A structured questionnaire was administered to registered Builders, Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Civil Engineers in Bauchi State. From 255 questionnaires distributed, 250 were retrieved and 240 valid responses were retained for analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, normality assessment and multiple regression analysis. Professional awareness was moderate, with mean scores ranging from 3.17 to 3.44. Cost savings (M = 3.44) and reduced environmental impact (M = 3.38) were the most recognised benefits. Timber (M = 4.62) and bamboo (M = 4.49) were the most commonly known or used materials, whereas 3D-printed concrete (M = 3.68) was among the least established. The principal barriers were an underdeveloped sustainable-material market (M = 3.44), low awareness and knowledge (M = 3.38), and inadequate stakeholder expertise (M = 3.34). Sustainability-related regression models explained 46.3–55.1% of observed variation across the reported outcome dimensions. The findings indicate that awareness must be complemented by technical capacity, market development, professional training and institutional support if sustainable materials are to move beyond recognition towards routine project application. The study provides location-specific empirical evidence on professional awareness, material-use patterns and adoption constraints in Bauchi State, where evidence on sustainable material adoption remains limited.