Abstract
Selection of suitable building material options are being influenced by
various stakeholders in the construction industry, The process of selecting these material
options can be very complex, being influenced and
determined by numerous preconditions, decisions, and considerations. It should however, be noted
that stakeholders are legally responsible for the project and their importance can be reflected by
the various ways they influence the adoption of innovation strategy. Therefore, this research
attempts to identify the possible factors that influence the selection of building materials for
housing projects from the perspective of stakeholders in the Ghanaian construction industry. 47
possible factors influencing the selection of building materials for housing projects were
identified through literature review. Interviews were carried out prior to the questionnaire survey
to examine the relevance of the identified factors in the Ghanaian context. The interviews were
conducted amongst eight purposively selected top architectural and structural engineering firms
operating in Ghana. Questionnaires were also distributed to a sample of 150 stakeholders in the
Ghanaian construction industry, out of which a total of 138 were returned and then analysed using
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Relative Importance Index was used to rank the
selected factors according to their order of importance. The ten most important building materials
selection factors identified in this study are: strength, durability, initial cost, appearance
(aesthetic value), water resistance, owner's/user's choice, availability of materials, resistance
to decay, heat resistance, and fire resistance. The research concluded that stakeholders in the
construction industry should consider all the important factors identified in this study when
selecting building materials for housing project in Ghana.