Construction-Phase LEED Compliance in Egypt: Development of a Rule-Based Expert System for Contractor Decision Support

Authors

• Mohamed R. Ahmed, Construction Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), P.O. Box 77, Giza, Egypt.Follow
• Atef A. Ragab, Construction Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), P.O. Box 77, Giza, Egypt.
• Sameh Y. Mahfouz, Construction and Building Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Technology, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), B 2401, Smart Village, 12577, Giza, Egypt

ORCID

Mohamed : 0009-0006-8523-5141 ;Atef: 0000-0003-4352-6646 ;Sameh: 0000-0002-8968-6170

Subject Area

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

This study develops a rule-based expert system implemented in Python to support contractors in achieving LEED BD+C: New Construction v4 certification during the construction phase in Egypt. The research identifies and validates construction-phase obstacles affecting LEED compliance through a structured questionnaire targeting building contractors in Egypt. The questionnaire process was conducted in two stages: a pilot survey was used to screen and refine the initially identified obstacles, while the main survey was used to validate the practical relevance of the retained obstacles within the Egyptian construction context. In parallel, the study analyzes construction-phase prerequisites and credits relevant to contractors through a comprehensive review of official LEED documentation. The findings reveal that 58 of the total 110 LEED points are directly associated with the construction phase. Based on this result, a construction-phase equivalent certification scale is developed and aligned with official LEED certification thresholds. The proposed system evaluates project compliance, performs automated gap analysis, and provides targeted recommendations through an interactive decision-support interface. The proposed system was validated using three LEED-certified projects in Egypt, and the results showed full agreement with the official certification outcomes, supporting the system’s logical consistency and practical applicability within the tested case studies. Compared with conventional manual assessment approaches, the system streamlines the evaluation process, improves transparency, and supports informed decision-making. The proposed framework facilitates the adoption of sustainable construction practices in Egypt and aligns with national sustainability goals under Egypt Vision 2030.

Keywords

Sustainable Construction; Green Building Certification; Building Contractors; Compliance Assessment; Sustainable Building Rating Systems

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Ahmed, Mohamed R.; Ragab, Atef A.; and Mahfouz, Sameh Y. (2026) "Construction-Phase LEED Compliance in Egypt: Development of a Rule-Based Expert System for Contractor Decision Support," Mansoura Engineering Journal: Vol. 51 : Iss. 5 , Article 23.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.58491/2735-4202.3513