A Systems Approach for Sustainability Assessment of Civil Infrastructure Projects
Abstract
It is necessary to develop standardized methods and metrics that effectively and efficiently study, measure, and analyze the wide range of effects of the construction processes. The narrow focus of the currently available assessment methods does not address the technical, environmental, economic, social/cultural, and individual sustainability indicators adequately, nor the temporal, spatial, and behavioral aspects of sustainability. This paper utilized a systems approach that is based on the three novel benchmarks -- nature, work, and flow -- that previously were proposed by the second author. "Work" defines the socio-behavioral relationships among the construction products and the actors of the built environment. "Nature" focuses on the effects of the built process on the environment through studying the interaction between the actors, processes, and the end products within a host system. "Flow" identifies the changes within the community host systems and the effects of these changes on the natural and socio-economic settings. To this end, the authors applied this innovative framework to five different projects including a highway, streets, and drainage project; solar energy; wastewater treatment; and vertical construction. Results indicate that the proposed systems approach provides an improved holistic understanding of the environmental, social, and economic effects of these projects.
Recommended Citation
M. A. Boz et al., "A Systems Approach for Sustainability Assessment of Civil Infrastructure Projects," Proceedings of the 2014 Construction Research Congress (2014, Atlanta, GA), pp. 444 - 453, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), May 2014.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784413517.0046
Meeting Name
Construction Research Congress 2014: Construction in a Global Network (2014: May 19-21, Atlanta, GA)
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Research; Solar energy; Wastewater treatment, Built environment; Civil infrastructures; Construction process; Construction products; Standardized methods; Sustainability assessment; Sustainability indicators; Vertical constructions, Sustainable development
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-078441351-7
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 May 2014
