Koo, D H and Ariaratnam, S T (2008) Application of a sustainability model for assessing water main replacement options. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 134(8), pp. 563-574. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Sustainable development, conceived as a new and multidisciplinary paradigm, is receiving much attention throughout the global community. The purpose of this paper is to apply the sustainability assessment model (SAM), an assessment and decision making methodology, to a water main replacement project in an urban environment to determine the most sustainable project alternative among three possible options. This case study presents the use of SAM in considering various multicriteria sustainability indicators while working towards achieving sustainability enhancement. Objectives of sustainability enhancement include: (1) minimizing environmental impact; (2) maximizing economical benefit and output; (3) social and cultural conservation and promotion; and (4) satisfying basic requirements such as structural soundness and capacity. Six assessment methods including the analytic hierarchy process, cost, pollution, energy, time estimation, and natural resource depletion analysis are used for both qualitative and quantitative sustainability indicators. The weighted sum model is then utilized to integrate the six independent assessment results to elicit the final decision.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | assessments; replacement; sustainable development; water distribution systems |
| Index terms: | methodology, decision-making, environmental impact, time estimation, urban environment, replacement, sustainability assessment, sustainability indicator, sustainable development, paradigm, depletion, water main, option, conservation, pollution, case study, promotion, water distribution, natural resource |
| Subjects: | decision analysis, environmental health, infrastructure and transport systems, research methods, sustainability assessment, management, education and knowledge transfer, health safety and environment, operations research, environmental resource management, environmental policy, data collection methods, urban sustainability, materials science, environmental impact |
| Topics: | Time Control, Urban Studies, Human Resources, Risk Management, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here