Ghumra, S; Watkins, M; Phillips, P; Glass, J; Frost, M W and Anderson, J (2009) Developing a LCA-based tool for infrastructure projects. In: Dainty, A R J (ed.) Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2009, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
There exists a well established set of tools based on life cycle assessment methodology for buildings. Tools such as the BRE s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) are commonly used and a greater number of clients are specifying a particular rating to be achieved for projects. Whilst the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme (CEEQUAL) assesses infrastructure projects across the whole sector it does not specifically take into account the life cycle assessment of the project and, in particular, the materials used. However, recent developments with regard to responsible sourcing may go some way to addressing this gap. For example an organisation s procedures and systems regarding quality, the environment and health & safety can also be assessed through responsible sourcing alongside the impacts of the construction product itself. In the UK however, there is little evidence that a single, unified and overarching framework for project assessments will be developed in the immediate future. Therefore a real and pressing need exists for an easy to use tool for civil engineers that takes into account both the life cycle assessment of the materials used and the environmental impacts these have on infrastructure projects. This research aims to develop such a tool and as such this paper will present an analysis of the drivers and barriers in relation to this development.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | civil engineering; infrastructure projects; life-cycle assessment; responsible sourcing |
| Index terms: | environmental quality, evidence, environmental impact, methodology, construction product, environmental assessment, infrastructure project, civil engineer, responsible sourcing, life cycle assessment, BREEAM accreditation |
| Subjects: | environmental impact, evaluation and assessment methods, profession, economic analysis, environmental policy, health safety and environment, sustainability assessment, research methods, infrastructure and transport systems |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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