Matar, M; Osman, H; Georgy, M; Abou-Zeid, A and Elsaid, M (2020) Evaluating the environmental performance of pipeline construction using systems modelling. Construction Management and Economics, 38(8), pp. 689-714. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Environmental performance criteria currently represent major decision factors in civil engineering projects, including pipeline construction. This paper presents a framework based on systems modelling and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) that captures different setups of pipeline installation techniques and the environmental impacts expected from different execution scenarios. A model is developed via SysML using the principles of systems modelling and engineering to capture the interactions of the pipeline as a product, the installation technique utilized, together with the environment. A TOPSIS-based MCDA module permits selecting the optimum alternative among construction alternatives. Open cut trenching and microtunneling are exemplified and a case study is provided where both techniques are evaluated in terms of environmental impacts. The contribution of this work is providing a structured and versatile framework that properly captures the interactions of different pipeline installation techniques and the environment, enabling the quantification of environmental impacts to a high degree of precision. The capacity to model different scenarios allows comparison and selection of the most suitable alternative.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | environmental performance; microtunneling; open cut trenching; sysml; systems modelling |
| Index terms: | modelling, pipeline, case study, module, environmental impact, environmental performance, quantification, microtunneling, interaction, decision analysis, topsis, pipeline construction |
| Subjects: | measurement and scaling, decision analysis, architectural elements, infrastructure and transport systems, geotechnical engineering, analytical methods, sustainability assessment, civil engineering, decision-making and optimization, environmental impact, data collection methods, behavioral psychology |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Sustainability, Design Practice, Risk Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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