scholarly journals A Methodological Framework for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Construction Projects Incorporating TBL and Decoupling Principles

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Shivam Srivastava ◽  
Usha Iyer Raniga ◽  
Sudhir Misra
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Cycle Approach ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Environmental Pressure ◽  
Economic Well Being

The triple bottom line (TBL) principle encompasses the idea of continued economic and social well-being with minimal or reduced environmental pressure. However, in construction projects, the integration of social, economic, and environmental dimensions from the TBL perspective remains challenging. Green building rating tools/schemes, such as Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environment Assessment (BREEAM), and their criteria, which serve as a yardstick in ensuring sustainability based practices and outcomes, are also left wanting. These green building rating tools/schemes not only fail to comprehensively evaluate the three dimensions (social, economic, and environment) and interaction therewith, but also lack in capturing a life cycle approach towards sustainability. Therefore, this study intends to address the aforementioned challenges. The first part of this study presents the concept of sustainable construction as a system of well-being decoupling and impact decoupling. Findings in the first part of this study provide a rationale for developing a methodological framework that not only encapsulates a TBL based life cycle approach to sustainability assessment in construction, but also evaluates interactions among social and economic well-being, and environmental pressure. In methodological framework development, two decoupling indices were developed, namely, the phase well-being decoupling index (PWBDIK) and phase impact decoupling index (PIDIK). PWBDIK and PIDIK support the evaluation of interdependence among social and economic well-being, and the environmental pressure associated with construction projects in different life cycle phases. The calculation underpinning the proposed framework was illustrated using three hypothetical cases by adopting criteria from GRIHA Precertification and GRIHA v.2019 schemes. The results of these cases depict how the interactions among different dimensions (social, economic, and environment) vary as they move from one phase to another phase in a life cycle. The methodological framework developed in this study can be tailored to suit the sustainability assessment requirements for different phases and typologies of construction in the future.

scholarly journals Integration management – adaptive life cycle approach in solar plant construction project – experience report

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-92
Author(s):  
Apparício Ramalho Moreira Júnior
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Experience Report ◽  
Life Cycle Approach ◽  
Integration Management ◽  
Solar Plant ◽  
Field Activity ◽  
Additional Costs ◽  
Photovoltaic Plant ◽  
Engineering Projects

The objective of this experience report was to present the solutions used in the Management Process of the Construction and Assembly project of a Solar Photovoltaic Plant in utilitarian scale, in complex, uncertain and conflicting contexts. As a leading issue, it is intended to demonstrate that new approaches adopted in the project reported here – distinct from the traditional model and practices – allowed the mitigation of the main problems common to construction projects, including divergences between executive project and field activity, delays in delivery and deadlines initially contracted, and consequent additional expenses to the base budget. As a methodology, its theoretical foundation was based on bibliographic survey, addressing aspects such as: project management and life cycle ofthem,integration between the various processes and stakeholders, and Solar Energy on a utilitarian scale, in the scope of construction. This experience report aimed to discuss and demonstrate the approach used in the Guañizuil II A project, located in Argentina, in which agility, flexibility and innovation resulted in the mitigation of delays and additional costs, the achievement of notable records and the development of practical alternatives that can be applied to other construction projects. It is concluded that engineering projects, in their executive phase, need to be aligned with reality in the field, where an adaptive approach can bring positive gains and impacts throughout the life cycle.

Spatial and Relational Representations of Economic Well-being and the Kahumana Farm Hub, Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Christy Mello ◽  
Saleh Azizi ◽  
Shea-Lah Kama
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Socioeconomic Disparity ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Gift Economy ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Indigenous Wisdom ◽  
Economic Well Being

Seeking to identify solutions for improving growers' economic well-being by supporting ʻāina (land)-based practices, ethnographic research explored economic opportunity possibilities through Kahumana Organic Farms' Farm Hub (KFH), located in Waiʻanae on Hawaiʻi's island of Oʻahu. Major described findings include identified assets on ideas for improving economic well-being (e.g., a gift economy), barriers faced by growers, policy considerations for KFH and the region, as well as proposed solutions that have broader implications for sustainable land use practices. Designed to highlight agricultural abundance in Waiʻanae, rather than focus on existing socioeconomic disparity, our interdisciplinary and community-led project fused Western-based methodology with the Hawaiian methodological framework of Māʻawe Pono. Discussion addresses how, in doing so, we created reciprocal relationships and prioritized the production of deliverables to directly benefit community. It further explores how growers' utilization of the gift economy and Indigenous wisdom is instrumental for achieving well-being in terms of culture, physical health, economics, and the environment. As a part of a larger collaborative effort entitled ʻImi Naʻauao: Hawaiian Knowing and Well-being, this article also details the mapping subproject integrated into this larger effort and related to the KFH research.

scholarly journals Sustainability Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste in Baltimore USA

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1915
Author(s):  
Samuel O. Alamu ◽  
Ayodeji Wemida ◽  
Tiyobistiya Tsegaye ◽  
Gbekeloluwa Oguntimein
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽  
Incineration Plant

Sustainability assessment of municipal solid waste management requires a holistic approach in evaluating the impacts of current technology and processes. In this study, the sustainability analysis of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration plant in Baltimore city was performed to determine its environmental, economic, and social impacts. The city’s major waste-to-energy generation plant has benefitted the city of Baltimore since inception till date in terms of waste processing, resulting in electricity and steam production for more than 40,000 homes and over 200 businesses. The life cycle impact of the incineration plant was analyzed using the Simapro life cycle assessment (LCA) software with the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) database for correlation. The results obtained upon analysis show larger values of Global Warming Potential and eutrophication potential as 6.46 × 108 Gg of CO2 equivalence and 2.27 × 106 Gg N equivalence, respectively. These values resulted from the higher amount of fossil CO2 and NOx emitted from the plant. The acidification potential of 1.66 × 1017 H+ mmole eq resulted from the SO2 emitted by the incineration plant. The incineration plant exceeded the limitations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on NOx (150 ppm), which is detrimental to the well-being of people as shown by this study. Installing an improved processing technology such as a Selected Catalytic Reactor (SCR) can drastically reduce the NOx emission to 45 ppm. Life Cycle Assessment was confirmed suitable in evaluating the environmental impacts of the MSW-to-energy treatment approach.

scholarly journals Visualization of the Sustainability Level of Crude Palm Oil Production: A Life Cycle Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1607
Author(s):  
Najat Omran ◽  
Amir Hamzah Sharaai ◽  
Ahmad Hariza Hashim
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Life Cycle Costing ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle Approach ◽  
Crude Palm Oil

The Malaysian palm oil is an important source of social development and economic growth in the country. Nevertheless, it has been accused of conducting unsustainable practices that may affect the sustainability of this industry. Thus, this study aims to identify the level of sustainability of crude palm oil (CPO) production. Environmental impacts were assessed using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standardized life cycle assessment (LCA). Economic impacts were evaluated using life cycle costing (LCC). Social impact assessment was identified based on the UNEP/SETAC Guidelines for social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) was used to combine three methods: LCA, life cycle costing (LCC) and S-LCA using the scoring system method. Finally, a presentation technique was developed to visualize the LCSA results. The results show that crude palm oil production requires more improvement to be a sustainable product. The study feasibly enables the decision-makers to understand the significant environmental, economic, and social hotspots during the crude palm oil production process in order to promote palm oil production.

scholarly journals Life-Cycle and Its Impact on the Disparity in Economic Well-Being among U.S. Sole Proprietor Households: Evidence from Two National Surveys

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hisham S. El-Osta
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Decomposition Methods ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
Distribution Of Wealth ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Economic Well Being

The impact of age on the distribution of wealth among U.S. sole proprietor households is analyzed using data from two national surveys in conjunction with disparity and social welfare decomposition methods. Results show higher disparity in wealth when the household is a non-farm rather than a farm sole proprietor household. The cohort with the greatest need in terms of targeted programs is the group of farm or non-farm households headed by individuals younger than 35.

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