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Article

Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge

by
Kristine Ek
1,2,*,
Alexandre Mathern
1,2,
Rasmus Rempling
1,2,
Petra Brinkhoff
1,
Mats Karlsson
2,3 and
Malin Norin
1
1
NCC AB, Gullbergs Strandgata 2, 405 14 Göteborg, Sweden
2
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 6, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
3
Swedish Transport Administration, Bataljonsgatan 8, 553 05 Jönköping, Sweden
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 7909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217909
Submission received: 9 October 2020 / Revised: 22 October 2020 / Accepted: 23 October 2020 / Published: 28 October 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure)
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Abstract

Standardized and transparent life cycle sustainability performance assessment methods are essential for improving the sustainability of civil engineering works. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of using a life cycle sustainability assessment method in a road bridge case study. The method is in line with requirements of relevant standards, uses life cycle assessment, life cycle costs and incomes, and environmental externalities, and applies normalization and weighting of indicators. The case study involves a short-span bridge in a design-build infrastructure project, which was selected for its generality. Two bridge design concepts are assessed and compared: a concrete slab frame bridge and a soil-steel composite bridge. Data available in the contractor’s tender phase are used. The two primary aims of this study are (1) to analyse the practical application potential of the method in carrying out transparent sustainability assessments of design concepts in the early planning and design stages, and (2) to examine the results obtained in the case study to identify indicators in different life cycle stages and elements of the civil engineering works project with the largest impacts on sustainability. The results show that the method facilitates comparisons of the life cycle sustainability performance of design concepts at the indicator and construction element levels, enabling better-informed and more impartial design decisions to be made.
Keywords: sustainability; life cycle assessment; life cycle costing; environmental externalities; indicator; multi-criteria decision analysis; civil engineering; bridge; design sustainability; life cycle assessment; life cycle costing; environmental externalities; indicator; multi-criteria decision analysis; civil engineering; bridge; design

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ek, K.; Mathern, A.; Rempling, R.; Brinkhoff, P.; Karlsson, M.; Norin, M. Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217909

AMA Style

Ek K, Mathern A, Rempling R, Brinkhoff P, Karlsson M, Norin M. Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(21):7909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217909

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ek, Kristine, Alexandre Mathern, Rasmus Rempling, Petra Brinkhoff, Mats Karlsson, and Malin Norin. 2020. "Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 21: 7909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217909

APA Style

Ek, K., Mathern, A., Rempling, R., Brinkhoff, P., Karlsson, M., & Norin, M. (2020). Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217909

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