Abstract
The construction and infrastructure industry contribute to almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the largest drivers of resource use. This sector of the global economy is thus a promising area to look at for reducing environmental impact and increase sustainability. The impact of collaboration and cooperation within the project organisation has begun to garner more attention as the scale and scope, as well as the levels of uncertainty and complexity in construction and infrastructure projects have grown. This has led to an increase in collaborative contracting models applied to complex construction projects. In order to investigate the impact of collaborative contracting and the possibilities to advance the goal of resource efficiency and decrease environmental impact, a case study of two Nordic projects, utilising a collaborative project management model, is conducted. The findings suggest that the potential of using collaborative project management models in order to increase the sustainability of construction solutions is high. However, the use and understanding of the models vary between project actors. We conclude that the new collaborative project management models are important features in reducing environmental impact from infrastructure construction, yet several organisational and practical issues remain to be solved.
Highlights
With over 70 % of the world’s population being predicted to live in urban areas by 2050 [1], the impact on urban planning, construction, and infrastructure projects is immense
As the construction sector is responsible for approximately 23 % of CO2 emissions of the global economics activity [2], and as e.g. road construction is one of the largest drivers of resource use [3], the infrastructure sector is highlighted as especially interesting to study from the perspective of resource use and environmental impact
“what’s special about this is, that this is a very complex and unusual situation, as this [project management] model is new to [the clients], [...] and the model affects the role of the client. This is, maybe, the biggest lesson in this model, relating to the role of the client”. This active and involved client role was something novel to the respondents in both cases, and there were some differences in how involved the client was, there were clear benefits identified in both cases by respondents from all actors
Summary
With over 70 % of the world’s population being predicted to live in urban areas by 2050 [1], the impact on urban planning, construction, and infrastructure projects is immense. The goal of sustainability in an infrastructure construction context is twofold. The goal of minimising the effect an infrastructure construction project has on the existing environment, and second, the goal of managing the project in a way that minimises resource waste during the project execution phase, which is the focus of this study. Sustainability in an infrastructure project context would indicate a project management model, which uses existing resources in a way that doesn’t deplete them and keeps the resources in the system. It is increasingly important to manage infrastructure construction projects effectively to ensure resource efficiency throughout the process. A sustainably managed infrastructure project would help us achieve UN development goal number 9, in that it helps us develop reliable infrastructure of high quality, and increases resource-use efficiency
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