Developing materials and energy-related indicators and identifying barriers to their adoption in an adjustable urban road sustainable rating system

Abstract

Materials and energy consumption contribute significantly to the carbon footprint of roadway construction and operation. Although material and energy-related indicators (MEIs) have been incorporated into existing sustainability rating systems in developed countries, their application to other countries/regions, especially developing countries, might be hindered because of varying local contexts. Given that no rating system is specified for urban roadway projects, this study aims to develop MEIs and their weighting system as a part of an adjustable urban road sustainable rating system (AUR-SRS) and investigate the important barriers to MEI adoption. To this end, the adaptive approach integrating top-down and bottom-up methods was employed. The top-down approach used the comprehensive literature review to derive potential MEIs and barriers. The bottom-up approach referred to expert opinions in a three-country context (i.e., Taiwan, Indonesia, and Vietnam) to finalize the five most suitable MEIs and 26 corresponding requirements. The study then applied the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Weighted Sum Model (WSM) methods to assign a weighting system to proposed indicators/ requirements and investigate the three critical barriers. The proposed research framework would serve as a baseline for developing adaptable indicators for other categories and examining barriers to indicator implementation.