Abstract
Economic growth, social wellbeing, and infrastructure are strongly interrelated and jointly contribute to national development. Therefore, evaluation and selection of a road infrastructure project direly need a comprehensive sustainability assessment integrating holistic decision criteria. This study presents an elaborate life cycle sustainability-based project evaluation tool, comprising an assessment framework, an integration model, and a decision framework. In the first phase, a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework for road infrastructure is established using mixed methods. In the second phase, interviews are conducted to obtain pairwise comparisons among impact categories and subjective reasoning of their priorities. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is adopted to develop the LCSA integration model. The minimum threshold limits of impact categories are evaluated and integrated into the proposed decision framework. Further, thematic and cross-sectional analyses are performed on the interview findings to rationalize the proposed decision framework. The findings include a detailed and customized project assessment framework, an integration model, and a decision framework for the assessment of different project alternatives. This study helps policy- and decision-makers in selecting the project alternative by maximizing sustainability in road infrastructure projects. Insights into environmental and social externalities and their quantitative interpretation throughout the life of the road are also achieved.
Highlights
Sustainability is a subjective concept open to different interpretations and contextual inconsistencies
Economic development transcends social development since sustainable infrastructure underpins all economic activity, including achieving inclusive growth, making infrastructure critical to sustainable community development, future well-being, and the day-to-day lives of individuals
The life cycle thinking approach supports the integration of sustainability at various decision levels of a project [119]
Summary
Sustainability is a subjective concept open to different interpretations and contextual inconsistencies. Being projects of national importance impacting the economic performance and regional trade, delays and failure cause a high number of externalities These social and environmental externalities are difficult to assess through traditional feasibility assessment methods that ignore life cycle project impacts [3]. If the impacts of roadway construction, operation, and maintenance were added to the operational energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of on-road vehicles, they would roughly be 10% higher than the estimates based on vehicle operations alone [4]. Such projects require sophisticated sustainability assessment during the planning stage for selection, comparison, and evaluation of suitable projects. Incorporation of holistic life cycle project impacts requires the development of a more integrated approach for sustainability
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