Life cycle sustainability assessments of critical civil infrastructure systems: additional guidance for future research and practical application

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sustainable development of critical civil infrastructure systems should include economic, environmental, and social considerations, as well as considerations that are of high value to stakeholders and decision-makers. Life cycle economic and environmental impacts of critical civil infrastructure systems are commonly quantified by well-established methodologies such as life cycle assessment and life cycle costing. However, social and other related impacts of critical civil infrastructure systems can be difficult to quantify and are therefore less commonly and thoroughly addressed. A mini-literature review was conducted to explore how sustainability is currently evaluated for critical civil infrastructure systems. The review found that, while there are life cycle assessment frameworks available, there is vague guidance available for addressing factors that are not directly related to environmental, economic, or social (i.e., difficult to quantify) impacts. In response, the authors build upon currently available methodologies by discussing a supplemental approach for collecting additional data for critical civil infrastructure systems, which includes the use of stakeholder discussions and semistructured interviews. Including a range of factors early on in life cycle sustainability assessments of critical civil infrastructure can improve study robustness and allow for further integration of decision-making factors in life cycle sustainability assessments.