Quantification of Particulate Emission from Construction Activities Using Discrete-Event Simulation

Abstract

Construction activities generate a significant number of airborne pollutants. Particulate matter (PM) is one of the important emissions arising throughout construction, especially in large-scale projects due to the utilization of heavy-duty equipment. Nevertheless, there is no competent approach that is capable of quantifying PM emissions from construction equipment operations at the pre-planning stage. Therefore, the development of a sufficiently accurate and simple quantification model is pressingly needed as the first step to help construction planners in identifying potential mitigation opportunities toward sustainable construction. This paper introduces a PM emission estimation model in an integrated application with a discrete-event simulation (DES) technique, namely EZStrobe. The model is developed with the aim of improving the current body of knowledge in the aspects of simplicity and practicality to address the restriction of input data availability in the initial phase of construction projects. A case study of a real highway project in Thailand is used to demonstrate the use and performance of the developed model in evaluating the environmental impacts in terms of diesel exhaust emissions. The findings identify critical construction activities and factors potentially affecting the environment. This approach enables construction planners to obtain a holistic, sustainable viewpoint in efficiently managing existing construction resources.