Revision of Sustainable Road Rating Systems: Selection of the Best Suited System for Hungarian Road Construction Using TOPSIS Method

Réka Szpotowicz (Née Nádasi),Csaba Tóth

doi:10.3390/su12218884

Abstract

There are a number of sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques and methods currently available in the construction industry. To promote sustainable development, different rating and certificating systems that evaluate the level of sustainability during the development of infrastructure construction projects have been developed. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to examine the applicability of sustainability rating systems in Hungary and find the most suitable option. After a review of commonly used rating systems, i.e., Greenroads, GreenLITES, I-LAST, Envision, and INVEST, the most suitable existing rating system is selected with the help of the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) mathematical decision analysis method. This was achieved by utilizing 12 categories of input data (weights) analyzed through TOPSIS. The input data (weights) of the TOPSIS method were determined by a small research group of industry experts and academic professionals based on Hungarian practices and methodology. As a result of the calculation, the study found that the Envision rating system satisfies the criteria best, closely followed by Greenroads.

Highlights

It is widely agreed that the construction industry has one of the most significant impacts on our environment, contributing significantly to air pollution, resource depletion, waste generation, global warming, and climate change
To enhance sustainability in the construction industry, different rating and certificating systems have been developed. These usually list a set of sustainability practices in different categories, such as material, pavement, environment, water, energy, and accessibility, and can evaluate the sustainability level of projects during their stages, i.e., planning, design, construction, and maintenance
The systems aim to motivate decision-makers, construction companies, and other stakeholders to make the use of these practices and methods common at a higher level

Summary

Introduction

It is widely agreed that the construction industry has one of the most significant impacts on our environment, contributing significantly to air pollution, resource depletion, waste generation, global warming, and climate change. Energy-intensive processes are required to produce and build the raw materials for structures, and the finished structure influences the aesthetics of the environment and, in the case of transportation, can affect the ecosystem of natural habitats, water quality, and noise pollution [1,2,3]. To optimize these factors, the application of sustainable development has become important in the construction sector. Each rating system includes a specific weighting methodology, which differs depending on the system

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion