Project Environmental Impact Research Articles

Innovating Building Refurbishments: Embracing Global Digital Transformation for Today's Construction Industry

The Uberization of the construction industry is a clear indication that the sector is gradually shifting towards the digital era. This transformation signifies a significant digitization of construction, incorporating smart technology in various phases, from design and planning to execution, operations, and management. This paper delves into the importance of embracing digital technologies in building refurbishments to meet the evolving demands of today's construction landscape. By integrating innovative digital solutions such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, robotics, and other cutting-edge technologies, refurbishment projects can achieve cost-effectiveness, precision, and environmental sustainability. The benefits of this digital shift encompass improved project coordination, safety, cost efficiency, and environmental impact management. However, challenges like high initial costs, resistance to change, cybersecurity threats, and skill shortages persist. The digital transformation is also shaped by global trends such as urbanization, population growth, and the push for smart, sustainable cities. Governments and private sectors acknowledge the potential of digital construction in meeting these demands more effectively. Thus, the industry must adapt to these technological advancements to stay competitive and address future infrastructure needs. The primary goal of this paper is to underscore the importance of embracing global digital transformation in building refurbishments, offering insights and recommendations for stakeholders in the construction sector to leverage digital technologies effectively for enhanced project outcomes and long-term sustainability. This study aims to explore the global digitalization of building construction, examining how advanced technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are revolutionizing construction processes. By identifying the main drivers of digitalization in the construction industry, assessing the role of emerging technologies, and evaluating the benefits such as enhanced efficiency, cost savings, improved safety, and sustainability, this paper aims to showcase the necessity of digitalization to meet modern demands effectively. These abstract outlines the key concepts discussed in the paper, highlighting the advantages of integrating digital tools in building refurbishments, the obstacles, and opportunities in digital transformation within construction, and the potential impact on sustainability and project outcomes. Through case studies and industry insights, the study will demonstrate how digitalization is vital for staying abreast of modern requirements. Additionally, it will analysis case studies and successful implementations of digital technologies in refurbishment projects to illustrate best practices and lessons learned.

Experimental determination of soil thermal conductivity for design of underground cables

The dimensioning of underground extra-high voltage direct current transmission lines (HVDC) requires detailed knowledge of soil properties, particularly thermal conductivity, to optimise cable spacing and minimise project costs and environmental impact. Given the absence of an internationally standardised procedure for testing soil thermal conductivity, a novel approach was developed as part of the SuedLink project - a 700 km long underground power line which will transmit renewable wind energy between northern and southern Germany. The unique aspect of this methodology lies in its ability to deliver reproducible results of the thermal conductivity of a soil across the entire water content spectrum. This allows the use of realistic thermal conductivity values, as opposed to the current use of overly conservative values in the design of underground power lines. Additionally, the highly efficient testing configuration enables the test to effectively be rolled out on a large scale as was shown with over 6000 tests done on the SuedLink project. This article explains the thermal conductivity test procedure and the evaluation of the raw-data obtained from these tests.

Conceptualising project environmental impact assessment for enhancement: no net loss, net gain, offsetting and nature positive

ABSTRACT With declining biodiversity worldwide, the need for development proposals to deliver positive, not negative, environmental outcomes is clear. Arguably, this is a long-standing goal of environmental impact assessment (EIA). This article explores the extent to which current project EIA practice can achieve enhancement, no net loss or a net gain of biodiversity and Nature Positive goals. Using reflexivity, a conceptual approach is applied to policies and examples from practice. The environmental enhancement goal of EIA is explained. The mitigation hierarchy is applied to a hypothetical mining example for accomplishing no net loss/net gain of biodiversity through offsets. Nature Positive is examined in relation to current EIA expectations and how it differs from the other positive outcomes concepts. To overcome the ‘controlled loss’ paradigm that typifies EIA practice, a major mindset change is needed. Recommendations include: (i) placing ‘enhance’ on top of the mitigation hierarchy; (ii) ensuring policies uphold ‘true offsets’ with provision to ‘say no’ to development for high biodiversity areas and performance outcomes accountability and (iii) developing legislative provisions for Nature Positive and how project EIA should address it. Practitioners are urged to ‘step up’ in their personal endeavours to advocate for such changes to deliver positive outcomes from EIA.

Sustainable Development Strategies and Assessment for the KYCAI Artificial Island Project in Hong Kong

This paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the sustainable development strategies and assessments for the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands (KYCAI) project in Hong Kong. The project aims to provide about 1,000 hectares of land to meet Hong Kong's medium and long-term land demands, enhancing its competitiveness as a financial and commercial center. The study focuses on the project's environmental impact and carbon emissions, providing improvement recommendations to enhance overall sustainability. Key areas include protecting natural ecosystems and restoring biodiversity during the island's construction, optimizing the implementation of low-carbon and clean energy projects, and integrating sustainability principles throughout the project's lifecycle. The government should also assume environmental leadership by combining policy regulations with communication across various stakeholders, ensuring the project achieves sustainable economic, social, and environmental development, laying a solid foundation for Hong Kong's future growth.

From BIM to digital twin in BIPV: A review of current knowledge

Digital solutions, such as digital-twin (DT) technologies, can significantly improve the construction industry by addressing its inherent challenges, such as complex project management, delays, quality control, safety issues, and environmental impact. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) is a promising system for building envelopes to harvest renewable solar energy onsite. Interest in the application of DT technologies in BIPV systems has grown, including the prediction and optimization of energy performance and accurate diagnosis of faults. Despite increased research on the integration of BIPV systems with DT technologies, a systematic, holistic analysis that encompasses all project phases for effective lifecycle management is still lacking. This study comprehensively analyzes the integration of BIPV systems and DT technology throughout the building lifecycle, including design, construction, operation, demolition, and recycling, and it underscores the potential of combining BIPV systems with DT technology as a strategic approach to enhance efficiency, safety, and reliability. This study investigates three primary objectives: 1) the current applications/attempts to apply DTs to BIPV systems from a lifecycle perspective; 2) the challenges of integrating DTs and BIPV; and 3) promising DT technologies/strategies for promoting BIPV development. This study offers significant insights by highlighting the use of DT technologies across the full lifecycle of BIPV systems. It details the application of these technologies across five crucial layers in BIPV systems, data technologies, modelling methods, and simulation techniques. Moreover, it elucidates current research gaps in this domain and proposes valuable recommendations for future research avenues.

A Quality Review of EIA: A Comparative Study of State-Funded and International Aid Agency-funded Development Projects in Sri Lanka

A development project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool for mitigating the effects on the environment and promoting sustainable development. EIA is an expensive and professionally engaged process that involves the public. Many countries around the world have long-standing laws in place connected to this topic, as well as solid knowledge and experience. One persistent argument against the efficacy of EIA in developing nations is that the procedure and quality differ from country to country. The International Aid Agencies (IAA) have their guidelines for protecting the environment while following local environmental assessment standards for any financing requirements. IAA involvement in the EIA process might significantly affect how well- written EIA reports are. To evaluate the assessment quality, six EIA reports from state-financed development projects (SL-EIAs) and another six development projects EIAs funded by the IAA (IAA-EIAs) in Sri Lanka were randomly chosen. LeeCooley review package (1990) was used to evaluate the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) of each EIA. In this investigation, it was discovered that IAA-EIAs and SL-EIAs had a significant difference in overall quality. IAA-EIAs show values that range from highly satisfactory to satisfactory and each share 50 percent, whereas SL-EIAs indicate 83 percent satisfactory and 17 percent of borderline quality. In comparison to the SL-EIAs, all four review areas of the IAA-EIAs performed notably well. While the SL-EIA shows good to borderline quality (0.66-0.72), all evaluated IAA-EIA reports reveal highly satisfactory to satisfactory (0.81-0.93) quality. The engagement of IAA in the environmental assessment has a considerable impact to improve assessment quality in comparison to the only domestic assessment. Finding the weak area in the SL-EIA process and adhering to the IAA standards would elevate the standard of the report.
 Keywords: EIA quality, Review, International Aid Agency, Development projects

NEWS TREATMENT ON THE PADMA BRIDGE INAUGURATION: A STUDY ON GLOBAL MEDIA PERSPECTIVE

The Padma Bridge inauguration, a landmark infrastructure project, has garnered significant attention from media outlets worldwide. This study delves into the diverse global media perspectives surrounding the inauguration of the Padma Bridge. The study's main objective is to evaluate and quantify the global media coverage of the Padma Bridge's inauguration on June 25, 2022 with a focus on how the international media views the event. About 40 news articles from various globally famous news media were chosen to be used in the study's qualitative and quantitative analysis. This study attempts to move forward with data gathered from various international news media through purposive sampling by using Google Search Engine Customization from June 24 to 30, particularly the 25th, which is the date of Padma Bridge's inauguration searching by using keywords like ‘Padma Bridge inauguration related news coverage in global media’. By employing a comprehensive content analysis approach, this study examines how the event was covered by media outlets across the globe. Findings reveal that media treatment of the Padma Bridge inauguration varies significantly based on geographical location, political affiliations, and cultural factors. While some media outlets highlighted the inauguration as a symbol of economic progress and regional connectivity, others critiqued the project's cost and environmental impact. The chosen reports' most focused subject, as shown through analysis is Bangladesh's potential and audacity to fulfill its’ people’s dream. Additionally, it provides insights into the complex interplay between media, politics, and public perception of major infrastructure projects. This study also contributes to the fields of media studies, international relations, and infrastructure development, shedding light on the intricate dynamics that influence global media coverage of significant events like the Padma Bridge inauguration.

Contramedidas en Cabo Pulmo: La ciencia y la judicialización de conflictos ambientales en México

AbstractThe judicialization of environmental conflicts in Mexico has generated a growing demand for legal evidence of environmental damages and risks to ecosystems and communities. When conflicts arise over large development projects, one opposition strategy consists of denouncing errors in a project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or procedural errors in its evaluation by federal authorities. Volunteer scientists collaborate with local communities and nonprofit organizations to diagnose technical errors in the EIS and develop “countermeasures” of risks that can be used to contest projects in court. This article analyzes a paradigmatic case of independent EIS review that occurred to oppose a tourism megadevelopment project adjoining the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park in Baja California Sur. Confronted with the contraction of the political sphere in Mexico, this administrative tactic of political struggle appears as a viable alternative to directly challenging powerful elites. The Cabo Pulmo case highlights evolving relationships between science, environmental governance, and emergent forms of political mobilization in Latin America.

Current challenges of biomass refinery and prospects of emerging technologies for sustainable bioproducts and bioeconomy

AbstractThe depletion of fossil resources and the resulting global warming are the primary motivators for moving from a fossil‐based to a biobased economy. Biorefineries, like petro‐based refineries, offer a green and sustainable option for producing marketable biobased goods through decarbonization pathways, hence upgrading the bioeconomy. In the context of the industrial revolution, economic and environmental sustainability are critical in adopting biorefinery systems. However, biorefineries still face numerous hurdles. There are numerous technological, economic, ecological, sociological and long‐term issues throughout the biorefinery production chain. The key difficulties facing biorefineries today are acceptance in the present market of the ‘fossil‐based economy’, the composition and availability of feedstock, the quantities needed to meet the market demand, the efficiency of the resource recovery, techno‐economic viability and sustainability. Life cycle assessment may provide a thorough input on the environmental setting during process optimization, minimizing the biorefinery project's environmental impact. In this review, we outline the bottlenecks and obstacles that biorefineries face while producing biofuels from biomass, as well as how biotechnology and modern technology might help researchers to overcome them. Biorefineries need to optimize their biomass usage to generate products that properly fit the market expectations. These items should be cost‐effective when compared with fossil fuels. Currently, 85–90% of petroleum refinery output is used to make fuels, with only 10–15% going to the petrochemical industry to make organic compounds. To precisely match market demands, the biorefinery should produce the same proportion of fuels and organic compounds. To overcome the challenges, biofermentation, membrane technologies and oxidation processes, among other developing technologies, are drawing interest in several areas of biorefinery. Biorefinery systems necessitate a systematic process for identifying impacts and assessing their long‐term viability. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using strategic environmental assessment and project environmental impact assessment to assess ecological connectivity at multiple scales in a national park context

ABSTRACT Ecological connectivity within and across the boundaries of protected areas has become a key theme for conservation practitioners in Canada and internationally in recent years. This paper describes four case studies involving the assessment of ecological connectivity in national parks in Canada. Assessments occurred in three tiers: strategic environmental assessments conducted during management planning processes, an intermediate tier focussed on research and partnering at more refined spatial scales, and project level environmental impact assessments. While improved data, modelling and research on thresholds is needed, the multi-tiered approach facilitated the analysis of information and the collaboration with partners at scales required to conserve ecological connectivity within and across the boundaries of national parks. This work demonstrates practical approaches to conserving ecological connectivity as a response to biodiversity loss and highlights impact assessment in multiple tiers as a solution that is transferable to other sectors.

Harnessing landfill gas (LFG) for electricity: A strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Jakarta (Indonesia)

Due to its increasing demands for fossil fuels, Indonesia needs an alternative energy to diversify its energy supply. Landfill gas (LFG), which key component is methane (CH4), has become one of the most attractive options to sustain its continued economic development. This exploratory study seeks to demonstrate the added value of landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW) in generating sustainable energy, resulting from CH4 emissions in the Bantargebang landfill (Jakarta). The power generation capacity of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant based on a mathematical modeling was investigated. This article critically evaluated the production of electricity and potential income from its sale in the market. The project's environmental impact assessment and its socio-economic and environmental benefits in terms of quantitative and qualitative aspects were discussed. It was found that the emitted CH4 from the landfill could be reduced by 25,000 Mt annually, while its electricity generation could reach one million kW ⋅h annually, savings on equivalent electricity charge worth US$ 112 million/year (based on US' 8/kW ⋅ h). An equivalent CO2 mitigation of 3.4 × 106 Mt/year was obtained. The income from its power sale were US$ 1.2 ×106 in the 1st year and 7.7 ×107US$ in the 15th year, respectively, based on the projected CH4 and power generation. The modeling study on the Bantargebang landfill using the LFG extraction data indicated that the LFG production ranged from 0.05 to 0.40 m3 per kg of the landfilled MSW. The LFG could generate electricity as low as US' 8 per kW ⋅ h. With respect to the implications of this study, the revenue not only defrays the cost of landfill's operations and maintenance (O&M), but also provides an incentive and means to further improve its design and operations. Overall, this work not only leads to a diversification of primary energy, but also improves environmental protection and the living standard of the people surrounding the plant.

Critical Criminology: State‐Facilitated Corporate Crime, Environmental Racism, and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

AbstractCritical criminology continues to focus on the intersections of race, class, and green harms, as this analysis provides a more complete framework for understanding the role of state violence in capitalist projects. This article utilises the frameworks of environmental racism and state‐facilitated corporate crime to analyse the proposed 600‐mile natural gas pipeline, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). We focus on the narratives of the corporations and state in pursuing the project, including dispelling the myth that natural gas is ‘clean’. We also highlight the project's disproportionate social and environmental impact on poor and black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) communities. We end by discussing the state's role in facilitating the project through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Introduction: Critical Criminology for the 21st Century

Introduction: Critical Criminology for the 21st Century

Stochastic Multi-variate Performance Trade-off Method for Technical Tender Evaluation

This paper presents a computational method called Stochastic Multi-variate Performance Trade-off (SMPT), which identifies optimal sets of construction methods for activities, hence appropriately trading-off the project completion time, cost, environmental impact, and quality. SMPT computes exact solution(s), near-optimal solution(s), and stochastic optimal solution(s) using an enumerative analysis, genetic algorithm, and simulation, respectively. This study is of value to project planners because SMPT identifies the sets of construction methods that satisfy user-defined constraints relative to specific performance indicators. SMPT is also of relevance to researchers because it facilitates experiments using different performance indicators, either jointly or independently. Three test cases verify the validity of the computational methods.

Study of Collaborative Management for Transportation Construction Project Based on BIM Technology

. Building Information Modeling(BIM) is a building modeling technology based on the relevant information data of the construction project. It is an advanced technology and management concept, which is widely used in the whole life cycle process of planning, design, construction and operation. Based on BIM technology, transportation construction project collaborative management can have better communication through authenticity simulation and architectural visualization and can obtain the basic and real-time information such as project schedule, engineering quality, cost and environmental impact etc. The main services of highway construction management are integrated on the unified BIM platform for collaborative management to realize information intercommunication and exchange, to change the isolated situation of information in the past, and improve the level of information management. The final BIM model is integrated not only for the information management of project and the integration of preliminary documents and design drawings, but also for the automatic generation of completion data and final accounts, which covers the whole life cycle of traffic construction projects and lays a good foundation for smart highway construction.

Using the ecosystem service approach to determine whether jatropha projects were located in marginal lands in Ghana: Implications for site selection

The concept of marginal land is often used to justify land availability and inform land allocation for biofuel projects. However, marginal lands can provide other valuable ecosystem services. Using interviews with multiple stakeholders and fieldwork in three collapsed biofuel projects in Ghana, this paper shares perspectives on how the ecosystem service approach (ESA) can offer a better basis for selecting land for biofuel projects. Expert interviews with key stakeholders (e.g. Lands Commission) in biofuel value chains in Ghana highlight the lack of consensus of what constitutes marginal land, with two dominant interpretations coming up; (i) land unsuitable for food production and (ii) land unsuitable for cost-effective agricultural production. Both interpretations however do not reflect the ecosystem services lands provide, as well as the significant cultural values attached to them. Our empirical work shows that many ecosystem services are obtained from the supposedly marginal lands that are neglected from both interpretations, as well as the standard project planning and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. We make the case that when compared to the current marginal land narrative, the ESA offers a better lens for understanding local land uses, in managing emerging tradeoffs and providing information for locating biofuel projects. Our findings suggest that expanding the scope of EIAs by integrating elements of the ESA can go a long way towards informing site selection for biofuel investments.

Minimizing Construction Emissions Using Building Information Modeling and Decision-Making Techniques

The construction industry is regarded as a major contributor to environmental emissions, due to extensive usage of resources and the waste products produced. This article presents a building information modeling (BIM)-based model that is capable of measuring six types of emissions for different activities of construction projects. The paper investigates eight multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques for ranking alternatives based on project time; project life cycle cost; project environmental impact; and primary energy consumed by different activities. Three group decision- making techniques are performed to provide consensus and final ranking of alternatives. The Monte Carlo simulation is implemented in order to account for the discrepancy in the calculation of greenhouse gases produced from buildings. Also, a case study of academic buildings is introduced in order to demonstrate the practical features of the proposed model.

Efetividade da Compensação Ambiental Monetária no Brasil

RESUMO No Brasil, a compensação ambiental monetária ocorre em situações em que um impacto ambiental de um projeto não pode ser evitado e nem mitigado, restando ao empreendedor a obrigatoriedade de apoiar a implantação e manutenção de Unidade de Conservação (UC). Os critérios para a escolha da área a ser beneficiada estão relacionados à sua conexão espacial ou funcional com a área impactada. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a efetividade da compensação ambiental monetária, avaliando a conexão espacial e funcional na aplicação dos recursos desse instrumento. Para tanto, compararam-se os recursos gerados da compensação ambiental a serem aplicados no município de ocorrência do empreendimento, bem como verificou-se se as áreas afetadas e beneficiadas pertenciam ao mesmo bioma. Os resultados indicaram que a compensação ambiental monetária não costuma ocorrer no mesmo município do empreendimento. Porém, em 96% dos casos, ela tende a ocorrer no mesmo bioma.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS OF HYGIENE AND CLEANING PRODUCTS PACKAGING WASTE

Hygiene and cleaning products are used for personal hygiene, household, workspace, and public area cleaning. However, since hygiene and cleaning products may contain substances with specific toxicological and eco-toxicological properties, they can negatively affect human and environmental health. Direct human health impact of hygiene and cleaning products is the result of their manipulation during their manufacture and their use for washing, cleaning, and other forms of hygiene maintenance. Indirect human health impact of these products is manifested through environmental pollution, e.g. through drinking water extracted from eutrophic areas. Negative environmental impact of these products and their packaging is manifested through anthropogenic eutrophication, increased water and energy consumption, ambient degradation, and generation of large amounts of packaging waste. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to highlight the negative environmental impact, which depends on the type, composition, and quantity of hygiene and cleaning products and their packaging waste. The paper presents results obtained within the research project Environmental Impact of Hygiene and Cleaning Products and Their Packaging, conducted at the recycling centre of the Public Utility Company “Mediana” in Niš, Serbia in 2014 and 2015. Key words: hygiene and cleaning products, environment, environmental impact, hygiene and cleaning products waste.

Energy and Carbon Assessment of Ground Improvement Works. I: Definitions and Background

AbstractGeotechnical engineers can and should take a leading role in incorporating sustainable development goals into the selection of ground improvement design alternatives and construction methods through quantitative assessment of environmental impacts. Since all valid design alternatives must meet project performance requirements, overall cost and environmental impact become two key factors in the decision process. Although methods of cost estimation are well established within geotechnical engineering, simplified methods for assessing impacts to the environment have remained a largely unfulfilled need. In this paper, life cycle analysis, embodied energy, and carbon footprinting are reviewed in the context of geotechnical ground improvement. It is proposed that estimates of life cycle embodied energy and carbon dioxide emissions may be used during the design process by geotechnical engineers to quantify some of the effects of ground improvement on the environment. The life cycle is considered to exten...