Central States Water Environment Association 85th Annual Meeting Sustainable Infrastructure Design May 15, 2012 Presented By Steve Gress – Donohue & Associates, Inc.
Presentation Outline • What is Sustainable Design • Why Sustainability is a Big Deal • Rating Systems – LEED – ISI Envision™ • Indiana SRF Green Project Reserve (GPR) Incentive • Client Sustainable Design Initiatives
What is Sustainable Design? • In Theory: “…meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland Commission Report, 1987) • In Practice: – Decision-making criteria (triple bottom line) • Social • Environmental • Economic – Other criteria Bearable Equitable Sustainable Environmental Viable • Functionality Stewardship • Risk
ASCE Definitions Sustainable Development: Process of applying • natural, human and economic resources to enhance the safety, welfare and quality of life for all of society while maintaining the availability of the remaining natural resources. Sustainability : Set of environmental, economic • and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely without degrading the quantity, quality or the availability of natural resources and ecosystems.
What Sustainability is Not … The “Yellow Brick Road” Syndrome Applying solutions without • understanding the scope and extent of problems Creating the illusion that • achieving conditions of sustainability is just a matter of adding “green” features onto projects
Why Sustainability is a Big Deal Impacts all engineers and engineering firms • Creates new markets – Changes client needs in existing markets – Changes engineering design paradigm – Transforms operations and infrastructure – Creates new engineering challenges – Not just about helping organizations become “green” • It is about helping organizations address issues and • consequences of non-sustainability It is about helping organizations understand and take • advantage of this fast-changing technical and business environment It is about strategy •
Potential to Deliver Project Sustainability Sustainability is about • deliberately designing our preferred future with assets that Cost of impact mitigation Meet immediate needs, and – Potential to deliver are ‘fit for the future’ sustainability Make sense in the wider – infrastructure puzzle Construction Feasibility Detailed Design Operations Decommissioning Concept Procurement Are affordable, reliable and – safe through their whole operating life Have an efficient resource Doing the project – What is the right right project? footprint
Takeaway Suggestions Consider what new markets or business • opportunities are emerging – More of our clients require that we utilize sustainable design practices Identify new knowledge, skills or resources • we need to explore in order to pursue sustainable opportunities – LEED accreditation – ISI membership Identify organizational adaptations to meet • changing needs
Sustainable Rating Systems Over 894 rating systems in the world • Lead rating system in U.S. for buildings is • Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) – 4 levels of project certification – 5 credit categories – Two progressive levels of accreditation § Green Associate § Accredited Professional (AP) – 5 paths
LEED Point Distribution Five credit categories & weighting • – Energy and Atmosphere (27%) – Indoor Environmental Quality (23%) – Sustainable Sites (22%) – Materials & Resources (20%) – Water Efficiency (8%) Not suitable for covering all aspects of • infrastructure LEED is used to increase building value •
Challenges for Civil Infrastructure Build/renovate buildings and infrastructure to • achieve conditions of sustainability Address priority issues, urgencies • Reduce use of energy, water and – other critical materials Increase use of renewable materials – and energy Restore productivity of natural systems – Improve productivity in built environment – Maintain and build financial, social and human capital – Minimize adverse impacts – And stay in business! • Deliver cost-effective projects while maintaining quality –
Filling the Gap in Sustainability Rating Systems Current rating systems are sector specific • – LEED generally covers habitable buildings – Others focused on different single sectors such as roads, airports, hydropower, etc. No infrastructure-wide rating system for • engineering and public works projects Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) • formed in early 2011 – Integrates all infrastructure elements
Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) • Developed by – ASCE – ACEC – APWA • ISI Envision™ rating system to fill gap in infrastructure rating systems • Free for municipalities
Envision™ Sustainable Infrastructure Rating Categories • 80 objectives organized into 10 sections • Project pathway Ecology & biodiversity 1. 6. Project strategy and Water resources & 2. 7. management environment Communities: long and Energy & carbon 3. 8. short term effects Resource management 9. Land use and restoration including waste 4. Landscapes Access & mobility 5. 10. • Web-based tool being released in 4 stages – Stage 1: Exploration and testing – Stage 2: Assessment and recognition – Stage 3: Focused innovation (2012) – Stage 4: Decision support tools (2012)
Envision ™ Key Features Expands breadth of project contribution to 1. sustainability Avoids infrastructure traps and vulnerabilities 2. Expands opportunities and targets for performance 3. improvement in 3 dimensions Makes “restorative” an explicit level of performance 4. achievement (5 performance degrees) Rewards “focused innovation” 5. Encourages shift to new engineering design 6. paradigm Advances sustainability knowledge and education 7.
1. Expands the Breadth of Project Contribution to Sustainability Breaks project sustainability contribution into • two parts – Performance contribution (doing the project right) • Sought all reasonable opportunities to improve sustainable performance • Raised the bar in one or more dimensions of sustainable performance • Achieved what was reasonable – Pathway contribution (doing the right project) • Considers how project aligns with overall community goals • Enhances quality of life
2. Avoids Infrastructure Traps and Vulnerabilities Resources traps • – Increasing community dependence on resources that could become very scarce and expensive Configuration traps • – Creating configurations highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, natural disasters, economic conditions and/or actions by others Standards traps • – Using design standards and methodologies that are not in alignment with new conditions or concerns
3. Expands Opportunities and Targets for Performance Improvement Expansion in Three Dimensions Project life cycle • More durability and flexibility – End of life disassembly, up-cycling – Stakeholder collaboration • Project team collaboration – Stakeholder issues and concerns – By-product synergy – Regulatory relief – Range of sustainable performance • Beyond sustainable equilibrium – Restoration of natural systems –
Performance Improvements Three Dimensions Range of Sustainable Performance Restorative g n i v r e s n o C l / a n s o o i p s r s o Operation & s i i i D r m e Maintenance Construction p Reconfigure m / u e S Reuse / o l c c Enhanced y e D c e R Design Imp Planning rove Conventional d Project Project lifecycle team Areas of Owner control Affected stakeholders Partner organizations Regulatory institutions Areas of impact Stakeholder Collaboration
Five Degrees of Sustainable Performance
5. Recognizes and Rewards “Focused Innovation” (Stage 3) Recognize and reward sustainable performance • achievements in priority areas National or regional importance, e.g., energy conservation, – water savings, use of recycled materials Requirements • Do reasonably well in all areas – Do exceptionally well in priority areas – Benefits • Incentives for making progress in key areas while not – diminishing overall progress May attract more participants than Stage 2 – Special awards for truly outstanding “focused • innovation” performance
6. Encourages Shift to New Engineering Design Paradigm Recognition of fundamental changes in • operating environment – Resource shortages such as energy and water – Changes in natural systems carrying capacity such as climate equilibrium – Changes in social attitudes Development of materials, technologies and • techniques Changes approach to engineering design •
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