Predictive Methodology for the Quantification of Environmental Aspects in Urban Infrastructures

Adolpho Guido de Araújo, Arnaldo Manoel Pereira Carneiro and Rachel Perez Palha
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Adolpho Guido de Araújo: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Acadêmico Hélio Ramas, s/n, Cidade Unversitária, 50740-530 Recife, Brazil
Arnaldo Manoel Pereira Carneiro: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Acadêmico Hélio Ramas, s/n, Cidade Unversitária, 50740-530 Recife, Brazil
Rachel Perez Palha: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Acadêmico Hélio Ramas, s/n, Cidade Unversitária, 50740-530 Recife, Brazil

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-25

Abstract: The interest in sustainability in the construction industry arose in the 1990s, and current studies have created models to predict environmental aspects. Previous quantitative research to investigate environmental aspects was based on the perception of specialists. The present article proposes a methodology applicable to urban infrastructure activities in order to quantify environmental aspects by applying duration and severity criteria, using calculations founded in the scientific literature. The quantitative methodology to assess environmental aspects calculated ten aspects for six construction activities based on duration and severity criteria, eliminating the judgement of the latter criterion of earlier methodologies. The results revealed five significant environmental aspects: greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, noise pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution, due to the type of construction, which required a large amount of equipment that impacted the atmosphere, soil, and water. Possibly for the first time, urban projects can be objectively assessed based on a methodology that quantifies environmental aspects in the pre-construction phase.

Keywords: urban development; construction industry; quantitative methods; environmental management; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7636-:d:414317

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