Measuring infrastructure sustainability with the use of eco efficient performance criteria

Abstract

Civil engineering projects can have significant site-specific and cumulative impacts on our ecological and social systems if not correctly planned, designed and implemented. As we face significant planetary issues such as global warming, it is clear that the engineering profession has a significant part to play in affecting the future of our planet. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of eco efficient criteria on infrastructure projects. The use of the proposed criteria would ensure a sustainable design for township infrastructure services through the consideration of scare resources, ecological sensitivity in the design and planning of infrastructure projects. This paper also gives an overview of the proposed Green Township Infrastructure Design toolkit and promotes the use of green practices on infrastructure services design, that are environmentally sound, placing fewer burdens on the environment. This paper also compares two case studies that utilises green infrastructure criteria to rate its eco efficiency.