Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
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Item The green township infrastructure design toolkit : creating eco efficient engineering solutions(2017) Saroop, Shian Hemraj; Allopi, DhirenThere is a growing need for co-ordination of design, sustainability, economic and environmental aspects of infrastructure projects. The provision of civil infrastructure has a major impact on the natural environment and on the quality of life. A literature review conducted highlighted that infrastructure development was focused mainly on the financial and engineering aspects of projects. There is an urgent need to apply technologies and methods that deliver better and more sustainable performance of civil infrastructure as well as a need to establish a standard of measurement for greener infrastructure. The literature review revealed that the existing tools do not adequately rate and monitor civil engineering infrastructure design decisions from concept stage, through to detailed design and implementation. The objectives of the research were to identify green design technologies that can be used in township infrastructure and to encourage sustainable design on infrastructure township services, at various stages of the project. This would require the development of a green reporting system that incorporates environmentally friendly infrastructure design solutions. This study identified alternative eco-efficient civil infrastructure design solutions and developed sustainability criteria to analyse the eco-efficiency of infrastructure projects. The study proposed a Green Township Infrastructure Design Toolkit aimed at ensuring high-performance, eco-efficient, economical and environmentally friendly design decisions on stormwater, roads, water and sanitation related to township infrastructure projects. Various case studies were undertaken on a range of infrastructure projects to ensure consistency and reliability of the toolkit. Through a series of green reports, developed for each stage of a project, the toolkit measured the environmental efficiency of the design solutions. Recommendations suggest that engineering practitioners should endeavour to integrate greener engineering solutions into the traditional method of designing of infrastructure projects. The Green Township Infrastructure Design Toolkit with the use of its green reporting tools ensures the design of sustainable township infrastructure services, by progressively ensuring efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable provision of infrastructure services.Item The use of eco efficient criteria in the design of infrastructure projects(WITPRESS, 2016) Saroop, Shian Hemraj; Allopi, DhirenGlobally, the construction industry is one of the main contributors to the depletion of natural resources and a major cause of unwanted side effects such as air and water pollution, solid waste, deforestation, health hazards, global warming and other negative consequences. In the area of sustainability, there is an urgent need to apply technologies and methods that deliver better and more sustainable perfor-mance in a way that is cost-effective. Sustainability, adaptive and mitigative approaches to climate change, in the design of infrastructure, are therefore important steering elements [1]. A systematic and iterative analysis of the environmental impact of various design solutions is commonly suggested for infrastructure projects, but rarely happens. The lack of appropriate tools and skills for sustain-able design was often quoted as a barrier to sustainable design [2]. To stay competitive and to meet upcoming stricter environmental regulations and customer requirements, designers have a key role in designing civil infrastructure so that it is environmentally sustainable. These and other factors have compelled the engineer to design with greater care and in more detail. The changing roles of engineers will be highlighted, to react to changes in climate. 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 is environmentally sound, placing fewer burdens on the environment.Item Designing environmentally sound engineering solutions on infrastructure projects(World Academy of Research and Publication, 2013-12) Saroop, Shian Hemraj; Allopi, DhirenThere is a growing complexity of infrastructure planning and the need for coordination of design and environmental requirements. The lack of appropriate tools and skills for sustainable Infrastructure design is often seen as a barrier to sustainable design. Infrastructure development has been focused mainly on financing issues and engineering aspects in the region. Mainstreaming environmental aspects and incorporating the eco-efficiency concept into various stages of infrastructure development have not been considered as much as they should have been. Improvement in the awareness of eco-efficiency concepts is urgently needed among policy-makers, planners and decision-makers. However, the criteria applicable to, and measures for developing eco-efficient and sustainable infrastructure are yet to be fully identified (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2006). Engineers need to look at greener technologies rather than just using traditional engineering solutions. The paper focuses on the concept of eco-efficiency in Infrastructure Design that promotes the use of the greener engineering options, enabling him/her to choose the one likely to yield the best performance with the least environmental impact. This paper discussed the application of ‘green technology’ on infrastructure design projects. It gives an overview of the proposed Green Township Infrastructure Design toolkit and looks at a number of recommended green practices on infrastructure services design, that are environmentally sound placing, fewer burdens on the environment. It would ensure a sustainable design of township infrastructure services enforcing the consideration of resources, environmental impacts of design decisions, ecologically sensitivity, innovation, maintenance and materials, at the design stage of a project.