Framework to Account for Uncertainty in Energy and Carbon Assessment of Ground Improvement Works
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 5
Abstract
Embodied energy (EE) and carbon dioxide () emissions assessments have become more common as sustainable development considerations are incorporated into geotechnical practice. To date, methods developed to conduct such assessments are deterministic; however, given the inherent variability in nature and in industrial processes, deterministic calculations for the EE and emissions of a project are an incomplete representation of reality. In this paper, the development of a framework to account for uncertainty in assessments of total project EE and emissions is described, using the construction of rammed aggregate columns for foundation support of a new dormitory building on the Virginia Tech campus as a case history. The framework uses the Streamlined Energy and Emissions Assessment Model (SEEAM) method and Monte Carlo simulation to generate simulated data sets of total EE and emissions, based on variability in both the EE and coefficients and the subsurface conditions. EE and emissions estimated using actual construction quantities served as the reference case to which all predictions were compared. The framework assumes the EE and emissions coefficients follow a lognormal distribution. The subsurface conditions of interest are considered to follow the best-fit distributions to histograms of values obtained from the geotechnical investigation. Using the Monte Carlo simulated data, the means, standard deviations and confidence intervals for total EE and emissions can be determined. In addition, statistical inference can be used with the simulated data to determine if different project alternatives result in significantly different EE and emissions. This information can assist geotechnical engineers in making more sustainable project decisions, thus adding value to their services.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Charles Via Foundation and the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science at Virginia Tech. The authors also thank the following individuals for helping to make this study a success: Adrian Rodriguez-Marek for providing advice and suggestions in developing the uncertainty framework; Kenton Martin and Tim Myers of Barton Malow Company, Ryan Goldstein and Kevin Hodges of GeoStructures, Inc., Kord Wissmann of Geopier Foundation Company, and Aaron Curfiss of the Department of University Planning, Design and Construction at Virginia Tech for granting access to and providing the data regarding the construction of the rammed aggregate columns at Pearson Hall.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 5 • May 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 3, 2016
Accepted: Sep 19, 2016
Published online: Nov 29, 2016
Discussion open until: Apr 29, 2017
Published in print: May 1, 2017
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