Importance of Operational Efficiency to Achieve Energy Efficiency and Exhaust Emission Reduction of Construction Operations
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 139, Issue 4
Abstract
Construction operations generate significant air pollutant emissions, including carbon emissions and diesel exhaust emissions. Controlling operational efficiency is the most important strategy for reducing air pollutants emitted from construction operations. However, current practices to assess air pollutant emissions from construction operations tend to ignore the variability of the operational efficiency that results from different resource allotting and scheduling. In this context, this paper presents a methodology for incorporating the analysis of operational efficiency into quantifying the amount of exhaust emission from construction operations. Case studies are presented to examine how and to what extent planning decisions affect the amount of air pollutants emitted from construction operations and to identify the impact that possible alternatives have on the schedule and cost of projects. The findings of case studies indicate that considering environmental aspects in the planning stage could contribute to a project’s increased integrated value, which includes schedule, cost, and environmental impact.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora (Columbia University) for contributing greatly to this paper. They would also like to acknowledge the data collection support and help received from the Turner Construction Company, in particular, James Barret (national director, Integrated Building Solution), and the North American Construction Group, in particular, Warren Borysuk (general manager, Tailings & Environmental Construction Division). In addition, the authors appreciate contributions made by Dr. Simaan Abourizk, Stephen Hague, Wenjia Pan, Mehrdad Sharif (University of Alberta), and Dr. Julio Martinez (Purdue University).
References
Abolhasani, S., Frey, H. C., Kim, K., Rasdorf, W., Lewis, P., and Pang, S. H. (2008). “Real-world in-use activity, fuel use, and emissions for nonroad construction vehicles: A case study for excavators.” J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc., 58(8), 1033–1046.
AbouRizk, S., and Mohamed, Y. (2000). “Simphony: An integrated environment for construction simulation.” Proc., Winter Simulation Conf., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Piscataway, NJ, 1907–1914.
Bilec, M., Ries, R., and Matthews, H. S. (2010). “Life-cycle assessment modeling of construction processes for buildings.” J. Infrastruct. Syst., 16(3), 199–205.
California Air Resources Board (CARB). (2009). “Off-road emissions inventory program.” 〈http://www.arb.ca.gov/msei/offroad/offroad.htm〉 (Jan. 3, 2011).
Cass, D., and Mukherjee, A. (2011). “Calculation of greenhouse gas emissions for highway construction operations using a hybrid life cycle assessment approach: A case study for pavement operations.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 137(11), 1015–1025.
Caterpillar performance handbook. (2010). 40th Ed., Caterpillar, Peoria, IL.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2004). “Exhaust and crankcase emission factors for nonroad engine modeling-compression-ignition.”, Ann Arbor, MI.
EPA. (2006). “Compilation of state, county, and local anti-idling regulations.”, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Ann Arbor, MI.
EPA. (2008a). “Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions in key industrial sectors.”, Sector Strategies Div., Washington, DC. 〈http://www.epa.gov/sectors/pdf/2008/2008-sector-report-508-full.pdf〉 (Apr. 10, 2010).
EPA. (2008b). “Direct emissions from mobile combustion sources.” Climate leaders greenhouse gas inventory protocol core module guidance, Office of Air and Radiation, Ann Arbor, MI.
EPA. (2009). “EPA NONROAD model updates 2008.”, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Ann Arbor, MI.
EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC). (2006). “Recommendations for reducing emissions from the legacy diesel fleet.” 〈http://www.epa.gov/diesel/documents/caaac-apr06.pdf〉 (Jul. 24, 2010).
Frey, H. C., Rasdorf, W., and Lewis, P. (2010). “Results of a comprehensive field study of fuel use and emissions of nonroad diesel construction equipment.” Transportation Research Record 2158, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Gallican, F. (2010). Greenhouse mitigation measures for transportation construction, maintenance, and operation activities, NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 58. ICF International for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, San Francisco, CA.
Guggemos, A. A., and Horvath, A. (2006). “Decision-support tool for assessing the environmental effects of constructing commercial buildings.” J. Archit. Eng., 12(4), 187–195.
Hagerty, J. R. (2011). “Big brother keeps an eye on heavy-equipment fleet.” Wall Street J., 〈http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576329881589249572.html〉 (Jan. 3, 2012).
Hoffman, A. J. (2005). “Climate change strategy: The business logic behind voluntary greenhouse gas reductions.” Calif. Manage. Rev., 47(3), 21–46.
ICF. (2007). “Cleaner diesels: Low cost ways to reduce emissions from construction equipment.”, prepared by ICF International for USEPA, National Center for Environmental Innovation, Fairfax, VA.
ISO. (2004). “Environmental management systems—Requirements with guidance for use.”, Geneva, Switzerland.
Jasch, C. (2000). “Environmental performance evaluation and indicators.” J. Cleaner Prod., 8(1), 79–88.
Kaya, Y., and Yokobori, K. (1993). Environment, energy, and economy: Strategies for sustainability, United Nations University Press, Tokyo, Japan.
Lewis, P., Leming, M., Frey, H. C., and Rasdorf, W. (2011a). “Assessing the effects of operational efficiency on pollutant emissions of nonroad diesel construction equipment.” TRB 11-3186, Proc., 90th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Lewis, P., Leming, M., and Rasdorf, W. (2011b). “Impact of engine idling on fuel use and emissions of nonroad diesel construction equipment.” J. Manage. Eng., 28, 31–38.
Lu, L. Y. Y., Wu, C. H., and Kuo, T. C. (2007). “Environmental principles applicable to green supplier evaluation by using multi-objective decision analysis.” Int. J. Prod. Res., 45(18), 4317–4331.
Martinez, J. C. (2010). “Methodology for conducting discrete-event simulation studies in construction engineering and management.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 136(1), 3–16.
Matar, M. M., Georgy, M. E., and Ibrahim, M. E. (2008). “Sustainable construction management: Introduction of the operational context space (OCS).” Constr. Manage. Econ., 26(3), 261–275.
McKinsey Global Institute. (2008). “The carbon productivity challenge: Curbing climate change and sustaining economic growth.” 〈http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/reports/pdfs/Carbon_Productivity/MGI_carbon _productivity_full_report.pdf〉 (Oct. 4, 2011).
Mroueh, U.-M., Eskola, P., and Laine-Ylijoki, J. (2001). “Life-cycle impacts of the use of industrial by-products in road and earth construction.” Waste Manage., 21(3), 271–277.
Nakajima, S. (1988). Introduction to TPM, Productivity Press, Cambridge, MA.
Ries, R., Velayutham, S., and Chang, Y. (2010). “Life cycle assessment modeling of heavy construction activities.” Proc., Construction Research Congress 2010, American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA.
RS Means. (2011). RS Means heavy construction cost data 2011, R.S. Means Company, Inc., Kingston, MA.
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD). (2009). “Roadway construction emissions model (version 6.3.2).” 〈http://www.airquality.org/ceqa/index.shtml〉 (Jan. 3, 2011).
Sharrard, A. L., Matthews, H. S., and Ries, R. J. (2008). “Estimating construction project environmental effects using an input-output-based hybrid life-cycle assessment model.” J. Infrastruct. Syst., 14(4), 327–336.
Sharrard, A. L., Matthews, H. S., and Roth, M. (2007). “Environmental implications of construction site energy use and electricity generation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 133(11), 846–854.
Stripple, H. (2000). “Life cycle inventory of asphalt pavements.” Rep. for the European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) and Eurobitume, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tam, V. W. Y., Tam, C. M., Shen, L. Y., Zeng, S. X., and Ho, C. M. (2006). “Environmental performance assessment: Perceptions of project managers on the relationship between operational and environmental performance indicators.” Constr. Manage. Econ., 24(6), 287–299.
Treloar, G. J., Love, P. E. D., and Crawford, R. H. (2004). “Hybrid life-cycle inventory for road construction and use.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 130(1), 43–49.
United Nations Environment Programme Sustainable Buildings & Construction Initiative (UNEP SBCI). (2006). “Sustainable buildings & construction initiative: Information note.” 〈http://www.unepsbci.org/SBCI_2006.pdf〉 (Sep. 1, 2010).
URBEMIS 2007 v9.2.4. [Computer software]. Rimpo and Associates, Orangevale, CA. 〈http://www.urbemis.com/〉 (Nov. 3, 2008).
Zapata, P., and Gambatese, J. A. (2005). “Energy consumption of asphalt and reinforced concrete pavement materials and construction.” J. Infrastruct. Syst., 11(1), 9–20.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 139 • Issue 4 • April 2013
Pages: 404 - 413
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 31, 2011
Accepted: May 17, 2012
Published online: May 22, 2012
Published in print: Apr 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.