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Integrating life-cycle environmental impact and costs into geotechnical design
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1406-668X
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5372-7519
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9615-4861
2024 (English)In: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Engineering Sustainability, ISSN 1478-4637, E-ISSN 1751-7664, Vol. 177, p. 19-30Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Construction and infrastructure projects account for a large share of global emissions. Included in these projects are geotechnical engineering works, which cause environmental impact and costs throughout their lifecycle. In the geotechnical design process, the geotechnical engineer often has design choices where different methods and materials can be used. If assessments of environmental impact and costs were to be integrated into the geotechnical design process, the geotechnical work could be made more sustainable. As a result of this, there is a need for research on integrating the assessments of environmental impact and costs in the geotechnical design process. This paper, therefore, presents a methodology showing how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) could be integrated into the geotechnical design process. The presented methodology is then illustrated in a case study for assessing the climate impact and costs of high-speed railway embankment fill methods. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Emerald , 2024. Vol. 177, p. 19-30
Keywords [en]
Life cycle assessment, LCA, LCCA, Cost, Geotechnical engineering
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-324590DOI: 10.1680/jensu.23.00012ISI: 001028967700001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85164533525OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-324590DiVA, id: diva2:1741802
Funder
Swedish Transport AdministrationSven Tyrén Trust
Note

QC 20240612

Available from: 2023-03-07 Created: 2023-03-07 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. LCA and LCCA in the design of geotechnical engineering works
Open this publication in new window or tab >>LCA and LCCA in the design of geotechnical engineering works
2023 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Geotechnical engineering works are part of almost all construction and infrastructure projects. The geotechnical engineering work contributes to the impact on the environment and gives rise to costs throughout its life cycle. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) are established methods for evaluating a product's environmental impact and costs. However, the use of these methods is not extensive for geotechnical engineering works. A literature review showed that there is published research, but as the research topic is relatively new, there are many research gaps. A few topics in geotechnical engineering are better investigated than others and the entire life cycle is often not evaluated, usually only the production and construction stages. Although LCA and LCCA are established methods, the methodology for evaluating geotechnical engineering works needs further development to increase the evaluation work of sustainability aspects. In this licentiate thesis, a methodology is presented of how LCA and LCCA can be integrated into the geotechnical design process. The integration enables changes to the geotechnical design to further reduce the LCA and LCCA result, which is presented in the methodology. The methodology also presents a way to evaluate the possible geotechnical designs to select the most sustainable design based on the LCA and LCCA results. The thesis also presents the performance of LCA and LCCA for geotechnical engineering works and solutions to several difficulties that the geotechnical engineer may encounter during the evaluation of environmental impact and costs. 

Abstract [sv]

Geotekniska konstruktioner är en del av i stort sett alla konstruktions- och infrastrukturprojekt. Den geotekniska konstruktionen bidrar till påverkan på miljön samt ger upphov till kostnader under hela sin livscykel. Livscykelanalys (LCA) och livscykelkostnadsanalys (LCCA) är etablerade metoder för att utvärdera en produkts miljöpåverkan respektive kostnader. Användningen av dessa metoder är dock inte stor för geotekniska konstruktioner. En litteraturgenomgång visade att det finns publicerad forskning men då forskningsämnet är relativt nytt finns det många forskningsluckor. Ett fåtal ämnen inom geoteknik är bättre utredda än andra och hela livscykeln är oftast inte utvärderad utan vanligtvis endast produktions- och konstruktionssteget. Trots att LCA och LCCA är etablerade metoder behöver metodiken för utvärdering av geotekniska konstruktioner utvecklas för att öka utvärderingsarbetet av hållbarhetsaspekter. I denna licentiatuppsats presenteras en metodik för hur LCA och LCCA kan integreras i den geotekniska designprocessen. Integreringen möjliggör ändringar av den geotekniska designen för att ytterligare reducera LCA- och LCCA-resultatet vilket presenteras i metodiken. Metodiken redovisar även ett sätt för att utvärdera de möjliga geotekniska designerna för att utifrån LCA- och LCCA-resultaten välja den mest hållbara designen.  Uppsatsen redovisar även utförandet av LCA och LCCA för geotekniska konstruktioner och lösningar på ett flertal svårigheter som geoteknikern kan påträffa under utvärderingen av miljöpåverkan och kostnader. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2023. p. 45
Series
TRITA-ABE-DLT ; 2310
Keywords
Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Cost Analysis, climate impact, costs, geotechnical engineering, Livscykelanalys, Livscykelkostnadsanalys, klimatpåverkan, kostnader, geoteknik
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Research subject
Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-324591 (URN)978-91-8040-514-0 (ISBN)
Presentation
2023-04-05, Q11, Malvinas väg 6A, KTH Campus, https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/64992247158, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
Swedish Transport AdministrationSven Tyrén Trust
Note

QC 230313

Available from: 2023-03-13 Created: 2023-03-07 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved

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