An integrated framework for sustainable construction processes: understanding and managing the environmental performance of construction operations
type: CreativeWork
description: The environmental impact from construction activities has largely been underestimated, even though these processes constitute significant economic activity. They account for a substantial amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and other diesel emissions, such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). However, the efforts of contractors to reduce their construction-related air pollutant emissions remain minimal, due to (1) a lack of mechanisms to promote their voluntary efforts to mitigate such emissions, and (2) a lack of planning techniques and monitoring technologies that enable contractors to consider the environmental aspects of their day-to-day operations. Therefore, this study aims to establish an integrated management framework that encompasses the selection of green contractors, environmentally conscious planning, and environmental performance monitoring in order to facilitate environmentally sustainable construction practices. The environmental performance of construction operations can be formulated as a function of the operational efficiency of a process, which indicates the efficient use of resources, along with the environmental properties of resources used and fuel consumed. Among the determinant factors of environmental performance, the environmental properties of resources and fuel to be used in construction operations are key parameters in determining the green capabilities of contractors in contracting. The evaluation method of the green capabilities of contractors is developed to assess the environmental properties of contractors’ legacy equipment fleets. The feasibility of a multi-criteria bidding system that includes the evaluation of contractors’ green capabilities is tested. The operational efficiency is the most important and controllable factor during construction, and it is greatly affected by planning and control decisions. However, current environmental impact assessment schemes lack the capability to evaluate the impact of improvin…
abstract: The environmental impact from construction activities has largely been underestimated, even though these processes constitute significant economic activity. They account for a substantial amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and other diesel emissions, such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). However, the efforts of contractors to reduce their construction-related air pollutant emissions remain minimal, due to (1) a lack of mechanisms to promote their voluntary efforts to mitigate such emissions, and (2) a lack of planning techniques and monitoring technologies that enable contractors to consider the environmental aspects of their day-to-day operations. Therefore, this study aims to establish an integrated management framework that encompasses the selection of green contractors, environmentally conscious planning, and environmental performance monitoring in order to facilitate environmentally sustainable construction practices. The environmental performance of construction operations can be formulated as a function of the operational efficiency of a process, which indicates the efficient use of resources, along with the environmental properties of resources used and fuel consumed. Among the determinant factors of environmental performance, the environmental properties of resources and fuel to be used in construction operations are key parameters in determining the green capabilities of contractors in contracting. The evaluation method of the green capabilities of contractors is developed to assess the environmental properties of contractors’ legacy equipment fleets. The feasibility of a multi-criteria bidding system that includes the evaluation of contractors’ green capabilities is tested. The operational efficiency is the most important and controllable factor during construction, and it is greatly affected by planning and control decisions. However, current environmental impact assessment schemes lack the capability to evaluate the impact of improvin…
author: Ahn, Changbum
language: en
keywords: Sustainable Construction, Construction Operations, Environmental Performance, Exhaust Air Pollutant Emissions, Operational Efficiency
date published: 2012-09-18T21:16:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:31Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34420