Designing environmentally sound engineering solutions on infrastructure projects

Abstract

There 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.