Indicator resources

The first step of indicators formulation is to define the indicator resources. Seven standards of highway infrastructure projects construction in China and Yunnan Province were initially used to select the indicators (Table 7.1). These standards are from official documents which can provide the basis for sustainability assessment and help to achieve the accuracy of the preliminary indicators selection.

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Table 7.1 Main sustainable construction standards in China

Standards Projects Evaluation Aspects

Evaluation Standard for resources, the use of material resources, indoor environmental quality, construction

The formulation of the standard is to reflect the basic keystone for sustainable

development in civil buildings. On the condition of meeting the construction requirements to realise resources saving and environmental protection in the project look at a project from the perspective of various stakeholders, particularly the implementing agency, and society in general. Mainly considers the aspects of the economic analysis of the construction projects set this specification. It evaluates the socio-economic impact, environmental impact, noise impact and air quality impact.

Technical instructions for

A supplement to the Evaluation Standard for Green Building (2006); applies to planning and design stage, and Evaluation Standard for Green Building applies to construction and operation stage.

The key aspects include green building design technology, energy-saving

Defines the scope and techniques of feasibility study for engineering projects, and guides the preparation of feasibility study report. It not only covers the project backgrounds, market forecasting, project economic benefits, institutional organisation and human resource assignment, but also concerns the impacts on the environment, people and local community.

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Figure 7.3 Key assessment factors from industry standards

Sustainability

Land use and civil engineering general rules Environment protection, energy saving and workforce safety

Project organisation structure and labour

• Economic internal rate of Return

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The key factors from the standards and regulations of sustainability assessment for highway infrastructure projects are showed in Figure 7.3. These standards are issued by national and local authorities and are usually recommended as guidelines for the sustainability assessment of highway infrastructure projects. The emphasis of these standards is on saving energy and resources, reducing noise, air and water pollution, increasing social and economic benefits, using new technologies and building an appropriate organisational structure. Finally, the emphases from standards were thematically categorised in the five aspects by the content analysis method as shown in Table 7.2.

Table 7.2 Assessment indicators categories Code Category Sub-category

A Environment aspect

A1 Land use

A2 Energy and resource use A3 Environmental pollution

B Social aspect B1 Coordination with overall development plan B2 Impacts on social life

C Economic aspect

C1 Cost and economic benefits C2 Financial benefits

C3 Impact on local economy D Technological aspect

E Governance aspect

The sustainability assessment of highway infrastructure project aims to examine whether the project development process is undertaken in a sustainable way. Therefore, the six sustainable development principles of construction projects in Chapter 3 were used to guide the indicator selection, including respecting environmental limits, meeting social development needs, contributing to economic development, promoting good governance and containing both short-term and long-term goals. In this research, the six principles were used to focus the categories of indicators to: environmental, social, economic, technological and governance aspects. The long-term and short-term goals were included for the impacts on environment, social and economic aspects through technological capability and project management. For example, reducing energy and resource use can reduce the long-term environment impacts, it also can reduce the construction costs. It is important to understand

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that the contributions and impacts of a highway project on the local economy and environment sometimes take decades to realise, and investment on highway infrastructure project is taken with a long term view. Indeed, sustainability of highway projects take a long term view when most society models are typically based on short term financial benefits.

The standards tend to focus on the environmental impacts and project economics. Even where there is some reference to human life, more emphasis on sustainability needs to be included in the assessment criteria. Also, the trends at the local level need to be included in the assessment. Therefore, seventeen existing sustainability assessment frameworks and systems for highway infrastructure projects, construction projects and transportation infrastructure projects were used as alternative indicator resources (Table 7.3).

According to the China Integrated Knowledge Resources Database, there are no studies on sustainability assessment of highway infrastructure projects in Yunnan, therefore, seventeen assessment indicator systems were selected from other provinces to identify the most suitable for determining the sustainability of projects. According to China Integrated Knowledge Resources Database, these seventeen studies chosen have been cited over 100 times and are representative studies in this area, they can provide the references to build the sustainability assessment model for Yunnan. For example, Sichuan Province is the neighbouring province to Yunnan and shares a similar culture and environment. Hubei Province has complex landscape, like Yunnan with several rivers running through the region. Xinjiang is a border province of China with multi-ethnic groups, again, like Yunnan.

Shanghai, the most developed area in China, was the first to build a sustainability assessment system for highway infrastructure projects and has a more comprehensive approach than other places. The experiences in sustainability assessment can be built upon by Yunnan Province. Table 7.3 lists indicators from the studies of other provinces in China.

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Table 7.3 Relevant studies of the sustainability assessment indicators Relevant studies Study area Related indicators

Shen et al. (2011)

provision of ancillary amenities to local economic activities, effects on air quality.

Chen and Liao (2009) Road project

Road network density, road network connectivity, regulation support capacity, clean energy use rate, technology innovation, safety, noise impact.

Shi (2007) Construction project Site selection, planning, construction, operation management.

Sun and Li (2013)

large-scale transportation infrastructure

Financial net present value (NPV), financial internal rate of return (IRR), national economic benefit, natural resources

consumption, application of new technology, the rationality of the planning.

Lu et al. (2009) Highway Project

Impacts on local, regional and national socio-economic development, price of inputs and outputs; benefit to transportation

network.

Chen and Fu (2009) Highway project

Site management, feasibility of uses of renewable resources, construction costs, owner commitment, stakeholder

management, cost-benefit analysis, decision for conservation, impact on adjacent

property, land use, sensitivity of site, reuse of building, structure, resources.

Zhang et al. (2005) Highway project

Cost/benefit ratio, NPV, IRR, utilisation of energy and non-renewable resources, attract investment.

Peng (2010) Highway project

Increased labour demand and employment opportunities, reduced travel time, contribute to road network and transportation network.

Chen and Tian (2008) Highway project

Enhance the internal governance and management, communication capability, social and economic development, environmental impacts control.

Zhu et al. (2010) Construction project

Impacts on landscape, water, air and eco-environment, waste control, energy saving, public infrastructure and facilities setting.

Ge et al. (2006) Highway project

Promote the political stability, social and economic development, enhance

sustainability awareness, pollution control and environmental protection.

Lu and Yuan (2013) Highway project in Hubei Provinces

Yangtze River bridge /tunnel numbers, adaptation of local culture.

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Relevant studies Study area Related indicators

Liang (2016) Highway project

Improve the capability of services, contribution to economic and social development, save resources and energy, coordination with other transportation methods and organisations.

Liang (2014) Highway project In Shanxi Province

Construction project finance indicators (static payback time, profitability, solvency and ability to resist risks, cost etc.), impacts on local economic and social development, and environment.

Feng (2009) Highway project Sichuan Province

Contribute to social development and

political stability, improve the project quality by new technology and management,

coordination with other transportation methods, regulations and governance system.

Ma et al. (2010) Highway project Xinjiang Province

Bring a coordinated development of regional economies, reduce unemployment, promote strategic restructuring of the economy, increase state revenue, promote population increase, promote equity and

competitiveness, to strengthen the military defence level, bring development of minority areas and protection of ethnologic culture.

Dai et al. (2004)

Transportation project Shanghai City

Population growth rate, GDP per capita, traffic congestion time, transportation facilities, land resources, fuel types, traffic accessibility.