designing for sustainability: a consultant’s perspective · conclusions – designing for...

Session 462 Session 462 –– Asphalt Pavement SustainabilityAsphalt Pavement Sustainability

Transportation Research Board87th Annual MeetingJanuary 13-17, 2008Washington D. C.

Designing for Sustainability: A Consultant’s PerspectiveTimothy A. Bevan, P.E. / CH2M HILL

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

�� What is the designerWhat is the designer ’’s perspective on sustainable s perspective on sustainable transportation?transportation?

�� Why would designers address sustainability?Why would designers address sustainability?

�� Is considering sustainability a good business model ?Is considering sustainability a good business model ?

�� What will it mean as we address sustainability?What will it mean as we address sustainability?

What is the designerWhat is the designer ’’s perspective on s perspective on sustainable transportation?sustainable transportation?

Sustainable Development: Sustainable Development:

Improving the economic and Improving the economic and

social quality of human life while social quality of human life while

limiting our impacts on the limiting our impacts on the

environment to the carrying environment to the carrying

capacity of naturecapacity of nature

Sustainable Transportation:Sustainable Transportation:

�� Business Business –– supports economic supports economic

needs; costneeds; cost--efficientefficient

�� Nature Nature –– compatible with natural compatible with natural

environment; less pollution & environment; less pollution &

use of resourcesuse of resources

�� People People –– equitable access; equitable access;

mobility choices; asset to the mobility choices; asset to the

communitycommunity

What is the designerWhat is the designer ’’s perspective s perspective on sustainable transportation?on sustainable transportation?

�� Builds on Context Sensitive Solutions ApproachBuilds on Context Sensitive Solutions Approach•• Effective Decision MakingEffective Decision Making•• Reflecting Community ValuesReflecting Community Values•• Achieving Environmental SensitivityAchieving Environmental Sensitivity•• Ensuring Safe and Feasible SolutionsEnsuring Safe and Feasible Solutions

�� Two Step Sustainability Framework:Two Step Sustainability Framework:•• Step 1: Solution to Mobility NeedStep 1: Solution to Mobility Need•• Step 2: Sustainable Infrastructure Step 2: Sustainable Infrastructure

OptionsOptions

What is the designerWhat is the designer ’’s perspective s perspective on sustainable transportation?on sustainable transportation?

Authored by CH2M HILL

Two Step Sustainability FrameworkTwo Step Sustainability FrameworkStep 1: Solution to Mobility NeedStep 1: Solution to Mobility Need

Examples• Jobs/housing balance in subareas

• Affordable housing in employment centers

Accommodate Needs Without

Growth in Mobility Demand

Maximize Efficiency of Existing

Transportation Infrastructure

Expand Railroad, Transit, Bicycle &

Pedestrian Infrastructure

Accommodate Mobility Demand

Without Expanding Infrastructure

Expand Streets and Highways

Infrastructure

• Promote telecommute programs


Examples• Ridesharing programs

• Increased transit service levels








Without Expanding

Infrastructure


Infrastructure

• Bicycle sharing programs


Examples• Incident management & response

• Advanced Traffic Management Systems



Maximize Efficiency of

Existing Transportation Infrastructure






Infrastructure

• Access Management


Examples• Bikeways

• HOV/busways/BRT





Expand Railroad, Transit, Bicycle

& Pedestrian Infrastructure




Infrastructure

• Light Rail Transit


Examples• Streets and roadways

• Limited access highways/freeways









Expand Streets and Highways Infrastructure

• Highway grade separations











Infrastructure

Implementation Time

Capital CostEnvironmental Impacts

Institutional Requirements

Five Comprehensive ObjectivesFive Comprehensive Objectives1.1. Reduce Energy ConsumptionReduce Energy Consumption2.2. Reduce Consumption of Material ResourcesReduce Consumption of Material Resources3.3. Reduce Impacts to Environmental ResourcesReduce Impacts to Environmental Resources4.4. Support Healthy Urban CommunitiesSupport Healthy Urban Communities

5.5. Support Sustainability During ImplementationSupport Sustainability During Implementation

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets Options

Two Step Sustainability FrameworkTwo Step Sustainability FrameworkStep 2: Sustainable Infrastructure Options Step 2: Sustainable Infrastructure Options

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets OptionsFirst Comprehensive ObjectiveFirst Comprehensive Objective

Reduce Energy Consumption

Support non-motorized travel

Support energy efficient movement of people and goods

Use resources with lower operations and maintenance requirements

Reduce Consumption of Material Resources

Use recycled materials in construction

Require less infrastructure in solution

Increase durability and life of design solution

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets OptionsSecond Comprehensive ObjectiveSecond Comprehensive Objective

Reduce Impacts to Environmental Resources

Minimize impact on natural environment

Encourage and support biodiversity

Reflect historical and cultural context

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets OptionsThird Comprehensive ObjectiveThird Comprehensive Objective

Supports Healthy Urban Communities

Incorporate features that support community and livability

Incorporate features that support public services and adjacent land uses

Incorporate features that enhance public health, safety and security

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets OptionsFourth Comprehensive ObjectiveFourth Comprehensive Objective

Support local economic, social and resource management needs during construction

Reduce environmental and community impacts during construction

Support Sustainability During Implementation

Sustainable Urban Streets OptionsSustainable Urban Streets OptionsFifth Comprehensive ObjectiveFifth Comprehensive Objective

Before & After – Low Energy Street Lights, Somosaguas, Madrid

Before & After – Low Energy Street Lights, Vechta, Germany

www.philips.com

www.philips.com

Reduce Energy Consumption

Use resources with lower operations and maintenance requirementsExample Options

Water-appropriate plantings

Low maintenance pavements

Low maintenance plantings

Low energy lighting

Solar power photovoltaic energy sources

Reuse of stormwater for irrigation

Mulch planting areas

Digital Sign Inventory with Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS)Digital Tree Inventory with GPS (to track maintenance, health, etc.)

Cold In Place Recycling, Eastern Washington, U.S.A.

In-Place Concrete Recycling

NCAT

www.training.ce.washington.edu

Reduce Consumption of Material

Resources

Use recycled materials in constructionExample Options

Recycled base course

Recycled asphalt

Recycled aggregates

Recycled pavers

Recycled material in sign posts

Recycled material for sign panels

Recycled material for luminare poles

Recycled material for street furniture

Recycled material for bollards

Recycled material for utility trench backfill

Recycled utility covers

Incorporation of recycled vegetative material

Recycled material in sound attenuation walls

Recycled rubber for sidewalks

Reduce Impacts to Environmental

Resources

Minimize impact on natural environmentExample Options

Storm water infiltration basins in planters

Rain gardens for storm water infiltration

Porous pavement for traffic lanes

Porous pavement in parking areas

Porous sidewalk pavements

Storm water treatment vaults

Reuse of storm water for irrigation

Planted/pervious strips

Planted/pervious medians

Tree retention

Tree pit enhancement

Natural drainage systems

Bioengineered planting strips

Interconnected bioretention swales

Soil amendments to reduce use of fertilizer

Permeable Pavers Park & Ride, Marysville, WA U.S.A.

Grass/Gravel Pavers, Mukilteo, WA, U.S.A.

Pedestrian Refuges, New York, New York, U.S.A.

Supports Healthy Urban Communities

Incorporate features that enhance public health, safety and securityExample Options

Signalized pedestrian crossings

Pedestrian refuges in medians

Sidewalk bollards to separate or illuminate potential conflict locations

Open visibility to sites and public spaces

Curbed medians at high traffic conflict locationsContinuous curbed medians to control or focus left turning traffic Driveway reduction or consolidation to minimize traffic/bicycle/pedestrian safety conflicts

Directional left-turn pockets

Signal protected turns

Illumination of traffic/bicycle/pedestrian conflict areasSurveillance cameras for increased security and/or emergency response

Business Access During Construction, SeaTac, Washington, U.S.A.

Support Sustainability During

Implementation

Reduce environmental and community impacts during constructionExample OptionsMinimization of traffic interruptions, including detoursDriveways for access to affected businessesNoise reduction (quieter equipment, reduced working hours)

Erosion and sedimentation control

Maintenance of utility services

Safe pedestrian access during construction

Reduce air emissions through restrictions on idling, use of low sulfur fuels, etc.Encourage carpooling & transit use by construction workers

Clean up of existing hazardous materials

Minimize construction "footprint"

Off-site construction worker parking

“In 1995, only 15 local governments in the United S tates were engaged in climate change protection activities, by 2006, that number had grown to 200 cities, representing 66 million pe ople.”

– Pew Center on Global Climate Change

Why would designers address Sustainability?Why would designers address Sustainability?

� Sustainability is a key issue for the public & stakeholders• Climate change, energy, water

� In response, government clients are enacting policy and legislation

� Sustainability is a key issue for clients

• To fulfill their missions and goals

• To address stakeholder pressures

“In 2006, 41 US cities had implemented sustainabili ty policies and/or programs, including New York, Seattle, Portl and, Chicago,and Austin.”

– Kent E. Portney, Tufts University

Seattle Department of Transportation MissionTo deliver a safe and reliable transportation system that enhances Seattle's environment and economic vitality.


�� Respond to Respond to Regulations / PoliciesRegulations / Policies

Ecology EmbankmentsEcology Embankments•• WSDOTWSDOT’’ss highway runoff highway runoff

treatment BMPtreatment BMP•• No No stormwaterstormwater vault or vault or

detention pond neededdetention pond needed•• Reduce Right of Way Reduce Right of Way

needneed

Ecology Embankment, Redmond, WA, U.S.A.



�Industry Recognition for Sustainable Projects

2007 Globe Award for Environmental Excellence Shoreline, WA, U.S.A.

“Our strategy is to infuse CH2M HILL with the sustainability-inspired principles, knowledge, technologies, tools, and methods that will lead to better management of our company and better long-term solutions for our clients.”

- Ralph Peterson, CH2M HILL CEO

�� New business opportunitiesNew business opportunities

Is Considering Sustainability a Good Is Considering Sustainability a Good Business Model?Business Model?

�� New business opportunitiesNew business opportunities


Traffic Safety

Transit

DecisionAnalysis

Context Sensitive Solutions

ProgramManagement /

GEC

APD /Design/Build

1990 2000 2008

New Transportation Market Opportunities

SustainableTransportation

Solutions

TravelDemand

Management

�� Enables market differentiationEnables market differentiation• Strategic - response to global

trends

• Innovative - break away from traditional solutions

• Effective - over the long term

• Beneficial - to people, business, and nature


StrategicInnovativeEffectiveBeneficial

�� Benefit and ValueBenefit and Value --added added service to customers yields service to customers yields followfollow --on businesson business

Porous Concrete SidewalksPorous Concrete Sidewalks•• Reduce need for Right of WayReduce need for Right of Way•• Natural drainage Natural drainage –– no vault or no vault or

detention ponddetention pond•• Green Material Green Material –– made of made of

recycled material and can be recycled material and can be recycledrecycled

•• Pedestrian facilityPedestrian facility Porous Concrete Sidewalks, Federal Way, WA


�� Evaluating costEvaluating cost --effectiveness & lifeeffectiveness & life --cycle cost savingscycle cost savings

What will it mean as we address What will it mean as we address Sustainability?Sustainability?

�� Allowing flexibility to fit customer and contextAllowing flexibility to fit customer and context


�� Additional research and development effortAdditional research and development effort



�� Demonstration Project Demonstration Project –– SR 520SR 520

Quiet (Rubberized) PavementsQuiet (Rubberized) Pavements•• Less road noiseLess road noise•• Reduces noise at the sourceReduces noise at the source•• No noise walls, No noise walls, bermsberms or or

vegetation required to mitigate vegetation required to mitigate noise impactsnoise impacts

•• Decreases landfill wasteDecreases landfill wasteQuiet Pavement, Bellevue, WA, U.S.A.

Conclusions Conclusions –– Designing for Designing for SustainabilitySustainability

�� Global and urban trends drive sustainabilityGlobal and urban trends drive sustainability�� Sustainability should be a comprehensive, 2Sustainability should be a comprehensive, 2 --step step

approachapproach•• Sustainable solutions should include demand managem ent, Sustainable solutions should include demand managem ent,

efficiency, and supply elements efficiency, and supply elements •• Sustainable infrastructure options provide another level for Sustainable infrastructure options provide another level for

addressing sustainabilityaddressing sustainability

�� Sustainability is a great business opportunity for our Sustainability is a great business opportunity for our industryindustry

Sustainable Solutions Sustainable Solutions -- ItIt ’’s the right thing to do!s the right thing to do!

Timothy A. Bevan, P.E.Timothy A. Bevan, [email protected]@ch2m.com425.453.5000425.453.5000

CH2MCH2M HILL, INC.HILL, INC.1100 112th Avenue NE1100 112th Avenue NEBellevue, WA 98004Bellevue, WA 98004

Questions?Questions?

CH2MCH2M HILLHILL ’’ssSustainable Solutions Website:Sustainable Solutions Website:

http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/services/sustainable_ solutions/http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/services/sustainable_ solutions/

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