Life-Cycle Analysis for Sustainability: Triple Bottom Line Accounting

On-Demand Course

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This course is part of ASCE's Sustainable Infrastructure Certificate.

Purpose and Background

This course will examine the fundamental ideas of triple bottom line accounting; the role of life-cycle thinking in shaping systems planning, doing the right project and doing it right; applying Life Cycle/Cost Benefit Assessment (LCCA); fundamental principles of environmental life cycle assessment; and how to apply various analysis approaches to LCA based methods to support project level decisions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

Explain the fundamental ideas of triple bottom line accounting
Describe the ways in which life cycle thinking can add perspectives in designing infrastructure systems
Apply fundamental methods in economic life cycle assessment, known as Life Cycle Cost/Benefit Assessment (LCCA)
Apply the fundamental principles of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA)
Identify societal aspects that influence life cycle thinking for an infrastructure system (as part of social LCA)
Explain how to value the role of stakeholder interactions in delivering life cycle thinking based solutions
Apply various analysis approaches to LCA based methods to support project level decisions

Who Should Attend?

Environmental engineers
Water resource engineers
Transportation engineers
Construction engineers
Environmental or climate scientists
Sustainability and resilience professionals
Climate adaptation professionals
Building Code and Standards Developers
Infrastructure Planners
Urban Planners

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Life Cycle Thinking. 23 minutes.

Use principles in systems thinking to apply the fundamental ideas of triple bottom line accounting to real world problems
Identify ways in which uncertain and unknown interactions within dynamic systems can cause unintended consequences
Serve as an advocate for role of life cycle thinking in shaping policy and practice to meet the requirements of triple bottom line accounting
Introduction to the idea of triple bottom line accounting: What are the three bottom lines? Define terms such as sustainability, sustainable projects and systems thinking
ASCE's Grand Challenge pertaining to sustainable infrastructure and ASTM Building Economics Standards

Part 1b: Introduction to Systems Based Life Cycle Thinking. 26 minutes.

Introduction to principles of systems thinking; recognizing the role of interdependencies among natural, social and engineered systems and counterintuitive feedbacks due to differences in societal values, and (iii) dynamics of ever changing systems over time
Recognizing the role of systems thinking in assessing a system through the lens of the triple bottom line. How do the three bottom lines relate to each other? What principles and frameworks can be used to identify such relationships and understand how they change over time?

Part 2: EHN Case Study. 30 minutes.

Critically assess the history of the Eisenhower Highway Network (EHN). Identify ways in which social and human factors directly influence the economic and environmental and social impacts of an infrastructure project. Consider how the EHN could have been influenced by triple bottom line thinking
How does triple bottom line thinking affect infrastructure? Discuss lessons from the history of the EHN
Discuss how life cycle thinking is shaping project delivery systems, design selection

Discuss impact of life cycle assessment and analysis tools in engineering decision-making

Module 2: Introduction to Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Fundamental Methods and Considerations of Risk (Solved Example) 21 minutes.

Apply fundamental methods in economic life cycle cost and benefit assessment, or LCCA
Apply statistical methods that can be used to analyze risk and sensitivity to uncertainty in assumptions
Introduction to methods in LCCA to develop the ability to define and apply concepts in:

Assessing life cycle costs and benefits through life cycle stages, feasibility analysis/study, planning and permitting, design, procurement and construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance
Establishing alternative design
Determining performance periods
Estimating agency and user costs
Developing expenditure stream diagrams
Assessing and estimating revenue, asset life cycle cost, indirect asset cost and externalities
Compute net present value and assess the sensitivity to the chosen discount rate
Analyzing LCCA results and re-evaluating alternative designs

Part 2: Case Study Illustrating Application of LCCA to Decision Making. 28 minutes.

The California Ramp LCCA case study
Application of LCCA in conjunction with uncertainty and risk analysis in supporting alternative strategy selection
Review examples to

Determine what is the best investment opportunity given alternatives for a project over the long term
Recognize different kinds of uncertainties associated with various project inputs, as well as changes in project timing
Conduct a sensitivity analysis on uncertain inputs such as interest rates

Societal use of infrastructure shapes the above definitions
How value is generated and its relationship to revenue from infrastructure assets, including an analysis of benefits and returns on investment methods

Module 3: Introduction to Environmental Life Cycle Assessment and Fundamentals of Environmental Life Cycle Assessment. 25 minutes.

Comprehend the fundamental principles of an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA)
Learn to develop a life cycle inventory and conduct a simple LC
Critically analyze how stakeholder participation shapes a framework for an environmental life cycle assessment for an infrastructure system
Recognize the role of environmental product declarations (EPD) in an industry for communicating the outcomes of an LCA, and the role of EPDs in supporting project and network level decision-making
Setting up an LCA

Goal and scope definition for an LCA
Choice of functional units
Stakeholder engagement

Identifying the relevant life cycle stages that lie within the scope of the LCA

Part 1b: Fundamentals of Environmental Life Cycle Assessment. 26 minutes.

Distinguishing between a process LCA and an Input-Output LCA, recognizing the strengths of each and recognizing the context in which each is most applicable
Motivating hybrid LCA approaches to bridge process and IO-LCA methods
Considering questions of multifunctional processes, such as allocation and system expansion

Part 2: Developing a Life Cycle Inventory for a Process. 35 minutes.

Determining the kind of information that will be necessary to conduct an LCA
Identifying ways to collect and organize the data and determining sources
Determining the level of specificity and data quality requirements that need to be met
Introduction to various industry standard life cycle inventories and databases
Use a hands-on example (electricity generation) to do the following:

Recognize the need to develop a project Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
Develop a process flow diagram to support a LCI development process
Develop a data collection plan including identification of inputs (resources), and outputs (emissions, waste, products and byproducts, transportation etc.)
for the product or process being considered in the LCA
Review the role of differing assumptions in conducting an LCA

Example problem (electricity generation)

Part 3a: Conducting a Life Cycle Impact Assessment. 22 minutes.

Mandatory and optional steps in LCIA
Selection and definition of impact categories
Overview of impact assessment methods
Classification and characterizing of LCI impacts based on categories

Part 3b: Conducting a Life Cycle Impact Assessment. 26 minutes.

Grouping, sorting and ranking of impact categories and normalizing the data so that meaningful comparisons can be made
Evaluation of analysis results
Communicating outcomes of an LCA using Environmental Product Declarations (EPD): Introduction to the EPD program

Part 4: The Pavement Life Cycle Assessment Framework and Introduction to Societal Aspects of Life Cycle Thinking. 27 minutes.

Understand the pavement life cycle assessment document that is being developed by FHWA
Understand the elements modeled in each of the pavement life cycle phases
Using the framework, understand how life cycle thinking can affect pavement selection, construction and pavement management decisions
Recognize the role of stakeholder interactions and business dynamics in the delivery of life cycle thinking based solutions
Identify and take advantage of current processes that actively integrate societal and stakeholder concerns in economic and environmental life cycle analysis of infrastructure
Introduction to societal aspects that influence and shape life cycle thinking
Examine the role of infrastructure in fostering societal development particularly consider the impacts due to improved access to clean drinking water, sanitation, transportation, education, and health
Consider the role played by stakeholders, particularly the societal dynamics, in deliberating the LCA framework
Examine the role of societal risk assessment when considering a project design

Part 2: Case Study: Context Sensitive Design. 20 minutes.

Examine the role of context sensitive design and how it can be implemented to further infrastructure sustainability goals
Recognize how the role of context specific stakeholder relationships, market realities and domain specific knowledge informs the development of the LCA framework
Identify ways in which a project can be designed to account for project context: landscape, history and community values
Use the case study to identify ways in which environmental and aesthetic features can be preserved
Illustrate how human factors such as safety and access are emphasized
Illustrate how ensuring buy-in from all stakeholders and emphasizing public participation during design phases is crucial to project success
Illustrate how the objectives of designers and stakeholders can be both met

Part 3: Case Study: Value Engineering and Constructability Analysis for Projects. 26 minutes.

Examine the role of current integrative project management processes and project delivery systems in furthering consideration of societal impacts over the life cycle of a project (value engineering)
Review how the decisions made during the Value Engineering Process

Improved the social bottom-line
The economic bottom-line
Reduced the environmental impact of the project
Involvement of all stakeholders in value creation

Illustrate the role of specific design elements such as traffic islands, pedestrian friendly streets, scenic river walks, and bicycle lanes, and how they can improve the livability of a place and improve long term socio-economic outcomes

Module 5: Role of Life Cycle Assessment Sustainability Tools to Support Improved Infrastructure Decision-Making and System Optimization. 35 minutes.

Apply multi-objective attribute analysis and trade-off methods in assessing triple bottom line impacts to support decision-making
Recognize the relationship between system performance and triple bottom line thinking. Learn how SLCA can support doing the right project and doing the project right
Understand how life cycle assessment can support decision-making in infrastructure systems
Multi-objective optimization and trade-off assessment: informing decision-making using life cycle analysis results
Assessing competing objectives and using methods such as analytic hierarchical process (AHP)
Show results of applying computing software (e.g., ExpertChoice, PRISM,GIS)
Benchmarking and recommendations for stakeholders

Part 2: Case Study using ENVISION. 20 minutes.

Introduction to ENVISION

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

How to Earn your PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.