Download Research on Sustainable Development Capability ... of Large-Scale Infrastructure

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Research on Sustainable Development Capability Evaluation System
of Large-Scale Infrastructure
SUN Hailing, HU Yunpeng
Henan University of Urban Construction, P.R.China, 467044
Abstract: The transport, airports, water conservancy and other large infrastructures are the basis for
national and regional development; therefore, its sustainable development is very worthy of study.
Firstly, the author established the static equilibrium model, dynamic equilibrium model and the overall
pattern for large-scale infrastructure projects (LIP), on which the capability evaluation system for the
large-scale infrastructure sustainable development is studied and five factors affecting the sustainability
of LIP are analyzed in this paper.
Keywords: large-scale infrastructure, sustainable development, evaluation system, research
1 Introduction
With the increasing importance of sustainable development of modern society, theory research and
practice on sustainable development has made significant progress and achievements. Due to fact that
traffic, airport, water conservancy and other large infrastructures are the base for the development of
countries and regions, therefore, sustainable development is worth studying.
However, China's research progress on sustainable development is not balanced, focusing on the macro
and micro field, and relatively neglects microcosmic (such as construction project) sustainable
development, especially for large infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, there is not a complete evaluation
system for sustainable development ability of China's large infrastructure. Existing project appraisal
system, in general structure, is not completely built on ideological and theoretical basis of sustainable
development, and also cannot fully embody the needs for sustainable development in contents.
In view of the above two aspects, theory evaluation model on sustainable development capability of
large infrastructure projects and the assessment system of project sustainability are studied in this paper
with the purpose of carrying out the theories and methods in the large-scale infrastructure projects so as
to promote its sustainable development.
2 The Theory Pattern of Sustainable Development Capability Evaluation for
Large-scale Infrastructure
There are following three modes: static equilibrium model, dynamic equilibrium model and
comprehensive balance mode.
2.1 The static balance mode
From the static viewpoint, sustainable development of large-scale infrastructure evaluation should
adhere to the value orientation of stakeholders, who consider not only the development of economy, but
society and ecology, and to pursue the overall technical, management and coordination for the
sustainable development of all stakeholders, which create the value of sustainable development.
The economic evaluation for large-scale infrastructure projects focuses on the economic contribution
and influence of projects, showing economic wealth created for the project stakeholders in certain
period of time, mainly reflected through some economic indexes; The ecological evaluation puts
emphasis on the contribution and influence upon ecological environment of the project, mainly through
various ecological technology index; And the social evaluation is to examine the influence on society
and its adaptability, mainly through various social evaluation index; The technological evaluation of the
project is to exam the technical level, showing the application of new technology, the main structure and
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function of the project through various technical evaluation index in a certain period of time; The
management evaluation is to investigate the management level of the project, indicating the
management planning, management organization and management methods of assessment in a certain
period of time.
2.2 The dynamic balance mode
From the dynamic viewpoint, multiple targets depend on the following three stages of circulation:
correct development strategy, scientific, effective implementation process and performance ability.
Whether the project development strategy is able to fairly satisfy all stakeholders and agree with the
strategy of sustainable development, and it is the key point to whether the multiple goals can be
coordinated. Therefore, the large infrastructure projects should establish strategies of sustainable
development including economic development strategy, ecological protection strategy, social
responsibility strategy, technological development and management strategy, etc.
And corresponded with the strategy of sustainable development, the project should establish financial
processes guided by sustainable development and supply chain system guided by environmental
management, clean production, production cycle assessment, the total cost evaluation and green
materials as well as the information service process based on environmental accounting, environmental
auditing, social responsibility accounting environment and social responsibility audit, thus forming a
business process system based on sustainable development strategy.
From the viewpoint of the results of competence, competence performance refers to the project, in a
certain period of time, comprehensively using its manpower and material resource, technology and
system for sustainable development strategy and its corresponding business process of practice,
including creative ability of economic value, maintenance ability of ecological system, performance
ability of social responsibility, technical innovation ability and management ability.
Strategy formulation, implementation process and abilities are interdependent, mutually conditional,
dynamic circulation, constitute multiple performance process cycle for the realization of project
coordination and sustainability. Strategy is the direction, performance process is the means, competence
performance is the result; conversely, competence performance is the base of next cycle, it is the direct
basis for strategic adjustment and the business process reengineering (BPR).
2.3 Comprehensive balance modes
The comprehensive balance model of large-scale infrastructure projects (LIP), taking the strategy of
sustainable development as the center, the dynamic and static process as equilibrium rings, constitutes a
complete system of combination of the dynamic and static process. This model includes:
2.3.1 The goals of sustainable development system
Multiple targets take sustainable development strategy as the ultimate goal, the multiple values and
stakeholders’ value orientation as guidance, the economy, ecology, society, technology and management
as direct evaluation index.
2.3.2 The static equilibrium system
LIP in sustainable development requires significant performance in following five aspects: economy,
ecology, society, technology and management. At certain stage of development, these indicators should
keep balance so as to realize the coordination development.
2.3.3The dynamic circulation system
From viewpoint of development process, multiple targets depend on strategy, process and the dynamic
circulation of ability in order to improve the economic, ecological, social, technology, and management
of coordinated development. The comprehensive balance model for sustainable development of LIP is
shown in figure 1.
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Economy
Ecology
Society
Large Infrastructure
Sustainable Development
Technology
Management
Multiple Values
Management
Technology
Society
Ecology
Economy
Strategy Formulation
Economic Development Strategy
Ecology Protection
Strategy
Social Development Strategy
Technological Advances Strategy
Sustainable Management strategy
Social Responsibility strategy
Stakeholders
Multiple
Capital
Ownership
Sustainable Development
Ability and performance
Economic Value Creation Ability
Ecology Protection Ability
Social Responsibility Performing
Ability
Technological
Advances
innovation Capability
Management Level Improvement
Capability
……
Process
Process
of
Project
Approval,
Decision-Making
Process of Finance Account
Process of Project Design
Process of Ecological Supply Chain
Sustainable Information Disclosure
Figure 1 LIP comprehensive balance model for sustainable development
3 Evaluation System Based on LIP Sustainable Development Capability
LIP sustainability framework of evaluation system consists of five parts: economic evaluation,
ecological evaluation, social evaluation, technological evaluation and management evaluation.
3.1 The index system of economic evaluation
The influence of project investment economic benefits and national economic benefit both constitute
sustainable economic factors for LIP. For operators, it’s the bigger the better for the economic benefit of
project investment. But from the angle of the sustainable development and national economic benefit,
the project should not only satisfy the interest of investors, but also the economic benefit of entire
nationals.
3.1.1 The economic benefit evaluation of project investment
The economic benefit evaluation of project investment refers to the financial evaluation, from the angle
of project managers, according to the market price and the regulations for current economic, monetary
and financial system to analyze and measure the financial benefit and direct costs of proposed
construction project, calculate evaluation index, profitability, loan repayment ability in order to judge
the financial feasibility of the proposed project.
Project financial evaluation index system takes the economic interests as the core project, including the
main index: financial net present value (FNPV), financial internal rate of return, and financial
investment recoupment period, payback period of loan, etc.
3.1.2 The national economic evaluation
The National economic benefits are very important for large-scale infrastructure sustainability. National
economic evaluation centers on national economic interests, the benefits and cost are under
consideration in accordance with the principle of reasonable allocation of resources, and from the view
point of the whole country. The net contribution to the national economy is calculated and ecomic
rationality of the project is assessed based on the economical parameter analysis of shadow price of
goods, shadow wages, shadow exchange rate and social discount rate.
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The index system of national economic performance evaluation mainly includes the following aspects:
internal economic yield, economic net present value, benefit cost ratio and sensitivity analysis, etc.
3.2 The ecological evaluation index system
Firstly, LIP affects the environment greatly, such as mainline railway, highway, and airport construction.
These massive human engineering activities aggravate the damage to the natural environment, such as
deforestation and blasting in mountains, moving mountain and filling seas and moved (jam) river, which
will destroy natural landform environment formed for thousands of years, leading to environmental
deterioration to engineering geological condition to some degree including collapse, landslide and debris
flow incident. Secondly, the wastes produced by large infrastructure operation such as overload
greenhouse gases, acid rain-causing gases, smoke dust, waste water and solid waste etc. need to natural
absorption, which will cause great influence on the quality of surrounding air, the quality of water, and
causing noise pollution. Therefore, the sustainable development for LIP requires the constraints for
resources utilization and sewage disposal should adapt to the environment and resource capacity.
The ecological assessment index system is set from the consumption of resources and environmental
impact, among which the utilization efficiency of land use, green raw material, energy conservation and
utilization of renewable energy used as a secondary variables influence on resources consumption, and
the influence on air quality, the protection water source, noise control, waste treatment, ecological
system integrity as the secondary variables of impact on environmental.
3.3 The social evaluation index system
The social evaluation index system is set from the influence degree on society and the adaptability of the
project.
3.3.1 The social impact assessment index.
Local residents have a direct relationship of interests with the project, more employment opportunities
from the project construction and operation should be guaranteed under the premise of being unaffected
on the quality of their life.
Due to the large amounts of cultivated land, villages and factories covered by LIP is large, it can lead to
lots of immigrants. The immigrants should be properly arranged, otherwise, adverse impact on society
can be brought, thus affecting the project construction, which will cause great economic losses.
While implementing the evaluation of the sustainable development on society, the influence on regional
culture and education, health, knowledge and information transfer shall be considered.
The construction of LIP may affect the local culture and landscape, therefore, the impact on local
characteristics of natural landscape and cultural inheritance and development should be properly under
consideration.
Therefore, the employment situation of the residents, immigration, and the influence on cultural
education and health, knowledge, information transfer, local characteristics, inheriting and development
of cultural and natural landscape will be regarded as secondary variables for its social influence.
3.3.2 The adaptability of the project
The adaptability of the project focuses on whether it can be accepted by local society and humanities
conditions, as well as the degree of local governments and people supporting the existence and
development of the project aimed at investigating the interaction with local social environment. The
adaptability of the project mainly includes two aspects: support and cooperation degree of local
organizations and the demand degree being satisfied from different interest groups.
LIP may be affected by local organizations. Therefore, while implementing the influence on local
society, the attitudes from local organizations towards LIP project construction and operations should be
analyzed and predicted including in what ways, to what extent, LIP can get the support and cooperation
from local organizations.
LIP should adapt to the needs of different interest groups. We should analyze and predict the attitudes to
and their participation in LIP construction and operation of different interests groups directly related to
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the project. Choosing the way for the various interest groups to promote the success of the project, and
preventive measures should be taken to eliminate the negative factors affecting the development of
project.
3.4 The technical evaluation index system
The LIP sustainable development in China is restricted by technical factor. LIP construction and
one-time investment cost is high, therefore, from the viewpoint of sustainable development, the
application of new technology and the structure and function of the project in its sustainable
development during the decision-making and design stage should be taken into consideration.
3.4.1The use of new technology in projects
The new technology has great influence on LIP sustainable development. The application of new
technology mainly includes: perceptiveness of project design and advanced construction technology.
The design of the project should meet the needs of the idea of sustainable development, scientificity and
perceptiveness and expansion space. Besides consideration of people’s current needs, the future needs
should be considered, and meet the needs of economic, technological and cultural development later.
Design perceptiveness still behaves in attempting to use existing and new technology, material and
technology.
The application of advanced construction technology refers to the use of advanced technology in project
construction. It is shown in using advanced construction technology to save investment cost, shorten the
construction period, improve the quality of construction projects, etc.
3.4.2 The structure function of project
The sustainability of LIP depends on its durability, and the durability directly determines the life of
large-scale infrastructure structure. The better its durability lasts, the longer its service life is.
Along with the development of economy and society, the scale of LIP grows rapidly. The likelihood of
the earthquake, fire, wind, flood or other disaster also increases, so, full consideration on the influence
of natural disasters as well as its bear ability of the structure of the project and equipment upon LIP
should be taken in its design stage to strengthen itself resistance to disasters tectonic.
The maintainability of LIP requires the in its earlier stage, trying to simplify the maintenance work so as
to reduce the future cost in an attempt to have the minimum operation and costs to complete the
maintenance work of system. The main elements include: design simplification, maintenance
convenience, standardization of infrastructure construction, quickness of maintenance and safety.
The extensibility of project includes its possibility and economy, which is based on “elastic design”. It is
necessary to give priority to the flexibility and variable structure and systems, development of
modularization, standardization, and use equipment and parts that are easy for maintenance and update
for the future.
This thesis will take durability, disaster prevention capabilities of engineering and maintainability and
extensibility of project as the secondary variables of the structure and function.
3.5 The management evaluation index system
The LIP sustainable development in China is restricted by management factor, and project management
of LIP plays a critical role in its sustainable development. Therefore, from the viewpoint of sustainable
development, the following aspects: management planning, management methods and management
organizations should be properly considered.
3.5.1The management plan
The rationality of the management planning directly determines whether the management planning can
be implemented; the efficiency of its implementation process directly determines the completion of
expected goals and plan within the stipulated time: the consistency of planning and expected effect is the
standards of quality inspection for management planning. The thesis will take the rationality of planning,
the efficiency of its implementation and the consistency of planning and expected effect as the
secondary variables of project management planning.
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3.5.2The management organizations
LIP should have a complete system of organization and management, which is the direct factor to judge
whether its management is mature. The management functions in every construction project are
definitely clear, which is shown in project management functions table including project manager, the
internal departments and various jobs for all tasks of project management. Clear organizational function
division can make the organization members know clearly what kind of work to do at what stage so as to
ensure the realization of project organization goal. This thesis will take completeness of project system,
the rationality of the organization and the clarity of the functions as the secondary variables of project
management organization.
3.5.3The management methods
The traditional methods of project management cannot adapt to the requirements of project development.
The sustainable development of the project management requires the new management methods
abandoning traditional management methods.
The core of LIP management system is normalization, and only the normalization can truly bring the
management system into full play.
The fair and reasonable evaluation system can create a fair competition mechanism, improve the
efficiency of the project implementation thus achieving organizational goals, and develop human
resources, excavate the potential to increase the value of human resources capital.
An emergency occurs constantly in project management. Special events will require special project
management so as to increase the strain capacity.
Therefore, this paper will regard the viability of management system, the rationality of the evaluation
system of management and the pertinence of special methods as the secondary variables of project
management.
4 Conclusion
An entire construction project not only includes a serials of sections such as resources evaluation, region
assessment, planning, survey, design, implementation, management, maintenance, reconstruction,
demolition and disposal, but also consists of a complex process of mining and processing of raw
materials; product manufacture, transportation and marketing; product use, reuse and maintenance;
waste recycling and disposal.
Based on this, this paper has studied the sustainable developments of large scale infrastructures
throughout the whole life cycle of the project, and aims to find out a scientific and effective evaluation
system and inspection method, which can afford an effective evaluation of the sustainable development
of the large-scale construction projects, and promote the implementation of the sustainable development
in the engineering fields
Author in brief:
Sun Hailing, Female, Born in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province in March, 1971. Associate professor,
National certified cost engineer, National registered supervision engineer, and National 1st class
registered construction engineer.
Address: Office of Academic Affairs, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan City,
Henan Province, China. Zip code: 467044
Communication: Telephone: 0375-2089212, Mobile: 15003757299, Email: [email protected]
Hu Yunpeng, Male, Born in Zigui County, Hubei Province in April, 1980. University lecturer
Address: Faculty of Construction Engineering Management, Henan University of Urban Construction,
Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, China. Zip code: 467044
Communication: Telephone: 0375-2089210, Mobile: 15893413695, Email: [email protected]
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Acknowledgement:
The thesis is part of achievements of “The research on sustainable development of large infrastructure,
in case of Yanshan reservoir” which is the established project of Henan Science and Technology
Department, presided by Sun Hailing in 2009. The project number is 092400450030
，
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