An All Consequences Calculator for Roadworks and Streetworks Design
摘要
Streetworks and roadworks play a significant role in the emission of carbon dioxide and consequential climate change (Local Council Roads Innovation Group, 2023). Achieving Net Zero in this sector requires the implementation of innovative materials, equipment and processes to curtail emissions and reduce environmental impacts. Conventionally, carbon calculators have been developed and employed to assess and report on emissions as well as the cost implications associated with the activities encompassed by roadworks and streetworks. However, the emissions and other impacts associated with different design options for roadworks and streetworks extend beyond the boundaries of their immediate activities (the ‘systems of interest’). Roadworks and streetworks are interconnected with various components of urban systems and other infrastructure systems. This interconnectedness spans across environmental, societal, and economic systems, introducing an array of interdependencies across different scales such as posing a threat to the street scene (Goodwin, 2005), increasing road congestion (City of London Corporation, 2011) and increasing the cost of congestion to the region and the country (Haylen & Butcher, 2019), leading to substantial increases in social, economic, and environmental costs (Parker, 2008; City of London Corporation, 2011). Current carbon calculators, albeit valuable, are insufficient to encompass the broader system-level aspects that these activities affect. Here we present research into developing an All Consequences Calculator that includes the broader emissions and prioritizes avoiding environmental harm and negative socio-economic consequences.