New ACEC/APWA/ASCE Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System in Development

A new web-based sustainable infrastructure project rating system, a joint effort of acec, the American Public Works association (aPWa) and the american society of civil engineers (asce), is set to launch next spring.the goal of the new system and its companion training program will be to enhance the sustainability of the nation’s civil infrastructure, including transportation, water and environmental  projects of all types.

Michael r. cline, chairman of acec’s energy and environment committee and council liaison for the collaboration, says when finalized, the new rating system will significantly enhance the sustainability rating process for Member Firms and public works clients.

“First, it will provide a process that could help our clients evaluate their pro-posed projects through many areas of sustainable concepts and design on an easy-to-use web-based rating tool that includes links to reference materials and best practices,” he said. “it also will provide a mechanism for proposed projects to be pushed further along the sustainability scale, while checked against a project budget. Finally, it will provide an opportunity 

to help grow and brand the firm in using sustainability design practices through the certification and training process that will come out of  this effort.”

Under the program, sustainable infrastructure project ratings will be recognized only after an independently verified performance assessment, which will give the program a higher validity than self-verified programs that are frequently the standard in today’s market. the ultimate vision for the rating system is to produce a tool that will promote a more dynamic project delivery approach, where the practitioner, agency and owner can consider alternative approaches to achieving higher degrees of sustainability, and use those approaches to facilitate the regulatory approval process. acec, aPWa and asce will work with other organizations and government agencies to review and comment on the rating system. The consortium also will offer sustainability training and develop a certification program in an effort to further promote sustainable design and practice. The first phase of this program is expected to go into testing in fall 2010, in preparation for a planned public release in spring 2011.

Stimulus Grant Targets ‘Holistic’ Solutions For Infrastructure Problems

Clemson University’s civil engineering department is offering a new master’s program in “sustainable and resilient infrastructure” that will train graduates to confront the nation’s infrastructure problems.

Funded by a $700,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program will cover tuition for 14 master’s degree students over three years.

The first seven students will begin this fall. “We are preparing a generation of engineers ho will examine the nation’s infrastructure throughout its life, from the planning stagesthrough design, construction, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation,” said Ron Andrus, associate professor of engineering at Clemson and principal investigator on the project. Andrus also wrote in his abstract about the need for a “paradigm shift to look holistically at the nation’s infrastructure throughout its life.” 

Unlike traditional civil engineering programs, Clemson officials said, the new program will involve interdisciplinary coursework and internships with external partners to help students focus on broader issues involving the nation’s infrastructure problems, from aging roads and bridges to water supplies and power grids.

“The department of civil engineering recently has adopted resilient and sustainable infrastructure as a research and educational focus, and I believe this was instrumental in securing the grant from NSF,” said Nadim M. Aziz, department chairman.

The students will work in interdisciplinary teams, gain experience with businesses in the field and learn to communicate their ideas to technical and nontechnical audiences. External partners will include national laboratories, international engineering firms, state and local government agencies, and nonprofit and professional organizations.

“By working in project teams and through extensive interaction with our external partners, these students will gain expertise that will allow them to contribute immediately to the workforce in a critical area of the nation’s economy,”

A shot of the Springfield Interchange, also

as the Mixing Bowl, in Northern Virginia.