Project 1.8 Fact Sheet (424.11 Kb)

The community’s concern with environmental cost of the built environment is growing, so there is a pressing need for industry to identify and reduce the environmental cost of production. One significant contributor to greenhouse gases including CO2 is the handling and haulage of mass materials such as earth and rock on road and rail projects.

Project partners Queensland Department of Public Works, Western Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and John Holland are working with Swinburne University of Technology and Queensland University of Technology to find better ways to plan and manage infrastructure construction to reduce the environmental impact of mass material movements.

This project will add value for clients and producers (designers and contractors) of infrastructure by, for the first time, identifying rigorous methods for measuring, minimising and controlling the environmental cost of mass haul.

The following phases have been designed to deliver valuable outcomes from this research:

1. A review of existing research and best practice software and technology for earthworks management, mass haul analysis and construction fleet management. This will form the basis for theoretical models for Australian projects.
2. Develop a methodology for calculating carbon consumption of fleet. This will provide a method for clearly and rigorously calculating the impact of mass haul operations.
3. Develop a methodology for minimising mass haul costs and carbon footprint. This will allow contractors to identify better strategies that will minimise their environmental cost and to communicate the result clearly and effectively.
4. Develop non-financial assessment criteria for carbon consumption associated with earthworks on infrastructure projects. This will allow clients to improve the environmental performance of their projects through directed procurement mechanisms. This will also facilitate long-term performance improvement through recognition and rewarding non-financial criteria.
5. Develop a methodology for monitoring and controlling conformance with submissions. This will ensure accountability in the delivery of performance improvements and ensure that non-financial criteria are tied to incentives for real deliverables.

Project Outcomes

This research fills an important gap between environmental research and production efficiency research, and targets an emerging need for optimisation to reduce environmental impact of infrastructure construction.

• Phase 1 outcomes will include understanding international research and best practice in the domain of mass haul analysis and carbon impact. It will add to existing work which has been undertaken in understanding the environmental impact of infrastructure generally.
• Phase 2 outcomes will contribute internationally significant models for carbon impact of mass haul operations.
• Phase 3 will deliver models for optimisation of carbon impact and introduce new methods into the Australian industry for mass haul optimisation from both financial and carbon perspectives.
• Phase 4 will produce strategies for Australian clients of infrastructure projects and enhance the procurement methods toward improved environmental and financial performance.
• Phase 5 outcomes will contribute internationally significant models for monitoring and reporting compliance with environmental targets associated with mass haul operations.

Project Leader:

Professor Russell Kenley

BBldg(QS)(Hons) PhD MAIB AAIQS
Swinburne University of Technology
P: +61 405 069 792
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