A dynamic approach for evaluating infrastructure projects' sustainable performance

Construction activity is commonly considered to have adverse, impacts on the environment, which is the basis of sustainable development for human being. Proper development and operation of a construction project can make significant contribution to the mission of sustainable development, especially for large-scale infrastructure projects where large amount investment and public interests are involved. Whilst the concept of sustainable construction has become popular in research, there is little existing work to provide appropriate methods to assess the degree of contribution of an infrastructure project to the attainment of sustainable development. This paper introduces a simulation model, using system dynamics methodology, to assess the sustainable performance of an infrastructure project across its life-cycle. The procedures of developing the model are explained in detail. A real life case is presented to evaluate the feasibility of an infrastructure project in terms of its sustainable performance.