A Unified Tool to Foster Front-End Planning and Sustainability in Infrastructure Projects

Sustainable infrastructure plays a critical role in improving the quality of life for the public, cultivating resilience against extreme weather and recurring disaster events, and ensuring sound economic development. However, to this end, many infrastructure projects fail to meet sustainability goals and are often plagued with schedule delays and cost overruns. This study aims to investigate existing synergies between six key elements from an FEP tool [i.e., Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI)] and 20 Envision credits to develop a reliable matrix that provides correlation and strategies to enhance project performance. To achieve this objective, this research surveyed 109 stakeholders of more than 45 Envision projects, representing more than 60% of the current Envision-certified projects in the US. The obtained data are analyzed using a threshold model and an ordered probit regression model to formulate a conceptual matrix that shows the correlation between Envision and the PDRI.