Case Studies:

• Seoul Clean Construction System (South Korea) was created by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to prevent poor construction from impacting the safety of infrastructure users. Improving the transparency of the public construction sector process from procurement through to construction encourages better quality outcomes from government and the private sector.

Case Studies:

• Sydney Metro Northwest PPP (Australia) was Stage 1 of the Sydney Metro project that delivered Australia’s first fully automated metro railway via a new 36 km rail link to Sydney’s north-west corridor. Its electricity usage during operations will be fully offset through the use of solar energy, and it has been designed so that 70% of water used during operations will be sourced from rainwater harvesting or from the recycled water network.
• Milton District Hospital Expansion (Canada) had a robust incentivisation mechanism to ensure environmental outcomes were met in the long-term maintenance contract. This included using a painshare / gainshare model based on energy consumption rather than pricing for deviations greater than 5% from forecast energy usage for the hospital, penalties if the project failed to achieve LEED NC silver certification within 24 months after substantial completion, and adoption of an environmental management system with penalties for non-compliance (case study from the GI Hub Reference Guide on Output Specifications for Quality Infrastructure).
• Agadir Mutualized Desalination Plant (Morocco) used output specifications to incentivise the private partner to optimise the plant and minimise energy use by linking payment to energy consumption. This approach allows the private partner to make trade-offs between energy costs over the term and a design solution above minimum requirements. As a result, the private partner decided to include an energy harvesting turbine, which reduces the overall energy use of the facility. (case study from the GI Hub Reference Guide on Output Specifications for Quality Infrastructure).
• Hong Kong Organic Resources Recovery Centre (Hong Kong SAR, China) used an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken by the owner prior to procurement to assess expected technology, performance, emissions, output management, and odour control. The private partner must perform as well or better than the performance stated in the EIA or apply for a variation to the Environmental Permit. The plant is electrically self-sufficient (case study from the GI Hub Reference Guide on Output Specifications for Quality Infrastructure).
• UAE Sustainability Partnerships (UAE) aimed to improve the sustainability outcomes of infrastructure, The United Arab Emirates Government established a partnerships with a tyre manufacturer and academic institutions to develop road surfacing that utilises recycled tyres, and asphalt pavement that utilises recycled plastic. While research is ongoing, for the Dubai Expo 2020, 30,000 car park spaces were completed using 20% recycled tyres. Utilisation of recycled materials in roads and pavements is expected to increase asset life and reduce maintenance costs while also alleviating pressure on landfill facilities and avoiding release of hazardous toxins into the environment from incorrect disposal

Examples:

• Dubai Expo 2020 (United Arab Emirates) set sustainability as a core focus within each pavilion having its own sustainability KPI. The Expo implemented a range of sustainable design and construction practices including diverting 85% of its waste away from landfill, and included the reuse and repurpose of construction waste (concrete) for temporary roads, public realm sub-base, and logistics areas. It included an asphalt mix made up of 20% recycled tyres from local waste.

Case Studies:

• London Olympics 2012 (UK) appointed an independent body called the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, which was set up to monitor delivery of a sustainable Olympics and Paralympics. It provided an assurance process so that sustainability objectives, targets and aspirations were met.

Case Studies:

• High Speed Rail 2 (UK) is the second high speed railway system to be built in the UK providing dedicated track to connect more than 25 stations and over 10 million people. Empowering Communities Initiative is a ten-year social legacy program for the construction of HS2 in London to deliver long-lasting benefits for local people for generations to come. It is led by the construction industry to support community projects, create jobs for those experiencing worklessness and homelessness, and to help young people develop new STEM skills and access apprenticeships.
• Central 70 Managed Lanes (USA) removed highway viaducts and replaced them with community parks and an outdoor sports area for a local school. The project established a college scholarship program to benefit students at the school who were affected by construction, and developed the local school’s engineering curriculum to impart project-relevant concepts (case study from the GI Hub Reference Guide on Output Specifications for Quality Infrastructure).

Case Studies:

• Multipurpose Community Infrastructure (USA) involved co-located library developments with affordable housing. The joint funding model has enabled improved social outcomes for local communities with the cost sharing initiative enabling the development of required public services and public housing.
• Pan American Games Athletes Village (Canada) converted parts of the project into affordable rental housing at the conclusion of the Games. Ownership of these units was transferred to non-profit housing corporations, with units rented at or below 80% of the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporations (CMHC) average market rent for the City of Toronto, for a minimum of 20 years (case study from the GI Hub Reference Guide on Output Specifications for Quality Infrastructure).